Why Corporate Event Planners Avoid Wedding Venues

March 29, 2019

When you're searching for an appropriate and inspirational venue for your product launch or special event, unless you are actually launching, for example, a wedding dress salon or a new bridal magazine (and probably not even then), the last type of venue you'd want to book would be one heavily associated with wedding couples.

Your guests will be surprised - and not for the right reasons.

What message does it send?
Booking a wedding function centre for a corporate event may send the message that your company is out of date, unimaginative, poorly resourced in events management and/or unable to come up with venues that are cleverly themed.

It typically feels jarring and irrelevant to attend a corporate event at the same venue you've been a wedding guest. At best, you run the risk of guests thinking about the wedding and not concentrating on your client's brand! At worst, guests feel uninspired about your event before they've even arrived.

Most people Google a venue to check what other guests say about the food, service, location, getting there or parking availability, for example and you won't want them to see a venue's website which is heavily marketed as, essentially, a wedding factory.

What impact will it have on your event?
Why? If your guests are unimpressed with your choice of venue, they may decline to attend, be no-shows after RSVPing or just feel distinctly disengaged throughout your event. They're unlikely to share the event on Instagram, for a start.

An overtly-themed wedding venue space often includes styling elements which are outdated, hard to disguise and/or are blatantly designed for couples.

You can tell a lot by the venue's website and what type of clientele it really specialises in, if you don't have time for a site visit.

One Melbourne venue which probably wants more corporate event bookings nevertheless has a wedding cake image on its corporate events page!

Here are other website clues it's better-known as a wedding factory:

• Tulle-draped ceilings
• White chair covers with a coloured sash ribbon
• Long bridal tables set up on a permanent podium
• Cheap, mass-produced centrepieces
• Red carpet aisle runners
• Extravagantly gathered Austrian curtains
• Permanently installed wall-hung tapestries
• A faux olde-worlde wedding chapel in the garden
• Dedicated "Bridal Room" spaces off the main reception area
• Heavily patterned carpet which can clash with most decor.

Instead, you'll want to seek out unique spaces which include:

• Flexible floor layouts and room arrangements
• Contemporary furnishings
• Contemporary furniture
• Rigging for lighting and ceiling installations
• Interesting lighting options
• Plenty of natural light
• Neutral colour schemes

 Enjoyed this? See the 9 generic decor items to avoid using at your special event.

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