Black Owned Wedding Venue Tour with Tips on Picking a Venue

We love weddings here at Black Southern Belle and today we are honored to showcase one of the South’s newest and Black Owned Wedding Venues, Muse at the Mill. This historic mill in Winston-Salem is a must-see for any bride planning a Southern wedding. Founded by husband and wife duo, Maliquea and D’Andre’ Starnes, Muse at the Mill is a gorgeously restored historic space that we are excited to show off. And if you are bride planning your own wedding, we have advice from Co-Founder, Maliquea Starnes, with tips on how to pick your own wedding venue. Take some time on Wedding Wednesday to enjoy this Black Owned Wedding Venue Tour with Tips on Picking a Venue. We can’t wait to see all the beautiful weddings this venue holds!

Black Owned Wedding Venue Tour with Tips on Picking a Venue

Have a date in mind – It’s not uncommon for Venues to be fully booked for the following year. If you are touring a Venue, try to go in with a date or time frame in mind. Most venues, will hold the date you’re interested in as a courtesy for a short period of time, if you come in for a tour. As an added bonus, a lot of Venues have seasonal discounts that they offer during the off season so it’s important to know when you plan to reserve the space.
Get clear on Venue “Coordination” – Typically, Venues will have a staff member on site for the duration of your event to make sure things are running smoothly and in tip top shape. It can be easy to think that the “Venue Coordinator” will magically take care of all your Day of worries but that’s usually not the case. Venue Coordinators have a primary responsibility to maintain the facility, so you’ll want to get clear on what they will be handling so you can hire a professional Wedding Coordinator or Planner for caring for you and your bridal party!
Stay on Theme – If you have a particular theme in mind, don’t try to force it into a space that doesn’t work for that theme. So no rustic barn themes, in a banquet hall! Go look at barns with rustic aesthetics. Everything will play into your theme, from the ceilings, to the flooring, the light fixtures.
Three’s Company – I see a lot of people show up to tours with ten people! This causes a lot of outside opinions and confusion for the happy couple. Picking your Venue is something so special and really sets the tone for your wedding day. So make it a date, only bring your fiance or the people who you really need there and take lots of pictures, notes, and videos to show the folks back home.
Trust your gut – I get a lot of emails from clients saying, “we knew from the moment we walked in we wanted to book your Venue” and that’s totally okay! Sometimes the internet, social media, and our friends and family give us a bad case of FOMO (fear of missing out). If you’re anything like me, tons of options can lead to overwhelm, and indecision which are the last symptoms you want to have after Venue hunting. So go with your gut and say “I do!” when you find the one.