Choosing the Best Wedding Venues in Harrisburg, PA
As one of Harrisburg’s most sought-after wedding DJ service providers and being the DJ for hundreds of weddings in the Lancaster and Harrisburg area as well as in the Frederick, Maryland | Northern Virginia area, we have decided to offer a few tips for couples to help them find the perfect wedding venue.
Depending on your style and the type of dream wedding you are planning, your wedding venue search may be a bit more complicated than simply finding a location to hold the 75 to 150 guests you plan to invite to your wedding.
The location of your wedding ceremony will significantly impact your entire wedding plan, and the venue selection is no exception. I think deciding on the ceremony location is the best place to start when selecting a wedding venue.
A typical wedding consists of four segments:
Wedding Ceremony
Cocktail Hour
Dinner
Reception
I list these four segments because these activities typically occur in 3 to 4 locations. Notice that I said locations and not venues. Generally, you will have only one or, at most, two wedding venues over the day.
If you plan a wedding ceremony at a church, you’ve now taken that portion of the event out of the equation. At that point, it is common for the cocktail, dinner, and reception to take place in a single location at the second venue.
For weddings, at the wedding venue, the day’s events are typically spread across the venue property. Usually, the ceremony occurs in an area used only for the wedding ceremony. Guests then proceed to the cocktail area before entering the reception area for dinner and dancing.
Some venues have a different approach that involves a “room flip.” The Carlisle Ribbon Mill is one example. The ceremony, dinner, and reception at this venue occur in the same room. This ample space is set up for the ceremony. After the wedding ceremony, the guests exit for the cocktail area while the room is reset or “flipped” for the dinner and dancing portion of the event.
So now that we have a better idea of the progression of the wedding day, how do we decide on the perfect venue?
The Farm at Eagles Ridge
What is your wedding vision?
You likely have a picture in your mind of your dream wedding. If you have been planning for a while, you may have even had a vision board on Pinterest or a wedding website on The Knot.
Your taste and budget will ultimately come into play when it comes time to make the final decision but getting that vision if you haven’t already is the place to begin.
We are blessed in Central Pennsylvania to have many wedding venues. We have hotel ballrooms and wedding halls. We have ski resorts like The Lodge at Liberty Forge and The Whitetail Ski Resort. Fabulous barn venues such as Spring House Farm, The Farm at Eagles Ridge, or the brand new Barn at Creeks Bend in Carlisle are absolutely amazing! There are many mansion venues, including Linwood Estate and Lily Manor. If you prefer an industrial look, then The Barrel House in Chambersburg and The Booking House in Manheim, PA, should be on your list.
Lily Manor
Depending on your level of involvement or the amount of assistance you can get from friends and family, this area offers several fabulous options for those willing and able to do some of the setups and tear down themselves. Many state and county-owned parks offer facilities well beyond what you might imagine. The Barn at Norlo Park is just one example. This fantastic barn venue located between Chambersburg and Gettysburg is one stunning wedding venue that is available.
The Barn at Norlo Park
Will your wedding ceremony be at a place of worship and the wedding reception at a different location?
If you plan a wedding ceremony at a church, the most significant factor in selecting the reception venue will be time and distance. Create a list of every venue option within driving distance of your chosen church. Then, if you have settled on a date or at least a season, contact every venue on your list to determine availability for the selected time, day, or month.
While I mentioned that there are many wedding venues to choose from, the options become more limited as other factors come into play. If, for example, you don’t want your wedding to be held in a Hotel, that decision removes a percentage of venues from your list.
Keep in mind that in Lancaster County, there were over 3,500 weddings last year. That averages to roughly 100 couples per month! Also, remember that most of those 3,500 weddings happened in six months between April and October.
Don’t procrastinate! This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. You don’t want to settle on something as important as your wedding venue.
What venue is the best type of venue for a wedding reception?
There is no best type of venue. Style is the most critical factor for most couples. Nothing else matters if you don’t like the appearance of a wedding venue. No matter how inexpensive it is, you would never buy art for your living room that you hated. That said, like the art we decide to purchase, our budget is another significant factor in determining our choices.
You will likely have to do homework to determine if a wedding venue is within your budget. Most platforms have an average price posted on their website or where they advertise. Doing a bit of online searching can save a lot of time. That said, dig a bit deeper before you dismiss a venue for being out of your budget.
There is no standard pricing structure. Most of the non–corporate venues are owned by individuals. Make sure you understand what is included and what is not. That bargain venue may be much more expensive when you find out you have to:
Pay a “cork fee” to serve a toast.
There is a “cake cutting fee” for making the cake.
You can only use in-house catering.
You can only use their approved list of vendors.
The list of add-ons can make your head spin!
If money is no object, you can skip that part.
Don’t overlook the basics!
This is so critical! Nothing is worse than a dream wedding turned into a day of dread. Unfortunately, we have seen it happen every single year.
Remember that every venue will be excellent for your April to early June and mid-September to late October wedding. If your wedding is in other months, like July or August, you would be well advised to read on. The temperatures are equally important in this area, the humidity is typically comfortable, and the likelihood of a severe thunderstorm is minimal.
With so many weddings in our areas, it sometimes seems like every person with a barn is turning it into a wedding venue. With the popularity of barns, and we love them too, some barn owners seem to think that a good sweeping and hanging of a few lights make their barn the perfect “All-Season” venue.
An unheated, non - the air-conditioned barn is miserable for you and your guest in the July and August heat when the outside temperature feels like 100+ outside with nearly 100% humidity; being inside a barn with a METAL ROOF is like being in an oven.
Don’t be fooled by the reassuring words, “We have August weddings here yearly. Opening the doors and windows and turning on fans is comfortable.” Or, if your wedding is in November: “No worries! When there is a chill in the air, we have those huge heaters they use on airport flight lines. We fire those up.”
What they don’t tell you is that they are loud as hell. They put off obnoxious fumes. They are inefficient and only warm the guests standing directly before the hose.
Take 100+ people dressed in suits and dresses, then put them in the barn loft with a tin roof. This is precisely the scene at one trendy barn venue last year. Not only was it miserable for the guests and every member of the bridal party, for the elderly in attendance, but it was also unsafe.
This couple had planned for this wedding for well over a year. Many of their guests were from out of town. Many troopers sweated through the night and stayed until the end, but on a day of celebration, do you want your wedding day to test how much your guests are willing to endure to share the moment with you?
I think this isn’t San Diego, where the weather is excellent daily. If the venue doesn’t have heating or air conditioning, it is off my list unless my wedding is in May or September.
I hope that you have enjoyed this article. If you have, I hope you will check out our blog page for other tips and share them with others who may benefit.
If you are planning a Central Pennsylvania or Northern Virginia Wedding, please consider Perfect Harmony Entertainment to provide your wedding day soundtrack. Contact us here for more information.
ADDITIONAL FAQ
When should you book a wedding venue?
It would be best if you planned to book your venue for 9 – 12 months before your wedding date. You should conduct research and tours 11 – 14 months before your wedding date.
How long does a venue tour take?
Depending upon how much detailed discussion you have at each venue, it can take from 30 minutes to 3 hours.
What do you need to rent for a wedding?
There is no industry standard for what is included in a venue’s price. That will depend upon the forum that you select. Some venues may provide tables and chairs, while others may not. To compare venues fairly, you need to compare the additional cost of renting items required.
Who should I get venue recommendations from?
Read reviews from various sources, not just the website where you saw the venue. An underutilized but precious resource is wedding vendors. Photographers and DJ Companies have worked in many media for over a year. Some wedding planners only work at a few venues all season long.
Contact these professionals or see if their website has a blog page. They may have venue reviews and recap articles posted there.