How Your Venue Choice Affects Your Budget and Style

Your venue isn't just a pretty backdrop for photos. It's the single biggest factor that determines your wedding's style, your vendor options, and ultimately, your budget.

Once you understand how deeply your venue choice affects everything else, the planning process becomes so much clearer.

Your Venue Determines Your Style

Walk into a rustic barn and try to imagine a black-tie formal wedding. It's... awkward, right?

Your venue sets the tone for everything else:

A grand ballroom calls for formal attire, elegant styling, and traditional elements

A garden estate works beautifully with relaxed elegance, natural styling, and outdoor elements

An industrial warehouse suits modern, edgy styling with bold choices

A beachside pavilion means casual vibes, light fabrics, and coastal-inspired details

At Leonards Hill Estate in Daylesford, we offer the best of both worlds - our sprawling garden grounds give you that natural, elegant feel, while The Shed brings industrial warehouse vibes with its exposed beams and contemporary edge. It's versatile enough to suit everything from romantic garden parties to modern, sophisticated celebrations.

Photo of a wedding at our venue recently by Kelsey Renae Photography

Once you've chosen your venue, everything else becomes easier to decide. Your dress style, your colour palette, your florals, your stationery - they all flow from the venue's existing aesthetic.

Pro tip: Choose a venue you love as-is. If a space needs massive transformation to match your vision, it's probably not the right venue. You should be enhancing what's already there, not fighting against it.

Your Venue Affects Your Vendor Choices

Here's something many couples don't realise until they're deep in planning: venues and vendors have relationships.

Some venues require you to use their preferred vendors. This isn't necessarily a bad thing - they've built relationships with reliable, quality providers who know the space well.

Some venues have a recommended list but allow you to bring your own vendors (often with insurance requirements or additional fees).

Some venues are completely flexible and let you choose anyone.

When you're touring venues, always ask:

• Do you require us to use specific caterers?

• Can we bring our own alcohol, or must we use your bar service?

• Are there any vendor restrictions or requirements?

• Do you have recommended vendors you trust?

One of our favourite vendors, Stacie from Pearl Creative Styling

At Leonards Hill Estate, we've curated a list of incredible local vendors we trust - but we understand that some couples have their heart set on specific providers.

We're happy to chat through options.

Your Venue Impacts Your Budget

Your venue isn't just a line item in your budget - it's the foundation that determines how much everything else will cost.

Venue hire itself might be anywhere from $2,000 to $15,000+ depending on location, inclusions, and date.

But the real budget impact comes from what's included (or not included):

High-Inclusion Venues

What's included: Tables, chairs, linens, glassware, bar staff, sometimes drinks packages

Budget impact: Higher upfront venue cost, but potentially lower overall wedding cost because you're not sourcing and paying for everything separately

Planning stress: Much lower - fewer vendors to coordinate

Blank Canvas Venues

What's included: Just the space

Budget impact: Lower venue fee, but you're paying separately for every single thing - and those costs add up fast

Planning stress: Higher - you're coordinating many more vendors

Example: You might find a venue for $3,000 and think "amazing deal!" But then you need to hire tables ($800), chairs ($600), linens ($400), glassware ($300), bar staff ($800), drinks service (varies wildly)... suddenly your "cheap" venue has cost you significantly more before you've even thought about food or styling.

Meanwhile, a venue like Leonards Hill Estate includes premium furniture, full glassware, professional bar staff, and easy drinks packages - significantly reducing your planning stress and helping you budget more accurately from the start.

Always ask venues: "What's included in your hire fee, and what will I need to source separately?"

This one question can save you thousands and countless hours of stress.

Planning Your Budget

Typically, venue and catering combined make up 30-40% of your total wedding budget. But remember - a venue with more inclusions might have a higher upfront cost while actually saving you money overall.

Consider the hidden costs:

• Delivery fees for hired items

• Setup and pack-down time

• Insurance for external vendors

• Coordination between multiple suppliers

• Your own time spent organising everything

Don't forget to factor in key vendors like your celebrant, photographer, and caterer early in your budget planning - these professionals book up quickly once you have your date confirmed.

Sometimes paying more upfront for a venue with great inclusions is actually the more cost-effective and definitely the less stressful option.

The Bottom Line

Your venue choice ripples through every other wedding decision you'll make - from what you wear to who you hire to how much you spend.

Choose a venue that aligns with your style, fits your budget honestly (not just on paper), and includes the things that matter most to you.

Ready to see what's included?

Come tour Leonards Hill Estate and we'll walk you through exactly what's included in our venue hire. No hidden costs, no surprises - just clear information to help you plan with confidence.

Searching for wedding venues in Victoria? Leonards Hill Estate in Daylesford offers beautiful grounds, thoughtful inclusions, and transparent pricing to make your planning easier.