With all the extra time that I’ve had recently, what with lockdown etc., I’ve been able to get cracking at finding the perfect venue. As you will know from my last blog post, we decided to get married within the UK due to practicalities and so that Jack and I could choose a venue which meant something to us. Also, who never dreams of a cute and quaint English wedding? In the past few months, we have been searching non-stop and been on more venue meetings than I could count. We now have a venue which means a lot to us for multiple reasons (that would be telling, now, wouldn’t it?) but getting there was a whole new world of stressful. So, I thought that I would write a little ‘top tips’ guide to finding the perfect venue for your wedding; it can be easier than what you first think!
The Wedding Diaries: Finding the Perfect Venue
Step 1: Layout Your Budget
Budgets are the most important thing with any wedding. Although it is everyone’s dream to have a big white wedding, I have never been one to see the point in just blowing thousands and thousands of pounds on, let’s face it, a party. When Jack and I first sat down to discuss this, having just bought a house, we knew that we had to have a pretty modest budget. In our area that immediately eliminated a lot of options, but people get very greedy when charging for venues (see Step 2). The best advice I can give you is do your research and then set up a sensible budget to incorporate everything that you will need.
Step 2: Do Your Research
Once you have set a budget, you can then begin shopping for your venue. The first thing that you will notice is that the prices of these places vary significantly and, unfortunately, there are lots of venues out there who put a lot of pressure on couples and often will say that their price is the usual for the area. Please be careful and don’t let them fool you; remember that part of finding the perfect venue is thinking what damage it could do to the budget. When we were looking, we found this gorgeous barn in the middle of nowhere, however the dent in the budget would have been so large that we wouldn’t have been able to fit in the number of extras that we have now. The best thing you can do is compare with other venues in the area and see what the ‘norm’ for price is. Then you can eliminate those who appear to be above others for no apparent reason. Obviously, there will be some who charge more as their venue is more lucrative, however you can often see who is simply charging more for the sake of it.
Step 3: Visit Your First Venue
Once you have found a venue which interests you and that ticks some of the boxes, it is time to organise a visit! Before you go, make sure you brainstorm questions that you want to ask. Often, there will be gaps in the brochures online that you will want answers too. Also, make sure that the venue is not hiding anything from you, such as hidden costs etc. (corkage is a big one!). At the meeting, remember to dedicate enough time to really take it in. Ask yourself “can I see myself getting married here?”, “can I have the party that I want in this space” and, most importantly, “is this the one?”. Now, at this moment, it is important not to be impulsive. Do not fall into the trap of ‘this venue may go soon, quickly get it!!’, which happens to lots of people. If I am honest, had I left it to Jack, that would have happened to us in a heartbeat. Before you can decide you need to launch Step 4…
Step 4: Visit OTHER Venues
But Victoria, I have already found my perfect venue at Step 3, why do I need to see other venues?? Believe it or not, that venue that you saw in Step 3 was not the only venue in the world. You need to get out there, replay Step 2 if need be, and visit as many venues as possible. Then you can compare as many details as possible. Finding the perfect venue can be tough, but if you compare with others, you will soon see all the different highlights and flaws. You should be looking at:
- Cost
- Food menus
- Added perks
- Location
- Times that you need to start/ finish
- Character
- Wedding organiser at location (remember, you need to work with this person!)
- Photography-friendly places
If you simply do not want to risk losing a venue, ask yourself why? If you can, see if you can hold it (often cost-free) for a few days whilst you decide? It is a huge decision and you should not rush it.
Step 5: Decision Time
You’ve now done some shopping and made comparisons. The next step is the hardest and involves you and your partner sitting down and throwing everything together. Decide what is the most important thing to you and see which venue executes that best. If you need to, go for a second visit to one of the venues and see if it was as good as you remember. The most crucial thing is that you don’t rush and that you ignore the pressure coming at you from the venues. Hopefully you both have a venue in mind and, if it all matches what you want and more, then go for it.
It took us about three months to decide on our venue and I have to be honest, we saw at least ten venues. Some of them were incredible and were close seconds, although the venue we chose is particularly special to us both and we cannot wait to get married there. The trick to finding the perfect venue is just take your time; things always come together in the end.
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My Travel Tips and Recommendations
Flights
My usual go-to for booking flights is Skyscanner, the flight search engine. What I love about Skycanner is that you have various options depending on your situation. If you know where you want to go it’s easy – all you need is to search for your destination and dates, and you are provided with all flight options to choose from. If you haven’t decided on your next trip yet, you can use the Everywhere tool for inspiration and to find the cheapest places to fly to.
Accommodation
Whenever I plan my travels Booking.com is my best friend. The website is super easy to use and provides a whole range of accommodation from fancy resorts to budget hotels. Jack and I also regularly use Airbnb – in particular, for staycations in the UK.
Things I can’t travel without
As a travel blogger and keen photographer I never travel without my trusty technology. Always packed are my
- Canon EOS M3
- GoPro Hero5 Black
- I’m also saving for a DJI Mavic Pro
Travel Insurance
It is so important to be prepared for all possibilities when travelling and you simply shouldn’t travel without insurance. When looking for cover I would personally recommend World Nomads or the Post Office – both are affordable and certainly won’t break the bank.
You can also find me on social media: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Other posts that may help you:
- The Wedding Diaries: Starting the Story in Thailand
- The Wedding Diaries: The Pros and Cons of Getting Married Abroad
Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed my post on finding the perfect venue! If you have any questions about please do get in touch in the comments below.
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Love Victoria X
