Congratulations on your engagement! Now that you have found the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you can begin planning your big day – the day when everyone you love and care about come together and celebrates the love you and your partner have for each other and the commitment and promises you to make to each other.
Your wedding day is so special, and no one plans on doing it more than once. So make sure that you make it perfect for you. There is no need to get into debt over your wedding day, nor do you have to conform to conventions and traditions you don’t like. If you don’t want a white dress and three hundred guests – then don’t have that! It’s your day and you should be completely happy and comfortable.
The biggest part of the planning is often the venue – you might be having a religious ceremony beforehand, or you might have everything in one place. Either way, where you eat and dance and toast the night away is going to require more planning and probably a bigger budget – so make sure you get the right place! Here are some things to consider when choosing a venue…
The size
How many guests are you having? Do you need space for a band or a DJ? Is enough space outside for guests to mingle? The size of the venue is the first thing you need to think about – too small and it will be cramped and overheated, too big and the space will feel half empty. Take into account the size of your dress weaving between tables – if you’re going to be going full ball gown you may need a wider walkway.
The rooms available
If you’re doubling up your ceremony and reception venue then see what the different rooms are like for the two halves of the event. You will also need to look at any rooms that are included in the wedding package if you’re looking at an inn, hotel, like The Grand Hotel, or renting something like a manor or stately home.
The honeymoon suite is often a given, but there are sometimes extra rooms included for the bridal party getting ready and for close family members. Out of the package, there might also be a discount your guests can get on rooms.
The check-in/out times
Are you planning on being at the venue the night before, or are you checking in on the day? And what time do you need to clear out the day after? As the bride and groom, you might not have to do any clearing up – you can easily make your family do it – but you do need to know by what time you need to have everything out of there.
The menu
Good food is so important to a good night. Plus, you need to know any dietary requirement changes the caterers are able to make. Your venue might not have resident caterers – and that’s something you need to know straight away seeing as that will be an extra cost you need to budget for if you’re going to choose that particular venue. And on top of all that – you need to actually like your wedding menu.