For many brides, selecting a venue in which to get married is at the top of the list of priorities. There are endless options – destination wedding, church wedding, outdoor wedding – and even more factors to consider about each one, such as the weather.

Thankfully, local venues exist to offer beautiful choices for brides.

Annette Rich, owner of the North Market Venue, is one of those venue owners who loves getting to see happy couples commit to forever.

Located at 403 North Market Street on Shreveport, the North Market Venue remains a popular place for weddings these past four years. “I love meeting our prospective bride and groom,” Rich said. “We so enjoy hearing about how they met and how they want to plan their wedding!” When it comes to decorating trends, classic and timeless pieces remain a hit. “We still see beautiful sheer draping and gorgeous fresh flowers as important,” Rich said. “Color palettes are mostly soft corals, ivory and succulent cactus greens. Of course, lighting is everything to create a beautiful environment, such as the use of string lights both inside and out. Also, chandeliers over tables help focus and define the decorating you are going for.”

Rich advises the bride and groom to select a venue that includes everything in a package. “Find a venue that is decorated with chairs, tables and a linen choice included,” she said.

She’s worked with enough brides over the years to have learned the crucial value of a list. “Make sure you have a checklist and everything in writing,” Annette advised. She also has a tip for avoiding stress leading up to the wedding: “Get everything completed 30 days before your big day.”

Visit Rich and her business on at TheNorthMarketHomeFurnishings& Venue on Facebook.

Cordaro’s Event Center is another local venue that offers both quality prices and incredible service. “We finished constructing Cordaro's in the fall of 2014. Since completion, we have hosted over 100 weddings/ receptions at our venue,” Matthew Cordaro, owner of Cordaro's Event Center, said.

Cordaro enjoys getting to celebrate alongside couples starting their new lives together. “My favorite part of my job is helping the bride and groom's ideas come into fruition,” Cordaro said. “I also love seeing the bride's unique vision for decoration transform into reality.”

Cordaro recognizes the struggle couples have when planning their ceremony, and has set his prices with that in mind. “Cordaro's is the perfect venue to keep you within budget – we have a very reasonable venue rental rate,” Cordaro said. “Also, when on a budget, the most important thing to remember is to be open-minded – a little decoration and creativity can go a long way.”

Included with the venue at Cordaro’s are many other amenities, such as tables, chairs, cocktail tables, full bar access with bartenders, a bride's room with private bathroom, a parlor room, dance floor, lighted curtain backdrop, large wall-mounted laptop-compatible TV and covered patio.

“We also offer a delicious allyou-can-eat catering menu which ranges from $10.95 to $12.95 per guest,” Cordaro said.

For Cordaro, it’s about more than offering a place to get married – it’s about the bride and groom creating memories to last a lifetime and making the most of their big day. “Just relax, enjoy and have fun with the whole process,” he advised.

Besides weddings and receptions, Cordaro’s hosts other events such as banquets, class reunions, parties and business meetings.

Cordaro’s Event Center is located at 3055 Knight St. in Shreveport. For more information, visit www.cordaroseventcenter.com or on Facebook.