Venues: how do you pick where to get married?
When planning your wedding, the first step is to set your budget and your priorities within that. For example, is photography really important to you? Or is impactful floral design? Maybe it’s the venue. Once you’ve decided your key priorities and corresponding budget (and once you’ve booked a wedding planner!), the next thing to do is decide the venue.
Location
For me, venue location has to mean something to you and your partner. Is there a beautiful country house or hotel that you had your first weekend away to? Is it really important to you to get married at home, or near home? It helps to create a much more meaningful design for your wedding when the venue is grounded in a personal connection. The whole experience for you and your guests will be elevated if there is a genuine reason for why you are getting married in a particular place. That doesn’t mean to say you can’t get married somewhere just because you absolutely love the venue - that alone could be grounds for a brilliant personal connection between you and the venue. But I do think considering the location of your wedding is hugely important before making any other decisions.
Type of venue
Now you can decide the type of venue you want: dry hire, marquee, private estate, country hotel, city art gallery…the list is endless. Marquee weddings or dry hire venues are my favourite because they provide a blank canvas for creative ingenuity and unique guest experience. However, they do mean you have to bring (nearly almost) everything in, so are usually the most expensive types weddings. Lots of venues will allow you to erect a marquee if you want a marquee wedding, but don’t want to have to supply power, water, or toilets and are happy to use the venue’s catering.
Do your research
Once you have decided on a rough location and type of venue, make sure you do plenty of research on venues and marquee companies in the area. Read reviews, go on venue visits, explore their social media, see which suppliers have worked there before. But work with me to help make your selection. Once you have told me the type of venue and location you want, I will be able to provide a selection of about 5 venues that fit your brief. We will view them online together and then do site visits of your narrowed selection. If none of them grab you, we will keep exploring! The beauty of hiring a wedding planner is that I can already narrow down a lot of your supplier searches, including the venue, for you.
Consider the design
To help choose your venue, consider the wedding design as you explore each venue. Is there a particular venue that you gravitate towards because you are inspired by its architecture or natural surroundings? If so, listen to that instinct. Being inspired by a place is so important to drive creativity and will lead to a truly unique wedding design and experience; one that is naturally rooted in its setting.
To conclude, selecting a venue with personal significance can elevate the wedding experience, making it more meaningful for you and your guests. Whether opting for a marquee, hotel, or art gallery, thorough research and site visits are essential to find the perfect venue. Enlisting a wedding planner can simplify this process, aligning your selection with your vision and needs.
