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Helpful Hints about Wedding Venues

Do you need help with Wedding Venues for your special day this year? Look no further, as we have provided a great guide for all the blushing brides-to-be!

If you have plenty of time for planning your big day, but only have a rough idea of what you want or perhaps too many ideas and need to make a few decisions, then we highly recommend visiting a Wedding show. They cost around about �10, but they will give you plenty of ideas and they�ll make you think about things that you may have overlooked. They showcase dresses, suits, invitations, catering and yes wedding venues as well as a lot more. If you don�t have the time, you can also search the internet for videos on wedding venues, although these might not be local, it gives you plenty of ideas to think about as each wedding venue has its pros and cons.

What you want to do first, is pick the sort of setting you want. There are castles, beaches, churches, hotels, country houses, Gardens, Halls, pubs and many other offbeat places where people have tied the knot. The location is entirely your preference, but if you do decide to go to Las Vegas, you will need to consider how your family and friends are going to get there? Location is one of the most restricting factors for wedding planners as you need somewhere that is absolutely beautiful and it needs to be a place where all your guests can get to.

Whats Included?

A lot of the population don�t ask questions these days, either because they just assume that somethings are left unsaid or because they never even thought of asking particular kinds of questions. The first thing you should ask, is the maximum amount of people they can accommodate as there is no point in picking a place than only holds 50 people when you need it to be much bigger. It is always safe for you to add an extra 10 people to the list in case you find someone else to invite between the big day and day you book the venue. Usually, they will tell you what is included in the site fee, but always ask if you�re not completely sure about things such as: Wedding Marquees, tables, plates, glasses, portable toilets etc. These things might not be included in the price or there may be an extra fee on top, for the more expensive accessories. Also, even if you have paid decorators or not you will need to know what time they can start decorating.

Check the Detail

A number of couples prefer not to share their wedding day with another couple, so it is worth thinking about if you want a morning or afternoon wedding or if you want the day to yourself, so you�re not waiting around or feeling rushed. There is usually a deposit fee that you will need to ask about and you should always inquire about cancellation notices as you may provisionally book a place and then find something more suitable at a later date. Also ask about postponement fees. It is always best to get written confirmation of the venue you have booked and to check with them a few weeks before the event, to ensure nothing has changed, and that they have someone you can liaise with over final arrangements. You would not want your special day to be ruined the minute you arrive!

You should be aware of any restrictions. These can include candles, streamers, confetti and sometimes just basic decorations such as flowers. Maybe you can have these items, but it is worth asking where you are NOT allowed to put flowers etc. You may also want to ask about fireworks and lanterns as most historic houses will not allow these. The amount of rooms you have access to, is an important factor as you may want to have a room where you and your entourage can get ready and you will also need a secure room where you can place your gifts and your guest�s personal belongings. It is also important to ask if there is overnight accommodation for the bride and groom and if this is included in the Wedding package. If you plan on having an outdoor wedding you might want to consider looking for somewhere that can guarantee an alternative indoor room.

Not only are you asking about yourself but enquire details for your guests. Most importantly, do they have a bathroom for disabled guest? Even if you have no disabled guests, it is worth thinking about any elderly guests that may have to climb up spiral staircases to get to the bathroom. Car parks where you have to pay and display will need to be addressed as this can be added to your bill after the wedding, so you need to be aware of an extra cost. You should also enquire about guests leaving their cars in the venue�s car park overnight and if there are any local taxi firms that the guests can use, when the party is over. If your guests are staying in the hotel you will have to think about Guest Accommodation. Some places may give discounts for your guest accommodation, but be careful as it may be a cheap room rate but it might not have the correct amount of rooms for your guests. Also, ask if breakfast is included in the room fee. What time can your guests check in and out if you�re having a hotel venue? You wouldn�t think of this as a problem but make sure there are facilities that can be used for guests with children.

Entertainment

For entertainment, you can have a DJ, live band, pre-recorded music or for the more adventurous people you can have belly dancers, exotic fire breathers or dances. However the later can be very expensive. The cheapest form of entertainment will obviously be the pre-recorded music but it can work very well. The second cheapest will be to hire a DJ and having someone to engage with your guests is probably a better option. Some venues have noise restrictions such as not playing music past 10:30pm because of neighbours, also if you are thinking about hiring a live band you should mention this to them. Places such as ballrooms have built-in speakers so it is important to ask, on the bands behalf, what music facilities are available as some places might not even have microphones, for the best man�s speech! Also, depending on where you have your wedding you might want to enquire about sufficient power supply for DJ�s.

If there is a bar, it is unlikely you will be allowed to bring your own alcohol, but for places without one, you should ask if they have a licence for you to consume alcohol on their premises, although not many places let you bring your own. A corkage fee may be given to you if you bring your own wine. This is a charge that applies to every bottle you bring on to the premises that is not from the place holding your venue, this way they can still make money and over all it could work out cheaper for you, the charge is around �5-�10. If you buy wine from the venue�s bar, you should ask if they can accommodate both a free and paid bar.

Food and Catering is the second most stressful thing after picking the ideal place. A lot of places that have wedding venues will have a list of photographers, DJ�s and caterers that you can use. These are usually local vendors so make sure you look them up before you decide on your wedding venue. But you should always ask if you can use your preferred suppliers (for food, flowers, drinks etc.) as it is your wedding! If you do have your own caterer, you will need to ask if they have access to a kitchen and running water. Don�t forget that they will need to cater for specific dietary requirements for people who have food allergies. You should look into getting a detailed sample menu as there may be somethings that you do not want and the caterer may have an alternative selection, some caterers may even let you create your own menu. Future brides do not forget to ask about the cake stand! You may have to pay extra to hire one.

Luxury or Budget

The worst thing about the wedding is the huge price tag that comes with it, but you can still have a wonderful wedding on a tight budget. Your wedding can cost anywhere between 3,000 -20,000, so what you might want to do is open an easy saving bank account. This way you can make some interest on saved money and you can still access it if you need it. Separating your money from your debit card also stops you from spending your money as quickly, so just think about this option. The key to a cheap wedding that doesn�t look cheap is to plan. Create a list of all the things that you need to include such as the wedding rings, registrar, wedding dress etc. And just in case you forget something search the internet for "wedding lists" and see what you have missed out. Once you have your list, you can compare prices and find the correct things to suit your budget.

Like booking holidays, weddings have their off peak dates too. So look into changing the wedding date if the cost is seriously reduced and when you choose your flowers, make sure they are in season for when the big day arrives to save yourself some money and hassle! However, your other items like centre pieces can be bought when they�re not in season, take advantage of the January and summer sales! For your food, a lot of people avoid the sit-down dinner and instead they have a cocktail reception, serving signature cocktails which limits the cost of alcohol.

The bigger the cake the more expensive it will be, so opt for a small one that you can add your own decorations to. Although sugarpaste looks nice on cakes, it maybe cheaper to use real lace and ribbon and personally I think it looks better! If you know of any creative family or friends why not ask them to make you a white cake and all the sugarpaste flowers you can find in supermarkets and therefore you can just simply add them on yourself. And it is the same for your centrepieces find a design and make them yourself .

The main important thing about saving money is to ask family and friends for help to reduce your own stress, but if not, you can sort the decorations in advance and keep them in storage and cakes can be made a few days before the wedding so don�t leave it till the last minute if you decide to make your own! For photographers, sometimes the amateurs can capture better photos than the professionals! So it is worth considering letting your guests take pictures since everyone has a digital camera these days. Make sure they have spare batteries and get them to print a hard copy in case they accidently "go missing" ( you know how grandparents are with modern technology). If you want a professional to take your photos make sure you see some samples as you cannot change the pictures after the wedding! Some people offer free engagement photos so it�s worth asking!