When you are getting married, you may have already chosen the date and the wedding venue. If you haven’t decided where you’re getting married, or where your reception will be, then here are some things you should consider.

You’ll want to consider the time of year that you’re getting married, as some venues will look better in summer or winter.

You might have reasons for choosing a particular place to get married, or alternatively, you might want to get married somewhere completely different. Perhaps you’ll choose somewhere in the countryside to make an amazing backdrop for your special day.

Why not see if the venue you’re considering has a wedding planner, so that they can organise everything, and leave you to get on with the other important aspects of your wedding?

If you’re getting married at the venue, rather than a church or registry office, then you might be flexible on the date. If you’re getting married somewhere else, then you’ll need to make sure that your date is available. It’s a good idea to book far in advance, so that you get the date and facilities that you want.

Depending on how many people are coming to your wedding will also help determine what sort of venue you need. You might need a big venue if there are lots of people, or you might prefer a smaller and much moreintimate venue if there aren’t going to be so many people.

If you want to have your actual ceremony at your wedding venue, as opposed to just the reception, then you’ll want to make sure that the venue is licensed for weddings.

You’ll want to make sure that the wedding venue can do the wedding menu that you want. You wedding meals will be an important part of the reception, so you’ll want them to be right, and suitable for all of your guests.

A wedding venue with nice grounds will lend itself to plenty of photo opportunities. If having photographs of your wedding day are important, then you’ll want to pick somewhere with nice scenery and perhaps natural features or impressive buildings.

Wedding venue accommodation will be important for you and your guests, so you’ll want to choose somewhere that offers sumptuous rooms, and the features and facilities you’d expect from a luxury hotel.

Even though you might have a budget in mind, you can’t put a cost on your wedding venue. You’ll want to make sure that everything is perfect, and that you don’t settle for something you don’t want, in a location you don’t want to be in, and that isn’t right, in order to save money.

Traditionally people tend to celebrate their marriages either close to where they live or to where they grew up. That way they have a base from which to arrange the day and even get ready on the morning of the wedding. It also tends to make it easier for guests to attend the wedding, most of whom will probably also live close to the venue.

Alternatively, lots of couples opt to get married abroad, where the weather is more reliable and the photographs are almost guaranteed to be in the sunshine. Obviously getting married abroad will change the whole day dramatically in terms of the number of attendees and potentially the time of year you choose to get married – so you’ll need to consider the wedding venue accordingly.

The majority of weddings take place in spring and summer, to benefit from a higher chance of sunshine. However most venues, from hotels to marquees can be made suitable for winter weddings.

In terms of the venue for a winter wedding one of the main considerations will be photo opportunities that won’t freeze the guests half to death. Group photos in summer weddings tend to take place outdoors, so for a winter-friendly alternative you may choose to look for a venue with a dramatic staircase, fireplace or feature wall.

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