This post is from Gemma Edwards at Country House Wedding Venues, I’ll let Gemma introduce herself:
I’ve been at Country House Wedding Venues for five years – how time flies when you’re having fun! In that time I’ve been a part of our Wedding Office Team – where I helped couples find their dream wedding venue – and more recently I’ve started the Country House Wedding Venues blog. I love to see the wonderful and imaginative ways in which couples make our wedding venues truly theirs on the big day and hope that by sharing wedding ideas and tips, I can inspire brides and grooms-to-be.
Wedding date V. Wedding venue – which comes first?
Here’s the situation; you’ve got engaged and can’t wait to book a wedding venue so you can start planning the rest of your day. But what if your chosen venue is booked up on the date you want? Should you sacrifice your preferred date or give up your dream venue?
Wedding date comes first
Sometimes there’s no getting around it, the date wins hands down. If any of the following apply to you, check the wedding venue is available before you fall in love with it!
Work commitments
Some jobs have inflexible annual leave so you could be restricted on dates if you or one of your key guests is a teacher, for example. This can also be the case for those serving in the armed forces.
Overseas guests
These days many people have close friends or family who’ve emigrated or are working in far-flung places. You might be tied to a particular wedding date or time of year if you have friends or family coming from abroad.
Special wedding date
Some couples want to get married on a wedding date that’s significant to them, like the anniversary of their first date or the date that they got engaged. This is really romantic and will give your other half just one date to remember – so no excuses for forgetting your anniversary.
Wedding venue comes first
If you don’t have any date constraints at all, you can really make it work to your advantage and save money or get married wherever your heart desires.
Midweek weddings
Found the wedding venue of your dreams but it’s out of your budget? No problem, why not mix it up and get married on a midweek day? You can save loads on Monday to Thursday dates – even at the most exclusive wedding venues – so that dream wedding could be within your grasp after all.
Off peak wedding dates
If you want to save some money, off peak wedding dates can also be a lot cheaper than conventional summer dates. Summer has always been more popular for getting married because of the weather. These days however, sunshine isn’t guaranteed in any season so why pay peak prices?
So, if you’re tied to the date, always check availability a long way in advance to avoid any Bridezilla moments. On the other hand, if you’ve found your dream venue but it’s fully booked into the next decade, it’s worth enquiring about mid-week or off-peak availability, you might just bag yourself a deal. Happy hunting!
Country House Wedding Venues is a wedding venue finding service with its own collection of unique wedding venues available exclusively for the big day, featuring wedding venues to suit all tastes including barns, castles, mansions and manor houses.
