What To Consider When Choosing Your Dream Wedding Venue

'Nowadays, almost anywhere can be considered a potential wedding venue for your magical day - from seafronts to tree houses, castles to aquariums, farmyard barns to school halls.

However, before you lay down the deposit and start sending out your invitations, you may wish to bear in mind some key factors before making your final decision on the wedding venue.'

• Bear in mind the size of your guest list and the capacity of your venue. You may have had your heart set on your idyllic perfect venue ever since you were a little girl, but if its too big for your party size, you run the risk of guests rattling around in masses of open space, too small and it may not be quite the intimate experience you were hoping for.
• It might sound obvious, but with the wedding reception drinks free flowing, be sure to check in advance
  
  
  that your venue has sufficient, or can provide sufficient access to ladies and gents facilities.
• Decor. Is your venue naturally pretty or will it require a substantial amount of budget spent on decorations, flowers etc to bring it to life. If so, be sure to take into consideration when budgeting for your perfect wedding venue
• Marriage license - it may seem obvious, but if you're looking to make your vows outside a chapel or church, double check the venue has a marriage license, and if not, how feasible it is to obtain one in time for the wedding. may only be suitable for the wedding reception. For information about how you and your dream wedding venue can apply for a license try here http://www.theweddingsecret.co.uk/magazine/wedding-venue-licensing-how-does-a-wedding-venue-get-licensed/
• Whether you're planning on having live entertainment, be it a live band performance or a DJ set - take into consideration a) where they will be placed on the day, and that they have sufficient and easy access to a power supply for set up of equipment
• If you're planning on a UK wedding and have your heart set on an outdoor wedding, bear in mind the unpredictable British weather. Following a recent poll carried out by Hallmark Hotels, 100 % of all asked ranked bad weather spoiling their wedding as the biggest concern for bride and groom's ahead of the big day. Therefore, ensure there there is the option to take cover should the heavens open. Likewise, if you're blessed with sunshine, that there's somewhere to shelter in the shade from the midday heat
• Check with your chosen venue if there's a drinks licence/noise curfew. If anything's bound to kill the
  
  
  vibe of a wedding celebration it's an unexpectedly early last orders call at the bar or noise curfew. Be sure to double check in advance check to avoid having to end the party whilst its in full swing
• Beauty spots for wedding day pictures and be sure to consider where where the sun sets for capturing wedding shots at the 'golden hour' for that 'wow factor' image
• Catering - is there on site catering or do you need to arrange your own external supplier? Same goes for the drinks - on site or external supplier needed?  If external is there a corkage charge?
• Parking - is there enough and is the route from car park to venue an attractive one/is there a proper lit path to and from the carpark. This is especially worth taking into consideration if there's the chance it might rain on the day. Guests, in particular ladies in newly purchased Louboutins may not thank you if making their way from the car park to the venue involves wading through a water logged field. Even worse if it's at the end of the night and their having to use the flash light on their mobile phone to light their way through the dark...
• For those whose guest list includes friends and families travelling from further afield, be sure to look
  
  
  into whether there's affordable local accommodation within the surrounding area. You may even wish to consider a venue that has its own accommodation e.g. a hotel venue or manor house, as more often than not they will include the master bedroom or bridal suite as part of the venue package as well as preferential rates for friends and families too.

Hallmark Hotels is a 28 strong and growing portfolio of hotel wedding venues situated across the UK from city centre locations to rolling countryside settings and manor house style venues. For more information about the hotels as wedding venues and their wedding packages visit www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk/weddings

Hallmark Hotels Wedding Angel, Kirsty Davies at the 4* Hallmark Hotel Derby Midland www.hallmarkhotels.co.uk @hallmarkhotels