7 Top Tips for Choosing a Wedding Venue

Perhaps you’ve just got engaged and can’t wait to book your wedding venue – but do you really know what you’re looking for?  Before you go dashing off to look around every single wedding reception venue within a hundred miles, here are some top tips to think about when choosing a wedding venue:

1. Communication is key
   Have a chat with your other half about the sort of wedding you would like and be prepared to compromise if you have different ideas; this could help avoid disagreements later!  Are you looking for a summer wedding in a marquee, a relaxed or contemporary barn wedding venue or a formal and elegant country house?
2. Civil ceremony or church wedding?
   Deciding what type of ceremony you would like will highlight the area in which you should look for a wedding venue as your wedding reception venue should ideally be within a 20 – 25 minute radius of the church.
3. Decide on a budget
   Working out a budget early on will help you to shortlist potential wedding venues.  Wedding catering and alcohol normally take up quite a large chunk of your budget so remember to include it in your calculations.
4. What’s best for guests?
   Don’t forget about guests travelling to your wedding.  If you want to avoid incurring expensive taxi charges and hotel bills for them or coach costs for you, look for a wedding venue near to where the majority of your guests live.
5. Wedding guest numbers
   Have a rough idea of guest numbers before you start looking for a wedding venue or be prepared to alter your guest list.  This should avoid the disappointment of visiting a beautiful wedding venue only to find out it is too big/small for your wedding.
6. Your wedding date
   If you’ve decided on a date for your wedding and it’s set in stone, check the availability of that date before you visit.  If you’re flexible about the day of the week, month, season, or even the year of your wedding you’ll have a much wider choice of venues.
7. Seek expert advice
   Wedding websites such as this one are useful because they have details of a wide range of wedding venues at your fingertips.   If you’d like some assistance searching for a venue, a wedding venue finding service can help; tell them your requirements and they will search for a venue to suit you from their extensive list of wedding venues – many of which will be privately-owned.  Wedding planners can also help you choose a wedding venue as they have experience of weddings at different venues.

Article by Wedding Venue Advisor Gemma Edwards

Image Courtesy of SeniorMac Wedding Photography

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