In this episode of Now That I’m Engaged, How Do I Get Married?, Kevin Dennis and August Yocher sit down with Ian Ramirez of Madera Estates to break down one of the most important parts of wedding planning: choosing your venue.

From the outside, it’s easy to fall in love with a space based on how it looks, but Ian shares why couples need to look beyond the aesthetics and focus on what truly impacts their wedding day experience: flow, logistics, and the team behind the venue.

The conversation dives into what couples should actually be paying attention to during venue tours, including the questions you may not think to ask, how to navigate “all-inclusive” offerings, and what hidden costs can catch you off guard.

Ian also shares practical insights on guest experience, what makes a venue team stand out, and why communication and transparency matter just as much as the space itself. If you’re starting your venue search or feeling unsure about what to look for, this episode will help you tour with more intention and make a more confident decision.

Ian Ramirez, CSEP, is the co-owner of Madera Estates, an award-winning Spanish-style wedding venue in Conroe, Texas. With over a decade in the industry, he hosts 80+ weddings annually and is a recognized educator and speaker for wedding professionals nationwide. He is also the co-founder of Venue Help Desk, a coaching resource for venue owners.

Highlights:

• The biggest mistake couples make when touring venues

• Why flow, logistics, and guest experience matter more than aesthetics

• What questions to ask during a venue tour (and what couples often miss)

• What “all-inclusive” really means and how it varies by venue

• Common hidden costs to look out for before signing a contract

• Why choosing the right team and level of support matters just as much as the space itself

Connect with Ian:

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Connect with Kevin & August:

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All right, folks, welcome to another episode of Now That I'm Engaged, How Do I Get Married? We are here with the one and only Ian Ramirez, who's like the expert when it comes to venues. So that's why we're here to talk about venue tours decoded. But before we jump in, Ian, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how we got you here today?

Thank you.

Thank you.

Yes, thanks so much for having me on, Kevin and August. I am a venue owner, co-owner of Madera Estates. We are a Spanish-style wedding venue located just north of Houston in the great town of Conroe, Texas. We've ⁓ been in business 13 years, now going on 14 years, and we host about 100 weddings a year and meet a lot of fabulous couples. And so I'm super excited and eager to talk about venue tours.

you

I'm excited to jump in too, but I noticed from your bio. i think this is a big deal the Houston Business Journal. You're the 40 under 40. You know, that's a big deal.

Ooh.

Yes, I am. I am a 40 under 40.

Yeah. That's a good thing, I think. I would never qualify for that. But anyway, that's a whole other story for another day. all right. But we're here today to talk about Venue Tours Decoded, what to look for beyond the pretty. ⁓ couples should really listen to this episode before touring venues is what we're letting them know. So Ian, couples often fall in love with a venue the moment they see it online.

Very impressive, yeah.

It is.

Haha

Mm-hmm.

What's

the biggest mistake they make when they tour in person?

I think the biggest mistake.

that couples make touring venues is that they fall in love with venues aesthetically, emotionally, but they're not really thinking about logistics or strategically about how their wedding is really going to flow. And so I want to tell all couples that are listening, when you start looking at venues, you really need to look at the logistics and flow of the venue as much as if not more than how you are looking at how the venue looks like on wedding day too. ⁓ Because there's a lot of deception that can be out there.

Hmm.

beautiful but maybe the flow isn't that great, the space is a little deceiving online, it's a lot smaller than it is in person so I think it's so important that when you're touring venues that you have that in the back of your head. How is it looking and then also how does it flow, what are the logistics behind it?

It's kind of interesting you say that because there's like for us, we're in the lighting and drapery decor business and you know, we do a lot of chandeliers and stuff. And so a lot of these couples fall in love with a look and then they already have their venue booked, but then therefore there's no hanging points to hang chandeliers or there's you know, like, so there's no so like thinking about everything before you go in makes a whole lot of sense.

Mm-hmm.

Right.

No, it absolutely does. And I don't think a lot of couples, they're planning a wedding for the first time, right? They don't have this at the forefront of their mind. They're not thinking, I need anchor points on the top of the ceiling and the venue to be able to hang lighting and smart lights and drapery, which I know drapery is really trending right now. So it's all those things that you want to think about, right, before you say yes to the venue.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yeah. Well, what kind of questions should they be asking when they go on these venue tours? So I know, like, I feel like it's really hard to like looking at venues online to not get excited and start planning things already in your mind. Like you're thinking about solely just the aesthetic and painting the picture for yourself. But what kind of questions should they be asking in order to know, like, is the flow right for my event? Is the budget right? All those things that

you know, art is fun to think about, but are still very important.

Very much so. I like to think about these questions kind of in two buckets. I think there's the non-negotiable buckets, right? Again, thinking logistically ⁓ about what is my vision and what are the capacity restrictions of the space? And then there's the maybe the questions that you don't think about all of the time. So starting with those non-negotiables, capacity is a big one, right? What is the capacity of the venue?

Yeah.

If you have 350 guests and the venue says their capacity is at 300, please don't try to come to the venue and say, oh, well, yeah, we can just squeeze those 50 guests or 25 guests into the space. Venues have those capacity restrictions for a reason. And truthfully, when you're on that end of the capacity spectrum, you really don't get the best bang for your buck, if you will. You don't get to enjoy the flow.

of the space. of course, think capacity is going to be really one of the big ones that you need to ask. ⁓ I think distance from a major airport or distance from a freeway is really important too. ⁓ In terms of the experience for your guests, I know a lot of couples listening today are really in tune with the guest experience. So for me, it's that easy access off of a major ⁓ highway or major road and accessibility to a major airport.

Mm-hmm.

Eww.

And then lastly, i think the third one is- and August, you kind of mentioned this and this maybe is more of a no brainer, but actually we have a lot of couples that don't ask what all in the cost is going to be at the venue and having that realistic conversation of what is the average couple spend at your space. And I know we're going to talk a lot about tours today on how couples should prepare for the tour, but I think that is one of the questions that I would ask is what is the most.

popular package that you have at your venue, what are most couples spending? ⁓ To really identify if it's a good fit for you. And so for me, those are really those three, like, those are the questions that you should be asking for every venue. And then you have the questions that are more of, huh, I didn't think about asking this question. ⁓ One of them is what's included versus what's required. Every venue is different.

Mmm.

Yeah.

⁓

Hmm.

what's included,

right? A venue may say, well, this is included. OK, well, is that required? So a great question to kind of flip how you ask that question to venues that you're talking to. Another great question that couples don't think about are what are the restrictions that you have at your venue, particularly as it relates to capacity, as it relates to time constraints, ⁓ as it relates to

Hmm.

Maybe you're looking at a historic building or a historic library. There are a lot of restrictions when couples are looking at those types of venues. There's a beautiful library in downtown Houston where I live and they have tons of restrictions that couples really don't understand until they're signing on the dotted line, until they read that contract where it's like, oh yeah, they can't have a band that's larger than a 16 by 12 space.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And so it's

making sure that you ask those types of questions as well. Those ones that you don't always think about. And then asking the tour guide or whoever you're meeting with on the tour, what does the best timeline look like in your opinion? How do you really maximize the space? So those are my two buckets for questions.

Mm-hmm.

No, that's a lot of good questions in there. was just like in stuff that, again, you don't think of because you've never done this before. So it's hard to really be prepared and really have, you know, I I feel like, too, when it comes to these venues, it's hard to compare apples to apples. You know, it's it's a whole mixed bag of fruit when you're comparing these venues because they're all so different. So with that said, there's a term thrown around all inclusive.

Absolutely.

Mm-hmm.

You know, and so what I love your thing. So what does all inclusive really mean and what should couples like clarify before assuming anything is included?

Yes.

You know, all inclusive I think is a tricky term that really at the end of the day, I think if I'm gonna pull back the curtain for the couples on the wedding industry, all inclusive to me really is more of a marketing strategy for venues, right? To tell the couples or allude to the couples like, hey, we're gonna give you that stress free experience, which a lot of venues do. So I'm not trying to throw any venues under the bus that use that term. We use that term at Madera Estates But as you mentioned,

Mmm.

Mm-hmm.

you

it is not apples to apples. People have different definitions of all-inclusive. So all-inclusive to one venue may just be, hey, we're offering you tables, chairs, and linens. Another venue's opinion may be we're offering you food and beverage. We do the food and beverage in-house. And then you maybe have the whole kit and caboodle where they're like, we can offer you everything. We can do tables, chairs, linens. We can do flowers. We can do photography, photo booth. You don't have to go out for any outside event.

Mm-hmm.

Flowers, yeah.

And so I think couples really just have to understand that the term all inclusive really is more of a marketing strategy in my opinion, to get couples to come to your venue because let's face it, we all want to give our couples and clients y'all are in the same boat. imagine we want to give our clients his best experience. want to give them a stress free experience. And so I think all inclusive is synonymous for we're going to take care of everything for you. ⁓ but

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

not all all-inclusives are equal. They're really apples and oranges. So you have to ask those questions. What do you offer here at your venue? What is your definition of all-inclusive? ⁓ And so for me, I've always been on the side of the desk. We want to offer our couples options. So while we are all-inclusive, we certainly do have required services. But then we also do have our preferred services that we think you should include and recommend that you include to give you that stress-free experience.

Yeah.

Yeah.

⁓

So it is really important for couples to know, ask on those tours, if you're looking at all-inclusive venues, I'm doing air quotes for those of you that can't see me, all-inclusive venues, you really need to dig a little bit deeper and understand what does that mean.

Yeah, no. Yeah.

Yup.

Yeah. Well.

Yeah, because we kind

of have a lot of those in our area, but I think it's exactly as you say, they all are different, which sucks, but because, you know, as a couple, you kind of have to do a lot more research and a lot more digging, asking a lot more questions, but you're going to get, you know, a lot more information out of venues that way too.

Absolutely. And I do think there may be something to be said about regionalism. I think there are maybe different understandings of the term all-inclusive in different parts of the US. Of course, you when I think of all-inclusive as it relates to travel and going to Mexico, we know what that means. All-inclusive means all the food and all the alcohol is included. And so I think maybe that's where the term has been adopted into the wedding, wedding space, especially as it relates to venues.

Hmm.

Yes!

Yeah.

For sure, in my opinion, I think all-inclusive should absolutely include all the tables, all the chairs, base linens, and food and beverage to really utilize that term all-inclusive. And then from there, sure, you can offer different services. But in my definition, I think it should be at least food and beverage.

Mm-hmm.

Well, and like that you threw in there the required and then these are the preferred, you know, so that kind of just this is the baseline and then this is where you can go with it.

Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Absolutely.

Yeah, I don't want to like, for our next question, I don't want to assume all venues are like this because I know they're not, but I know sometimes there may be hidden costs or add-ons that might surprise couples after they book. What are some questions or things that couples should look out for during the booking process when they're reading their contracts, asking those questions, everything in that realm?

i think for me really some of the big hidden costs come into play with service charges and gratuities. You'll find that a lot of venues advertise their pricing online. We try to give you transparent pricing as much as possible and give you those price ranges. But at the end of the day, our goal at the venue is to really make sure that you're understanding baseline what it could cost to get married at the venue. We're not going to give you a full upfront proposal.

right up front before you come in to tour the space, unless maybe you're out of state and you can't physically come see the venue. ⁓ But I think right off the bat, I would say those service charges, production costs, whatever they want to call it, ⁓ gratuities, asking are gratuities included, are they mandatory? And then extensions on time, I think oftentimes can be a hidden cost that couples aren't aware of.

Mm.

Mm.

At Madera Estates we're very upfront with all of our additional charges, whether it is production costs, service charges, gratuities, and time. We very well outline on our pricing guide what the price is attached to those extensions, whether you're wanting to come in early in the morning or you're wanting to extend your reception until 2 a.m. in the morning. ⁓ And so I think it's really understanding.

those types of fees are the ones that are gonna be sneaking up on you are the most common, I would say, hidden fees, quote unquote. And a lot of venues are a little bit shady. Let's just say it as it is, right? They do purposely not reveal those until you're like signing the contract and they're like, whoa, there's this fee for going over by 30 minutes and that's a thousand dollars. You didn't talk about that on the tour, right?

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Yeah.

Well,

and I had a bride recently was telling me that because her guest count, she went in with like a guest count of 180 and she swelled up to a little over 200. Then all of a sudden there was all these additional fees that she had to pay because they needed an additional bar and this and that. you know, like, so I like the fact that you guys at your venue put it all out there in a pricing guide and it's, you know, you know, upfront and visible because I think that's where

We as the wedding industry get a bad rap is because of stuff like you said the shady venues and the and it could be the shady photographer or florist or could be any yeah it could be really anybody but yeah I like I think the more transparent that you can be with your pricing really helps our couples you know really you know make better decisions

Anybody, yeah, you name it.

Yeah, and I would say too, I feel like it's also just to play devil's advocate on the vendor side of things for a moment is I used to work in venue sales and you only get like maybe 30 minutes to an hour with a couple. Like you can only communicate so much information, but we would always try to hit the major, conversation points, the major questions, the major things that come up later down the line.

Very much so.

But I think that's why it's important to be informed going into the venue tours, like knowing which questions to ask. And the biggest thing we would always say is like, read your contract, please, please, please, please, please. Because a lot of times they just sign and not ask questions and then unfortunately be disappointed later when they assume certain things were available to them.

Yes.

very much. So that's why it's so important for us to have a lot of these additional prices actually in writing, whether it's in their pricing guide, whether it's in their contract, because we still have couples that come back saying to us, hey, we didn't know that was an additional cost. And we're like, well, yes, it is. We understand you toured six or seven venues, they all start to get mixed in the head and mixed in the wash, right, which happens. But you'll see here listed on the pricing guide that we reviewed, or even on the contract, where you see it's outlined for those additional

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

which is also something you should ask on the tour. Do you have written out any additional fees either in your pricing guide or

Yeah, that's a good question. So, all right. So as couples are evaluating like the venue's layout for guest flow and overall experience, what are some of the things they should be looking for just to make sure the guests, because like you mentioned it earlier, I'm a big believer that weddings should be guest experience forward and we're always should be thinking about the experience that guests have.

I tell my couples to think of the wedding day from beginning to end all the way out to when the guests arrive in the parking lot. So I always like to start with my couples ⁓ and share with them that we have paved parking, easily accessible parking to the venue. ⁓ Let's face it, I'm in Texas. There's a lot of rustic chic, a lot of barns around me and that's a beautiful aesthetic. But one of the things that they don't have is paved parking.

Hmm.

And so when you think about ⁓ people showing up, women in heels, walking through a gravel parking lot, right? If it's rained, right? That's all muddy and washed away. And so thinking from the beginning, right? What is that experience for my guests? Even as something as easily forgotten as a parking lot and full transparency for couples listening today, a parking lot pouring concrete is not cheap. And so I understand why a lot of venues

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

don't have paved parking because it's a large expense. But when you do find venues that have that paved parking, easy access for your guests, I think it's really, really important. So that's number one, starting out in the parking lot, what is the experience like from when my guests arrive to the venue? Then as they come into the venue, is there a waiting area for my guests to wait if they arrive early? Let's face it, and a lot of venues don't have it, right? And so...

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

That's the big one. That's a big one.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Where am I guess going to go if they arrive 15 minutes early? Is the venue going to put a sign outside that says, Hey, you have to wait in your car or is there a little waiting area for them to come in? Then what is the flow from that to the ceremony? Whereas the ceremony as it relates to cocktail hour, you know, you don't want your ceremony to be in a chapel and it's a separate building from where the reception is. And if it's a rainy day, your guests have to walk uncovered from one building to the next. Right. And so what is the flow from.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Receiving time when the guests arrived to the venue to the ceremony to the cocktail hour. Is it all close in proximity? Are we having to make our guests, you know, get an exercise on get a little Fitbit step counter Yes, climbing the hill to just be present on your wedding day ⁓ Other elements that I always tell my couples to think about that I always make sure that I hit on our tours is guest bathrooms I once was at a venue a new venue built out in

Yeah, climb a hill.

No, yeah.

Yeah.

out in the boonies in Texas we say here in the boonies. ⁓ And this newer venue was built, there were 300 guests and each of the stalls or each of the bathrooms only had one stall in each bathroom. For 300 guests, right? And so those are the things that you wanna think about for the flow of the guests. ⁓ And it may not be something that is top of mind, but you wanna pay attention to that as your tour guide is walking you around. And sometimes it can be difficult.

and the boonies.

I love it. Boonies.

good, yeah.

Jeez, that's a nightmare.

difficult as August mentioned, right? Sometimes you're only on a tour maybe for an hour. And in the moment, you're kind of like walking in your eyes are up, you're looking at all the beautiful things and the things that you like, but you're not thinking about the flow. So one tip I have for couples when they tour a venue, if the venue allows you to do this, after you finish the tour, ask them if you can still walk around the space, maybe even privately for about like 15 minutes. So you can really think about what is the flow of the wedding day for my guests.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

So

that's my top tip when you're touring the venue. Take another 15 minutes after the tour and walk around and imagine the flow of the wedding.

I love that. Like you put yourself in the guest shoes for the day.

Yes,

yes, absolutely.

Wow. Yeah.

I like that a lot. ⁓ So next question, what should couples be looking out for in terms of staff, coordination, day of support when it comes to the venue?

I think when it comes to the venue that you choose for your wedding day, ultimately, regardless of what is included in the package, the level of service that the venue provides, I think the number one thing that I tell my couples to look for is communication. How has the communication been with the venue leading up to the venue tour experience, on the venue tour experience, ⁓ making sure that it's someone that you trust, that their communication is timely because...

At the end of the day, you're interviewing them. You're going to be working with them on one of the most important days of your life. And so if there's lack of communication, that could be a red flag for you. That could be a sign of what it's like to work with that venue. I think when it comes to the service providers, there's a couple different definitions that couples may understand to be true when it comes to the venue.

So does the venue have a venue coordinator included? And the venue coordinator really would just be some sort of venue manager, someone that is there to make sure that the vendors are loading inappropriately, that they're turning on the lights, that they can turn off the fire alarm if the caterer sets off the fire alarm in your prep kitchen. So venue coordinator, then you maybe have some venues that offer a day of coordinator where you're meeting with them, perhaps, I don't know.

Mm-hmm.

A month before the wedding, they're taking your timeline and they're executing your ceremony rehearsal. ⁓ they're setting up your personal decor or maybe the venue offers full wedding planning or partial wedding planning. And so you have to understand that there's really different roles that a venue today could provide you. And so really understanding the difference between each of those roles, a venue coordinator, day of coordinator, or a planner, whether it's partial or full planning, I think is, is really an important distinction to make when you're on that venue tour.

Mm-hmm.

⁓ But ultimately, regardless of the level of service that you have, I think it's important to ask who is my dedicated point person? Do I have a person at the venue that I can communicate with and also ask questions with as it pertains to my wedding day?

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Well, it's funny because you were mentioning it's again comparing apples to oranges to bananas to, you know, to pineapple when it comes to that again, because they everyone mark it's a mark. It probably comes back to what you said. And I never thought of it in the way you, you know, you brought it up, but it's marketing. So they all market it different, but it all means something different. So really diving in to really figure out what that really means. And that's, I think, a difficult thing for couples that have never planned.

Right.

Thank

Hahaha

Correct.

you know, a wedding before.

It is.

And I think to take your point one step further, Kevin, couples really need to make sure that when they're at a venue tour and they're getting, you know, the, the, the spiel, if you will, their understanding about their services, when it relates to that person, that point person, whether it's just the venue coordinator or partial planning day of coordinator, is there a actual broken out list of the services or action items that they are going to provide you? Not just.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

⁓

not just, hey, yeah, you're gonna have a venue coordinator or yeah, we offer you day of event coordination. Okay, well, that means different things to different people, as you mentioned, right? Or they may have their own concept in their head of what that person should or shouldn't be doing. And so I think what's really important is that everybody is on the same page. ⁓ And that's ultimately why our venue tours at Madera Estates are now two hours long. We give our couples...

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

wow.

Mmm.

that luxury of time and you're our priority in that timeframe. And we want to make sure that you walk away understanding everything that's included at the venue. You understand the services that we're providing you. And of course there's going to be some, some questions, but our goal in that two hour timeframe is to give you number one, a taste of the experience, what it's like to work with us, what your guests are going to experience in terms of guest flow, and then get down to the nitty gritty, right? going over all those package details.

Mm-hmm.

yeah.

Yeah, and that's a lot. all right, we touched on parking. We touched on restrooms a little bit. But what about like weather backup plans? Because some of these venue, might, summer rains and all kinds of fun things may happen. So what should couples specifically look for in a venue when it comes to weather?

Yep. Yep.

always making sure they have an inclement weather plan, particularly if it's an outdoor wedding ceremony and asking them, can you show me photos of the indoor ceremony? Right? What does it look like? You don't want to be guessing. And so for us, what we do, we have a saying at Madera Estates, our plan B is better than most people's plan A. Just to give our couples that confidence and reassurance that we have done this.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Ooh, I like the photos.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

over our 13 year history, our room flips, we've gotten down to a science. This is what happens in the case of inclement weather. We make these decisions together in your planning sessions prior to wedding day. So on wedding day, we're not coming to you the morning of the wedding, all frantic saying, my gosh, it's raining, what do you wanna do? No, we've made those decisions earlier on in the process so that when we do get to wedding day and there is a weather call that has to be made, we execute the weather call.

Mm.

that we've talked about, that we told you we were going to do, and then we go into that plan. So there's no guesswork on what it's going to look like. We'll show you photos exactly of what it's going to look like. And then number two, we know who's going to make that call and who's going to handle it for you. ⁓ So couples, when you go to tours, when you go to venues, asking them, of course, what is your inclement weather plan? What does it look like? Can you show me those photos? Are there additional costs for that inclement weather plan, right? For the room flip.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Ooh, yeah.

that's a big one.

Right for a tent, right? Some venues we don't do tenting at my venue, but I know some outdoor venues there's no other option other than to tent. And so just having those plans in place, I can tell you right now, the last thing you want to do is just say, yeah, we're gonna roll with it. Weather on something as important as your wedding day is not something you just wanna roll with.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And so the people behind it, the people behind the venue, they're the experts or they should be the experts, right? And they're leading you to that ultimate outcome of that stress-free wedding planning experience, that stress-free wedding day experience. And so you don't want the venue to come into your dressing room while you're enjoying mimosas with your wedding party and they're asking you, what do you want to do? No, you know, they need to be coming to you telling you, hey, this is what we're going to do. ⁓

Yeah.

No.

This is the plan.

Yeah, yeah.

This is the plan, right? And so

for venues that tell you on a tour, don't worry about it. it won't happen to you. We'll get to it when we cross that bridge. That is a huge red flag. That is a huge red flag because you need to know what is that inclement weather plan. They need to provide you that inclement weather plan and they need to work either with you directly or work directly with your wedding planner too to create floor plans for those inclement weather plans. ⁓

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Again, when they're, I use the term, *flawsaydah* right? If you've all heard that term, if they're *flawsaydah* about it, right? So you don't want someone to be *flawsaydah* as it relates to inclement weather on your wedding day. ⁓ And I can say proudly in my 13 years at Madera Estates, we've never sent a bride down in the rain. And at the end of the day, we're not weather experts. I can't predict the rain. I can't predict weather, but I can tell you I have a great experience on executing those

I love that.

Flossy Duh!

No.

Mmm.

room flips, making those calls for my couples. And ultimately at the end of the day, we'll provide you the options. If you're that couple that embraces risks and you want to go for it, great. Then we can decide to have cabaret style seating, right? And we can make the decision last minute. Otherwise we're going to move it into the ballroom. so asking what are the different options I think for the inclement weather is really, really important.

You know.

Yeah, and it's funny. So when we talk weather too, people automatically think rain, but there's also you got to deal with heat as well because there's a venue in my area that as soon as it hits triple digits, you have to move your wedding inside, you know, because they've had too many issues. it's good to, know, because I think people just automatically go to the rain, but there's also heat and other, wind could be a problem as well. And yeah, there could be a lot of other things when it comes to weather.

Ciao!

wind.

Yeah, it's bad.

But I think when you said your plan B is better than most plan A's, that would sell me in a heartbeat because I feel like when you're shopping, you're really shopping for, like you said, that good communication with your venue team, but also peace of mind. And that that would sell me absolutely. So.

Other exp-

Yeah.

Yeah,

well, it's that confidence too. Like if they're confident in the services that they're providing you, that's what I want in my wedding day, right? I don't want somebody to just to tell me, yeah, it won't happen to you. No, I mean, because in my head, I'm like, okay, I'm gonna be that one that has happened to, right? The 1 % that it's happened to. And I think as it relates to venues, in addition to inclement weather plans, just asking them how they handle extreme weather, like the heat, as Kevin mentioned, or.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

the 1 %

even in the cold weather months, what else do they do to make their guests comfortable? It's a question we get a lot actually on venue tours. We have an outdoor ceremony site, an outdoor cocktail hour. And so we provide industrial sized cooling fans with 40 gallons of water underneath. We sent them with essential oils. In the winter months, it's really cool. It makes the cocktail hour smell really good outside. ⁓ And then for the winter months, we provide them propane heaters, the little pyramid propane heaters.

Yeah.

Hmm.

that's awesome.

Mm-hmm.

Yep.

And then in extreme cold or hot weather, we'll move the bar inside, we'll move cocktail hour inside. And so we walk them through all of those elements. And I think ultimately it comes down ⁓ to making sure that the venue is replying with confidence, right? And they're not being *flawsaydah*

Yeah.

Well,

yeah, think too, if I like like August was saying, if I was touring and you were telling me all these different options and because I guarantee you a lot of the other venues are not going over all these different scenarios when they tour. it's something that will make you stand out. Yeah.

Mm, it's la zeda.

Yeah, or laying out two hours too. That shows

that you care and you really truly want the couple to understand what they're getting into and what they're agreeing to.

Well, and for us, it's ultimately building a relationship with you. And I can't build a relationship with you in 15 minutes. ⁓ We have couples that come to tour our venue having left another venue tour. And they're like, yeah, they were with us with maybe 15 minutes, 30 minutes. Here's the space. if you're investing, whatever the amount of money is, whether you're investing $5,000 or $50,000, it's a lot of money. But if you're investing that amount of money, don't you think

Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

Yeah.

somebody should be giving you a little bit more time than just here's the space, right? And I'm not saying every venue tour, right? Right. And I'm not exactly not like a bad realtor shows a home, right? They need to paint the picture for you. The venue tour guide, the person you're meeting with, they need to paint the picture for you. They need to get to know you, right? And if they're not doing that, if they're just treating it like a transaction, I don't know about you, but I want to do business with

Yeah, look at here, there. Yeah, just kind of vanna white you around.

Yeah, yes, yes.

Mm-hmm.

And at the end of the day, that's that's who you're also buying. You're not just buying the aesthetics, as I said in the beginning, you're also buying logistics and the team behind it, the experience behind it too. Because you can have the most beautiful venue. But what if there's lack of communication? What if they had hidden pricing? What if they treated you just like a number on that venue tour? Again, that's you're interviewing them. That's a little bit of an experience of a little

Mm.

behind the scenes of what it could look like with working with them leading up to wedding day and on your wedding day too.

Yeah.

Yeah. So right now, how far in advance do you think couples should realistically book a venue in today's market?

I know it depends. Yeah.

And I know it looks different for everyone. And right now we're seeing

a lot of, in our area, like short-term bookings. Like that's been extremely popular. So I know it's kind of all over the place, but.

Yes.

I would agree with that sentiment, August. I do think it's a little bit all over the place right now. I think ⁓ we see a lot of our couples, I would say the peak seasons, prime seasons, fall and spring for us, 12 to 18 months out, especially if it's a Saturday, like a prime Saturday, you have to have it. That's about how far it advanced. 12 months for most of my couples. But as you mentioned, we're seeing a lot of couples booking six, seven months out prior to their wedding day for their venue.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

So that means it's trickling down to the vendors too. ⁓ I think depending on what your priorities are, I would say a year is gonna give you a really nice planning experience. That's not to say that you can't plan a wedding in six months. My record is five weeks at the venue, full blown, 150 people booked the venue. We did everything for them, helped them find all their vendors. ⁓ If you're a sucker for punishment, sure, if you wanna do that, let's go for it.

that's gonna limit some of your options as it relates to vendors, it's gonna limit your options. ⁓ If you're looking for a dress, you might have to buy something more off the rack. ⁓ But I think 12 months, I think is a really good timeframe to plan a wedding. If it's a smaller, more intimate wedding, you may not need as much time, right? If you are ⁓ trying to stay within a certain budget and you're wanting to maximize your savings, a lot of venues, vendors too,

Mm-hmm.

will offer you some sort of incentive to book in a shorter term window. Although I would make the argument that sometimes that makes a little bit more work for us as an industry, as vendors, right? So couples don't do that, but.

It's 100 % more work. It's yeah, people think it. Yeah,

Mm-hmm.

Yeah

but.

It's so much more work and I don't think couples realize that so yeah, it just I always always say the more time the merrier and the more time the less stress you have in your life and the more time you're going to get what you want because that's you know, because when you're doing short term, it's like ⁓ you may only have the option of two or three colors instead of you know the whole crayon box so to speak, you know.

Yes.

Mm-hmm.

Exactly,

exactly. Well, and I think it gives you more flexibility, not only in terms of vendors, you have less stress of like the deadlines that you have to meet. And let's face it, today's couples, a lot of you are, you have full-time jobs, you're in school full-time. And if you have the choice to choose between getting married within four to six months versus 12 months, you know, why not give yourself that extra wiggle room, that extra space for, for savings, right?

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

to pick the vendors that you want and savor your own sanity really at the end of the day. So you're not going too crazy and getting stressed out trying to pick things last minute.

Ngh.

Yeah.

Yeah

I mean because I always joke with my couples but they really don't like each other the last few weeks leading up to the wedding anyway because because they have so many you know from the vendors and the venue and you know and but really like all the family kind of everyone coming at them at once and I'll meet with someone for their final meeting and I'll go you guys don't like each other right now

Right, right, I know.

No.

No.

Well, and I tell most couples, like if you're doing a year of planning process, knockout, we give you a full timeline at our venue, which if your venue gives you additional resources, kudos to that venue, because they're trying to help you as much as possible to give you that stress free experience. ⁓ But the more you can take care of in the beginning, then you get towards the final, you know, six months, four months, three months of the wedding. And you're easy breezy, right? You've got all your major vendors booked.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And then you just have the fun, small, final details, right? Like, you know, maybe some favors or your sign-in book, what songs you're gonna pick with the DJ, your table assignment. So if you can spread it out, I encourage couples to do a year planning.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And I still say the table of assignments is the worst part of the planning process of a wedding. I still have my wife and I've been married a little over 17 years and I still have PSD from doing the seat assignments. just it's just like, ⁓ it's the worst. So it really is. So anyway. All right. So from a venue owner's perspective, what makes a couple a great fit for a venue?

my gosh, I know the brain damage, right?

Mm-hmm.

Hmm. I think what makes a couple of really good fit for us is number one, someone who has good communication. think, ⁓ one of the things that couples that I guess maybe aren't timely in their communication or they're ghosting us. Look, I get it. You're busy. You're reaching out to multiple vendors. You are maybe working full time. You're in school full time, but it shows that you really care about the process and you respect our time too. And so it's.

Mm.

It's a mutual relationship for us. And so I'm really looking for couples that want to create that collaborative environment versus, well, you work for me environment. And so for a good working relationship, I think it's important to have good communication. Even if you just respond a little bit later and say, hey, you know, I'm so sorry, I'm behind on this. I'll get it, the answer to you within XYZ. So yeah, just let us know. So communication is really, really important. That level of transparency too.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Mm.

Yeah, it's finals week or whatever. Yeah.

I think is important. ⁓ I think what makes a good couple for us is someone that's had communication ahead of the day, ahead of the tour, excuse me. ⁓ A trend that I have noticed with couples that were touring at Madera Estates is couples not having conversations about their budget prior to coming to tour the venue or one person getting the pricing for the venue and not sharing it with their partner. So then it makes it awkward for us as the tour guide.

Mmm.

⁓ wow.

because one of you understands what the investment is going to be, but the other one doesn't, right? And so it just doesn't make, it is very awkward. It doesn't make for a healthy dynamic. And so I urge all my couples, you you really, not that you have to have a final budget picked in place. Look, at the end of the day, you're planning a wedding for the first time, probably. You don't know what things cost. ⁓ Weddings, ultimately at the end of the day are expensive. They are a luxury, right?

⁓ that can be very awkward. Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

And so whether you're spending $15,000 or $150,000 on your wedding, having those baseline conversations in the beginning of like, hey, where do we think our budget's going to be before you go see the venue? And then if you are inquiring with venues and you do receive pricing from the venue, please share it with your partner. At least baseline level, share it with your partner because when we get to the end of the tour and we showcase it to

Mm-hmm.

one partner and they're just like red faced because they had no idea this is what it costs. It can make for an awkward conversation. We're not setting anybody up for success at that point. ⁓ So making sure you're having those conversations. So those type of couples are the ones that I think make a really great couple for us. And then ones that really just

they have our vibe in mind. so, you know, I think couples a lot of times have the mindset, I'm going to tour eight venues, 10 venues in my market. I think it's really average of six, but it's really interesting to me when I have couples that tour us that use the phrase, I just want to see what's out there. I just want to see what's out there. And from a baseline level, I encourage couples to obviously do your research first, look at what

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Hmm.

vibe, what styles, what aesthetics are drawing you to those venues from the photos you see online, their work on Instagram, reading their reviews. But it's always surprising to me when we have so different versions of the venue. When you tell me you want a glam style wedding, and then you come into my venue, which is more Spanish style, it's more hacienda inspiration, what about online did you see that is glam? Right?

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

And so I always want to be respectful of my couple's time. looking at your vision, your vibe, looking at those styles, I think are really important before you start just ad hoc picking random things. ⁓ think having that vision in mind of what am I drawn to? What color palettes am I drawn to? What aesthetic am I drawn to? And then going to see venues that are more similar in that aesthetic.

Yeah.

Because I don't I don't want to waste your time at the end of the day our tour is two hours long as I said and so I Asked couples at the beginning of the tour. Why? Why did you decide to come to our Madera

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Estates? What stood out on the photos that you saw? ⁓ To bring us to this tour today and what are the other venues you're looking at? So if I know there's three other venues right that have more of a glam style or maybe they're hotel ballrooms

That's a good question.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

and we're kind of the outlier, I always ask them, like, why did you decide to come, in a good way, ⁓ why did you decide to come see our venue today? Because it's so different from everything else. And so the couples that really match our vibe and aesthetic that know, know, hey, this is, my couple is adventurous, my couple values culture, right? My couple ⁓ doesn't want, sorry, barns, doesn't want a basic barn, right, for their wedding day. ⁓ And so I think that,

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm

Yeah.

Those are the type of couples that I think venues really want. They want the couples that have done research, that have looked at the photos on your online gallery, that know about your venue versus, well, I just found you, you popped up on an ad on my Facebook and it said book a tour, so I booked a tour, right? Couples that actually take initiative to do a little bit more research, I think are the couples that we really value. And I know other venues value too.

Yeah, yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, because are you really picturing yourself getting married here at this venue? Or, yeah. Okay, so to wrap up, if couples could only remember one piece of advice from this episode today before they go on their venue tour, what should it be? Yes. Mm-hmm.

putting you on the spot.

Hmm. One piece of advice. ⁓

I think ultimately it comes down to, I think it comes down to that team we were talking about earlier and that level of confidence, even in the, the simple example that I gave of responding to inclement weather, you are buying the expert, right? Couples, you are looking for the experts to give you either that stress-free wedding planning experience, that unique wedding style that you've been looking for.

Mm-hmm.

for you and your guests. I'm gonna use a little bit of analogy, I guess, because I'm a Disney adult. Hopefully anybody that loves Disney is listening today. I know we've got my Disney fans on the call today. i think a lot of couples, bringing it full circle, I think a lot of couples really just focus on picking the backdrop, right? Is it aesthetically pleasing? Is this gonna be beautiful for my photos? And yes, while that absolutely is a part of the equation, ⁓ it's really more like picking your production team, right?

Got annual pass.

Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm.

So for any of you that go to Disney and see any of those shows, it's beautiful, right, on what you see, but what you don't see is that production team on the backside of it, making sure that the fireworks go off at the same time, that the projections get thrown onto the castle at the correct time, that the characters are being sent out by the stage manager at the correct time. And so there's so much into picking a venue beyond just the aesthetics of it all. And so I want you to not just...

not just shop based on the aesthetics, not just based on the looks. You really need to understand that it's really about picking the team behind it too. Who is available to you? How are they executing events? And so, you know, to be able to tell that it's looking at the experience on the tour and reading those reviews online as well and see who they're mentioning and what they mentioned about the venue.

Mm-hmm.

I love it. That was a great, great advice because, and you wrapped it into Disney because I love Disney as well. anyway, but so before we end the episode, what Disney do you go to? Cause you're like literally smack dab in the middle of the country.

Mm.

So I just got back from Disneyland because both of my sisters live in LA ⁓ But I do go to Orlando a lot We are big Disney adults. So we'll be going out I think twice this year. So of course I love Epcot because my husband Paul used to work for the mouse. So he is he is he has his "mousters" and ⁓ Had a very fond memories there. Yes. Yes, so we love Disney

Okay. Okay.

Mmm.

Okay.

Mm-hmm. really?

Oh, did he? Oh, wow. Oh, wow.

It's mousters.

I it's

so we have the annual pass for Disneyland and ⁓ and we've been to Disney World a handful of times but Epcot is my favorite when I go over there and everyone thinks I'm everyone thinks I'm crazy but I'm like it's the greatest I don't know I just enjoy it it really is it really I think it is hands down the best one that Disney ever did so anyway all right so

Yes.

It's the best park. It is. It is the best park.

I agree.

Ian, can't thank you enough for being here today, sharing all your wisdom about venues. I think when it comes to venues, there's no one smarter, more knowledgeable than you. So thank you for being here today. So where can guests find you, connect with you?

Yes, thanks so much, Kevin and August for having me on the podcast today. If you're wanting to see more about Madera Estates, you can visit our website at maderaestates.com or check us out on Instagram at Madera Estates. ⁓ We have some fun posts that we put out on a regular basis of our weddings that happen at the venue. So even if you're not in Texas, you're looking for inspiration. We do celebrate couples that live all over the US too. So if you want a destination wedding right here in Texas,

Come on down, we'd love to meet you.

I love it. All right. And we will have all of Ian's information in the show notes and the YouTube video notes and all the good notes that go out there. So with that said, we want to remind all the listeners to subscribe because it helps us. We need to hit the subscribe button. But also, don't forget to send your stories, questions or topics you would like us to cover to podcast@FantasySound.com. All right, Ian, thank you so much for being here with us today. We'll see everyone next time.

you

Yeah

Thanks friends.

Bye.