Choosing the Right Wedding Venue
The venue is one of the most expensive parts of your wedding and just as important as any other incorporation. There will be many things that will influence your final choice but if you want that perfect venue for a good deal you will need to do some serious legwork.
First things first, get a map of where to live and draw a circle encompassing everything in that distance you're willing to travel. Grand mansions are normally located in large areas of cultivated gardens,but not only are the square footage expensive, mileage and distance to travel is expensive too. Set a realistic travelling distance for you and your guests. No more than an hour is a sensible choice as you probably don't want to spend your big day travelling across the country. Of course you could all stay there the night before and then have your wedding and honeymoon all in one place, but that costs more money for you and your guests.
The important thing to remember with venues when you start looking is budget and style. Remember that while the fairytale castle might have been your dream wedding venue it could be way out of your budget. No venue is worth blowing your budget for. It's what you do with a place which makes a venue truly magical to yourselves. No venue is the same in everyone's eyes. All that matters is what matters to you.
Weather is a massive factor to consider when looking at venues. A venue may have beautiful lawns with fountains that sparkle in the sunlight when you're viewing it, but what happens to all those guests if it rains on your big day. Sometimes even a large marquee won't save your guests from a typical British summer.
Now people will tell you size doesn't matter, but that's not true with venues. When viewing places, try to keep an idea of the rough numbers you want to invite, to the wedding breakfast and any extra numbers for the evening celebrations.Nothing is worse when you're all sat down to eat and you're practically sitting in each other's laps or hitting each other with your elbows. Space is a premium in venues and sadly you will have to pay for it, however it's definitely worth spending the extra as everyone will enjoy being able to move around freely.
Don't feel pressured into a place just because it's considered good value or the dream location. Whatever the venue you choose is a fairytale castle, a traditional church or even the local pub make sure it's a place that you and your other half feel comfortable in. Weddings should reflect your individual personalities and you as a couple, including the venue.
