57 PLANNING SOS Top tips for organising your big day When do I search for my venue The sooner the better. Most venues get booked up sometimes years in advance. The wedding venue is the heart of the occasion - the pillar that all other planning works around. So, when planning a wedding, the venue should be the first choice. Once you have your date in the diary, you can begin to figure out a timeline for the rest of the wedding organisation. When do I book? Some wedding venues are very popular and will be booked up years in advance, whereas others are more flexible. Once you have narrowed down your preferences, you can give each one a call and see what their anticipated timeframes are. You also need to leave yourself enough time to plan the wedding - most couples find 12 months sufficient. A clever hack here is to find a venue that also provides other services so that these are automatically ticked off your checklist. For example, at High Trenhouse, you get full catering, a wedding coordinator and accommodation as part of the package. What questions should I be asking my venue before booking? The most pressing matter will be the number of guests they can fit into the venue. If you want a huge wedding with hundreds of attendees, a small intimate venue isn’t going to be the best choice. It’s also good to ask what’s included in the price, as some venues (such as High Trenhouse) will add extra services into the package deal. You should also ask the venue about special features they can offer that set them apart from other venues - such as spa access, overnight accommodation, outdoor space and any other hidden gems. Don’t forget to also ask about logistics. How many people can park there? Where are the nearest hotels? What about public transport access? Disability access? Are dogs allowed? Make sure you have all these smaller details covered too. How do I make my venue feel me? A great wedding venue is one that can be customised to suit the couple getting married. Choosing a venue with an on-site wedding coordinator is a great idea because they know the venue inside out and can change and adapt it according to your theme and couple style. Versatile venues with indoor and outdoor spaces are brilliant. It also helps if the owner of the venue has a passion and interest in weddings. At High Trenhouse, the owner Stuart is a professional celebrant and so he lives and breathes wedding ceremonies and celebrations. A personal touch like this can go a long way in making a wedding special. Let’s talk wedding suppliers The list could go on forever when considering wedding suppliers. Think about how the day would run, from morning to night, and what you’d need at each stage. For example, in the morning you’d need hair and make-up for the bridal party, transport to the location, clear instructions for guests on where they are going. For the ceremony you’d need a celebrant, florist, photographer, rings, music and any other ceremonial / ritualistic items. For the reception you’d need food, drinks, music such as a band or DJ, space for dancing and socialising, wedding favours, and at night you might need overnight accommodation. The trick here is to find a venue that can offer quite a few of these services in the venue price, so that they’re automatically sorted for you. A wedding coordinator will also have all the local contacts to help get you the things you need. Top Tip! Consider having an outdoor wedding at a beautiful, scenic wedding venue. Outdoor weddings automatically give you beautiful wedding photographs without having to set up any decor or flowers. This saves you money and gives the photographer natural lighting and the best chance of capturing your ceremony. Outdoor weddings also allow you to bring more guests without worrying about the indoor seating capacity and allow you to play around with ceremony location too (for example, you may want to marry next to a beautiful pond, or under a large oak tree, or with a view of the Yorkshire Dales). Here at Your Yorkshire Wedding, we understand how overwhelming organising your nuptials can be. To lighten the load, we’ve spoken to our local industry experts to offer their tips and advice! SOS Planning Visit: www.hightrenhouseweddings.com M E E T AND R E A G R A H AM F R OM H I GH T R E NHOU S E
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