Start with the purpose
Write a short sentence describing what the event is for and how you want people to feel. A wedding, a birthday and a company gathering need different decisions. Name your three priorities before collecting visual references: time with guests, food, music, a particular setting or something entirely personal.
Consider alternative dates
Share a preferred date and alternatives if you have them. If guests are travelling, ask about their likely arrival and departure plans before setting the programme. A date range is useful when availability is still being discussed; it does not reserve a venue or a supplier.
Build a useful guest estimate
Start with a realistic range rather than waiting for a perfect list. Note whether the event needs seats for everyone, space for children, step-free access or a quiet place away from music. These practical details can change the suitability of a venue more than its photographs suggest.
Compare venues on the same basis
Ask each venue what is included, what must be brought in and when access begins and ends. Check guest capacity for your intended layout, the indoor alternative, toilets, lighting, power and transport access. Request written answers so your comparison is based on the same assumptions.
Prepare a one-page brief
Include the occasion, date options, guest estimate, preferred area, venue status and an approximate EUR budget. Add three priorities and a few visual references with an explanation of what you like. This is enough to open a productive discussion without deciding every detail in advance.