Wedding Budget Tip #35: À la carte wedding venues vs all-inclusive venues

This post is part of a recurring series here on BSB where we share wedding budget tips to help you save money on your wedding! You can access all the wedding budget tips on a single page for your convenience and future reference. This post is all about weighing the cost of à la carte wedding venue vs all-inclusive venues.

Wedding Budget Tip #35:

Remember to factor in the cost of rentals if you’re considering a blank space or à la carte wedding venue.

When it comes to planning your wedding, there are lots of options to consider for every potential vendor you book. The biggest tends to be the venue. There are so many variables involved depending on the type of venue you choose.

Some venues offer different services à la carte, so you can build the packages you want. Some are all-inclusive and therefore set in stone. In this post, we’ll outline the differences of each type of venue and explain what you need to keep in mind when getting quotes.

À la carte wedding venues:

À la carte wedding venues are typically a blank slate. You get the use of a room or site, but you are expected to bring in all your own decor, tables, chairs and more. Sometimes à la carte venues can be more affordable, but you’ll have to bring in pretty much everything yourself, including, but not limited to:

tables and chairs
linens and decor
dishes, glassware, and silverware
catering
sound equipment
centerpieces
and more

Are you looking for an à la carte wedding venue for your big day? Try looking for raw spaces and blank slate options via non-traditional wedding venue sources such as VRBO or Peerspace. You just might be surprised at the hidden gems you discover that would be perfect for your big day!

All-inclusive wedding venues:

All-inclusive wedding venues vary in the number of items they include in their rental prices but often include many of the things listed above. The ticket price is generally higher, but if you add up the costs involved with bringing things in yourself (including delivery and pick up fees) you might find that an all-inclusive is actually cheaper.

Or you may find that it’s more cost-beneficial to bring things in yourself. That’s why it’s imperative that you factor in ALL the costs associated before making your decision. Get it?