All About Wedding Venues

Choosing your perfect wedding venue

After celebrating your engagement (with lots of friends, family & too much fizz!) your next step when wedding planning is to browse the variety of beautiful wedding venues. With lots of glorious wedding venues to choose from,we wanted to share our guide to finding your wedding venue.

A religious wedding ceremony….

First of all you need to consider the type of ceremony which you would both like. If you or your partner are religious or want a religious ceremony, you will need to investigate your chosen place of worship. Depending on your religion, different places of worship will have different ceremonies, traditions & requirements. First of all  speak to your clergyman or place of worship to find out about your ceremony choices. Depending on your place of worship you are likely to need a second venue for celebrating later in the day.

…or a civil ceremony.

In the UK there are 2 ways to get married legally- a religious ceremony or a civil ceremony. Registrars conduct civil ceremonies at a registry office or a licensed venue (these can be viewed here). If you opt for a civil ceremony, most likely you will have to arrange the legalities yourself, to find out more visit the government’s civil ceremony website. It is really important to book and confirm your registrar before you finally confirm arrangements with your venue. If you opt for a licensed venue you may be able to celebrate your wedding afterwards at the same location.

Humanist, Interfaith or non legal ceremonies.

All of these ceremonies allow you the opportunity to completely personalise your ceremony, and can be arranged in various venues.  These ceremonies are not legal and therefore need to be preceded by a ceremony at a registry office. To find out more about these type of ceremonies, please visit:

https://humanism.org.uk/ceremonies/non-religious-weddings/

https://www.uk-celebrant.co.uk/weddings.html

https://www.civilceremonies.co.uk

 

Differences between civil and religious wedding ceremonies

Religious Ceremonies	Civil Ceremonies
One of you must be religious
Your place of worship may arrange legalities (depending on the religion)	You are responsible for all legalities
The ceremony will normally take place at a place of worship	Ceremonies can take place at a licensed venue
Ceremonies start from 45 minutes long	Ceremonies are normally 30 minutes
You can normally arrange a rehearsal	You may not be able to have a rehearsal
Vows are standardised	Vows can be personalised
You will need a second venue for celebrations	You can sometimes have the same venue all day if it is licensed

Wedding Venues for celebrating

After deciding on your type of wedding ceremony, you can then choose the wedding venue for your wedding breakfast, celebration & party. There are lots of options depending on your budget, number of guests and the type of wedding you would like. We have listed the most popular choices below- but remember there are  lots more!

 

Hotels

Hotels are a popular choice for wedding celebrations, and some are even licensed for civil ceremonies. As a result of  variety of hotels available, this is a great option for couples with a variety of budgets. Hotel staff are normally experts in everything wedding with caterers, bars, guest accomodations and lists of recommended suppliers on hand.

Dedicated wedding venues

All over the UK there are a large choice of wedding venues which are dedicated solely to weddings from grand tudor houses to modern barn developments. Whether you are after a fun wedding day at the Safari park or a peaceful tree top escape you are sure to discover lots of options. At these venues, there are normally teams of experts who will help you plan your special day.  Some venues will have extras included (from caterers to guest accommodation) whereas others you will need to source suppliers

Marquees

Longing for an English countryside wedding? A marquee is your perfect solution. Marquees are complete blank canvases, and as a result you can completely personalise the interior (and exterior). Marquees can be located in gardens, fields, and even at some venues. However you are normally required to source your own suppliers.

Barns

Over the past 5 years more and more renovated barns are becoming the ‘go to’ option for weddings. From contemporary courtyard settings to Olde English barns couples have a variety of choices. Barn venues may have a limited selection of suppliers on hand and may not have any accommodation, therefore you may need to look for accommodation for you and your guests.

Houses to Hire

A fabulous choice for couples who want a big wedding or a weekend long event. You can often hire out the house exclusively to create your perfect wedding. Whereas some houses will have suppliers they recommend or use, others will ask you to source your own suppliers. We love the flexibility of hiring a house, and love the idea everyone can stay under one roof for the whole weekend.

Unusual locations

As you can see the list of options for your wedding venue goes on and on. Whether you have always dreamt of a castle fit for a king, an intimate restaurant for your nearest and dearest, or you have a specific idea in mind, take your time looking and imagining your day. For a full list of venues, grab a cuppa and have a look on websites such as www.weddingvenues.com or cocoweddingvenues.co.uk

Have fun looking around and choosing your wedding venue- after all it’s your canvas for your special day.

Love

Carrie

xx