Every bride and groom wants their wedding to go off without a hitch. As soon as an engagement occurs, however, it’s natural for all parties to feel a certain level of anxiety. Not necessarily because they’re nervous about getting married, but because they’re nervous about how to put together a wedding that will ultimately make them happy. Weddings are incredibly individualistic, and ultimately need to work with the tastes of those getting married, reflecting who they are as individuals and what brings them together as a couple. However, weddings are also events. As soon as guests are invited, weddings become somewhat more complicated. From making sure that there is enough space for everyone, to ensuring that all dietary needs are accommodated, brides and grooms have a lot to think about.

Perhaps that is one reason why museums have recently become more popular as wedding venues. They are ready-made spaces, made to be aesthetically appealing (some even have in ground pools!), that can be booked and used like any other spaces for a wedding. Additionally, museums are secular, which means that those that don’t want to be married in a church or other religious space, while also wishing to avoid getting married outdoors, have a stately place to go. Additionally, museums exist virtually everywhere, and often house priceless artifacts. The Getty Museum, for example, is home to works of art that would add a sense of history and beauty to any wedding. Therefore, it’s no wonder that weddings at the Getty Museum have been ticking up in popularity in recent years.

But as with any venue, there are things you need to know before booking weddings at the Getty Museum or at any other museum for that matter. Not all museums are the same; some are funded privately, while others are funded through the state. Additionally, there are hiccups that can occur when you have your wedding at a museum, just as there can be hiccups at any venue. For a lot of couples, however, booking at a museum is ultimately worth it. With that in mind, let’s look into some of the tips you should remember when planning your museum wedding.

1. Timing is Everything

Have you ever been to a museum at night? The answer for most us is going to be no. Most museums close around 5 p.m., though some may stay open slightly later. Think, on the other hand, about how many weddings take place at night. The contrast is quite stark. Although it’s not out of the question for weddings to take place during the day, for many people they are essentially giant parties, with dinner and drinks. Weddings at the Getty Museum may be beautiful and classy, but they’re also meant to entertain people, which means that most of them are going to take place during the evening.

Now, it’s not necessarily going to be difficult to convince a museum to stay open later; most of them that welcome private events are able to do so. What is it is going to effect is when the preparation will begin for your wedding. As museums are open to the public throughout the day, this generally means that the space will not be ready for prep until after the museum is closed and all visitors have left. This may actually mean having a later ceremony than you initially planned. However, it shouldn’t bump your timeline back too much as long as the museum is experienced with regards to event planning, and there is a staff and vendors ready to play their part and ensure that your wedding goes off without a hitch! This is one reason why weddings at the Getty Museum or other major museums appeal more to some couples as opposed to working with a smaller museum that might not be as experienced.

2. Consider Theming

Most museums are going to have quirks and details that aren’t necessarily as uniform as what you might see in a church or hotel. After all, museums exist to display unique and remarkable things, and most of those things are in exhibits that cannot easily be moved for the sake of your wedding. Think about weddings at the Getty Museum; it’s not as if a priceless work of art can be moved to a different room because your wedding will be taking place at the museum. But is this a bad thing?

After all, you’re probably choosing a museum as a venue in part because it is special, and something that your guests won’t easily forget. You might actually want to lean in to the different parts of the museum, and consider them as part of the theming of your wedding. If you’re hosting your wedding at an art museum, you may want to include post cards of famous works of art as a part of your wedding favors. A museum that features fossils could be the perfect wedding venue for a pair of dinosaur fans that are getting married. Moving away from the typical museum weddings, like weddings at the the Getty Museum, you could also consider having your wedding at a living museum or even an aquarium. This would allow people to see living creatures and nature as a part of your wedding. Some aquariums even allow brides and grooms that are scuba certified to get married underwater in their tanks!

Your decisions will likely depend in part on how classic you want your wedding to be; and to be sure, some museums are quieter and more formal than others. But if you’re willing to book a museum wedding, chances are that you’re also willing to get a bit creative, and to have fun with your venue.

3. The Upkeep of the Museum

In addition to the general look of the museum, you’ll also want to consider its age and stability, as well as how it has been maintained. As previously mentioned, not all museums have the same sources of funding, and some suffer from maintenance issues because of this. Whenever a museum is offered to the public as a wedding venue, it should be in working order. But there are still issues that can occur with any venue, and you need to do your due diligence. You should do a walk through with a staff member before you book a museum as your wedding venue, asking about an appliance repair or two needed, how recently certain areas were renovated, and more. Even wedding at the Getty Museum should not move forward without this type of inspection.

Some problems are definitely going to be bigger than others, but you need to make sure that the museum is working to repair any that come up before your wedding. If the museum claims to be having roofers out to make a repair, make sure that your wedding is going to be well after those dates, so that you don’t have to deal with any problems when your big day rolls around. This is another advantage of working with a major museum and why weddings at the Getty Museum and other museums of its quality are often favored. The reality is that these museums are more often used as venues, and therefore will work more like well-oiled machines in order to ensure that any issues are handled before the wedding day occurs.

4. Location

Of course, you should also consider the general location of the museum, and how convenient this will be for you and your guests. Some museums are located in big cities, which can be a bit traveling for guests that are traveling by car. You should inquire as to whether or not the museum you’re considering offers its own parking, or if you can coordinate with a nearby parking garage in order to ensure that your guests will be able to park. In some cases, parking is limited and guests will need to travel by rideshare apps like Lyft or Uber. If this is the most convenient solution for your guests, you should indicate as such, and perhaps even figure gift card sf for these services into your budget.

Of course, the general location in terms of aesthetic also matters. Some museums are in more casual areas; the last thing you want is to find out that the museum you selected is near some local funeral homes, for example. This is why it may be best to stick with nearby museums that you are more familiar with, rather than booking a larger museum just for the sake of it without being very familiar with the surrounding area. Weddings at the Getty Museum are rather appealing, but if you’re traveling from out of state in order to book your wedding there you’ll want to make sure that you’re asking plenty of questions ahead of time.

5. Look Over that Contract Carefully

Before signing the contract that will make your favorite museum your ideal wedding venue, make sure that you know what you’re committing to. In some cases, with especially large or expensive venues, it may even be a good idea to consult with legal counsel before putting your signature down. Some venues can be so pricy that you may feel as if you’re talking to a mortgage lender when you’re putting down a deposit, and the last thing you want is to lose that money because you missed a part of a contract.

Museums typically have different regulations from other venues, simply because of their items that they hold. They may prohibit things that you can include as a part of your wedding in order to protect the belongings in the museum. This often extends to the types of items brought into the museum, as well as the types of food served. You may not be able to serve red wine in some museums. Additionally, if you had your heart set on a pizza delivery as a casual, quirky part of your wedding, you may not be able to do so at a museum. Museums also often have restrictions regarding furniture rentals and bringing things from outside the museum to the interior. Conversely, you may actually have to rent furniture in order to make a museum a proper wedding venue. Lots of museums provide their own tables and chairs for receptions, but will there be enough for your wedding guests? Weddings at the Getty Museum can typically be a little bit smoother than weddings at smaller museums for this reason, as the museum itself is larger and therefore naturally able to accommodate more people.

Whether it pertains to renting furniture from a luxury home remodeling company for your wedding or the types of food allowed in the museum, you should make sure that you understand fully what you’re committing to first. If that means giving the contract a couple of read-throughs before signing, it’s ultimately worth it.

6. Know Your Exhibits

Maybe you’re a fan of a particular museum not only for its architectural design, but for the specific exhibits at the museum. But as anyone who has coordinated weddings at the Getty museum can attest, not all exhibits are going to be present at the time of your wedding. Some exhibits are actually put away or blocked off during weddings for their own protection. Other museums are temporary, and therefore won’t be on display when your wedding occurs.

Ask questions about this before signing your contract and putting down a deposit. If you really love certain exhibits, then you should be just as aware of whether or not they’ll be in place as you would be able any repairs or visits from HVAC contractors needed.

All of this sounds like a lot of work; but the reality is that museums are often much easier to use as wedding venues than outdoor spaces or smaller venues. Weddings provide a lot of revenue for museums, and one could be your dream venue. Why not consider it?