Your Herts and Beds Wedding - Page number 23 - June/July 2021 (Issue 86)

www.zoe cooperphotography.co.uk Venue dilemmas answered! What should you take into consideration before booking a venue for our wedding? TOP FIVE Here are five essential things to take into consideration before you book a wedding venue... ❤ Understand the logistics and budget by having a rough idea of how many guests you’d like to invite. Many venues will be crossed off your list at this stage before you go and look at them. ❤ An factor to consider when choosing your venue is availability. ❤ Take into account the setting and decide what style you’re looking for such as elegant, vintage or modern to help find venues that match your theme. ❤ Make a list of questions to ask at showrounds to help narrow down which venues are right for you. You can then confidently make a shortlist of two to three places and hold provisional bookings whilst you check the registrar has your preferred date and time available. ❤ Get to know the team behind the venue; the more confidence you have in the team, the smoother the planning process will be. Kate Deeks | Dyrham Park Country Club | www.dyrhampark.com KEEP IT PERSONAL The most important consideration when choosing where to get married is to find a venue that reflects your personality as a couple. A few good questions to ask yourself would be; where would you feel most comfortable being the centre of attention, and what kind of event you’d like to share with friends and family? Maybe one of the important aspects is good food and wine, live music, a perfect backdrop for your pictures or all of the above. You may be drawn to a formal, glamorous affair or something more intimate. Visit a few different spaces and meet the wedding coordinators. It’s also important to sample menus and wine to make sure you like what’s on offer. You’ll soon get a feel for what feels right for you both. Whatever your budget, there’s something special out there that has your name on it. This could be exclusive hire of a cosy pub with amazing food, a barn in the countryside or a manor house oozing with elegance. A good venue will want to make your wedding day perfect, so make sure you form a good rapport with the staff so that together, you can create a day to remember. Good luck and above all, have fun in the process! Taylor Morphew | The White Horse, Hertingfordbury www.whitehorsehertingfordbury.co.uk https://riam ishaal.com PLAN AHEAD Choosing a wedding venue is so exciting and there’s lots to choose from. We’d recommend checking out wedding venues online first, and exploring the style you might like for the big day. Be open-minded as there are so many options out there! Don’t forget to check out the venue’s social media too as there will be lots of photos and insight to give you a feel of the venue. Make a shortlist of the places you’d like to visit and contact them for a chat about your plans and make an appointment to look around. It’s really important to see a venue in person if you can. We recommend you visit as many as possible to find a space that’s a perfect fit for your day and gives you a good comparison of what’s on offer at different places. It’s a good time to think about whether you want to hold both your ceremony and reception at your chosen location or whether you want to get married at a church or registry office first. Check out the venue’s different ceremony options and ask if they offer ceremonies inside and outside depending on the weather and the time of year. Finally, think about what’s most important to you! Is that the style of the venue, the choice of indoor and outdoor spaces, gorgeous gardens for photos, the wedding food or the ceremony spaces? With a little research, you’ll be sure to find a venue that ticks all your boxes! Jane Price | South Farm | www.south-farm.co.uk LOCAL VENUES 23