5 min read

10 Things to Consider When Choosing a Wedding Venue

Beautiful bride and groom hand in hand looking at their wedding breakfast tables

Choosing the perfect wedding venue can feel a little overwhelming but fear not! We have you covered with the most important things (in our opinion) to consider. It's one of the most exciting steps in the wedding planning process and where your forever begins.

Your wedding venue sets the tone for the entire celebration, from the aesthetics, the atmosphere, the food, and your guests experience. Securing your wedding venue and your wedding date really is the beginning, so it's essential to finalise it before diving into other details.

We advise you to start looking for your venue as early as possible to ensure you give yourself enough time.

Often couples can find the varying information from venue to venue overwhelming and we don't blame them, there is so much to absorb and digest but truly the only way you will distinguish the kind of wedding you want is by visiting a variety of venues as each have such different offerings. If you fall in love with the first wedding venue you view, we still advise you view the other venues you had shortlisted because let's be real, you just never know!

Your venue can do so much or so little for you, it's just about making the right decision for you and what you want from your wedding venue.

When focusing on how to choose a wedding venue, there are a few things to take into consideration. We have pieced together advice on what to consider when selecting the place that’s just right for you and your special day.

1. Budget and Cost

Take some time to distinguish your overall wedding budget and allocate a suitable portion for the venue. Please do keep in mind that some venues may include some services in their pricing, while others charge extra. If you are looking for a more affordable wedding, look for off-season weddings, midweek, or Sunday weddings.

2. Availability

You may have an exact date in mind of when you would like to get married, or you may have no idea! It goes without saying that to secure your desired wedding date, begin your venue search early to maximise availability.

3. Facilities

You will need to consider factors such as catering options, parking availability, event coordination, and whether the venue provide tables, chairs, and linens. At The Old Vicarage, we have all of this included as standard, but some venues may charge you to use these elements.

4. Venue Capacity

Avoid choosing a venue that is too large for a more intimate guest list as it may feel empty, and likewise, avoid overcrowding by exceeding the venue's capacity. We are often asked to increase our numbers; however, we will never stretch our capacity as we are effectively selling our beautiful venue to your guests, and we would be doing ourselves a huge disservice by overstretching our limit! Having an estimate of your guest count helps with table arrangements and optimising available space.

5. Your Vibe

We can only imagine that you have an idea of the style of wedding you are dreaming of. It's important to ensure that the venue you choose aligns with your chosen theme; for example, a black-tie theme may not be suitable for a barn wedding. Try to consider the overall cohesion of the elements in your wedding, including decorations and menu selections, to achieve a cohesive aesthetic. The lovely thing about The Old Vicarage is although we are a very beautiful and styled venue, we have an element of 'blank canvas' and simplicity about us.

6. Privacy

When looking for your dream wedding venue, you may want to consider how important privacy is to you. Often larger venues can accommodate more than one wedding at a time, if this is the case you may need to consider that perhaps this could lead to you not having the venues sole focus on your special day, especially if you are the smaller of the two weddings. You may also have to share facilities, which we can only imagine is a brides worst nightmare bumping into another bride in the toilets.

7. The Local Area

Think about the location of your wedding venue - how close it is to the train stations and other transport links. Does your venue have accommodation and are there any nearby hotels or Airbnb's?

8. Suppliers

It's important to consider using a venue recommended suppliers, they are a representation of the standard of the venue you choose. There are so many advantages to using businesses that have previously worked at your wedding venue for example, they understand the venue, how the day will run, they know when to arrive, what to do and where to go. You want your suppliers to know as much information about the venue as possible.

If you prefer to choose your own suppliers, be sure to pick a venue that accommodates for that. We have a wonderful Directory of suppliers who we truly love and trust, they are industry experts who will navigate you in the right direction to achieve your dream wedding day.

9. First impressions

Ultimately, choose a venue that feels right and aligns with your vision. You want to ensure you feel comfortable, shared enthusiasm and have an easy time communicating with them. Trust your first instincts and impressions. Choose a venue where you can imagine celebrating your special day.

10. Detail

Attention to detail and standards of the wedding venue that you are viewing is a huge reflection of the kind of service that you will receive. When you walk around a venue take note of the general maintenance and cleanliness that is visible as this is usually a great indicator of the care and attention that will be demonstrated on your wedding day.

When should you book your wedding venue?

A general rule is to try and book your venue six months to two years before your wedding. Although, you can book much further in advance for a longer engagement and with the right venue, it is possible to marry in less than six months. If you have a dream wedding date in mind, you may want to start looking a little over a year in advance. Also consider, if you are looking for a weekend in peak summer season, these dates usually get booked up first! It can take a couple of months to find the right wedding venue, so make sure you leave plenty of time for this process.

How long should a private viewing take?

Viewing a wedding venue can vary in length but typically our private viewings take 30 minutes to one hour. How long a viewing will last can depend on the size of the venue, how much detail the wedding coordinator goes into, and how many questions you ask.