When it comes to planning a wedding, much hinges on the wedding reception venue you choose. Even if you are not having a church wedding, you don’t necessarily need to have the ceremony and the reception in the same location. These days, there is a vast range of wedding reception venues. From hotels to manor houses to farms and barns. There is certainly plenty of choices but finding your perfect venue can be time-consuming and a difficult task.
There is also even more choice coming in 2023. It used to be a requirement that civil ceremonies in England and Wales were held indoors – or inside a permanent outdoor structure. Rules were relaxed during the lockdown, and this looks set to be extended to include public spaces and weddings at home.
So, what do you need to look for in a wedding reception venue in 2023? Here are our top tips…
Choosing a wedding venue: Consult a Wedding Planner
If you have the budget to do so, it can be a good idea to consult a wedding planner before you start to look at wedding venues. Wedding planners will be knowledgeable about venues and will understand the possibilities and potential problems that a space might have. Having a wedding planner on board helps to realise your ideas and make your dream wedding a reality
Setting your Budget and choosing your capacity
Having a clear budget for your wedding venue – and the entire wedding – is vital. You should only look at venues that are likely to be within your budget. There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a venue that you can’t really afford. It can mean that you set the bar too high and any other venue that doesn’t match it will seem like a real disappointment.
In truth, the best memories are made at weddings where the personality of the happy couple really shines through in the wedding venue. If you choose a venue that gives you the opportunity to have a blank canvas to work from, you usually find that everything will fall into place.
You should have decided on the numbers for your wedding before you start the search for a venue. Choosing a venue that is an appropriate size for the number of guests you have is crucial. If the venue is too big, it can come across as cold and uninviting. On the flip side, if the venue is too small for the number of guests you have, it will feel crowded and uncomfortable.
It can be difficult to imagine what a space will look like on your wedding day while it’s empty. If you can, you should try to view wedding reception venues when they are decorated. Failing this, ask to see pictures. Most venues have a wedding brochure or images to look at on their website.
Choosing the right location for your wedding venue
Although ultimately, your wedding day should be about you and what you want, it will be your guests who make the day truly special for you. Therefore, you need to consider the needs of your guests when you choose the location for your wedding venue. There may be some people on your guest list for whom travelling long distances might be difficult and challenging. Isolated wedding reception venues can sometimes be problematic too. You also need to think about the logistics. Is there enough local accommodation for guests? If you are having separate venues for the ceremony and the reception, how will guests travel between the two?
Decide what your non-negotiables are
Before you look at any wedding reception venue, you need to decide what your non-negotiables are. What are the things that you absolutely have to have?
You need to ensure that the venue will be able to meet all your needs and stay within your budget. Make sure that the venue can provide or organise everything you want in terms of catering.
You might want to use external suppliers, for a variety of reasons. But you need to check that the venue is happy for you to do this. Some venues insist that their preferred vendors are used.
Finally, if you are planning to have live music or other forms of entertainment, you need to check that the venue allows this – and that it can adequately accommodate it and the needs of whoever is performing.
On that note, Silk Street really gets weddings. We understand what works and what doesn’t, and we have years of experience in providing quality entertainment to happy couples. We think it’s important for us to get to know more about you and your tastes so that we can match you with the best entertainment act for your wedding. Find out more about our wedding entertainment and get some recommendations from us to get the ball rolling!
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