How much do you take reviews into account?

Thanks that is really great advice! I started meeting with venues and I can definitely say that I felt more comfortable with some people more than others. It has a lot to do with personality!

Everybody has different tastes, so what one person may really like (ie, the DJ told hilarious jokes all night) another person might hate (ie, the DJ told terrible, corny jokes throughout the ENTIRE reception). It can make for really mixed reviews. I would say read the reviews, but with a grain of salt. If you have anything that's really important to you, I would talk it over personally with that vendor, and make sure they understand your preferences.