First, before you make any venue decisions, you need to make a draft budget. (Editors note: APW post coming soon on creating your draft budget, because yes, you probably need a better system than that post-it.) Don’t sign a contract with an expensive venue, only to realize down the line that you have no money left for that DJ you’ve been coveting. Second, prep yourself with a venue research spreadsheet—a place to track all of your research on wedding venue ideas, so that you can organize it and then review it without losing your mind.