Picking a Wedding Venue: Making Sure Your Big Day Isn’t a Disappointment





Do your research. 

  • Attend open days, read online reviews, talk to anyone with direct experience of the venue: friends, family, employees of the venue, ex-employees, previous couples, and service providers who use the venue regularly.

    Use Google and Tripadvisor (cautiously, however), to build up a picture of what they're like, how they work and whether they're suitable for you.

    Compare them to other local venues, too. 

  • Visit the venue on a regular trading day, and go incognito. Sit in the bar or restaurant and look around you. See how the staff handle problems, treat guests, and present their venue when they're not selling it to you. 

You'll feel the right venue in the pit of your stomach, but that's no excuse for poor research in the build up to booking it.
  • It's important, that the venue has liability insurance. This means that you won't be liable if someone injures themselves during the wedding. If the venue doesn't, then you'll need to purchase your own. 




  • Wedding insurance might seem an unnecessary expense in the beginning, but it could turn out to be the most important decision you make. 
    Weddings are months     and years in the planning: what if the venue goes bust? What if there’s a fire? or you’re taken ill? what if you’re partner is? What if there's a bereavement in the close family?

    Anything could happen between now and your wedding.     

    An insurance policy could save your entire wedding day. It's cheaper than you think.

  • You need to make sure that the venue is licensed for wedding and civil partnerships. Some might be able to hold the wedding breakfast and reception but not the ceremony. Don't assume that you can do the whole thing in one place. If the venue doesn't have a license, then it is possible to apply for one. 




  • Make sure you CAREFULLY read through any contracts BEFORE you sign them. The devil really is in the details. If you’re not legal-minded, find someone who is. Take each clause one-by-one and make sure you know exactly what is expected of you, and, equally, be certain that the venue knows exactly what is expected of them.

    Be familiar with the     venue's cancellation policy, too. It's boring, we know, but it's important. 

  • Before and after you book a venue it's worth having a proper chat with a wedding coordinator (if one is provided). They can talk you through any restrictions, any recommended suppliers (but don't take their word for it), and any add-ons including additional fees or available discounts. 




Here are some questions it's worth answering before you commit:

What are the maximum and minimum numbers the venue is willing to accommodate? 
Will you have exclusive use of the venue? And will there be another wedding taking place that day/weekend? 

How much is the deposit? 
What's the venue's cancellation policy? 
How many parking spaces are there? 
At what time are guests expected to leave? 
Is accommodation available both for the wedding party and the guests? If so, is a discount available? 
How many toilets are there? (compare this to the number of guests you'd like to invite). 
Does the venue hold an alcohol licence? Can guests bring their own drinks and, if so, is there a corkage fee? 
Can you bring in your own caterers and service providers or do you have to use the venue's? 
Is it possible to pitch a marquee? Have fireworks? (Not all venues allow for these)

This list is certainly not exhaustive, but it's a start. 

Choosing a venue does take some thought, but it doesn't mean you can't enjoy it. Go to the open days, take the goody bags, cake samples, free champagne and canapes and enjoy your engagement. 

What did we miss? Leave us a comment below or get in touch via our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Get ahead with your wedding planning by using the Pink Wedding Days Directory - it's free!




Popular posts from this blog

Should I Propose at Christmas? (Spoiler Alert: Probably Not)

Image
There’s something relentlessly optimistic about the festive season: the gathering of family and friends, the gift-giving and peace-and-good-will-to-all-men shtick. It’s probably the proximity to New Year, too, and all those resolutions and promises for a fresh start. SO many Christmas films have proposals in them, too.  And what greater gift could there be than an engagement over the festive period? Well… It’s easy to get carried away in the spirit of things but Christmas engagements aren’t always a great idea.  And if you have to ask should I propose at Christmas , then the answer is probably no. According to a survey by event company Chili Sauce , men seem to like proposing on Christmas Eve  (woman aren’t quite so keen). Guess you lucky lesbians are off the hook… Only you know whether or not it’s the right time to propose to your partner but here’s why we think you should be careful. 1.   Don’t propose just because it’s Chris...
Read more

Who Walks Down the Aisle at a Gay Wedding?

Image
Wedding traditions remain an important component of many gay and most straight wedding ceremonies. So who walks down the aisle at a gay wedding?   The short answer?  Whoever you want. What you choose to do and celebrate within your own wedding should be entirely up to you and your partner. Tradition shouldn’t be seen as something that must be adhered to or – in the case of LGBTQ ceremonies – adapted mindlessly.  One of the best things about planning a gay wedding is that there are plenty of opportunities  to customise both the ceremony and reception to reflect your own individual personalities.  The important thing is not to let family or friends who are fixated on what’s traditional to unduly influence what it is that you want to do on your big day.  Some people just don’t have the imagination for anything other than a cookie-cutter ceremony. You might hear people saying things like: You CAN’T see each other befor...
Read more

Wedding Fair or Wedding Fayre: Which is it?

Image
Fair or fayre? We got busted by a simple Google search.  And we owe you an apology. After writing hundreds of posts promoting wedding open days , showcases and exhibitions , we assumed that we had wedding terminology down-pat. It turns out that we didn’t. All’s Fair or Fayre in Love (and Wedding Planning) According to The Cambridge Dictionary, Fayre is: “an old-fashioned spelling of fair , used to talk about a traditional public event where goods are bought and sold and where there is entertainment: a country fayre” Uh-oh. We went back through some of our posts to double check what we've been using and... How to Survive a Wedding Fayre  Hadley Park is Hosting a Wedding Fayre And these weren't the only ones.  In fact, every single wedding event we’ve advertised (aside from those specifically marketed as open days) has been described as a fayre. Okay , we thought, let’s get a second opinion. ...
Read more

Gay Wedding Hashtags

Image
Creating a wedding hashtag for a ceremony and reception isn’t every couple’s cup of tea but is it really so ridiculous when most of us use social media to document and organise our lives anyway.  Gay wedding hashtags are one example of how same-sex couples are creating new traditions.  Planning a wedding when you’re LGBTQ often means navigating heterosexual customs and gender-based norms.  This is one way that couples (gay or otherwise) can embrace modernity and add a bit of fun to their ceremony and reception. Customising a hashtag for friends and family to follow across social media platforms is bound to raise an eyebrow with some guests who may feel that it’s a bit soulless, tacky or narcissistic BUT hashtags are so helpful in curating photographs taken throughout the day.   It’s great for the happy couple to search back through, too, and see a different side of the celebrations: a guest’s eye-view.    Another reason that it’s popul...
Read more

How To Make Small Talk At Weddings

Image
*This post was updated July 30th 2015* The service  was delightful. The brides looked divine. The grooms were as handsome as you’ve ever seen them. You made small talk with the mother-in-law, buried your face in the order of service when everyone was  hugging , and mouthed hello to someone you vaguely remember from the hag do.  Now, you’re standing in the car park and everyone’s hanging around before the reception, but you don’t have anyone to talk to. Or maybe, you are with people you know. Maybe you’re laughing all the way to the reception until – ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? – You read the place settings only to realise that you’re sitting on a table with people you don’t know. Suddenly, you can’t kick your shoes off under the table; you can’t bury your face in the salmon starter, and you can’t do that party trick with a glass of water, a penny and the tablecloth. Well, you could... Oh, but THANK THE STARS , at least there’s wine. Being polite shoul...
Read more

Should You Invite a Homophobic Relative to Your Gay Wedding?

Image
It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning a straight, gay or bi wedding – families can make things difficult .  LGBTQ couples have the additional headache of deciding whether or not to invite relatives that don’t support same-sex marriage .  It’s hurtful and it adds additional pressure and stress onto what is already a difficult time of planning.  When you’re curating your guest list the question is: should you invite a homophobic relative to your gay wedding?   No – that’s our gut reaction.   If someone can’t give you 100% love and support on your wedding day, then they shouldn’t be there.  For some couples, it’s as straightforward as that.   But it isn’t always that simple, is it? It rarely is when family are involved.  Only you can decide whether or not that person (or those people) deserves to be a guest at your wedding.  You hold the power.  You’re the inviter-in-chief.  But before you make a...
Read more

Guest Who? A Wedding Guest Book with Personality

Image
The Guest book is hardly the highlight of the wedding reception. There's the pressure of writing something thoughtful, something touching, lightly humorous or insightful in the space of a couple of minutes and all  without the luxury of a first draft.  Unless you're some kind of ad hoc Shakespeare , then it's hardly ideal. There's the risk, too, of scribbling some insipid message that's as generic as the  verse  in the Hallmark card you've already deposited in the  wedding  postbox.  But o f course, you don't want to write something too personal. Those penning later entries can't help but flick through previous pages to see what's already been said. Nobody wants what they've written to become a template for what not to write.  That's why we thought we'd share with you something that could spice up your guest book:  the wedding guessing game and guest book – Guest who? (Scroll to the bottom of the page fo...
Read more

Wedding Venue Spotlight: Ashridge House (Wedding Fayre April 8th 2017)

Image
Where: Ashridge House, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire What: Hotel Capacity: Up to 170 guests for a formal meal with up to 400 in an informal evening reception. Contact:   PWD page                 Ashridge House Website                 Twitter                 Facebook Wedding Fayres: April 8th, 2017 11am to 4pm with a fashion show at 12.30pm and 2.30pm. What we love: If you love history, character and charm, then this could be the venue for you. With a history spanning over 730 years, Ashridge House is placed in an idyllic 190-acre  estate .  This is a venue with more than one gorgeous ceremony space: there's a stunning sweeping staircase in the main hall and a terrace overlooking the beautiful gardens.  You’ll be well looked after, too, with Ashridge House’s experienced wedding coordinators.  There ar...
Read more

Paris: The City of Love as an LGBTQ Honeymoon Destination

Image
What’s the most romantic city in the world? Most people will say Paris even if they’ve never been there. They’ll say it even if they’re single or if they despise romance because it’s an opinion transformed into fact by its re-telling.   Whether or not you think that Paris is THE city of love, it’s believed to be true by the countless couples who add their padlocks to the railings on the Pont Des Arts. And isn’t French known as the language of love? The cuisine is often the first port-of-call for those looking for a romantic meal and what of the cosy cobblestone streets of Montmartre? Paris is a city made for handholding, for sunset cruises, for champagne and croissants by the river and for proposals and for love. Of course, we couldn’t possibly comment on the reputation of the French as exception lovers; we’ll leave that one to your imaginations (or experience). There’s no doubt that Paris is a popular honeymoon destination but how safe and how suitable is it ...
Read more

Wedding Favours: 5 LGBTQ Charities to Donate to

Image
The average wedding costs around £27,000 . Couples could be forgiven for thinking that an invitation is favour enough without adding a small gift on top.  Wedding planning is stressful and shopping around for trinkets and tokens to add to place settings can seem an unwelcome drain both on time and budget.  But favours are still popular.  They do make a cute addition to the tables at the wedding breakfast, too, when they’re chosen to complement the reception's overall aesthetic or theme. One of the biggest trends in recent years has been serving retro sweets and chocolates as wedding favours. Sweetie carts and jars where you fill your own bags are a regular feature at receptions and are popular both with younger and older guests.  It’s easy enough to find out which sugary treats are fan favourites; you can read the results of a recent survey on the nation’s favourite candies and chocolates here. But is there still a place for the traditional...
Read more