One of the biggest factors of any wedding is the venue. It is certainly no case of one-size-fits-all when it came to wedding venues. Many venues today now offer wedding packages that make a complete canvas for a couple to build upon, offering beautifully designed spaces that can be tailored to a specific feel and style. The choice of wedding venue is crucial and often the first point of contact for brides and grooms looking to organise their perfect wedding. A venue must not only look beautiful, but it also must provide an atmosphere of warmth and intimacy, with plenty of room to accommodate large guest lists.
The term ‘wedding venue’ is now very broad. Traditionally, weddings were held in churches, grand halls or big hotels; sometimes there would even be a reception hall at the venue for guests to dine in. In more modern times, the wedding venues available range from a large indoor garden typesetting to something as grandiose as a stately manor. As weddings have progressed through the years, so too have the designs of the wedding venues, from grand halls to quaint country cottages, offering couples more scope for creative expression. With this in mind, it is surprising that so many wedding venues still don’t offer the perfect setting, allowing a great deal of room for creativity in whatever form of event space is required.
Planning
Couples who are planning a wedding need to take some time out to consider the different wedding venues available in their area, ensuring that they meet the criteria laid down by their chosen event spaces. One company offers a huge choice of wedding venues that meet a variety of requirements and styles, giving couples plenty of design options. These are the basics of wedding venues and can vary greatly depending on the tastes and needs of the couple.
The first consideration for any couple when looking for wedding venues is the facilities that the venue offers. This will be a heavily weigh up factor, especially in terms of cost. Some venues charge a set fee for access to the outdoor or indoor areas, while others do not. Meals are usually provided at the venue, though it’s worth asking if you’re particularly concerned about the quality of food, as many people prefer to cook and eat in their home, rather than having it served to them. Other wedding venues may offer the option of food catering, which is a service similar to that provided by many caterers – but usually less expensive. The price of wedding venues, whether the services are provided or not, will depend heavily on the cuisine offered – and this will need to fit into the budget.
Style
Once the venue is chosen and a spending plan is in place, couples will need to think about the style of reception they want. Depending on the wishes of the couple, there are hundreds of different venues from which to choose, and it’s important to do some research to find the best fit. As mentioned above, many venues offer the option of pre-arranged seating, which allows couples to choose from a shortlist of places that will suit their needs best. Other venues may also offer couples the opportunity to rent out an entire room for a large wedding, so that it becomes a kind of mini-vacation, with all the amenities needed.
Cost
Of course, one of the biggest concerns of couples when looking at wedding venues is the price. Most weddings last for about three hours, so it’s necessary to ensure that the place offers enough space to accommodate all guests. It’s also important to consider whether the venue will cater to all tastes and ages, and whether or not it will attract any outside entertainment. Many places offer in-house catering, which can save money, and is more attractive to guests than a buffet. However, if the number of guests invited is small, in-house catering could prove to be less successful. Couples who do their planning can often save a great deal of money by booking the food themselves.
Many wedding venues around the world offer a great selection of accommodation. For those looking for something more personal and intimate, country cottages have long been popular. These beautiful places are often chosen for their setting alone, and there are many activities that couples can do together in the countryside. A more rural wedding venue might include a farm or a barn where the bride and groom can spend a few days getting to know each other over a weekend, before being tied down to the wedding. This is a nice alternative to the more “professional” wedding venues, such as hotels and restaurants, which tend to be impersonal and crowded.
In recent years, more people have been choosing more eco-friendly wedding venues. Some offer outdoor events space so that the wedding is even more of a social event, enjoyed by friends and family. Many of these events take place outside in the garden or on a patio, so the guests do not have to worry about bugs or unpleasant smells. They also serve cold beverages and delicious meals, so the guests do not need to worry about getting food poisoning at an outdoor wedding.