Choosing where to host your ceremony, reception, or overall celebration may be the most important decision you make when it comes to your special day.  More times than not, the main forces behind choosing a venue are availability and cost. In addition the overall theme of your wedding may not be portrayed as you’d like at a certain venue. For example, let’s say you want to a succulent inspired wedding with lots of floral and greenery; a hotel ballroom may not be the best venue, but it can be done. On the contrary, if you are having your ceremony or reception in a hotel ballroom, you may be pretty limited with the colors you can use in your décor.

I mean let’s accept it, we don’t have an abundance of venue’s in Natrona County and the ones we do have, get booked quickly! By day, I work for the Casper Area Chamber of Commerce and from my seat; I get to see a mixture of events with different themes, held at a variety of venues.  The biggest piece of advice I can give when it comes to any sort of event or celebration is to start thinking about venues early so that you have time to take into consideration all the factors that will play into the final look and feel of your wedding; and of course, so you don’t miss the opportunity to book it before it goes to someone else.

Let’s walk through a few popular venue types in the area here today.

Along with venue availability and cost also comes the capacity that a venue can hold.  Take into account how many people you plan to invite to your celebration.  If you plan on having a large event (200 + attendees) and want it to be indoors, I recommend the Ramkota Hotel & Convention Centre, The Hangar, The Casper Events Center, or The Lyric.  Many of these venues are full service or have the capability to become full service.  If you are looking for a smaller indoor event (1 – 199 attendees), I would recommend Casper College, Fort Caspar Campground, The Hampton Inn, the Hilton Inn, Holiday Inn Casper East – McMurry Park, Occasions by Cory, The Hall on Ash, The Ramada Plaza Casper Hotel and Conference Center, the Tate Pumphouse Trail Center, the WCA Regional Training Center, or The Wolcott Galleria. For more information on weddings or other special events at any of these locations, click here. Please note that when it comes to hosting any type of special event at a hotel/conference based venue, it’s definitely in your best interest to check with the venue about other events or ceremonies that could be happening on the same day as your wedding.

For outdoor venues, one really important thing to take into consideration is the time of day your event will be.  It will not only make the ceremony easier on you and your guests, but also on your photographer. One venue that seemed to be perfect in terms of shade and light is Ayres Natural Bridge. As you can see below at Tami and Derrick’s big day, the curvature of Natural Bridge surrounding the couple really set the stage. However, keep in mind, when having an outdoor ceremony or reception, you may have to rent tables, chairs..etc.

Planning a wedding is supposed to be the happiest time in an engaged couple’s life. I am always happy to chat about venues, so send me a note or give me a call if I can answer any questions for you during your planning process. Also, don’t forget to book your photographer early ;-)

Be married my friends!