Picking the Perfect Venue | Midnight Musing
“How are you supposed to know whether the venue is right for you without going to see it first?”
Before my job at Uplanit, I wouldn’t have known where to start in finding a venue for my wedding. My brain was dead set on one place and trying to work my entire event around that one place, including arranging my budget and guest list to fit for it rather than finding the place that would fit me and my needs. I’m not ashamed to admit I was a lot shyer before I came to this company (my colleagues and work have helped my confidence so much!) and I didn’t want to admit to anyone I didn’t know where to look or what to ask people. I was scared of sending emails out to venues in case I was wasting their time and keeping them away from another booking, but everyone’s got questions, right? For instance, how are you supposed to know whether the venue is right for you without going to see it first? Seeing the pictures on the brochure is a great way to get interested but actually visiting the venue can give you a much wider perspective on everything — size, character, plugs (for DJ equipment and lights) and getting a better insight on how your decorations are going to fit in with the room/venue. Since I’m planning a goth alternative style wedding, a lot of the decor is likely to come from my own pocket. A lot of traditional decorations won’t fit with the theme and I’m fine with that; I’ve never worked well with white anyway, and I’d like to save money when I can. Weddings are expensive occasions!
Working at Uplanit means you get to learn loads about how people plan their weddings. It’s to help us understand what wedding planners need so we can empower them however we can, professional or otherwise, so that means we also get great tips along the way for planning our own events. For me, this is an amazing opportunity — I’d been engaged for a while and never even knew where to start! Thankfully, because of our research and the chance to go to amazing wedding fairs (such as Not So Average Wedding and Elite Wedding Fair), I and my colleagues were introduced to a great number of venues we hadn’t even realised could host weddings! We’ve added them on previous blogs (10 Quirky Wedding Venues) and check them out when you get the chance because you might be surprised by what’s available. I know I was!
I also realised I had a lot more to consider with my wedding plans. I’ve never managed with a concrete number for my guest list, it usually varies between certain numbers depending on family and friends (and of course, current events!). I also had to consider disabled access for the older and less abled members of my family, which meant ruling out Newcastle Castle for the ceremony. For one thing, I would never be able to get married without my Grandma there watching and supporting me, and I wouldn’t want to make her go up those old tricky stairs in the castle. No, a more suitable venue was needed for my wedding; one which held the same gothic vibes but was accessible and would allow my guests to be comfortable. When I was a child and I went to church weddings for family members, I would always remark and how chilly it would get behind the stone walls. It looked gorgeous no doubt about it, but I could never get past the cold shivers. I’ve said before in Untraditional Weddings that I wouldn’t have a church wedding, but castles can be just as chilly in the autumn when there’s minimal heating. Big castles that also run as hotels and vacation spots will usually have heating but I think it’s always best to go for a viewing just in case to ease any anxieties you might have.
I’ve thought about Manor house hotels as a venue option before; I absolutely adore Beamish Museum but I just couldn’t see myself being married in the museum itself. I began looking into Beamish Hall Hotel, the beautiful countryside venue not far from the museum itself and I thought to myself that it would be great to host my wedding there — not only would I get the great gothic vibes I was going for, but guests would be able to book rooms there and avoid getting expensive taxis to and from city centres (I have friends across the region). Unfortunately, my next issues were the length of my guest list and my limited budget. Well, more like my non-existent budget, I’m still working that part out, to be honest. I at least know what I might be able to afford as opposed to going in blind and hoping for the best, which meant wincing at the price of wedding packages for a good few places. Apparently I have expensive taste — who knew? I thought about saving money for the packages but I still was left unsure since I’ve never saved that much money up before in one go. I’m the kind of person who likes buying little things but winces at something really nice that’s expensive (but obviously worth the cost) because I keep thinking where the money could be spent elsewhere, like an emergency bill or something. Nonetheless, I’m still going to save money and get past that urge to avoid large costs — it’s my wedding and if I can afford it I should get the things that make me happiest. Self-care at it’s best!
That doesn’t mean I’m settled on one venue, however. I’m still looking around at places with different price tags and areas, such as Lumley Castle in Chester le Street. The idea of being in a castle on my wedding day is just so exciting to me, it warms my little goth heart. Plus since it’s a functioning hotel etc it has disabled access so I don’t have to worry about my family having trouble getting around. Their packages are calculated per head rather than a set amount but I know there are probably loads of flexible wedding venues out there with similar practices so that doesn’t mean I’ve settled on one place just yet! My partner and I have decided we’re going to go to a good few viewings before we settle on one particular location, just to make sure we’re certain about everything before things are set in stone. I think that’s the smartest option really, especially in these uncertain times with the pandemic and such.
I’m still dreaming of a gothic wedding in a castle, but I won’t let any impulsive decisions get the better of me — I hope you’re thinking the same!
Guest written by Erin (erin@uplanit.co.uk).
See you next week.
Facebook: UPlanIt / Twitter: @uplanit_online / Instagram: @uplanit_online
