Wedding Venue Planning

There are many things that you must consider when planning a wedding, one of the most important is the venue. The venue itself will set the tone for the entire day, and it is certainly something you will want to remember fondly. Pop Up Bar Hire have come up with a list of pros and cons for the most popular venue options.

Marquee Wedding Venue

Festival wedding marquee idea
Source: Boho Weddings

Marquee venues are a complete blank canvas for both bride and groom, meaning that you have the flexibility to tailor the venue to your exact vision.

Pros:

  • Can make it what you want - decor, size, layout
  • Can offer a really big space for larger weddings
  • Unique location
  • The wedding can go ahead come rain or shine
  • Hand picking the bar - this means you can tailor it to your own personal tastes. This is exactly what Pop Up Bar Hire is able to offer! We can advise you on the best drinks to have, as well as ensuring the whole bar is fully stocked and staffed
  • Choosing the catering - get the food you want for your big day! Why not head over to Street Food Warehouse if you're going for a festival vibe (or just love street food) - they can sort out any kind of street food vendor.
Wedding Bar Menu Ideas
Tailor your bar menu with Pop Up Bar Hire

Cons:

  • Whilst marquees can be successful all year round, they are most successful during Spring and Autumn - air conditioning is very expensive, whilst heating can be hit and miss
  • Hiring of other facilities such as tables and chairs, lights, dancefloor, toilets (depending on where it is located)
  • In general, more organisation has to go into a marquee wedding because you have to find a caterers and bar hire, among other facilities. However, at Pop Up Bar Hire we do all the leg work for you, ensuring that the bar side of the wedding at least, runs smoothly
  • It is likely the wedding itself will take place outside which could be problematic due to the UK weather (however, there are indoor options available in many locations)
  • There many not be a huge amount or any accommodation available for your guests

Barn Wedding Venue

Source: marrygrams

A barn as the wedding venue offers a rustic charm with beautiful surroundings and many venues are able to offer extra space for bigger wedding parties or even accommodation.

Pros:

  • Location and surroundings can be truly breathtaking
  • A smaller and more private venue which means exclusive hire is more likely to be an option
  • Minimal decoration is needed as the barn itself still looks gorgeously rustic
  • This venue can be cheaper overall than the marquee option because more often than not, you can get a package deal with regards to food and drink, plus you don't have to think about all the extras such as, lighting, tables, chairs etc.
  • Works with all weather conditions - perfect for the UK

Cons:

  • Whilst some barn venues might offer enough accommodation, this is not guaranteed so can result in a lot of travel for guests (and even yourself) to the nearest hotel
  • Difficult to access if it's in a particularly rural location
  • Less flexibility with regards to food and drink options
  • Make sure to ask about toilet facilities and facilities in general as some only provide porta-loos, and have only basic food prep and cooking facilities
  •  The majority of barns don't have the best heating/air conditioning, so this should be taken into consideration when choosing time of year, particularly for the unpredictable UK weather

Hotel Wedding Venue

Source: The Landmark London

Hotel weddings are becoming more and more popular because they offer package deals. Hotels can produce large (and small) package weddings which include everything from accommodation to catering and the bar. In short, the venue takes care of everything so you can relax (a bit more).

Pros:

  • Every single aspect of your wedding is executed both efficiently and professionally
  • Well established hotel venues have amazing reputations which means you really can put all your trust in them to pull off your perfect wedding
  • Accommodation for yourself and your guests (particularly those who have travelled far) will almost always be available
  • Offering package deals means that a hotel wedding can be the answer for those who have a specific budget
  • Staff will be very experienced so you can rely to ensure your wedding runs without a hitch

Cons:

  • Significant lack of flexibility - they many only work with certain vendors or only offer a couple of menu choices or restrictions on table layout etc
  • There can be hidden costs
  • Lacks uniqueness - if you're someone who has always dreamed of having that unique wedding everyone will forever remember, a hotel might not be the venue for you
  • Whilst they can be great for people on a budget, they can also be significantly more expensive - particularly those well sought after venues

Country House Wedding Venue

Souce: PopTop

Similar to a hotel, a country house as a wedding venue has become another very popular choice. This type of venue is ideal if you're wanting that more formal atmosphere, but have more control over the wedding details.

Pros:

  • More flexibility than hotels to create your dream wedding
  • Exclusive hire of the venue means that it'll only be you and your guests in the venue so it feels more intimate
  • Beautiful location, surroundings and building
  • Accommodation can be part of the package deal
  • Still offer package deals which means everything will be taken care of for you

Cons:

  • This type of venue is expensive, be prepared to shell out a significant amount if your heart is set on it
  • Depending on the size of the venue, accommodation might not be available. Similarly, if your wedding party is too small, then you may not get exclusive access to the venue
  • Can be difficult to find or access for guests
A few things you should consider no matter what type of venue you are going for:
  1. The number of guests - the larger the wedding, the more expensive it will be
  2. Location - take into consideration how far your guests are having to travel
  3. Availability - keep your options open, your dream venue might not be available
  4. Accommodation - is it included? If not, then how are you going to accommodate people?
  5. Parking - seems mundane but it is so important, is there parking? If so, is it private? Is it included in the price? Is it safe? How far away is it from the venue and/or accommodation?
  6. The Bar - is there one? Pop Up Bar Hire offer a variety of different bars perfect for weddings without one.

Author: Georgina Dransfield

by admin