Choosing The Perfect Wedding Venue

If you’re newly engaged or starting your wedding planning journey, congratulations! Your wedding venue plays such a vital role in your day, which does make it such a big decision. I got engaged in December 2021 and now we’ve had some time to enjoy our engagement, the wedding planning is in full swing. After doing our research, looking at a variety of different venues for different prices and considering what we do/don’t want for our venue – we’ve now officially booked our wedding venue. I thought it would be helpful for me to share my tips for choosing the perfect wedding venue.

Set a budget

Although it can be quite daunting, setting your budget is important. You can find a beautiful venue, even on a tight budget. Sit down together and work out how much you are wanting to spend on your venue.

Additionally, you can then think about whether you would like to find a venue which offers package deals which includes everything you’ll need within your budget.

Think about what you both want

Your venue is about you and your partner, as it is your wedding and the day is all about you both! What are your must-haves? Write a list of non-negotiables with your partner. These are things you and your partner absolutely can’t do without on your wedding day. If you have your heart set on a particular supplier and the venue don’t allow external suppliers, they probably aren’t the venue for you.

Consider the location

Is the location right? Where will your guests be coming from? Do you need to consider accommodation options for your guests if you have people travelling far? These are all important things to think about.

Think about lighting

This isn’t something I really considered until we’d officially started looking around some venues. Lighting is important for any event, so if there isn’t the greatest lighting inside the venue, is there somewhere outside or elsewhere which is well lit where you can take photos? We decided against one venue due to limitations with lighting.

What about your theme?

Most people have a loose idea on what theme they want – does your venue work with the theme you envision? The venue may also influence your choice of wedding dress, such as if you’re having a festival theme – you may want an outdoor venue.

How much space do you require?

How long is your guest list? Do you want a smaller, more intimate wedding or do you want 300+ people? Thinking about how many people will be there and who (are children invited?) is key to picking the right venue for your wedding.

Visit more than once

This is an important one. Visit your top choice venues two or three times, before making your decision. There’s no rush to sign the contract – take your time and make sure you can see you both getting married at the venue you do decide on.

I hope you’ve found my tips for choosing the perfect wedding venue helpful. Everyone’s circumstance is different and it’s your day, do whatever is best for you and your partner. Choosing your venue is a big step in your wedding planning journey and it will determine your wedding date and location. Good luck in your wedding venue search!