As a wedding photographer in Central Texas, I’ve been asked to participate in a ton of wedding venue open houses all around Austin.  An open house is where couples can tour the venue and meet their potential creative team for their wedding day.  You should think of a wedding venue open house as an opportunity to get inspiration, make decisions about vendors, and envision your special day in that space.

The Top Five Reasons why you should attend Central Texas Wedding Venue Open Houses

Exploring Options:

Open houses allow engaged couples to explore different wedding venue options. This is helpful if you are in the early stages of planning and want to see a variety of venues.  Seeing a venue in person really allows you to visualize the space.  Check out the venue’s layout, decor, and overall ambiance. Can you imagine how the space will look and feel on your wedding day?  Does it match the vibe you’re hoping for on your wedding day?  Do you like the getting ready suites?  Is there plenty of parking for your guests?  How many restrooms are there?

Meeting Vendors:

Wedding venues often collaborate with various vendors, such as florists, photographers (Hi!  If you’re still looking for a wedding photographer in Central Texas, it’s nice to meet you!), and caterers, during open houses. Engaged couples can meet these vendors, ask questions, and potentially make decisions about hiring those services for their wedding.  Use this time to discuss pricing and any special offers with vendors who have already worked at that venue.  It’s likely that most of the vendors there have worked at that venue before and that the venue’s clients had a fabulous experience with that vendor.  That means you’ll be well-taken care of by an experienced vendor team if you hire from the preferred vendor list.

Getting Inspired:

Open houses often feature styled setups or sample decorations, providing you with inspiration for your own wedding. Seeing different possibilities can spark creative ideas and help you to envision your own wedding day layout.

Tasting Samples:

Many venues will have their preferred caterers at the open houses to offer food and beverage samples.  Taste the catering options, check out the bartending options and get a head start on the menu for your wedding day.  If you like what you’ve tried, you can always do a full tasting with that caterer or baker at a later date. If you don’t like it, and it’s an in-house caterer that you’re required to book, it may not be the venue for you.

Securing Your Date and Creative Team:

Popular wedding venues can book up quickly. By attending open houses, brides & grooms can check availability and potentially secure their desired wedding date.  Most venues and lots of vendors can only take on one wedding a day and once that date is booked, it’s booked.  So, if you love the vibe and can easily envision your day at that venue and you don’t feel like it’s missing something off your wish list, book it!  There is likely a special rate for couples who book at the open house.

Overall, open houses provide a comprehensive experience for engaged couples to gather information, make decisions, and move forward with their wedding planning process. The most recent wedding venue open house that I was a preferred photographer at was Ma Maison in Dripping Springs.  Here are some of my favorite photos from their indoor reception set-up that day.

Ma Maison Wedding Venue Preferred Vendors: 
Planners: Altar Ego Weddings & Something to Celebrate
Preferred Photographer at Ma Maison in Dripping Springs: Mylah Renae
Wedding DJ: Premiere Entertainment
Artisan Cake Bakery in Dripping Springs: Alba Cake Designs
Luxury Wedding Draping: Unique Design & Events
Wedding Caterer: Vestals Catering
Floral Design for Dripping Springs Weddings: Wild Bunches Floral
Rentals: Premiere Events
Videography: Grumbo Films & Waterloo Films