Collaborative Post
When you are planning your wedding, one of the first major choices you need to make is the wedding venue. This is usually the biggest expense and will impact on your other decisions, such as the date you get married and how many guests you will be able to invite. Here are points to consider to help you find your dream wedding venue:
Where in the World?
The first thing you need to do is to narrow down the location of your wedding. If you both still live in the area where you grew up then this can be a straightforward choice. However, when the married couple come from different areas or countries they need to decide where they will base their wedding- some couples even decide to organise two weddings- first a legal ceremony and then a celebration ceremony to keep both sides of the family happy. Perhaps you have always dreamed about a wedding in the sun? Once you decide your dream location then it’s easier to narrow down the choice of wedding venues.
Think About Your Wedding Theme
Before you decide your wedding venue think about the type of wedding you want. Will you be married in a church or do you want to have the wedding ceremony and reception at the same venue. If you plan a church or registry office wedding, look for wedding venues nearby to host your celebration (if they’re further than walking distance then budget for transport for your guests to get to the venue too). Consider the style of wedding you would like, look through wedding magazines for inspiration, then choose a venue that will most perfectly compliment your style. Host a fairy-tale wedding at a castle, decorate your church hall for a quaint shabby celebration or hire a new hotel for a sleek, modern wedding. If you’re planning a country house wedding consider bijouweddingvenues.co.uk.
Attend Wedding Fairs
Once you’ve decided the location of your wedding start attending local wedding fairs. New wedding venues are popping up all the time and by browsing the venue stalls at wedding fairs will really get a feel for what venues are on offer locally. You can also find out about special offers available.
Go Along to Wedding Venue Open Days
After a Wedding Fair, hopefully you will have narrowed down your list of possible wedding venues. Now is the time to visit them for open days. If they don’t have any open days planned then make an appointment to visit the venue. This is the chance to check that the venue will be perfect for you. Most wedding venues now have a designated wedding planner who will be able to listen to your plans and tell you if their venue can make your vision come true.
Look at Past Wedding Photos
Before you go ahead and book the wedding venue look at past weddings photographed at your chosen location to make sure that it’s suitable for the type of wedding you have in mind. Many couples have actually found their future wedding photographer in this way too! It’s also a good idea to ask newly weds and wedding guests for their opinion of the venue.
Consider Changing the Date
Popular wedding venues get booked years in advance. If you find your dream wedding venue doesn’t have availability for the dates you have in mind you may need to be more flexible. You could consider a mid week wedding for more availability (and savings) but remember some guests find it harder to attend during the week.
Just as marriage isn’t to be rushed into, there’s no need to hurry a wedding. Take your time, plan in advance and you will find the perfect venue to marry the love of your dreams.
What tips do you have for finding the perfect wedding venue?
So true – everyone has their favourite venue – but being realistic is essential – price is always a major factor
My fiance and I have been engaged for nearly 7 years now but had no big plans on setting a date, I always said I would never get married and why do I need a piece of paper to prove we love eachother, we ill do it one day, then last year my fiance suffered a massive heart attack and now has heart failiure with only 20% functioning, he needs a transplant, so it made me realise I want to get married as lifes to short, we will start saving and arranging next year, these are great tips and I’ll be bookmarking it to look back on, thank you for sharing, sorry about the long comment xx