January 10, 2019
Struggling with how to start searching for a killer wedding venue? Not only is it probably the biggest and most expensive decision you will have to make but it will more than likely be the first major decision you will face, in what will inevitably be a wedding planning minefield. Just a little bit daunting, right? Having the right venue is vital for setting the tone a wedding day, so I thought I would ask my friend Hannah of Rock Salt Photography for some advice for you lovely lot. Not only is she a bad ass photographer, she is currently building a intimate wedding venue with her family on their farm in Mid Wales and from what I’ve seen it’s going to be STUNNING!! I can’t wait to go check it out and do some shoots there. But anyway this is what Hannah had to say ….
The gorgeous Charlotte has asked for my expertise on finding your perfect wedding venue! Well, I’ll do my best!
You’re in luck, as this is all new to me too – so lets go through this thought process together.
I’m a wedding photographer and have been for 10 years now, so I’ve seen trillions (ok not that many – but lots) of wedding venues and seen how some get everything NAILED and others not so much. I’ve taken all of this knowledge into the planning for our new venue.
So…
1 – VIBE – Think of what you want your day to be about – Military ran, chilled, country house, indoors, outdoors, humanist, festival…… – this will force you into thinking about what YOU really want. Don’t worry about what you think you SHOULD do. I promise you there are wedding venues out there to suit what you want.
2 -BLOGS – search for venues. Go and look at wedding blogs and you’ll soon find one that suits your vibe – and more often than not this is where you’ll come across the weddings and venues that you’ve dreamed of.
3 – STALKING – Stalk the venues – Follow them, like them, look at the weddings they have going on there, interact with them.
4- HEY THERE – Contact the owners / planners at the venues – tell them what you want, you’ll get a good idea from chatting to them if you want to work with them. It’s sooo important that you get on and get each other. Arrange a visit and go see it for real this time! – If there are lots of wedding planners at the venue ask if you’ll be dealing with the same one and who will be present on your wedding day.
5 – QUESTIONS – Don’t be afraid to ask questions – you’re new to this, ask away. More often than not people love talking about their venues so don’t be afraid to ask, even if you think it sounds weird. (weirder the better if you ask me! )
6 – BORING STUFF – Ask to see a contract and pricing etc so you know what you’re dealing with and no hidden little surprises.
7 – RECOMMENDATIONS – Venues are an awesome source for recommending suppliers for you wedding – now, they should totally get your vibe and be able to recommend suppliers that are your perfect match.
8 – BOOKING – SO you’ve found THE one – book it. DO it, do it, do it!!
I hope this has helped a little bit. We’re in the final stages of building our venue and we can’t wait to meet couples that will be getting hitched here. Go stalk us on Insta @thegiraffeshed
Big Love