Looking for a Wedding Venue in Virginia? Start With the Damn Map.
PLANNING A WEDDING IN VIRGINIA?
I Put Hundreds of VA Wedding Venues on One Fucking Map.
Because apparently nobody else was going to do it.
Barns. Ballrooms. Historic mansions. Mountain lodges. Resorts. Farms. Industrial spaces. Tiny intimate venues. Giant places where you can invite everyone you've ever met.
After years of photographing weddings, researching venues, saving places my couples have found, and repeatedly thinking:
“Holy shit, how did I not know this place existed?”
I started putting them all in one place.
The result?
A massive, searchable Google Map of wedding venues throughout VA.
So instead of opening seventeen tabs, scrolling through the same sponsored venue directories, and trying to figure out whether there's anything remotely near the part of the state where you actually want to get married...
Start with the damn map.
THE VA WEDDING VENUE MASTER LIST
Zoom In. Fuck Around. Find Somewhere Cool.
The best thing about having these venues on an actual map instead of another giant alphabetical list?
You can see where the hell they are.
Zoom into Richmond.
Check around Virginia Beach.
Explore around Roanoke.
Follow the mountains.
Look near your hometown.
See what's between your families.
Or zoom out and realize there's an entire part of Virginia you hadn't even considered.
Each saved location connects you to Google Maps, where available information may include photos, reviews, directions, nearby attractions, contact information, and links to learn more about the venue.
Some newer venues may not have much information attached yet. If something catches your attention but looks suspiciously empty, Google the venue name or check Facebook and Instagram before writing it off.
New wedding venues pop up all the damn time.
EXPLORE THE VA WEDDING VENUE MAP ↓
Want to open the full (+ easier to use) version or save the list to your own Google account?
HOW TO USE THIS THING
Don't Try to Find “The One” Yet.
Seriously.
Your first pass through the map doesn't need to end with a signed venue contract.
Start by figuring out what keeps catching your attention.
Open anything that makes you go:
“Ooooh. Wait.”
Then start looking for patterns.
Are you repeatedly saving mountain views?
Historic architecture?
Big open fields?
Industrial spaces?
Cabins in the middle of fucking nowhere?
Places where everyone can stay for the weekend?
Something polished and elegant?
Something weird?
That's useful information.
Once you've got a handful of contenders, start comparing the boring-but-important shit:
- Does it comfortably hold your guest count?
- Is there a solid rain plan?
- Are there usable getting-ready spaces?
- Is the property accessible for the people you're inviting?
- Where will everyone park?
- Can the ceremony and reception happen there?
- Are tables and chairs included?
- Can you choose your own caterer and other vendors?
- Are there alcohol restrictions?
- What time does the party have to end?
- Is there somewhere nearby for guests to stay?
- What does the property actually look like during the season you're getting married?
And, because I am a photographer:
What happens there when the light gets good?
You don't need the venue with the fanciest website.
You need the place that makes sense for your people, your priorities, your budget, and the kind of wedding you actually want to have.
BEFORE YOU BOOK THE PLACE...
Ask the Questions Nobody Thinks About Until It's Too Fucking Late.
Once you've narrowed the list down to a few places you love, schedule a tour.
The pretty shit matters. You should walk into your wedding venue and be excited about getting married there.
But while you're imagining flowers on the tables and figuring out where the dance floor would go, pay attention to how the place actually functions.
Because some of the things that make or break a wedding day are considerably less sexy than exposed beams and mountain views.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE WEATHER GOES TO SHIT?
“There's an indoor option” and “there's an indoor option we'd actually be happy using” are two very different things.
Ask to see the rain plan.
Where does the ceremony move?
Does the same room also need to be flipped for the reception? If So, who is responsible for doing that?
Where do guests go while that happens? (cocktail hour)
And if you're planning an outdoor wedding, don't only think about rain.
Think about heat. Cold. Wind. Mud. Snow.
HOW LONG DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE THE PROPERTY?
Don't assume your rental means you have access from whenever the hell you want until everyone leaves.
Ask:
What time can we arrive?
When can vendors begin setup?
When does everything have to be cleaned up?
Who is responsible for cleanup?
Can decorations or rentals be dropped off beforehand?
When do they have to be picked up?
Is there a rehearsal included?
Is another wedding or event happening before or after yours?
A beautiful getting-ready suite isn't terribly useful if nobody can enter the building until two hours before your ceremony.
WHAT ARE THE GETTING-READY SPACES ACTUALLY LIKE?
And yes, I'm putting my photographer hat on for this one.
Look at them when you tour.
Not just the giant gorgeous suite featured seventeen times on Instagram.
Both of them.
Is there enough room for the number of people getting ready?
Natural light?
Mirrors?
Outlets?
A bathroom?
Somewhere to hang clothes?
Climate control?
Or is one partner getting a sunlit bridal suite with champagne and twelve mirrors while the other gets approximately three folding chairs next to a water heater?
You'd be amazed. 😂
CAN EVERYONE YOU LOVE ACTUALLY GET THERE?
Accessibility means more than whether the building technically has a wheelchair ramp.
Think about grandparents.
Oxygen tanks.
Walkers.
Small children.
Guests who can't hike up a hillside in formalwear.
How far is parking from the ceremony?
Is the ground paved, gravel, grass, or approximately one rainstorm away from becoming a swamp?
Are the bathrooms accessible?
And if the venue is tucked deep into the mountains, consider what the drive itself looks like.
Beautiful and remote can be fucking magical.
It can also mean narrow roads, limited lighting, spotty GPS, and a long drive back to the nearest hotel after an open bar.
And deer. LOTS of deer.
IS THERE CELLPHONE SERVICE, WIFI, OR A LANDLINE AVAILABLE?
Check Your Damn Phone While You Are Touring The Venue.
I'm serious.
When you tour a venue, look at your cell service.
PA has some spectacular places where your phone suddenly becomes a decorative rectangle.
That doesn't automatically make them bad wedding venues.
But you should know.
If service is limited, ask about Wi-Fi and how reliable it is.
Think about vendors trying to contact each other.
Guests using GPS.
Transportation.
Digital playlists.
Emergency calls.
And the inevitable person texting:
“We're here. Where the fuck do we go?”
If everybody needs directions downloaded beforehand, that's something you'd rather discover + communicate before the wedding.
WHAT DOES “INCLUDED” ACTUALLY MEAN?
Tables and chairs? Great.
Which tables and chairs?
Linens?
Setup?
Cleanup?
Decor?
Arches?
Getting-ready suites?
Rehearsal access?
Security?
Bartenders?
Trash removal?
Venue coordinator?
Ask for an actual list.
And if the venue says it includes a coordinator, find out what that person's job actually is.
A venue coordinator and a wedding coordinator are not necessarily the same thing.
Can I Actually Picture Us Having Fun Here?
Not “Will this photograph well?”
I can make beautiful photographs in a lot of places.
Ask whether the venue makes sense for the wedding you actually want.
If your people are going to spend the entire night dancing, where's the dance floor? Is the space large enough for the crowd?
If you want everyone hanging out together, are guests going to get separated between six different rooms?
If you want a laid-back weekend with your favorite people, can everyone stay nearby or on-site?
If you hate formal ballrooms but the internet keeps telling you that you need one...
maybe you fucking don't.
The venue isn't just the background of your wedding photographs.
It's where you're going to have your wedding.
Choose accordingly.
FOUND A FEW PLACES YOU LOVE?
Cool. Now Let's Talk About What Happens There.
Finding the venue is a pretty damn big box to check.
Once you've got the place, we can start thinking about what the day actually looks like there.
Want to see what weddings look like through my camera? Go snoop through the galleries.
Trying to figure out what photography coverage makes sense? Compare the wedding + elopement collections.
Already pretty sure I'm your person?
Come say hey.
ALREADY THINKING, “YEAH, I WANT HER”?
Cool. I'm Flattered.
Now Let's Talk About Your Wedding.
You don't need to have the timeline figured out.
You don't need to know exactly how many hours of photography you need.
And you definitely don't need to have every wedding-day decision made before you reach out.
That's literally what I'm here for.
Tell me what you know so far.
The date. The place. What you're planning. What matters to you. What you're excited about. What you're already mildly panicking about.
We'll figure out the rest together.
You plan the wedding you actually want. I'll help make sure there's enough time to live the damn thing.
LET'S FUCKING DO THIS →