Finding your venue
Photography © Mrs Mashup
You’ve got the ring of your dreams. You’ve told your parents, your siblings & more importantly your best friend. You’ve posted the, “I said yes” selfie to your instagram. But the questions everyone’s dying to ask is; “When & where are you getting married?”
Choosing the venue is at the top of every wedding checklist & choosing the right one for you is vital. Which venues have you been stalking & sending your other half photos of for the past couple of months? Which venues did you sign up to, before even getting engaged, to look at their brochures? There are a lot of things you need to consider when choosing the right venue for you. Being a coordinator myself & experiencing first hand the different venue options as a fiancée, I have listed a couple of questions to ask your venue that I feel are essential to look out for.
Prioritising your favourites
You’ve already got a couple of venues in mind that you’ve had your eyes on since day one, now its time to book your private tour.
I recommend narrowing it down to your top 3. That way you can view them all, compare your quotations & the pros & cons to each venue before choosing the one.
I always think, when you know you know. You’ll enter the ceremony room & picture yourself walking down the aisle to your favourite song. You’ll imagine your guests walking around the ground & “the boys” at the bar.
Photography © Angharad Thomas
The location
Is your venue situated in a beautiful area with picturesque landscapes for photo opportunities at any given time? Is there a nearby beach that you could pop down to during the welcome reception? Maybe there’s a castle just a stone throw away that you hadn’t even realised.
Photography © Neil Williams
Photography © Inspire Weddings
The ceremony
Does your dream venue offer ceremonies? Better yet, does your venue offer indoor & outdoor ceremonies?
Having the opportunity on the day of the wedding to decide where you want your ceremony to take place is a massive bonus. Imagine waking up on the morning of your wedding & realising that you could’ve gotten married outside in a woodland area surrounded by nature but your venue cant offer you that. If your venue does have the facilities for that, could your ceremony be moved outside at such short notice?
Photography © Francesca Hill
Photography © Ella Richardson
Oh, so many questions …
Accommodation for your guests
With so many guests, friends & family, many will want to stay nearby the night of the wedding if not the night before also. Especially if they’re travelling from all over the country.
Check your venue has plenty of accommodation onsite to accommodate to your guests numbers and if they don’t have enough just ask for their recommendations for local accommodation. If your guests aren’t all able to stay onsite, is there the option for you to arrange a bus in order to transport your guests to the local town?
It’s also worth asking if there is breakfast included in the price of accommodation or if this is something additional, do any of the rooms supply catering facilities if not?
Photography © Christina
The food
Being a foodie, one of the most important parts of the day is when there’s food involved, right?
Does your venue have their own in house chefs & catering team that can offer a high standard of food? What types of food does your venue offer? If you wanted a more relaxed wedding with a grazing table instead of a sit down three course meal, is this something they can cater for? Is there an opportunity for you to sample your menu at a taster evening? Do you have the option to upgrade, or even create a bespoke menu?
A friendly welcome
First impressions really do count.
Were you welcomed into each venue with a smile? Did they remember your name each time you visited? Were all your wedding needs met by an attentive team?
Photography © Tia Sandry
The extras
Review your quotations & make sure you compare what’s included from each venue.
Some may charge an additional fee for the use of linen & cutlery, while others may include that within their venue hire charge. There may be the option to add on chair bows, LOVE letters, a cake stand & knife or a sweet cart, so make note of these as the little things do add up.
Are there any hidden costs that you need to be aware of? Make sure all costs are highlighted before signing any proposals or contracts. You may think you’ve bagged an amazing deal but there may be a few surprises near the end. Don’t be shy in asking the hard questions, your venue will be more than happy to discuss any concerns you may have.
Your fairy godmother
Here at Gellifawr we have our own team of coordinators that are on hand 24/7 throughout your wedding planning & the big day.
Does your venue have a wedding coordinator & are you comfortable asking them all sorts of questions? With the stress that can be involved in planning a wedding it’s always nice to know you have someone that you can fall back on.
Photography © Tia Sandry
Photography © Jess Rose
Finally..
Always consider getting wedding insurance.
If you’d like to book a tour of our Woodland Retreat & meet with a Coordinator, please don’t hesitate to get in contact. We’ve answered all these questions before & were not afraid of any new questions you may have. Your wedding planning journey should be enjoyed & we are here every step of the way.
