Planning a wedding is no easy task, and it involves making a lot of big decisions such as your dress style, cake flavour, colour scheme and the list goes on! One of the biggest and most important decisions to make is your venue; it sets the tone the entire day so it is vital that you choose somewhere that is perfect for you and your dream wedding. We’ve come up with our top tips for booking your perfect wedding venue:

1. Know your numbers.

If you know the number of guests you are inviting to both your wedding ceremony and reception, it will make narrowing down your venue search much easier. Some venues will automatically be ruled out because they simply don’t have the capacity for your guests.

2. Look at venues first, and then decide on a wedding date.

By being committed to a particular date, you’ll exclude many venues, which may have been booked for that date months before you began planning your wedding. By being more flexible about your date, you could get your perfect venue a few weeks before or after the date you had in mind.

3. List a few appropriate venues as options.

By having a comprehensive list of venues that you can consider, you will not limit your choices and you will be more likely to find one that suits you and your needs.

4. Read reviews.

The web is a fantastic resource for feedback, and reading online reviews about your potential venues will give you a great insight into how suitable they really are for your wedding.

5. Visit the wedding venue in person and make a good impression.

This establishes a better rapport with the venue and allows you to see whether or not it really is the ideal spot for you.

By being respectful, dressing professionally, and having a list of well thought out questions, the venue will likely be more cooperative and willing to accommodate you, and will have a clearer idea of your expectations.

6. Ask plenty of questions.

Be sure that you know as much as possible about the venue; including details about bar facilities, ablutions, access for physically disabled guests, parking, security, catering services, and so on.

7. Give yourself time.

If you have one particular venue in mind for your dream day, you may have to wait for months, perhaps even a year or more, to secure it. Weigh up how important that venue is to you and then be prepared to wait for it.

8. Put everything in writing.

By drawing up a simple contract with the venue you decide on, you can ensure that the details are all in black and white and that there is far less chance of disappointment or misunderstanding.