Choosing and booking a venue should be done well in advance of your big day as venues, like the one shown above in Hadlow, near Tonbridge, Kent, UK, are always in demand.
Getting engaged makes the whole fairy tale real, and as soon as it happens your thoughts will turn to your big day right away. Don’t think into it too deeply at this moment though, because thinking about everything you’ve got to organise can be a little overwhelming and will take your focus away from the emotional moment of getting engaged.
When you’ve got over the initial ‘shock’ and happiness of getting engaged, one of the first things you’ll have to choose is a venue for your wedding and when the big event will happen. Sometimes you’ll know all of this already – some people really have been planning their wedding since they were little and will have already planned every detail – the majority of people, though, will have no idea where to start.
Choosing a venue isn’t as simple as you might first hope because there are a number of factors that will affect your choice:
1. Time of the Year and Weather
Most people have a good idea about the time of year that they’d like to hold their wedding, and if it’s not a busy point of the year then usually you’ll get the date and the venue that you want. Sometimes, though, you might find that your chosen venue isn’t available on the date that you had planned which is why it’s a good idea to have a few potential dates in mind before you go looking for your dream venue.
2. Number of Guests
Before you even think about venue hunting, you’ve got to think about the number of guests that you’re likely to invite. A rough guess of numbers isn’t good enough when it comes to your wedding because the number of guests could make the decision on whether you can hold it at your dream venue.
It’s pretty easy to get an accurate number though; just write down a list off all of our friends and family who will be invited – don’t forget to add any plus ones in too – and you’ll have a pretty accurate figure. Once you have this figure in hand, you’ll find it much easier to narrow down potential venues and you’ll be able to cross any venues off your list that you know won’t be able to cater for your party.
2. Geographical Location
Venue of Andrew & Emily’s wedding at Frog Pond Village in Interlochen, Michigan, USA. Now, you might like this nice venue for your own wedding but since most of your friends and family live in England, they can’t all fly down there. So you have to alter your plans. Photo Courtesy: Tom Page
Once you’ve got a few dates in mind and an approximate number of guests, it’s time to think about the geographical positioning of the venue. You should first talk to each other (the couple) and decide on the surroundings that you can both picture yourself getting married in. You should then think about your guests and how far they’ll have to travel to get to the venue as many people will want to avoid long journeys and expensive accommodation. A huge trend nowadays is to get married abroad so this is something that should be considered before you decide on a venue.
3. Type of Wedding
Craig & Phyllis’ Wedding at the beuatiful outdoor venue ‘The Pulgas Water Temple’ in Highlands, Sand Mateo, California, USA – Photo Courtesy: Craig Howell
Finally, it’s important to consider the type of wedding that you want:
- Do you want a church wedding with a venue for the reception or will the ceremony and the reception be held at the same place?
- Do you want a traditional wedding or something that’s more flamboyant?
- Do you want a wedding that’s outdoor – like an English country garden – or indoor at a castle or stately home?
The options really are endless and they all need to be considered before you even start looking for a venue.
Neil and Amanda Ship spent months trying to find the perfect wedding venue near to their home in Kent and when a friend recommended hadlowmanor.co.uk they realised it was perfect.
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