How to choose your Wedding Venue
16 October 2024It is the first and biggest decision you’ll make after agreeing to get married, but where do you start? Your choice of wedding venue affects so many other decisions about your big day. It’s the beginning of your wedding planning journey and the possibilities are exciting and almost endless! Here are some helpful hints to help you prioritise and pick your favourite venue …
A venue with history
Is there a location that has meaning for you both? Maybe a place or a venue that holds dear memories for you? Many people return to the location where they got engaged, or somewhere they used to visit as a family. Somewhere a loved one has ties to. This can be a nice sentimental place to start.
Somewhere that suits your theme
Many couples who choose a specific theme have a pretty good idea of the style of venue that will best suit that theme. From the National Space Centre to regal elegance, your theme can generate lots of ideas. Rustic styling suits barn or marquee-style venues better than somewhere opulent or bright white modern spaces. You might be looking for something a bit more quirky and unusual for a highly-themed wedding.
Location and accessibility
If you have family and friends scattered to the four winds, you may like to look at somewhere central and accessible. Likewise, if everyone lives nearby, somewhere everyone knows and enjoys may appeal.
Speaking of accessibility
If your Nan can’t walk far or a friend uses a wheelchair, it’s nice to consider the spread of your location. Being able to get about in a venue could be key. Does it have lifts or is it all one level? Will guests have to walk far or over uneven surfaces to get around your venue?
Think about availability
If getting married at a particular time of year is important to you, carefully consider how popular your ideal venue is. The more popular your venue and the date you choose, the less likely it is to be available. The summer months continue to be the most popular time of year to get married, especially in the UK. The hope for good weather and the school holidays often dictate when weddings occur. Being flexible around date or day of the week for your wedding widens your choice of most venues, even at short notice.
Are you superstitious?
A lot of couples avoid dates with superstitions attached such as Friday 13th, or pretty much any 13th date! Availability of these dates – especially during peak season – is more likely, although this only helps If you’re not superstitious! If you have a quirky side, you could make the most of the superstition as you plan your wedding.
Inside or outside?
Is it important to you to have gorgeous outdoor spaces, or are you not really fussed about them? If you want an outdoor wedding in the UK, you need to have a plan B just in case of bad weather. Likewise, if you’re happy to stay inside, does the venue have nice areas for your photos (group and couple)?
Know what the setting up arrangements are.
If you’re planning a diy wedding or including lots of decorative elements you need plenty of time to set up. It’s essential to check your potential venue allows for that. Some venues insist on on-the-day set ups, whereas others allow you time the day before your wedding to do the bulk of the setting up.
The style and location of your wedding venue hugely influence all your other decisions. This makes it so important to think through your priorities before you choose your venue. The wrong priorities could result in an unsuitable wedding venue. It’s best to plan your site visits ahead.
Do you have your wedding venue shortlist? Here are four top tips to help you pick the one for you:
- Have a list of questions to ask the person showing you around.
- Make sure you can do everything you want to do and understand where any compromises might be. If there’s something you really want but can’t do it exactly how you’d like to, see if there is another way?
- Follow your shortlisted venues on Facebook/Instagram for a while, to get a feel for how other couples are using them.
- And if they’ll let you, see if you can do a final visit on the day of a real wedding to see how it all really works.
Good luck and if you need any help finding places to visit, get in touch. X
