fig96 said:
Couple thoughts, and to back up my comments I'll mention I'm a senior designer in the marketing department of a tech firm. This is what I do.
- Worth noting from the start that it looks like your site was built in Drupal, another Content Management System somewhat similar to WordPress. You should have a login to that somewhere.
- The design isn't awful but it's pretty dated, and the big thing I get is a lack of hierarchy; everything in the header and navigation is the same font, same weight, same colors, so I don't know what's important and what's not. The body copy is the same way, no clear differentiation between headers, links, and body copy.
- Navigation needs some reworking. Think in terms of your user: what do they want to find first? Venue info, then package info most likely. They'll look for info about you if they're interested, but that certainly isn't the primary thing they're looking for and it's your first link in the main nav after the home button (which isn't really used anymore).
- You could probably use a copywriter. Your copy isn't terrible, but spending a few hundred bucks on a copywriter to finesse your message and put it in a more pleasant voice would help.
- I'm assuming if you have weddings there you also have some pro photographers that shoot there? I'd find one of them with some great images and see if you work out some kind of arrangement to use their photos on your site. The ones you've got aren't bad, but the venue could look a whole lot better if you had high end images that really showed it off.
- Ditch the blog. You aren't going to use it and nothing is worse on a website than a sad abandoned blog.
As far as the site overall, I suppose it depends on market but $2500 to put together a Wordpress site, tweak the design, adjust content, and do SEO isn't at all unreasonable. Get a quote on exactly what they're doing for you, however, and make sure they have work to show that looks like what you want your site to look like.
Yes, you can try to do it yourself, but as mentioned there's a reason people like me get paid to do this. If you do it yourself, look for a theme that can show off big images of the venue as that's what's going to sell it. Give your user a clear call to action (CTA), something you want them to do whether that's call or e-mail for an appointment, sign up for a mailing list, or just let you know they want more info.
As far as social media, you probably need to suck it up and hop on board to be blunt 
You don't have to be crazy active on Twitter or Facebook, but at least start up an Instagram account and post a few photos weekly (you've already got lots of photos). I realize you don't want to do it, but I bet there's a young employee or even an upcoming bride who would be willing to help out with your social media for a discounted venue price.
Hope all that helps...
I only let photos that i take be on there.. I'm a Master Photographer..
i teach professionals how to improve their images. Been doing it for 35 years.. Ive had 'professionals' that were hired for weddings there come up to me and ask how to use their flash, which i laughed at them... so 'pro' doesnt mean anything to me anymore... It mostly means your mom said you take great photos and you went to walmart and bought a nice camera, but have no clue how to run a business... Most 'photographers ' that come there bring one camera, one lens, and have no idea about posing or lighting. My camera bag was insured for $50,000 once... had 3 bodies, 9 lenses, 2-3 flashes, etc....
sorry.. I'm ranting...
but all the marketing people i talk to tell me to get rid of photos with people in them, because we want to show off the gazebo, and not the people who are hiding the gazebo behind them.
all the web people tell me i have to have a blog... I quit posting because its very time consuming and i would happily pay someone but no one ever will commit... I have been told by several companies that i have to continuously add photos, content, and stuff, and the best way to do so, according to them, is via blog. Search engines look for content that is regularly updated, and if you dont, the search engines think you are dead and your website is no longer active and thus wont show up..
its not that i dont want to do social media (i actually dont want to do it, really) but its that i CANT. I dont understand computers, the internet, how it works, etc.. Much happier paying someone to do it...
im a caveman who is being hired to run a nuclear reactor, and is handed a manual so i can understandd.... you are assuming i know how to read, can do math, and can understand physics and such... I would happily live in the 19th century except i like plumbing, refrigeration, and air conditioning... i dont need a computer, a digital camera, a cell phone, etc... but in order to run my business, I'm being forced to read the manual, and I'm telling you, i cannot read... (i can read, i just cant do logic... ) and I'm anti social... i grew up 80% of my life without computers...
if i could find a program somewhere that if i take a photo on my iPad it will send it to my blog, twitter, instagram, etc) so i dont have to bother...
and the $2500 doesn't include SEO. Its JUST the platform with my old website moved to the wordpress platform and then made to be a full website... SEO is additional cost.
Im hyperactive ADHD, cant sit still, have to be outside, cant stand being in front of a computer... I dont even want to be typing this, but its taken me about an hour to write all this....
