This is one of my favourite bits of wedding planning: visiting the wedding venues! It’s like starting a fresh page in a new notebook 😍 so many possibilities!

Between getting engaged and getting to your wedding day, there can be a lot of decisions to make. Whether to choose a traditional wedding venue, a dry hire space (which is essentially a blank canvas) OR to find a space of your own is one of the first choices that will determine a lot of the next steps.

Cue - a lot of site visits to what could be wildly different options.

Here is my quick guide to getting the most out of your site visits including some questions you might want to ask, and some things to look at - especially if you are thinking about styling your day, or working with a wedding stylist.

1. Set-up and take-down timings

• What is the earliest the wedding can be set up from?

• When will everything have to be cleared away by afterwards?

Having 2 days to set up is very different to 2 hours on the day itself and will inform what a stylist can use/do. Keep in mind, traditional uk wedding venues are aiming to be fully booked, so they want quick get-ins and get-outs (theatre term there)! Dry Hire venues can sometimes be a bit a more flexible as they understand you’re starting from a blank canvas and have more to do.

Having more time to set up means the stylist may be able to attempt more ambitious visual feats such as a hanging ceiling installation. But on the flip side, if you have minimal time but a higher budget, the stylist can most likely employ a team to get the work done quicker, in less time.

2. WALL & CEILING FIXTURES

• Can things be attached to the walls and/or ceiling?

• Are there any existing parts of the room that can be utilised for hanging?

  How you can hang or attach decorations and styling props varies wildly between venues but will set the parameters of what type of styling you can go for.

  A lot of the more relaxed, characterful UK & London venues I’ve worked at have had old hooks or nails in the wall that are perfect for hanging wedding decorations from, or sticking a pinwheel over! Tanner & Co in Bermondsey (London) even had old gym bars around the room which were ideal for my bespoke Sailor Jerry tattoo bunting.

  Remember, some traditional wedding venues (especially listed, period buildings) will want nothing anywhere near their walls (fair do’s) so you may want to stick to dressing the tables or exploring some freestanding options if you really want to add a bit of your style.

3. venue hit list

Often venues have a list (some longer than others) of absolute no-no’s. This might include glitter, confetti and helium balloons to name a few. Any violation of their rules could result in losing your deposit (or worse) so I wouldn’t go there.

Ask for the venue’s no-no list on the site visit so you can clarify and discuss. You might get a decoration idea whilst you’re walking around so it’s good to know if it’s possible there and then, to save time.

4. take photos AND video (and some basic measurements if the venue doesn’t have them)

Wedding venue site visits are going to be a bit different for a while, as at the time of writing, we’re still in the middle of the Coronavirus Pandemic. It might mean limited access, especially for your suppliers who might not have been to your venue before. Here’s what will speed up the process for everyone:

• Take photos on your phone of every wall, the ceiling, the floor, the entrance/exit and a video of how they all link

• Get basic measurements of the room if the venue doesn’t have a scale plan of the space. Recording the length, width and ceiling height of a space is a good place to start and your wedding suppliers will thank you for it!

5. explore all the other secondary spaces

Think about all the places your wedding guests are going to encounter, or that could be used for something unexpected. Once you’ve done your initial look-around the venue I’d go back to the entrance and walk through as if you were a guest on the day. Apart from the main space, think about:

• How people get in/onto the site

• The toilets

• Any areas before the dinner bit

• Dancing areas

• Photo opps/dress up areas

• Any other nooks & crannies you can use for fun (i.e. fancy dress, glitter face paint stations etc)

Do these areas need a bit of spicing up? A sign or two? A backdrop, a light or string of paper decorations? All of these ‘touch points’ are what make up an overall impression and lasting memory of an event and can really ramp up the fun factor.

Fancy a bit of help or feeling a bit cba?

(can’t be arsed)

Site visits and spatial design are my THANG. As well as Theatre Design, I’ve also trained in Interior Design (that’s another story for another day).

There is NOTHING I love more than visiting a new venue and dreaming up ways to make it look like it was made for YOUR wedding. I’ve got different levels of help available so if you just want to show me your venue (from all the brilliant pics you took at your site visit!) and get some help coming up with a design vision, that’s cool.

Or you might want me to make some bespoke backdrops that tie in with the venue’s look, that I can courier to you in advance - also very cool.

Or you might want me onboard from the very first day to putting up everything for the wedding which I’m also here for.

The first step is dropping me an email or booking in for a free 15 minute call/Zoom so we can work out what you need and what I can do for you. 🙌🏼 amy@thejoyeclectic.co.uk

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