How to pick a wedding venue?
This month is the first month we’ve not had a wedding, we are super busy in the studio (www.juliaandmia.com) and next month we have lots more lovely weddings so more to share. But a friend got engaged this weekend and we got chatting about how to pick a wedding venue. When you get engaged, you show off the ring and all your family and friends get equally excited… but of course the next step is to actually plan your wedding! I love it when couples get in touch with me before they have even booked their venue, asking availability, or for recommendations of venues. It’s a HUGE compliment! But realistically the best way to start planning is to pick a venue, as after all then you will have a date and it was start to dictate your style. But the big question is HOW to pick a wedding venue?
Questions to ask yourselves
How many people you want invite is probably the most sensible one. Number of guests can rule out a lot of venues, after all if you want a small intimate do you don’t want a vast ballroom that might look empty. But more importantly if you are planning larger number of guests, can your perfect venue sit down that many guests. Really large weddings will often opt for marquees in summer as they can often cater for a lot larger numbers.
The next question to ask yourself is when do you want to get married. That might seem like an odd question, but if you fall in love with a venue with the prettiest garden that you can get married outside in, you probably don’t want to opt for February. Of course the idea of getting married outside amongst snow sounds like a fairytale, but your registrar may not agree and therefore might force you to get married inside, plus in recent years we’ve not had snow in the South East, only rain. In fact registrars have the final say on getting married outside whatever the month, so even in July if they deem it too cold or too likely to rain they may change your plans.
Equally a dark venue in the height of the summer, might not have the same appeal as a beautiful wintery day. Which takes me onto the next question I would ask… what style of photography do I love?
All photographers have a style, I adore light, I love sunsets, I love golden haze. You might love gardens and pretty florals, or darky and moody, or fresh light haze. If you fall in love with hazy summery photographs in pretty gardens, its probably best to not pick a hotel venue without outside space. But if you love architecture and striking backdrops that same hotel could give you a perfect background. I shot a wedding at the stunning Rosewood Hotel in London. It’s reception is flooded with copper tones and it was breathtaking, but for garden grounds you would have to take a detour to a London park – we didnt as we played with everything the hotel had to offer. But venues like Blake Hall in Essex are surrounded by pretty gardens for lots of different floral backdrops (even a swing) and a barn venue for your reception. They give very different “looks”, using different light (at the Rosewood we used lots of off camera flash, whereas Blake Hall was flooded with natural summer light)
Lastly a word Im never sure about but does your wedding have a theme/style overall. Is it elegant, rustic, quirky, modern, gothic, traditional. Elegant couples will often opt with striking london hotels and modern venues, whereas a rustic couple would probably opt for a barn or to get married in a garden. There are so many venues with quirky touches, that will make guests go wow or just smile. Preston Court in Kent has a vintage carousel and victorian funfair touches, Aynhoe Park has to be seen to be believed with animals and high ceilings and the quirkiest of interior, The Lodge in Loch Goil has a treehouse, the only one you can get married in in the UK. When I got married at Belair house they had a bright pink staircase, hugely contrasting its beautiful white art deco interior.
Picking your wedding venue isn’t easy… you can google ideas, and buy copies of Wedding venues and services or your local County wedding magazine to help your search, but once you have your venue and date you will be surprised quickly everything else will fall into place. Good luck!
Have a look on the blog at some of this year’s weddings, over the past 12 years I have been to a lot of venues, but ll photographers love exploring a new venue. This year alone I have visited…
Blake hall, Bruisyard Hall, Wasing Park, Notley Abbey, The Orangery Maidstone, Shendish Manor, St Michaels manor, Crabbs Barn, Oakley House, Hedsor house, Millbridge Court, Tewin Bury Farm, Richmond Golf Club, Down Hall, South Farm