How To Choose Your Wedding Venue

If you're at the start of your wedding planning journey, you have probably already decided on your budget - which means the next step you need to be doing is to choose your wedding venue.

This is a huge decision as this forms your backdrop for your big day, and can make or break your theme.

Once you've got your budget, decide how much of this budget is going on your wedding venue. Then start looking at venues you like the look of that fit within that budget. As a wedding planner I would recommend that 35% of you wedding budget is on Venue, inclusive of catering, bar service and furniture.

Start looking online - have a look at what facilities the different venues offer, and consider whether you want to get ready at the venue, have your reception at the venue etc - then look for venues that fit your ideal. At Green Lily Events we offer destination wedding planning and a part of this process is venue finding, we always incorporate at this stage any accommodation that the couple will be paying for, whether this is just for themselves or also for other family members.

Then decide how many guests you're having attend your ceremony/reception and look at this in comparison to the venues you like the look of. And keep this in mind when you go to see them. Could you see your guests in the space, could you see the layout of your ceremony and reception - and is it how you imagined. Do this for every venue you decide to go and see and then decide on your top 3 venues that fit this vision. It's always good to have to have a backup option in case the venue isn't available for your date and save yourself the disappointment.

If you go to see a venue and you see the vision and you can picture your guests, your ceremony and your party - then you've found your perfect venue!