It's often the most difficult wedding decision a couple has to make. While if you are religiously affiliated from the same religion it may be simpler, but rarely is that the case. Often there is pressure coming from either the bride or grooms parents, or worse case both. Even when you do decide where to be married choosing the reception location dictates not only the size of your wedding, but in most cases, the price. Make the decision easier by following this guide.

Choosing a wedding location is a very big decision for many engaged couples. By choosing one location you are limited to how far away geographically your guests can drive to the second location. There are so many questions that pop up when couples start examining spots for the perfect ceremony and reception venue.

It's very important that the couple know a close estimate of how many guests they are expecting to attend the event. Together the couple, and each of the couples' parents should compile a rough draft guest list; this should always be the first step. Once the couple knows how many guests each of their parents expect, it will be easier to make decisions on how many friends to invite. Oftentimes couples must ask one set of parents to scale their list back a bit. It is only good manners not to mention it to the other set of parents. It is impossible to choose the perfect wedding venue until you have your guest list fairly certain.

The couple should also take into consideration where most of their guests are located such as the city or state. While it's not the deciding factor, it does make good sense to consider your guests and how far the majority will have to travel. If you have guests traveling over an hour it is rude to expect them to attend a 3:00 ceremony followed by hours of lag time before the reception. A good rule of thumb is within 90 minutes, and within 20 miles.

If you have a large wedding party and choose to go to more than one location for pictures before the reception think of your guests. While it's not required that you feed them twice, you should have the reception venue offer a small buffet of little treats or appetizers. Even cold trays are acceptable and reasonably priced. Open the bar 30 prior to the reception beginning, but no sooner for alcohol, or you may be surprised by your bill.

The ceremony venues get narrowed down quickly if the couple wants to have a traditional, religious ceremony. For a bride and groom of different religious beliefs, they may want to consider having the ceremony in a non-religious or non-denominational location. This way they can incorporate aspects of both beliefs. If either partner in the couple comes from a religious background and chooses not to have a religious ceremony, he/she should discuss this with his/her parents beforehand. If this is the case I suggest this be done alone, as the parent's should have the ability to speak freely about it with their child alone, and not worry about offending the soon to be son or daughter in-law.

When a couple visits each location to see if it is suitable, they should ask for a list of the site's policies. Many locations have written copies which include the locations preferences and restrictions. A do's and don'ts sort of list. Some establishments have restrictions on decorations and wedding attire. Some religious locations will not allow a bride to wear a revealing wedding dress. If the bride has already purchased her dress, she'll want to make sure the dress she and her bridesmaids will wear will be allowed in the chosen location.

The couple should also be certain about the amount of time they will be allowed to set things up prior to the ceremony. It is not at all uncommon to give the couple or the florist only an hour or two to set up. This may be due to prior events before the wedding, or equally troubling can be the limited time allowed for photos after the ceremony. It's quite common for locations that book multiple ceremonies in the same afternoon. There may only be 30 minutes for photos and removal of the couple's decorations. This could be a serious hindrance if the couple has quite a bit of decor.