6 STEPS TO FINDING YOUR IDEAL WEDDING VENUE

Recently got engaged and starting to plan your special day. I can understand that you feel overwhelmed, a bit of what comes next at this stage. 

1. So what does come next
Your so excited as so you should be, you have just got engaged to the one you love and want to spend the rest of your life with. When is the best time to start looking at potential venues, it's up to the individual couple, some couples may want to enjoy their engagement for a while before starting to look, some may just want to dive straight in.  You will know! You need to set a date when you are both free and have a proper planning discussion.  You need to consider a date/month/year the guest list and your budget if you have one., will family be helping you out.

2) Where to start
As the bride to be,  you have had a little look already and probably have a idea of what your perfect venue has to look like. There is many avenues to consider, from enlisting a wedding planner to google search, I would consider the list below.
* Google search
*  Family and Friends
* Wedding Fayres/ Open Days
* Magazines
* Wedding Planner 

​3) Initial contact
There are  a couple of ways how this is done, firstly you could always give the venue a direct call and ask for a show around, secondly fill in a venue's contact form on their website and thirdly send them a email, don't forget to give as much information as you can.

4) Show around
It is always good to prepare a list of questions to ask, as you may forget as you are having your show around. Don't forget to ask for a wedding brochure.  If you really like the venue ask for a quotation, they may have packages which will suit your needs.  Don't forget to ask about their Terms and Conditions, this is usually in a form of a Contract, it covers the deposit payment, when the balance is due and their cancellation procedures as well as other important information that you will need to know. 

5. Booking your venue
You probably have a short list of about 3 venues which you love, they can accommodate your date, guest numbers and is within your budget, go and have a second show around at all 3 of them, this usually helps to make that final decision. If you are still not sure ask if you can reserve the date for the next 14 days, most venues offer this.  This will give you time to talk it over with family and friends, it's a bit portion of your budget remember.  Read their contract, I know they can be long and boring but this should have everything you need to know, if you are not sure about anything then ask, you may have a few questions of your own which are not covered. 

6. Deposit
Make sure you are happy with the deposit you are paying,I would strongly suggest you pay by credit card if you have one,  you are then covered "under section 75 of the consumer credit act, credit cards must provide protection for purchases above £100 and below £30,000".  I would also strongly advice taking out Wedding Insurance, it's not that expensive and it's a extra cover, just in case!  

6 steps to finding your Ideal wedding venue!

​Happy Hunting