You've found that special someone, and a special day to celebrate it on, now you're faced with the task of finding that special space. Your venue should be one of the first things on the list to do, because it really is a case of the early bird gets the best wedding venue. Places can be booked up to a year in advance, which may sound like an eternity but when you think about the thousands of other couples wanting to get married at the same time of year as you, how soon is now!
With thousands of venues across the country, where do you start? First things first you need to decide what you need the venue for. Is it for a pre-wedding ceremony such as a sanjee or mendhi party. Or a civil ceremony, a reception or after party. You may find that you will want your venue to be multi functional, for example you want to hold your civil service there and then a reception afterwards. You can obtain a list of over 3000 licensed premises in England and Wales from www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content for only £5 or call your local council to find licensed premises in your area.
Once you have a list what you need your venue for you can think of a style of wedding you want. There are many categories and types of venues to pick and choose from, such as:
- Hotels
- School halls or universities
- Institutes or historical buildings
- Manor houses
- Castles
- Unusual venues such as museums and zoos
- Banqueting suites and halls
- A place of worship such as a temple or Gurudwara
- Civic buildings such as town halls
- Community halls or leisure centres
Its also worth noting that your guest list will largely dictate the type of venue you can choose, as quite a lot of places don't really venture beyond a few hundred people. However more larger venues are springing up which now recognise that Asians need bigger places to accommodate your aunts best friends next door neighbour. You also need to think about the needs of your guests, is there adequate parking space for them, if any of loved ones or friends have special needs, such as disabled access, does the venue provide for this. If you have elderly people attending then check for lifts if the hall or room is on a higher floor, the last thing you want is for them to be trudging up flights of stairs.
Access for your guests isn't the only thing you need to look into, if you're having a stage or mandap set up, can you the events organising team get their equipment in without having to scrape the venue walls. The same applies to the catering company or people that you've hired tables and chairs from. Depending on how elaborate your set up is, ask the venue from what time you can have the place from, as you may need ample time to stage the wedding.
When weighing up your options you need to consider the true cost of the venue. Most places will include tables and chairs, cutlery and crockery. If they don't then add on the cost of the extra hire, or if they do, you may not like the chairs for example. How much extra will chair covers cost you? Is it worth trying to find a venue where you like the inclusive things? You may be thinking that something as trivial as chairs are minor because you've got much bigger problems to think about, but bear in mind the look and style of the room is going to impact on the feel of your wedding. Will the room carpet, style and overall colour scheme work with your theme and outfit? In the long run will you may save money on finding something a bit more neutral if you are set on a particular theme.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
Catering
A lot of venue's especially hotels have restrictions in terms of catering, many of them are affiliated with approved caterers, which you have to book at their venue. However if you want to bring in your own caterer, check that the venue permit this, if they do then it might be an idea to have your caterer view the kitchens and set up to see if its adequate for them.
Beverages
If you're planning on having your reception at a particular venue and will be having alcohol served on the premises, ask them if you can bring in your won alcohol or do you have to use the hotels own suppler, if so how much extra will that cost. If the hotel is going to be serving the drinks, what will the corkage charge be. Look into whether or not you can have a late bar, especially if you looking to carry on the celebrations till late.
DJ
Some venues may also have noise restrictions, so if you've got a DJ booked then, make sure that they can play your music at an acceptable level to you and your venue. If you need an audio-visual set up for the party, does the venue provide this as part of the package or is there an extra charge. Also ask what time the party needs to finish, you don't want anyone pulling the plug on the fun.
Children
If there are lots of children attending the ceremony or reception, ask the venue if they have facilities for children, some may have a separate play area, baby changing or feeding areas. If you're hiring a ground can you have a bouncy castle set up, this is a guaranteed way of stopping the little ones getting bored and screaming the place down.
Changing Clothes
If you're combining your ceremony and reception at the same venue, you might be thinking of changing into another outfit because heavy wedding lengha's aren't exactly the easiest clothes to dance around in. Unless your venue is just around the corner from your house, its always worth considering if the venue has a somewhere for you to get changed, as toilets are the last place you want to be dragging your outfit into. Some places may have cloakroom areas with changing facilities, or if you're looking at a hotel venue, ask if you can have a complimentary room for the day.
Payment
Most venues require a deposit up front, which averages between 25% to 50% depending on the place, this is also non refundable. If you decide to change your mind about the venue, or have to cancel the event itself, there may be a cancellation penalty, speak to your venue for further information. Full payment is normally expected a month in advance of the Big Day itself.
As you can see, getting all these details right will ensure that your room with a view, will create the perfect setting for a day to remember.
