The beginner’s guide to choosing a wedding venue

After the magic of the proposal (assuming there’s a ‘yes’ in response!), the reality of planning a wedding starts to set in.

Where and when will you get married? What will you wear? Who’s going to be on (or left off) the guest list? With so many questions to consider and research to be undertaken, the process of organising your wedding is a task that is exciting, stressful and complicated all at the same time.

Happily, our friends at Cairn Hotel Group – listed in our ‘Wedding Venues’ section here – have come up with a list to help you work through each and every step with minimal fuss. Their guide covers everything from budgeting to invitations and photography to clothing, as well as choosing a wedding venue, of course.

You can read the full guide, set out in a rough chronological order, on the Cairn Group website.

Not surprisingly, a key thing to decide early on is exactly how much you can afford (and want) to spend on your wedding, so that you don’t go massively over budget. The average UK wedding costs about £20,000, but there are many factors that influence the cost, including how many people you want to invite and host.

Thinking particularly about where the wedding takes place, you need to arrange the actual officiant first, and then book the venue for the ceremony well in advance, whether that’s a church, register office, or somewhere else all together.

The reception venue, if different from the actual wedding venue, is just as important. Generally, it should be close to where you get married and have room to accommodate all your guests.

You want to take the time at this stage to choose a reception venue that both you and your partner love, and that can offer everything you need, such as catering for a range of dietary requirements, and accommodation on site or nearby – after all, your guests from far and wide will need the option of somewhere convenient to stay after all those glasses of prosecco.

Indeed, a few months before the wedding it’s worth contacting local hotels to book out space for family members. You’re in no way obligated to provide accommodation for your guests, but you might end up with an empty wedding if people can’t easily find lodgings. When you invite people to your online wedding page you can also include links to local hotels and B&Bs, alongside explaining the itinerary and travel arrangements for the day.

Browse Cairn Hotel Group’s many locations, to find the ideal spot for your wedding day, and visit their blog for more information about special offers, plus inspiring ideas for getaways and more! Have you got your own tips or experiences on choosing a wedding venue? If so, share them with us below!