You’re engaged; congratulations! Most likely, this exciting time in your life has been met with a flurry of questions: “How did they propose?” “When is the big day?” “Where do you two want to go on your honeymoon?” While the well-meaning curiosity can be overwhelming, there are a few key decisions that you and your partner must make early in the wedding planning journey. According to The Knot‘s 2025 Real Weddings Study, approximately 80% of couples book their wedding venue prior to hiring any other vendors based on factors such as availability, location, and aesthetic. In fact, your wedding venue also influences the entire wedding planning process.
Most wedding venues can be categorized between all-inclusive (or partially-inclusive) and blank-slate. While some venues may offer packages that incorporate their caterers, rentals, and other services or items, a blank slate bursts open the doors to creativity by giving you total freedom to choose your own vendors and plan your wedding to match your vision. If you want your wedding day to be truly personalized and absolutely unforgettable, let us show you the reasons that a blank-slate venue is the right choice for you.
Flexibility
Your love is unique, and you want your wedding to be just as special. Booking a blank-slate wedding venue allows you to express yourselves as a newlywed couple with boundless originality. With large, open spaces and no preexisting interior design, a venue like Garage B can host weddings in any theme: modern and minimalist, lush and whimsical, retro and romantic, or timeless and glam. Every detail — from traditions to trends, from florals to décor, from menus to entertainment — can be tailored to tell your love story. When each element can be thoughtfully curated, the entire wedding celebration is intentional, meaningful, and all the more fun and memorable for your guests, too.
Here are just a few examples demonstrating that no two weddings at Garage B are alike:
- Leah & Adam’s Sweet & Playful Wedding at Garage B
- Eva & Jonson’s Urban-Chic Autumn Wedding at Garage B
- Alyssa & Zeke’s Simple & Fun Wedding at Garage B
- Hannah & Cullen’s Warm & Moody Wedding at Garage B
- Kassandra & Carley’s Minimalist & Intimate Wedding at Garage B
- Dana & Dylan’s Personalized & Artistic Wedding at Garage B
- Eunice & Kelvin’s Dog-Friendly Wedding at Garage B
- Carrie & Ricky’s Creative & Energetic Wedding at Garage B
- Jacky & Rojaan’s Vibrant & Colorful Sangeet at Garage B
- Olivia & Dylan’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Wedding at Garage B
Cost Control
Weddings are expensive, but a blank slate can be an affordable venue option. Because each vendor and other components are hand-picked by you, you can more carefully manage your budget by investing in what is most important to you and saving money on aspects that you feel are not as significant. With a blank-slate venue like Garage B, you avoid planning bundles with services and items that you don’t need so that you can prioritize putting your dollars toward the things you sincerely want. For example, supplying alcohol for your guests through a liquor outlet and hiring bartenders costs substantially less than alcohol packages at all-inclusive venues, especially those that require a minimum spend regardless of your guest count.
Vendor Transparency
Planning a wedding involves a lot of trust in your vendor team to execute your vision and ensure that all moving parts are coordinated. A blank-slate venue like Garage B enables you to mindfully select each of your vendors instead of being tied to a predetermined list of exclusive partners. You are familiar with their specific contracted services and able to confirm that there are no hidden inclusions, unwanted upgrades, or surprise fees. You also develop a one-on-one relationship with them, and that personal communication creates an enthusiastic expert network that lets you plan with confidence. Furthermore, the ability to work with any vendor of your choosing creates opportunities to better support small and local businesses, independent artists, diverse groups, and sustainable practices.
Planner Partnerships
A third of all couples getting married hire planning services to bring their big day to life (The Knot). If you are already thinking about teaming with a wedding planner or an event designer, they will love working in a blank-slate wedding venue! A planner will implement your personal style and meaningful moments in imaginative but logical ways. An all-inclusive venue may assign you a coordinator on their team, but it is unlikely that they will participate in your planning process and will encourage a standard timeline and design approach that works for most weddings hosted in their space. At Garage B, we boast a wide variety of wedding planners and day-of coordinators who are experienced in working at our venue and thrilled with any occasion to do so.
Aesthetic
“Blank-slate” does not mean “bland”! A venue is a massive contribution to your wedding’s overall aesthetic, so go beyond the banquet hall and explore the inherent character found in other types of venues, such as industrial lofts, private estates, or vintage theatres. Many blank-slate venues consist of nontraditional spaces with striking architectural features and interesting history. Garage B, for example, is a revitalized garage from the 1940s, and its warehouse-style appearance provides the perfect neutral but contemporary backdrop for your wedding’s design.
If you dream of a one-of-a-kind wedding that is authentic to you and your partner and will resonate with your loved ones, a blank-slate venue will allow you the flexibility to intentionally design and plan while handling costs wisely. To learn more about Garage B in particular, reach out to our team today!
Photography: Liesl Clark Photography, Photography by Angelina Rose, Georgia Rae Cook, George Street Photo & Video, J-M Leach Photo + Video, & Kadri Kärmo