What To Look For In

A Venue

Your wedding venue may differ depending on the style, size and budget of your wedding, but there are a few general considerations which need to be made. First of all, you want a venue which is ideally located close enough to you and the majority of your wedding guests so that travel is not too much of an issue. Furthermore, is there any onsite parking? If not, where can guests park their cars?

You’ll want to make sure any venue you go to view is within your budget and you should find out exactly what is included in the price. If your wedding is out of peak season, is there a reduced rate? Find out how much the deposit is and if they have a cancellation policy too.

Try to consider all practicalities when viewing the venue, such as whether or not they provide signage to direct guests, is there disabled access if required, how much space is available, is there a coat room, is there air conditioning and is there a contingency plan if there is a weather dependent outdoor area?

Ask whether or not your venue has its own liability insurance, otherwise you will need to provide your own in case someone is injured. It’s a good idea to make a checklist of everything you want your venue to include in order for you to have your perfect day, so when you go to view the venue, you can ask all necessary questions.

A Wedding Date

The date of your wedding will impact a number of factors, including convenience, cost, weather and the amount of time you have to prepare. If you are planning a fairly big wedding, you might want to set your wedding date at least one year in the future. That way you are more likely to get the venue you want and will have more time to prepare everything else mentioned in our Wedding Checklist.

In terms of cost, your wedding date will influence how much you are going to pay, especially when it comes to your venue. Saturdays in the summer will be the most expensive time of year to get married, so if you want to cut the cost a bit, opt for a winter wedding. You can also make substantial savings by opting for a weekday instead of a weekend, however this might put some people off attending your wedding, especially those who live far away and will need to book a few days off work. If a mid-week wedding is going to be too inconvenient for many of your guests, you might want to consider waiting a bit longer so you can save up more money to afford a weekend wedding.

Finally, you shouldn’t be too reliant on having good weather. Even a midsummer wedding can pour with rain all day, so don’t pick your date solely on the hope of a sunny day. Most venues will have a contingency plan if part of the wedding reception is located outdoors so make sure you discuss this when you visit your venue.

A Best Man

If you’re lucky enough to have more than one person in line to be your best man, you’re going to want to make the right choice. The first thing to consider is which of your potential best men is the most organised. They will need to be able to organise the stag do, look after the rings, give a speech and help out on the day of the wedding, so you want someone reliable and well organised to ensure they do you proud.

You also need to be sure that your best man is going to be confident enough to give an entertaining speech, but understanding enough to know that this speech will be heard by all your family and friends, so it might need to be censored a bit. Try to choose someone who plays an active part in your life and takes an interest in your fiancée as they will be playing an important role for both of you on the day.

If you or your partner has a brother, this can make your choice much easier. None of your friends will be insulted if you choose your brother as your best man, and he will probably be honoured to be part of your special day (not only that, but who knows you better than your brother?). Finally, remember that if traditions aren’t that important to you, then there is no reason why your best man shouldn’t be a best woman! If your best friend is a woman or you want your sister to take the role, then go ahead!

A Maid of Honour

Choosing a maid of honour can be just as difficult as, if not more difficult than choosing a best man. The maid of honour will need to help keep the bride calm throughout the wedding build up and on the big day, so it’s important to choose someone the bride feels completely comfortable with.

The maid of honour also needs to be well organised and authoritative as she will be ‘in charge’ of the other bridesmaids. You need to be sure that the maid of honour won’t be influenced by the opinions of your friends and family and that she will stick to the plans you have discussed together.

Most importantly, your maid of honour should be a true, trusted friend whom you feel you can confide in. She will be there at all the important stages of the wedding and the build-up so choose someone who can support you and don’t feel pressured to pick someone you don’t want just because you have known them longer or they are a family member.