PLANNING
PICK YOUR PLACE Before you book your venue , create a list of what you want from it first . What are the most important things to you as a couple ? Is it the food , location , onsite rooms for guests ? When visiting , make a pros and cons list for each venue you visit .
When choosing a venue , my top things to look for are :
• Onsite accommodation or nearby accommodation
• Are there any additional fees , such as a service charge , that you need to be aware of ?
• What does the venue provide ? Do they have cutlery , crockery and linen ?
• Do you have to use the venue ’ s suppliers or are you able to use whichever suppliers you want ?
• Is there flexibility in the packages offered from the venue ? For example , can you adapt the menu to suit you and your guests ?
• You can never guarantee the weather , so are there good photo opportunities inside the venue ?
BOOK UP When it comes to bookings , book your venue first , then book in your photographer and videographer as soon as you can , as these suppliers can get booked up a couple of years in advance . You ’ ll have your photos and videos forever and you want them to be perfect .
I ’ d recommend sending out your save the dates 12 months before your wedding , and the official invites no later than six months beforehand .
FOOD FOR THOUGHT Ask your venue or caterer to hold wedding tasters for you to sample the food and its quality . If you are having additional evening guests , make sure you cater for them too .
As a venue , we recommend catering for no less than 80 % of your evening numbers , as once people have a drink then they are likely to want something to eat .
Most weddings do go for the formal sit down wedding breakfast , but do what you want to do as a couple - whether that ’ s an informal BBQ , pizza van or interactive carved roast at the table ! Another great way of deciding on food is thinking about what you have enjoyed at other people ’ s weddings you have been to - the same goes for entertainment and extras like photobooths .
PERFECT PLANNING To ensure your day runs as smoothly as possible , invest time in the planning stages . Create a spreadsheet to keep track of payments , deadlines and everything you need to book and organise .
In the days beforehand , create a checklist of everything you need for your wedding day and tick each item off once it ’ s packed and ready to go .
If you are providing décor , name cards , favours and table names for the wedding breakfast , separate them into boxes for each table ; this will make the set-up for yourselves or the venue ’ s wedding team much quicker and easier . If your venue ’ s team is setting up decorations and other bits for you , ensure there are clear instructions so they are able to set up smoothly on the morning of your wedding .
My last tip is to give your venue coordinator or someone in your wedding party a list of suppliers and their contact numbers - that way , if anyone is running late or you require information then you can allocate someone to give them a call .
46 | AKENTISHCEREMONY . COM | WINTER 2022