Finding a wedding venue is almost as hard as choosing your wedding dress – it has to be perfect. With the right location, décor and theme should fall seamlessly in place. Trust your gut feeling and take the time to look around plenty of venues.
- Wedding Venuesdoyoubleedlikeme / Flowers Photos / CC BY-NC-SA
Although you may fall in love with a spot, keep in mind the following, practical concerns, as they could affect the success of your reception and the happiness of your big day:
Room For All
Whether you want an intimate, small wedding or a large celebration, your venue needs to accommodate everyone on your guest list, with plenty of room to spare. Just because the venue looks humungous while it’s empty, it doesn’t mean that your guests will have enough elbow room on the day. When you factor in chairs, tables, the buffet, the bar, and the music arrangements, things could get awfully crowded.
Ask your venue for pictures of previous weddings. Hopefully, from this portfolio, you’ll be able to ascertain whether you can cram two branches of your family into one venue.
Privacy
Getting married in public is just asking for trouble. In some ways, it’s nice for strangers to wave and offer you congratulations, but if you plan to get hitched in a park, factor in the possibility that a member of the public might do something to spoil the proceedings.
Alternatively, you can hire out a private estate or gallery for optimal privacy. Some venues will run more than one wedding at once. If you’re not happy with sharing your special day, make sure that you’re the exclusive bride. It may be worth hiring some security to keep wedding crashers at bay.
Lighting
It’s called ‘mood lighting’ for a very good reason. Look out for large windows. During the day, you’ll want plenty of sunshine to illuminate the reception. If your reception is in the evening, ask the venue what the lighting options are and if you will be able to light candles.
A Room With A View
What will your guests see through the windows when they’re sitting down for their three course meal? A room with a fantastic view is just the cherry on the cake for a venue, whether it’s of a rich forest or of sun-kissed beaches, make sure your scenery is a plus. No-one wants to look out on a concrete car park.
Parking Facilities
Speaking of parking…it’s likely that your guests will be travelling all across the country to make it to your wedding. Check that there’s plenty of space for them to park their vehicles. You shouldn’t really have that problem for most wedding venues in Cheshire, but always talk to the owner about transportation.
If parking is going to be problematic, you’ll have to get creative. Organise some kind of shuttle bus for guests to arrive at the venue. It may not be the most glamorous form of transportation, but it might just mean keeping that dream wedding spot.
Give them enough alcohol when they arrive and they’ll forget all about it!
