12 years ago, when we got married my wife was more about the practicalities.  Making sure the venue could accommodate our guest list, sorting out travel arrangements and entertainment packs for the attending children.  To be honest I found all those aspects quite dull although I guess they were necessary.  I just wanted to get stuck in picking a more exciting wedding venue.

If I could have a do-over of our wedding I would probably be a bit more flamboyant with my choice!  Our day was special of course, but it lacked ambition.  Probably because we had such a small budget and my wife was already four months pregnant.

Here are a few things I would encourage people to think about when finding their ideal wedding venue.

Think About the Views

You might want to choose a venue in an iconic building for a more dramatic backdrop for photographs.  Or perhaps beautiful countryside so you can focus on that instead.  The wedding photographs will look so much better if you have picked the right venue.

Work Out Your Theme

For me a theme is more interesting to set the mood for the festivities. Today I went to Portsmouth and visited the Explosion Museum of Naval Firepower whilst there I noticed that it was advertised as a wedding venue.  Then I thought it would be a bit more unique getting married in that location, especially if you had a background in the Navy.  We imagined everyone in uniforms and how magnificent they would look.

Make An Impact

This is your day; anything really is possible.  Don’t always panic about the cost.  My wife probably would have loved an Edwardian style wedding complete with a grand house.  Bijou Weddings have six country houses that are ideal if you want to an impressive setting for your wedding.  She is a little obsessed with watching Downton Abbey.  So, I wish I had known about this company before as that really would have been her dream wedding venue.  I know some of us aim small because of the costs involved, but I think what you spend is worth it for the memories and the quality of the photographs.

Exclusivity

Certain venues give you complete exclusivity for twenty-four hours!  You have your privacy to plan your day as you wish. It’s all about the most important people on the day then as it should be.  Getting the perfect wedding pictures is also a lot easier if you have exclusive use of your venue.  You don’t have to worry about people popping up in the background ruining your shots.  If I am honest, I am not always a people person.  I would rather have complete control over who was in the vicinity of my wedding.  The last thing you need in a shared venue is for other residents trying to gate-crash your wedding trying to get the benefit of the free bar.

It’s interesting how differently I would do things with hindsight.  We are still going strong 12 years later so I think our wedding should have been a bigger occasion!  Perhaps if the wife gets her way one day we might well renew our vows. You might also want to consider how you can get your children involved in the celebrations.