Did you fall in love with your wedding venue?

Yes, I did fall head over heels in love with it but the venue was very important to us.

If you're not that bothered about the venue that's fine - in fact, I envy you as you're probably going to get much better value! ?

What type of budget do you have for the venue (inc food etc), how many guests do you have and where abouts are you? You never know, some hitchers may have some ideas.

We weren't too bothered about a conventional wedding, we just wanted cheap, but once we priced up registry office, a meal with the nearest and dearest and then a party for more extended family -which was sort of the minimum we wanted. We priced up some local venues instead and realised that for not much more, we could have something really quite nice. I went to look at the small room at the venue but the big room was set up, i was totally in love with it. When OH came back we went for another look and he set the date there and then - we weren't actually even engaged at this point! The venue we have chosen do the decorating for you and they have so many options, i know we will easily be able to make it 'us'

what sort of thing have you looked at?

I fell in love with a venue by looking online. When I went to see it it was stunning from the outside but dark and cramped on the inside. The coordinator looked me and my fiance up and down and I felt really judged so I was uncomfortable from the first meeting. He then gave me a quote for what I wanted and it came to almost £9000! I thought he must be having a laugh for what it was....he also required that all hotel rooms were booked (22 of them!) and when you only have 32 day guests and 50 evening guests that is a bit of a challenge.

I felt that if the weather was bad we wouldn't have many photo opportunities to take inside, so I left it because of that as well as the rude man and the ridiculous price.

We then went somewhere else. OH's mum had found they had a midweek deal package of less than £3000 all in. I admit I did fall in love with the price and that is why I hoped and prayed I would love the venue.

When we went to see it we DID fall in love with the venue as well. It was something else! There were stunning grounds with a fantastic view over Wiltshire. It was well lit inside and the ceremony room is a conservatory which is just stunning. There is also a vineyard for some nice photos. I absolutely loved it and couldn't believe the price. We booked it that day and I haven't looked since.

Good prices and a gorgeous venue DOES exist. I still can't believe the deal we have got.

Hi

We started looking at venues just this week, and yes, we did fall for the one we've chosen. We've only seen three, and it was the second one we went to. What did it for us was the fact we came away saying how perfect it was, and neither of us could find a thing wrong with it. It costs twice as much as we thought we would pay for the venue, but we both think we drastically underestimated how much these things cost!

OH was slightly concerned about the cost, but after some thought and consideration, we believe we can save the money to get our perfect venue. For the amount we are paying, we feel we are getting everything we need.

Incidentally, we also don't like a lot of the 'conventional' / 'typical' wedding features such as chair covers, flowers etc. - our venue has beautiful bespoke furniture which doesn't need covers and the venue can look fantastic without OTT flowers - so this was a major selling point for us.

I think it's a good idea to keep looking and as you suggest try some 'unobvious' places to try and find something that suits you. I think if you settle for something which you're not 100% happy with it might be hard to have the 'perfect' day that you want. But if it is only a case of a few small compromises then it might be ok.

I fell in love with one venue but couldn't get my head around the price of it, I then came across my venue (both are barns) which was almost a quarter of the cost for the same date and pretty much identical package. I didn't expect to love my venue nearly so much and went in viewing it as the poor mans version of what I wanted but when we got there it was everything I wanted. Our venue also has the advantage over the original one on location and flexibility to do pretty much what we want to it.

Hi, we totally fell in love with our venue. It wasn't perfect, we would have preferred alot more rooms available as there were only 16 meaning only close family and the wedding party could stay over, but we instantly fell in love with the charm and style of the place and also the people who worked there. We felt comfortable with them from the onset.

But like others have said it depends on how important the actual venue is to you. The venue defined the whole styyle of our wedding and as it was the very first thing we picked and booked that worked out well. I even chose my dress with the venue style in mind. But some people much prefer to start with a blank canvas.

I've been to some lovely weddings this year that I thought were a bit different. One was at a pub in London, the couple hired the whole place, it was a lovely old pub with nice decor which then formed the basis for their relaxed, shabby chic theme (think simple flowers in jam jars, table plan on a chalk board, that kind of thing). The other was s ceremony in a little house over looking the sea followed by the reception in a restaurant with lovely coastal views.

When we first got engaged I did a quick search on the net and wrote down about 15 I liked, then priced those individually. Then OH served a curve ball and said he didn't want a traditional wedding, he wanted outdoor and a BBQ. I thought that sounded reasonable and are really close to loch lomond. However, the no one would allow outside caterering and if they did you needed to pay a large fee for. Then I found somewhere fab, I loved it, the coordinator said all the correct things in the email. But when I went to venue it just looked a little scruffy and the coordinator want there to show us around, apparently she stays in England??? sorry but if you have venue in west Scotland why does your coordinator stay in England.

2 days later a deal comes on groupon for one of the places I ruled out due to price. Arranged a viewing, the women was lovely the place was fab. She knew exactly what to say as we walked around so didn't need to ask any questions lol. We mentioned groupon to her a few times and her face kept changing so OH said I'm assuming you pay groupon a fee? She agreed and then he said could we get same deal if we deal direct? And we did. Deal done, booked and deposit paid before we left. Family love it too. I keep looking at their website as its fab and keep imagining the pictures.

Ceremony, canapés and drink, 3 course meal and glass of wine, piper, dj,drink for toasts, centre pieces, bridal suite for night, for 90 ppl. £3500. Bargain!! I'm in live with the venue and the price is even better ?

Yes, completely and utterly ;-)

I had been getting a bit disheartened up until finding this venue as originally we had wanted to get married in Vegas but my mum said she wouldn't come, then we fancied an outdoor wedding in a glamping site in Scotland but started getting stress from OH's family about whether it would be suitable for elderly relatives, etc.

So back to the drawing board we went and when I found my venue's website, I was just so excited ;-) Plus it had fabulous reviews on trip advisor! I found the website at about 9pm before a night shift and was so excited to see it that I rang the owner the next morning, we went to see it that afternoon and had it booked by the evening!

Now I just can't wait to get married there and it is right on the coast so we are looking forward to getting some pictures on the beach ;-)

I fell in love with mine. We'd been to see LOADS and I was starting to despair. Don't give up!

100% yes, if either of us had any doubts we weren't going there! x

Yes, completely.

We fell on love just driving in car park, before we went in the actual building!

If a 'wedding' venue isn't important to you then I'd suggest looking in to other venues. My sister got married in a registrar office and then hired out a lovely restaurant for the reception where they had space for a dance floor etc and it was amazing!!!

We'd decided we were having our venue (Hawk Conservancy Trust) even before we'd got a brochure.... cost wasn't important, we just both knew the venue was right for us, having visited it as punters many times before.

The right venue sets the tone for the whole day....its worth finding the one you like.

Thanks everyone!

The venue *is* really important to us; it's one of the most expensive parts of the whole thing and I think I'm having trouble parting with that much cash for something I'm ambivalent about. I'm going to re-visit a couple of places to see if I can make them work somehow, but I can't help feeling that the perfect venue is out there and we just haven't found it yet.

I guess the package thing is the part that's really not sitting right with me; I have done everything else myself/through my contacts so have managed to get trade cost on rings, dresses, stationery, flowers, make-up, hair etc - just need to find a venue that I can do that with too!

I am going to start hunting for non 'wedding' venues and see what I come up with. If anyone has any thoughts of a venue approx 30 mins drive from Harbury (here: http://www.harbury-pc.gov.uk/index.htm) I'd love to hear about them!

We've tried:

Dunchurch Park; Dodford Manor; Aynhoe Park; Wethele Manor; The Moat House; The Leamington Pump Rooms; Mallory Court; Crockwell Farm; Dallas Burston Polo Ground; Warwick House; Epwell Grounds; Hatton Village Hall; the list goes on!

Have you tried jefferson gardens glasshouse in leamington? I went to a wedding reception there in January and the bride had been considering the pump rooms until she saw the stunning glasshouse setting. Plus they allow corkage which helps keep costs down!

We knew from the start we couldn't afford a 'proper' wedding venue and, to be honest, we'd been to so many hotel / country house weddings they were all blending into one! We always had our eye on the registry office (we're fortunate that our local one doesn't look like a rough pub on a council estate like some of them!) and we decided on a restaurant for the reception. Our numbers are small so we would have just rattled around in a larger venue and not been able to create the kind of atmosphere we wanted. Our vision was very much, fewer people but more expenditure per head, so we could make sure we could afford to put wine on tables, have nice food, live band, etc. We could have had a bigger venue but then we would have to have scrimped on other things, which we weren't prepared to do.

However, I wouldn't say that I was 'in love' with my venue! It's on a high street in the middle of town, and it certainly won't make a significant impression on our guests when they turn up. It's not exactly breathtaking from the outside! But the inside is intimate, nicely lit, rustic...which is what we wanted. By the time we've decked it all out (again, wanted to put our own stamp on it, not just use generic hotel wedding decor) it will hopefully do the place justice!

I know for a fact that the food is AMAZING though. Food was definitely more of a priority to us than the venue itself.

Yes, I did take a look - I liked it, but we have too many people for the 120 fire limit

Yes, as soon as we walked in I fell in love and could see us getting married there, that was the only place where I saw us getting married.

We were a bit restricted because we wanted a venue to do the ceremony and evening reception without insisting we had our wedding breakfast with them. We wanted a venue that was flexible and accommodating and we didn't want a marquee. Well we've ended up with a marquee in a walled garden and I do love it. I do worry that it might not be quite so special if its chucking it down and we don't get to use the garden but the events manager is so helpful that I just feel positive about the whole thing even if that is what happens. She's suggested all sorts - one couple are even bringing in a little petting zoo! It was just so refreshing to find a venue that can accommodate exactly what we want and that was the main thing. I'm sure our guests will be happier being able to have a fun, flexible evening in a glorified tent rather than something more restrictive in a proper building.

My OH and I knew it was the venue for us as soon as we pulled up.

I have always wanted to be married in the woods and it is a gorgeous oast building with a small woodland attached, followed by fields and a huge pond. I feel so lucky to have found the venue as it's fairly small and not very well advertised. Luckily a friend of a friends brother (tenuous link alert!) overheard me talking and recommended it

I totally went for practical and budget. Local village hall, away from traffic and bystanders. A park for the kids to play, plus a field. Cheapest option possible and totally private, allowing us to do anything we liked. I wasn't really coming at it from a 'wedding' viewpoint, if you see what I mean, more that I wanted somewhere to hold a very special ceremony, and it was a place that worked well for us.

If I was at my old house I'd have had it in my garden probably

We did, didn't even look at other venues as we knew it was what we wanted. It's always meant so much to our families & we regularly take our son there too, will always be there and stay in our family hopefully so knew it was for us. Bit more expensive than we'd liked but wanted it so decided to go for it anyway, it did mean us getting married a bit later than we originally wanted but figure it'll be worth it to be in our dream place. I'm sure you'll find one you both really love & suits everything you want

No, not really. It's pretty & all but it's the location that I wanted not the venue and in Bucks to get a wow factor it's too costly for our budget so we settld for nice. The our nice venue cancelled and we got a better one so we lucked out! Still wouldn't say I was in love with it tho! My church on the other hand, I wouldn't marry anywhere else :-)

I looked at almost twenty venues and got more and more depressed as they left me feeling flat, or there were major things wrong with it (eg too restrictive on ceremony numbers, turfed everyone out at 11pm etc) I kept looking and then fell in love with our venue.

It was by no means perfect, I wasn't mad keen on the ceremony room but LOVED the main room for dinner and dancing and the reception room and so won me over.

I thought for a long time I would need to settle as I saw so many venues, but I was glad I didn't and eventually found my venue (One Great George Street in Westminster)

No settling, but do compromise!

Yes we fell in love straight away! We live down in Yorkshire but are getting married in Aberdeenshire where my fiancé is from. We had a trip up there a few weeks ago to visit family and also for our friends wedding (at the venue we've now picked!). We already had the hotel in mind but thought it would be great seeing it in full swing for a wedding. As soon as we drove down the drive and pulled up and saw the views I'd decided! The rest of the wedding day, night and next morning was fantastic and we couldn't fault a thing. We had an appointment for a show round 2 days later and we didn't even need to see any other venues! We did stick to one other appointment we had made and I really tried to keep an open mind but it just didn't have the same feel about it at all.

Hi,

We really struggled with finding our venue. We went to 3-4 every Sunday for months. I felt like giving up.

We then got down to the last 2. Deep down I knew I wanted the 1 we've booked. But the second 1 was much cheaper so was swaying towards that 1. Managed to get a good deal at our venue, the one I loved!

I have to say I absolutely LOVE our venue. Have no doubts about it at all.

Stick with it your find it! Good luck

We fell in love with ours but we looked at loads online and visited a fair few. Our isn't big and probably wouldn't appeal to some people/doesn't have anything that makes it stand out but it's very us and for some reason it just 'felt' right. We tend to make a lot of our decisions on our gut feeling so it won, even though some of the other venues were better on paper!

Icklefee - sorry to be nosy, I see your location is Northampton, can I ask which barn you have booked?

To be honest - no, not really. Price was the main thing for us and our venue was the nicest we could get within our budget. Having said that, I certainly don't dislike it but it was never something massively important to us.

Not at first. It was the first one we properly looked at. We thought it was really nice, and couldn't really find anything wrong with it, but I think we were both expecting to fall in love (we didn't at first). Fast forward a few months, we were still searching and had been to see lots more places that didn't suit either (it didn't help that his favourite was a massive Tudor mansion that I thought was overpriced and my favourite was an old abbey), so we decided to look back at the first place again as we were still talking about it. We went with my mum and dad, and decided to book it. We had our first meeting with them there last week, and they were so lovely and accommodating, the gardens are so beautiful, the setting and location are just right, we are now in love with it

Keep looking, but if there are any you keep thinking about after first dismissing them, consider giving them a second look - it worked for us