It is often the choice of location that will determine the date of your wedding and launch the official start of the preparations. Between his desires, his budget, and, how to sort and where to start to choose the right banquet halls for weddings? Here are my little tips to help you.
DEFINE THE STYLE OF YOUR WEDDING
Start by defining the wedding style you want. Rather rural, urban, industrial, elegant, or traditional,… depending on this, you will direct your research toward the place that will best meet your expectations. A renovated barn, a hotel in the heart of the city, a rehabilitated loft, or a listed castle, the reception venue sets the tone for your day. And if you have a simple and bucolic wedding in mind, you might as well eliminate the mansion with the moldings-gilding-and-marble-fireplace option right away.
THE BUDGET
A crucial point if any, is your budget. Define from the start the maximum envelope that you can devote to your wedding , and to the rental of your reception venue. No need to start dreaming about a Provencal farmhouse full of charm, privatized for 15,000 euros if your budget is 3,500 euros for this position.
THE NUMBER OF GUESTS
How many guests will you have? Even this figure will not be final until the week before your wedding, many places only host small receptions of a hundred people. Beyond that, you may need to rent a tent and therefore increase your budget.
THE REGION
In which region do you want to get married? Is this where you reside? If you have planned a Catholic wedding but do not live in the region, find out about the possibility of celebrating your union in a parish other than your own. Indeed some refuse the marriages of external couples choosing a church for reasons more geographical than spiritual. In the same way, you can only unite civilly in your town hall of residence, or by derogation in the town hall of a town where one of your relatives (usually one of your parents) resides.
PROVIDERS IMPOSED
Does the place require the use of certain professionals? Before falling for a nice place, remember to ask if some providers are taxed. Caterer, DJ, furniture rental, these points can really make a difference when you are looking for the perfect venue. And above all, do not sign if one of these providers does not suit you.
ADDITIONAL COSTS
Think about the additional costs. Is furniture such as tables, sideboards, or chairs included in the rental? Will you have to provide extra for a caretaker, heating, and cloakroom? When you go looking for the ideal place, make a list of all these points, and the associated costs for each, so you can objectively compare each place and make your choice with confidence.
ACCESSIBILITY
Is the place easily accessible, or well-served by public transport? If some of your guests come from afar, you may need to provide transportation, a nearby car rental agency, taxis, or a friend to pick them up in the countryside.
THE TECHNICAL POINTS
Don't forget the technical questions. Does the room have enough amperage to support the ovens in the kitchen, the lights, and the DJ equipment? The current jumps because the chef has plugged in a coffee maker at the same time as the DJ has turned on his spotlights, does that ring a bell? I do. In the same way, are charges such as water and electricity included in the rental package? Is there access for people in wheelchairs? Sufficient toilets?
THE BEDS
Does the venue have rooms to accommodate your guests? If so how much, and is it included in the package? If not, can the venue recommend a list of nearby hotels and B&Bs?
THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
If you only have a few guests, go off the beaten track! Why not, for example, rent a pretty villa for a week, and get married like that in the garden under the plane trees...
THE TIMING
You want to decorate your room. Remember to ask the owner if the place will be accessible the day before your wedding. If it is only accessible on the morning of D-Day, make sure that someone you trust can take care of all the little details for you. Don't forget that day, you will have to delegate to enjoy!
PRACTICAL ASPECTS
Always on the decoration side, before embarking on your purchases, do not forget to ask the person in charge of your room what it is or is not possible to do. It would be a shame to provide a sky of lanterns when no hanging is possible on the ceiling or to provide an entrance for the bride and groom with sparklers when the caterer would not have been notified. And in the same way, we do not launch Thai lanterns without having asked for authorization at the place, at the town hall, and made a quick call to the fire brigade just in case.
TRUST
As with any other professional who will accompany you on D-Day, you must have confidence in your place of reception. So if when you meet him, you have the slightest doubt, run away. Your marriage is important, you must feel comfortable with the team around you.
MAKE CONCESSIONS
As you search, you will find several places that meet your criteria. But maybe not all your criteria. You will then have to ask yourself what compromises you are willing to make. Reduce the number of guests to be able to celebrate your wedding in this pretty farmhouse surrounded by olive trees, or increase your budget and rent a tent to accommodate all your friends? Go a little further than expected and find your happiness. In short, there will probably be some concessions to be made.
WHERE TO LOOK?
And in all this where to look to find the idyllic place that will host your wedding? You can start by looking at big directories like 1001 rooms and other ABC rooms. Skim the wedding blogs, in the address books, or at the end of each wedding report published on our sites you will find addresses recommended by real couples.
Use word of mouth. Ask your friends, cousins , and other acquaintances if they haven't recently attended some great weddings in beautiful places. Go to the forums, and ask questions. Take a look at sites like eazyvenue.in to get an idea.
