Choosing a Venue for your Wedding Party
July 23, 2010
photo by wedding-photography-by-jonathan-day on flickr
One of the most important aspects of planning your wedding party is deciding on your venue. The location you decide to hold your wedding party will impact on your theme, your wedding party decorations, and the number of guests you can invite and will probably take up a large part of your budget. Choosing a venue is an issue of both personal taste and practicality. You’ll probably want to choose somewhere with a romantic feel if possible but locations such as castles are often expensive and may not hold as many guests as you would like. You should also consider if your venue offers catering, a bar service and staff. Finally you may prefer an outdoor wedding party which has its own set of considerations to make.
You should start by thinking about your wedding party guest list and considering venues that are equipped to deal with that number of people. If you really fall in love with a particular venue but it can only hold a smaller number of people, you will have to cut your guest list down or split your wedding party into a daytime and an evening event. You should visit several potential venues which will help you to get a clearer idea of what you want. Many venues are booked up for years in advance so plan plenty of time ahead if you have a dream location in mind.
Another important aspect of wedding party venues is their location and distance away from where you plan to hold the ceremony. Some couples choose to have their wedding ceremony and wedding party at the same venue, which is obviously the most convenient but others will prefer to have their ceremony in a church or other location and then move to a different venue for the wedding party. Think about how your guests are going to travel to the location and how much suitable accommodation is available nearby for guests who are travelling from far away and will want to stay overnight.
When viewing potential wedding party venues be sure to ask about the capacity of the venue, the number of bathrooms and extra rooms for the bridal party to change clothing, staff and set up costs, length of time the venue will be made available to you, decoration services and any limitations on decorations, catering, bar service and entertainment considerations. You should also check for availability of parking for both the wedding party and the guests.
If you’re considering an outside wedding party then you will need to arrange hire of a marquee or covered area in case of rain and ensure there is sufficient security. Extra care also needs to be taken in arranging an area for the buffet table, bar and so on. For these reasons, couples considering an outdoor location often choose to hold their ceremony outdoors but have the wedding party at an indoor venue for convenience.
As well as finding a venue that meets your budget and personal requirements, think about its potential for decoration to match the theme that you are planning. A plain room will cost a lot less than hiring a stately home or a castle for your wedding party but with some clever wedding party decorations and lighting it can be transformed into a romantic and memorable location for your wedding party.