Finding the perfect venue for your wedding is always a question of how you imagined your wedding and your budget. While some couples may decide to hold their wedding at a hotel venue, others may prefer to say their vows on a beach or throw a restaurant party. These are all great choices, but it depends on what you and your partner envisioned for the wedding.
However, you can decide to skip those venues and have a country club wedding. That's one other incredible choice of venue for a wedding. In this article, you'll learn all about a country club wedding and what it takes to plan one.
Country Club Wedding: What You Need to Know
Weddings are always about the atmosphere, and this is one thing a typical country club offers in abundance. Commonly found in suburban areas, country clubs will adorn your wedding with a picturesque landscape, stunning grounds, and impressive greenery serving as a backdrop for memorable pictures.
One thing you should know about country club weddings is that you will most likely need to be a member if you want to use a country club as your venue. Clubs that allow non-members will prefer their current members before anyone else. You can beat this by becoming a member ahead of schedule.
If you have friends or family members of the club, you can look to them for sponsorship— some country clubs allow that. However, this option varies for different clubs. Some allow sponsorship only for the event, while some others will allow access to other club amenities.
Pros and Cons of a Country Club Wedding
Like any other wedding venue, a country club comes with its share of pros and cons. Here are some of them:
The Pros
Emotional Reunion: A fair amount of couples who hold their weddings at country clubs have parents or grandparents as members. The club will likely represent a throwback to their childhood memories. Going back there for a wedding is often like a homecoming.
This emotional atmosphere often adds an extra dimension to a wedding. Think about it, where better to say "I do" than where it all began for you?
Elegance, Style, and Class: Another advantage of a country club wedding is the built-in elegance and touch of class effortlessly added to your wedding.
Country clubs have fantastic architecture and exterior and interior designs, which gives your wedding a natural facelift even before you decorate.
Parking: Country clubs rarely lack parking space for wedding guests, so if you expect several guests at your wedding, there's no need to worry. Valet parking is also a constant feature at most country clubs.
The Cons
Cost Implications: Country club weddings are expensive to put together, even though they typically require less energy and stress on your part. Generally, wedding venues take up a significant percentage of the overall wedding budget, but with a country club wedding, the cost is even more pronounced. For example, being a large venue, decorating costs instantly increased.
Strict Rules And Regulations: Another downside to planning a country club wedding is the presence of strict club rules. This could put a clog in some of your ideas, especially as regards decor and entertainment. For example, some clubs don't allow candles, while others regulate sound levels to keep from disturbing other club members who may be using the club simultaneously. Again, the key is to find out the rules well ahead.
Difficulty in Getting A Venue: If you're not a club member, it will be almost impossible to secure a weekend slot for your wedding. Most country clubs have a long list of activities and events planned, so if you want to secure a venue, do so early to avoid disappointment.
It will be up to you to decide if these disadvantages are enough to stop you from having the country club wedding you've always dreamed of, but what's a worthwhile quest without some barriers to knock down?
The 10 Best Country Club Wedding Decorations for Guests on Budget
Most country clubs have strict policies on external decor for weddings held on their property. Also, there's the question of whether your decor will sync with in-house arrangements and not stick out like a sore thumb. Nevertheless, here are ten country club wedding decorations you can choose from without breaking the bank:
- Rustic wedding decor. You can create the perfect rustic impression with props such as a wooden arch and gauze fabric.
- Cheap Flowers. If you use in-season flowers, you'll cut down on expenses considerably.
- Use lighting to highlight wedding colors.
- Add balloons to the party. Balloons are not the most popular, but they can be exquisite when done right.
- Fabric covers as backdrops and table linens are a cost-effective yet stylish way of decorating your wedding.
- Let nature do the talking. Take advantage of nature's wonders. Use leaves, pinecones, wildflowers, birches, evergreen flowers, etc.
- Candles are cheap and romantic. If your country club allows candles, you can creatively use them to your advantage.
- Food as centerpieces. It could be fruits, bread, candy, Etc. Good for everyone. Won't break the bank also.
- Place decorations at strategic locations to cut costs.
- The final budget decor tip for your country wedding is the most important one— use what you have. Your decorator can help you maximize what you have to create the perfect wedding experience.
Country Club Wedding Etiquette Tips for Guests
Weddings, as an age-old ceremony, have seen the lines of what is acceptable and what is reprehensible pushed back and forth. Here are some helpful tips for guests on how to conduct themselves appropriately at a country club wedding:
- Keep to the confines of the wedding area. For example, a country club is a prominent place, and there might be different events simultaneously. To honor your hosts, it is essential to keep to the limits of the immediate wedding area. You can ask ushers for more information on which areas are off-limits.
- Don't come with a plus one. Much work goes into planning a country club wedding, and unlike some other venues, it is not easy to adapt to specific scenarios that could spring up. The number of expected guests is one of the factors expected to stay constant.
- Dress Appropriately. Take a cue on what to wear from the invite. For example, if the invite is formal, you might need to dress formally— and vice-versa. Also, the season and time of day are helpful when choosing what to wear.
Now that you know a lot about planning a country club wedding, what's stopping you from having that wedding you've always dreamed of? You're right—nothing!