Deciding on a venue is definitely the hardest part of planning your dream wedding
Unless you have had your heart set on a venue since your were a child like in Bride wars where nothing but the plaza in June will do, finding the right wedding venue to make sure all your boxes are ticked can feel like a bit of a daunting task but hopefully these tips and things to look out for can hopefully take the stress out of finding that perfect place to say 'I Do' for your wedding day.
Write a list
So this is a great place to start, sit down with your significant other and write a list between you of the practicalities and non negotiables that you have when looking at a venue, these are the important bits like the area you know you want to get married in and the capacity for the amount of guests you intent to invite. The important bits that really can't be overlooked, there's no use looking at venues in Essex for 300 plus people if you actually want to elope to Italy with six people, it will really help to narrow down the search. Also if it's your dream to get married outside make sure that's an option on the list too, lots of UK venues now have both outside and inside options to account for the ever changing weather.
Nows the time to research
So now you have a list of your must haves get researching, don't just stick to google either try searching your instagram for the venue and see what pops up and see if it's the right vibe for your wedding day. Most venues also have a highlight reel with testimonials on now too so it's always worth checking it out. Behind the scenes are great too as it may show you how your own wedding day would run a little sneak peek! Make sure that you read some reviews too they are super helpful and if there's plenty more good than bad you know its off to a good start and make sure that they are within your venue budget.
Nows the time to go and check them out
This is a must do obviously, go and view all the wedding venues you've narrowed it down to and make sure you take a list of questions that you have too to avoid any surprises later on down the road, this could be anything from can I get ready on site to can you have smoke bombs for your photos but make sure you ask away. Most venues host open nights and are always happy to facilitate a viewing with any potential couples. Also make sure to keep a look out for any wedding fairs that are taking place at the venue too, this also gives you a chance to meet with other suppliers too that have normally worked at the venue that you are looking at and can be super helpful with booking other things.
Don't be disheartened if you decide its not the right one, looking at potential venues is all part of the process so just enjoy getting to see all these beautiful wedding venues. Plus they may even have an onsite bar so you can have a cheeky drink whilst your there too, it would be rude not to!
Ask the venue where you say 'I Do'
This is awesome to do if you can, stand in the spot where you could potentially be saying your vows to your other half, can you imagine that's the space? Do you get those butterflies in that space? Your gut will normally tell you if it feels right so sometimes you just have to listen to it for your wedding day!
Don't forget to think about the theme of your wedding too
Are you planning a rustic barn wedding, or an outdoors whimsical fairytale wedding in the woods or maybe your going for a black tie wedding that totally formal. Whatever your dream style is don't forget to take this into consideration when you are looking for a venue, ultra modern venues won't scream festival style wedding so make sure you have an idea of what it is your looking for.
So now you've found THE venue...
Make sure that when you find the place for your wedding day that you secure it as quickly as you can, wedding venues do book up so make sure that you don't risk loosing it once you've spent all that time searching for it!
Hopefully this helped to make finding that special venue for your wedding day a little less daunting and a little more fun!
