You’re engaged; congratulations! Now to plan your dream wedding day…

One of the very first things couples look at during the planning process is the wedding venue. The right venue can help make your day absolutely magical, and it’s a decision couples don’t take lightly.

If you want to learn everything you can about choosing your wedding venue, who better to talk to than someone who has owned one for 12 years? We were excited to chat with Kristin Voss, the owner of a gorgeous venue here in Texas, where she shared some very important things to consider when choosing your venue.

Today she’s going to share with us the questions that are important to ask when you’re visiting a venue, what you need to know about a preferred vendor list, and more!

If you are currently planning your wedding and have yet to book your venue, this is one post you won’t want to skip!

Hi Kristin! Can you tell us a bit about your venue?

Kristin: Of course! We built Kendall Point about 12 years ago, from the ground up. Our vision was to design a space that was versatile enough for any style. We have decorated it in neutral tones; the classic white on black, white walls, black shutters, and a very clean palette.

God bless Texas, but there are so many venue options, and a lot of them are more for the rustic bride, so we wanted to offer something that was a little bit more elevated and classic, where couples could decorate it with a rustic vibe, but also for any other palette they want. 

We carefully designed it to include everything we wanted: a fabulous staircase, both inside and out, beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces, and even turf grass outside to minimize the bugs. Everything has come together to work so well.

We have to talk about the staircase. It’s just stunning! What is the most common way for couples to use it during the ceremony?

Kristin: We’ve seen couples use them in lots of different ways. Gone are the days when you have to stick to the tradition of your dad walking you down the aisle. You have to do what works for you!

Some brides come down the staircase with their dad. Others descend the staircase by themselves and have their parents meet them at the bottom, with their bridesmaids doing the same; meeting a groomsman at the bottom and walking down the aisle together. 

We have even had couples who want to make a grand entrance, and they come down the staircase and walk down the aisle together. It’s really just about whatever they are comfortable with and what works best for them.

What is your advice for brides that might be nervous about having a staircase at their venue?

Kristin: Lots of brides get scared when they first see a staircase. But once the moment arrives and they are ready to walk down, it’s almost like the staircase disappears, and all they see is the room and their dad (or whoever is walking them down the aisle, and they forget. Walking down stairs is something very natural, and I think you just need to embrace stuff like that. 

Most brides find that once the day is here, their adrenaline is going so hard that lots of the little things they were worried about before don’t even matter anyways.

What are the questions that you think couples should ask a venue when they are touring it? Some things that stand out for couples, or like red flags to watch out for?

Kristin: The number one thing that matters will be the experience you have with your venue.  In 12 years, I’ve done thousands and thousands of tours, and the process has really been refined. 

In the last five or six years, we realized we are not just selling a venue but an experience.  I think no matter where couples go and what venues they’re setting up tours with, you have to feel that experience. You have to feel the warm fuzzies; It just has to feel right. 

Yes, be beautiful, be all the things, but that venue has to speak to you, and the people behind the venue have to connect with you on some level.

For us personally, we want our couples to know that we are there from start to finish on their wedding day to make the experience as wonderful as possible. We aren’t just there to change the toilet paper. We help you with the doors, and we are close by when you get your wedding photos done, just anything we can do to make the experience memorable.

Things to ask about:

• Who’s going to be there on the wedding day?
• Which tasks are the staff responsible for, and which ones do we need to coordinate?
• How long do we have the venue?
  • This one is really important to know because if you only get 4 hours, it really puts pressure on the whole event and can make for a really stressful day
• Do you book multiple couples in one day?
• Do you have a bridal suite and groom’s quarters for the wedding party to get ready?

Red flags to watch for:

• It just doesn’t feel right when you are touring it
• The facilitators are hard to communicate with and don’t return texts or calls. It really sends the message that they are too busy for you.

What is your process for recommending vendors, and why are certain vendors on your preferred vendor list?

Kristin: I’m so glad you asked that because we gotta talk about the vendor list. Most of the time, when the couples come to tour, we’re the first vendor in the whole industry they’re talking to. Very rarely do we have a wedding planner come with a client.

Most of the time, they’re looking for the venue first, right? I love being the first tour that brides take because I really get to set the tone and make the other venues work harder to create a memorable experience for couples. 

We have been in business for 12 years, but we didn’t start seriously developing the vendor list until about 5 years ago. We don’t just add vendors to fill a page, and neither us nor them are getting paid. We add vendors based on what we see day in and day out from other like-minded vendors who hustle.

The vendors we choose have similar goals to ours; they have great social channels and websites, they answer their phone and emails, and when they arrive on the wedding day, they bring positive vibes that show they are just really happy to be there. When the vendors show up with a happy demeanor and positive attitude, the guests can feel it. 

In the wedding industry, the vendor list is something we have to be really careful about. So, for quality control, we have a list of certain caterers they have to choose from. Every vendor that arrives to work at our venue is a reflection of our space, so to make sure we provide the best quality we can, we provide a list of tried and true vendors. 

More tips for vetting your vendors can be found here.

You mentioned that you require the caterer to be chosen from your list, are there any other vendors you require to be chosen from the list as well?

Kristin: Yes, the bartenders are the same ones almost every weekend. They are a professional company that understands what the line is between not wanting to over-serve but still wanting the guests to have a good time.

When it comes to hiring vendors, what would you say to couples that are concerned about staying within their budget?

Kristin: I understand that couples are working within a budget, but something I like to tell them is if you think it’s expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur! 

One more thing to think about when hiring vendors is, do the different vendors work well together? If you see them on our list, you know that they are vetted and proven to work well together, but unfortunately, it does happen in the wedding industry that some vendors just don’t get along well with other ones, and it would be unfortunate to learn that on your wedding day. 

When you have vendors that love working together, it can be a real game changer for your wedding day!
For more tips on how to set your budget, click here!

Kristin, thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today. We absolutely love your venue and love sharing your expertise with our listeners! 

For our listeners, if you are interested in considering Kendall Point as your venue, you can visit their website or Instagram account to browse photos and book your tour! Click the link below to listen to our full conversation with Kristin on the podcast.

If you are looking for some extra guidance in planning your wedding day, come visit the website, where we offer virtual planning services and more. 

If you recently got engaged, congratulations! We are so happy you are here.

The Wedding Duo: A Wedding Planning Podcast