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Beginner September 2025 Nottinghamshire

Venue hunting - so expensive, what am i doing wrong?

Caity, 27 October, 2023 at 11:08 Posted on Planning 1 17
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Hey lovely brides,
I am looking for advice on venues. Am I unrealistic to think I can host and feed 60-70 people in a nice looking venue for less than £15k? Everything I have seen is at least 9-12k just for the venue hire and then adding food, wine etc on top. It feels impossible to have a wedding day that isn’t going to break the bank. We don’t think we have a “small budget” but maybe it is in wedding terms as it feels impossible to do it all for less than 25k. We aren’t set on peak times or months we would do a Friday or a sunday in April / September but they seem to be classed as peak now. Does anyone have any tips on venues or other things to consider (bar having it on a Wednesday in an off peak month) . I feel overwhelmed with it at the moment as it feels impossible.

Thanks in advance

17 replies

Latest activity by Wayne, 27 November, 2023 at 16:46
  • PhotographybyBillHaddon
    VIP January 3000 Leicestershire
    PhotographybyBillHaddon ·
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    Hi, there are plenty in your area and Leicestershire that should match your budget and some have fixed packages to suit your numbers. I have a selection of 21 venues on my website that might give you a start for places to look at. And yes September is very much still a busy month for weddings, not so much April but that time of year you might be catching an Easter weekend which sometimes may cost more.

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  • C
    VIP April 2022 Wiltshire
    Charlotte ·
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    That is crazy! We tried to find venues that did all in packages as felt the hire fees were insane when you had to add everything else on top.


    Look at hotels that have corporate spaces as often they will do no hire fee, I get that some of these won't look as impressive but there are some good looking places out there.
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  • K
    Beginner April 2025 South Yorkshire
    Kate ·
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    I literally feel exactly same!!


    We have a budget of £15k which we thought would be plenty for the same amount of guests!! But turns out that it’s costing that (if not more) for the venue/food alone!! It’s absolutely mind blowing!
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  • A
    Beginner October 2023 West Midlands
    Andrea ·
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    Have you thought about somewhere like old tudor houses/ museums we did mine at Blakesley Hall which is a museum and has fantastic grounds to take photos. They also offer doing the whole wedding there in the barn but we had a church ceremony in the morning, however we had exclusive access to the grounds for the day. We also used our own catering.

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  • T
    Savvy May 2024 Buckinghamshire
    T S ·
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    Are you open to travelling further afield? My friend got married at the Red Barn near Downham Market (Norfolk), it was a super pretty venue that started at £4k for a Saturday in March (2019), and probably sat/fed 100 guests. If you're thrifty with your flowers you could probably do the whole thing for £10k.

    I'm getting married on a Wednesday because it was literally DOUBLE to get married on a Saturday and I just couldn't justify it, the people who really want to be there will make it work.

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  • Hayley Bannister
    Beginner March 2026 Lancashire
    Hayley Bannister ·
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    Can you go for midweek and low season? We are getting married in March on a Thursday and it's much cheaper! We've also gone for bbq over a sit down meal!
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  • C
    Beginner June 2024 East London
    Cecilia ·
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    Where in the country are you? I've rented a pub in London with hire fee, food, drinks and bar tab under 10k.
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  • C
    Beginner September 2025 Nottinghamshire
    Caity ·
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    View quoted message
    We are based in Bedfordshire but our familes are from Nottinghamshire and Cheshire so we are really flexible on location
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  • PhotographybyBillHaddon
    VIP January 3000 Leicestershire
    PhotographybyBillHaddon ·
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    If you PM me I can help with some venue ideas in Leicestershire which I know very well.

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  • C
    Beginner September 2024 Leicestershire
    Catherine ·
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    We found a lovely venue in Leicestershire, we are getting married in a medieval chapel and having the reception in the main hotel for only £450 hire fee! We decided to get married late afternoon to go straight into the reception with a hog roast buffet. The chapel can only fit 40 people, although the reception area can fit 120. Let me know if you want me to send you the link to the venue.
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  • Karma
    Beginner May 2024 Norfolk
    Karma ·
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    Ive done my whole wedding for around £16k - for 150 people (ceremony and reception) - and for 2 nights stay (Saturday and Sunday)

    Ive found that because im booking everything in less than 12 months (the wedding is only 7 months away), its classed as a last minute wedding.... so my venue (Hockwold Hall, check it out, its amazing) gave me a fantastic discount. Ive also found all the vendors have been open to haggling, and believe me - i have!, and ive also aksed for further discounts if i pay up front. So ive not bothered with deposits etc... Ive just paid in full now and as a result, have negotiated great savings

    Ive made all of the below myself, using Amazon and Temu to get crafty bits

    - wedding invitations - ordered the card inserts and pockets, just printed my own design on my home printer

    - wedding favours - ordered favour boxes off Amazon and shredded paper off Temu then filled them with, a Chocolate Coin (Poundland) / Personalised Love hearts (amazon) / A shot of Limoncello (Empty bottles off Temu and Limoncello paid for with my tesco clubcard points)/ Bubbles (Temu). Im also having personalised name places made up (£1.65 each from Etsy) they are these little glass circles with names printed on, so they are doubling up as favours

    Centre Pieces - Gold centre piece rings (Amazon), mounted on a base which is just a cheap Asda place mat, primed and painted/ - table numbers (Temu)/ Fake flowers and greenery (Amazon)/ Floating candles and glasses (Amazon)

    I bought a balloon arch from Amazon for £40 (Solid metal one) and then some balloon clips and balloons - Ill be making this up myself on the day - saved a fortune over buying one

    To save on money, myself and the wedding party will be decorating the Marque ourselves on the morning of the wedding. My ceremony isnt until 4pm so we will have plenty of time.

    I did some quick research on how much my wedding would of cost if i hadn't been so thrifty and i rekon it should of been nearer £30k. Noone will ever know!

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  • Olivia
    Beginner July 2024 Cumbria
    Olivia ·
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    I found this very hard as my wedding is only going to be 65 people max. Best I have found is a package for an evening wedding reception only (wedding in a church) for 60 people for £1965 (you can add more people) this includes DJ and buffet. this is perfect for me am I don’t want a massive wedding and I’m not bothered about the whole wedding breakfast side of it. So maybe if that’s something that would suit you ask at venues if they do any evening reception packages xx
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  • Noela
    Beginner January 2023 Cumbria
    Noela ·
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    Where are you based? I’m in Shropshire also wanting just a small wedding. xx
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  • Olivia
    Beginner July 2024 Cumbria
    Olivia ·
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    Not sure if your message was to me or not but I’m based in South Yorkshire xx
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  • Carrie
    Beginner October 2025 Hampshire
    Carrie ·
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    I've weirdly found that the venues that haven't advertised their prices tend to be cheaper, seems counter intuitive but there you go, finding most are £10,000 plus but a few of the people I have had to request brochures for are between £5000 and £7500. Not sure if that's a blanket thing or just the people I've approached but hope it helps Smiley smile

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  • Mae
    Beginner May 2024 Hampshire
    Mae ·
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    Hey! We’ve picked a venue that isn’t a wedding revolving door, we’re stocking the bar ourselves, have hired our own catering and are signing the marriage licence in a registry office the day before. We are having the ceremony and reception in a country garden and greenhouse so we don’t have to spend lots on flowers. Picking things like candles is significantly cheaper. But finding that venue is key… move away from ‘wedding venue’ and look at spaces you like. That’s what I did, best of luck 👰🏼‍♀️💕
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  • W
    Beginner September 2025 West Yorkshire
    Wayne ·
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    We have this venue for about £9200, it include

    Ceromony

    40 x Pimms post ceromony drink

    40 x Corona post ceromony drink

    80 x prosecco toast

    2 glasses of wine per person x 80 people

    80 deluxe BBQ wedding breakfast

    160 x evening mini tapas buffet

    DJ

    Post box

    Mr and Mrs light up letters

    Dance floor

    Sweet cart( must supply sweets)

    Choice of centre pieces , and isle decorations

    Venue hunting - so expensive, what am i doing wrong? 1


    Venue hunting - so expensive, what am i doing wrong? 2

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