Hello there! We trust that you have been keeping well. Choosing the right venue can often affect how all the planning & preparations you have made prior to the day will unfold. So, it's not an element to take lightly, and that's why we are highlighting a few important things to consider when choosing a wedding venue on today's blog post! What to consider when choosing your Wedding venue; Set and stick to your Budget Make sure that you discuss your budget in advance and try to look at venues within your price range. You don’t want to fall in love with a venue, have your heart set on it and then realise that it is out of your budget. If you can try to be flexible with the date; considering a mid-week wedding date could help lower your costs compared to a weekend date. Look at booking on a Monday – Thursday, this is becoming more popular and can you help save you money. Availability To avoid disappointment, try to start your venue search as early as possible and check that the venue is available for your wedding date. Bear in mind that some venues can be fully booked for the next 12 months so the earlier you start looking the better chances you have of securing your dream venue. Wedding theme/style Decide on your theme or wedding style in advance and once you have decided on a theme think about whether the venue will work with this ie. if you decide you want to have a rustic barn theme then you won’t want to spend time viewing modern or luxury venues. Try to see your vision for your wedding day and if you can imagine it in the venue. Check the capacity Think about the number of guests you want to invite and ensure you check the capacity of the venue. If the venue is too big for your number of guests, it may look empty on the day and vice versa if the venue is too small it will end up looking too cramped. Make sure the space is adequate so that it will not only look good but also feel comfortable for you and your guests. Document your visit Looking at multiple venues can be overwhelming and confusing. So, to help you remember the details it would be good to take some notes and photos at each venue, that way when it comes to making the final decision you can go back over your notes and pictures to refresh your memory. Also consider visiting the venue more than once before booking to be sure you are happy with it. Envision yourself there on the day and how it would look and feel. Some venues also offer packages, make a note of these at each visit and factor this in when making your final decision. Have an open mind Knowing what you want is great, but how things look online can be very different to how it looks and feels in person, some venues may surprise you. Try to keep an open mind and view venues that don’t necessarily wow you online. Weather Factor in the weather, especially if you are planning a wedding in the UK as we know how British weather can be! If you are planning an outdoor ceremony or drinks reception, ensure that you check if the venue has a backup option in case it rains. That way if the weather does take a turn for the worst, you won’t be scrambling around on the day to find an alternative. Location Location is very important; you want to make things as convenient as possible. Check if the venue close to hotels in case guests want to stay the night, is there train a station nearby for those that don’t drive, is it in a safe location, do they disabled facilities and access if this is required for any of your guests? If you are having a church ceremony elsewhere is this venue convenient distance wise for you as well as your guests to travel between. Try to minimise travel time between locations where possible to make it easier for yourselves, guests, and vendors. Reception If you are planning on having a church ceremony in the same place as the reception venue ensure that the venue has a sufficient space for this that works for the number of guests you have, and if they charge extra to hire this. You don’t want to book a venue and then find out that your guests will not all be able to fit for the ceremony. Parking Parking is another key thing to consider when looking at venues as this can cause a lot of stress on the day for your guests and even vendors. Check if there is parking on-site or nearby make sure that there are enough spaces for the number of guests you have and find out if there is a charge for them to park there. Reviews Before booking it’s helpful to check what other people have said about their experience with the venue, make sure you look at real photos from other weddings at the venue not just photos on the venue’s website site, also check their social media to get a feel for it have a look at the comments on their social media. These are more likely to be unbiased and reliable. Most importantly do a proper site visit. Ask the right questions when you are there about all they can offer for your day. This can really help you to make a decision as to if the venue is the correct venue for your day or not. Supplier/vendor rules Due to health and safety concerns there can be restrictions on food vendors, if you already have your heart set on a particular vendor to avoid disappointment check if you are you allowed to use off sight vendors or if there are specific vendors that they require you to use. Food If you are using your own catering, are the kitchen facilities adequate for their needs and the number of guests. If you are required to use their catering, can they accommodation your desired dishes and any dietary requirements such as vegetarian or vegan options or any allergies and food intolerances. Amenities Check the amenities available at the venue, do they provide tables, chairs, can you bring your own desired drinks or do you have to use their bar? Make sure that you check this so that you can plan and factor into your budget if you need for example to hire table and chairs externally. Accommodation Often guests may want to spend the night especially if they have travelled a long distance. Check if the venue has accommodation on site that your guest can use or affordable hotels nearby. Some venues offer discounted rates for you and your guests be sure to ask about this to help save a bit of money. Entertainment rules Music is a big part of the wedding, if you have your heart set on having a live band (for some african traditional weddings/white weddings) ensure that the venue allows this so that you are not disappointed. Check if there is suitable space for a DJ if you intend to use one. Also check if the venue has a sound limiter or a cut off time for loud music, can music be played outdoors? This will help the DJ to plan and be prepared for the day or could even cause you to reconsider using a particular venue or to best prepare with the restrictions. Hidden fees Some venues may have hidden fees, be sure to check if they have corkage fees, additional venue hour rates or any other fees. These can all add up so be aware of these and factor them into your budget to avoid any unexpected additional budgeting costs. Cancellation policy Hopefully you will not need to cancel your plans but in the event of something unexpected do check what their cancellation policy is before paying your deposit. Would you be able to get any of the money back in case you need to cancel for any reason? We hope you have found these helpful and wish the best as you search for your dream wedding venue! Eluxe V

I’m engaged…What’s next?! Congratulations! You’re engaged! Words do not fully do justice to the range of emotions that you are feeling right now but let’s have a go. Shock. Joy. Lost for words. Excited. Overwhelmed. Over the moon. After the initial excitement reality sets in and you realise that you have a wedding to plan! With that in mind, here are 5 things to consider once you are engaged. 1. Enjoy every moment! Savour the moment of your engagement! It’s a special moment and deserves to be treated as such! It is perfectly fine to pause and just take in your engagement. Do not feel that you must be engaged today and straight to wedding planning tomorrow. Once you get into the swing of wedding planning it can be easy to get tied down in details, logistics and resources. However, don’t forget to enjoy every moment from your proposal to all the ins and outs of wedding planning.