How To Choose A Wedding Venue - Hot Tips
How to choose a wedding venue In the UK can seem a daunting task, especially as choosing your wedding venue is one of (if not the) first things you’ll do once you’re engaged. After all you can’t have a wedding without somewhere to host it.
Perhaps this is daunting because there are a lot of things to consider when it comes to choosing a wedding venue, from location to style and everything in between.
That’s why we have put together our top tips to help you find and choose your dream wedding venue.
Searching for your perfect wedding venue is easier when you know what to look for. It’s also exciting and fun! Read the 5 hot tips below which will definitely make your search easier!
1. Choose your geographical location
When it comes to finding your dream wedding venue, a great place to start is location. Whilst this may seem like a fairly obvious point, you’ll be surprised how easy it is to fall in love with a venue then realise it’s 200 miles away from where you and all your friends & family live.
So, it’s best to sit down with your partner and decide where in the country you’d like to get married. If you’re both from the same place you might want to get married within that area, if not, then you will need to discuss if you marry in theirs or your hometown. You may decide you want to tie the knot somewhere else, be it the country side or the coast – where ever you decide, you’ll need to consider travel plans for yourselves and all your guests, as well as looking at accommodation options for anyone that needs to travel.
Once you’ve chosen which town/city or region you want to get married in, this will help you narrow down venue options.
Choosing your wedding venue location means you also have to consider how practical (or costly) travel to and from the location on your wedding day will be for your for you and your guests, so do always bear that in mind.
2. Know your numbers
I’m not talking money here (although we will touch on budget later on), I’m talking guest numbers. Whilst guest numbers won’t be finalised until later on in the planning stage, it’s extremely important to know roughly how many guests will be attending your big day when going to view venues. This will include day and evening guests. There’s no point in looking at dreamy venues that simply won’t allow for the number of guests you plan on having. The easiest way to do this is jot down all the guests you plan on inviting, and make note of any that might have a potential plus one – this will give you your top end number and then you can look at venues that can accommodate that amount of people.
Once you know how many guests (including +1’s) you are expecting then it makes it a lot easier to determine the right sized venue you need to look for, and also to determine which venues will be too big or too small for your requirements.
3. Decide on your aesthetic
This might seem obvious, but seek out venues that align with the vision/theme you have for your day. If you dream of a traditional, fairy-tale wedding, look at stately homes and castle venues that will really enhance the theme of your day. Alternatively, a hotel wedding venue would add a more modern feel whereas a barn wedding venue, would be the perfect choice for a country and rustic themed wedding. Whatever your theme, it’s important to choose a venue that works with and enhances that theme to allow for a cohesive look throughout your day.
Think about what type of venue will go best with your wedding theme. A barn wedding venue, for example, makes an ideal choice for any country themed wedding.
4. Know your budget
Deciding on your budget is key when finding your dream venue. Sit down with your partner and figure out your overall budget, from this decide how much you are willing to allocate to the venue hire (base this on venue hire only, as not all venues offer food & drink packages, or you may choose to opt for outside catering). This will ensure your budget doesn’t spiral and you either end up spending more than you can afford or you have to make cut backs, be it with the venue or other vendors.
It’s important to know your budget when looking for a wedding venue. Sit down with your partner and work out how much of your overall wedding budget will go towards your venue.
5. Visit more than once
It’s very easy to fall in love with a venue on first sight, however, we suggest visit your top venues a couple of times before signing on the dotted line. There’s no rush, take your time and make sure it is completely
right for you and that it ticks all your boxes. The second time you visit might not feel as magical as the first or you may find that there is something new you discover that makes you love it even more. Either way, it’s worth making a second or even third trip before you decide.
You’ve seen your venue. You think it’s the perfect venue for you. It may very well be, but do make sure you visit the venue more than once. Venue’s won’t mind, and a repeat visit will help you be certain.
We hope our top tips on how to choose a wedding venue have helped you on your magical wedding planning journey. Remember your venue will pave the way for a lot of the choices you make in your upcoming wedding, so make sure it’s perfect and true to yourselves!
Other Interesting Articles:
