Find The Perfect Budget Wedding Venue
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When planning a wedding, the largest part of the budget will more than likely be assigned to the wedding venue so there is a lot of pressure to make sure that you’re getting the best value for money and making your money go as far as it possibly can. The average cost of a wedding in the U.K is now a whopping £27,00 – increasing significantly from previous years.
Choosing the perfect wedding venue can be tricky – there are so many things to take into consideration from budget and location to catering and whether the venue has the aesthetic you’re looking for your photos.
Find The Perfect Budget Wedding Venue
My advice would be to view as many venues as you possibly can before deciding. Each venue will offer a different range of packages and it’s worth working out what’s most important to you before getting started. While packages can seem pricey it’s worth working out time vs cost – I actually wish we’d spent more on our wedding and done less DIY. Paying a bit more to a venue that does everything for you may just be worth the money and could save your sanity in the process.
Choosing My Perfect Wedding Venue
When I was planning my own wedding there some things I knew I definitely wanted: Not in my local area, the ability to choose my own caterers and on-site accommodation for guests.
The first venue we looked at was a major disappointment – despite looking stunning in the pictures on the website, it was actually tiny, with very little outside or inside space, a tiny cramped bar and a kitchen with ovens that didn’t work and only one fridge. And they wanted over £3,00 to hire it for a Saturday in August with no on-site accommodation or extras.
The second venue we viewed was the one we ended up using – it was a stunning country house and had everything we wanted.
This included bedrooms for up to 72 guests, extensive gardens, a lake and a fully functional kitchen. It cost £4,000 for 4 days (Fri – Mon) during the first weekend of Septemeber. It’s definitely worth shopping around.
Top Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wedding Venue
1. Make A List
Make a list of all the things that are most important to you – do they allow fireworks?
Live Music?
Is there somewhere for the bride to get ready?
Do they allow Pets?
There is so much to think about when choosing the perfect wedding venue and having everything written down will really help you focus on what you want and what you need to ask the venue about.
2. Sleep on It
It can be easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer beauty of some wedding venues but don’t forget they are a business that wants your money.
Some will use high-pressure selling tactics such as ‘One Day Only’ special offers. Always sleep on it before making a big monetary commitment. We visited our venue three times before finally committing and paying the deposit. It also helps to take another family with you on a second viewing to see what they think.
3. Make sure you love the whole venue
While I loved the venue we got married at, I really wanted to get married outside, under an arbour underneath a huge oak tree. The weather is usually pretty decent in Septemeber – or so we thought.
Cue a beautiful sunny Friday and Sunday and a Saturday wedding that felt like the wettest in history.
We ended up getting married inside – but I’ll be honest, I didn’t love the room.
In hindsight, I should have made better provisions for this possibility.
Notley Abbey is a perfect example of a venue that has stunning areas to get married in both inside and out.
4. Ask About The Photographer
Personally, I wouldn’t use a venue that insists you use their own, in-house, photographer.
Photos are the most important part of a wedding after the marriage itself and having loved ones present – in thirty years time they are all you’ll have to look back on from your big day.
Finding someone whose work and style you LOVE is so important and a large part of your budget should be allocated to this.
5. Make Your Budget Go Further
Haggling with your chosen venue could see you getting a huge discount. Having a wedding on a Sunday or Friday rather than a Saturday typically costs less.
As most weddings are booked a year ahead, family and friends should have enough notice to book time off work if needed.
Midweek weddings are often cheaper again. Ask about different catering options – Afternoon Tea will likely be cheaper than a three-course sit-down meal.
Hello Fiona, your blog is awesome. The tips for choosing perfect wedding venues are very useful. Thanks for sharing such tips with us.