When it comes to choosing a wedding venue, wow, you couples are spoilt for choice! Ireland boasts a spectacular selection of locations, from historical stately homes and country hotels, to super chic city centre hotels and resorts. If you’re setting out on your wedding planning journey your venue decision will be one of your major choices so today we’re helping you get to grips with ten tips.
1. Set your scene: For a good starting point you should think back to weddings you have attended and the venue they chose. Did you love the location, or were you blown away by the service? This may be the perfect place to begin your search.
2. Ask for recommendations: Yes, you probably won’t want to go to the hotel your sister was married at but never under-estimate the power of a recommendation. Ask your colleagues in work, family and friends for their top spot and get to work researching their suggestions.
3. Create a shortlist: Choose between three and five places you’re interested in and check their availability on your preferred date. Arrange a meeting with their wedding co-ordinator and then narrow your choice down even more, hopefully to the one, or at least two favoured venues.
4. Checklist crazy: On your first meeting you should go over a few things such as their number of guest rooms, will they be able to accommodate all the guests and ask for a detailed breakdown of each of their packages so you can choose your favourite.
5. Distance speaks: If your reception is in a different place from your ceremony, take into account the distance between the two and consider the time it will take both you and your guests to travel it. Generally speaking, you don’t want to travel much more than an hour between the two.
6. Pretty as a picture: What outdoor photo opportunities does your favourite venue have? If they have splendid manicured gardens they will be perfect but if not, are there any locations near-by that you could travel to? Alternatively, how light and airy is the interior spaces, just in case of rain!
7. Get it in writing: Ask for written confirmation of your packages, including any extras such as corkage, and the venues payment terms. Generally, hotels ask for the balance to be settled on the day if not a few days before the wedding.
8. Discount advice: Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts. If you block book their rooms for family and friends, do they receive a discount? Also, ask the wedding co-ordinator if the venue works in conjunction with other suppliers such as room decorators, cake makers or florists, many venues do and will offer discounts when booked together.
9. Detailed decor: Can your favourite venue provide table centres, such as candelabras or flowers in your chosen package, or are they extra? You may even want to view the silverware and china to make sure it meets the same high standard of quality that the rest of the venue offers.
10. Sign on the dotted line: Once you have made your final decision, meet up with the wedding co-ordinator to confirm the pricing is right and to pay the deposit.
We hope with our ten tips your journey to finding the perfect venue is an easy one!
Images by Caroline McNally from Linda and David’s handcrafted Millhouse, Slane wedding.
