The Wedding venue

You may need a venue for a reception after a wedding, or a nonreligious venue in which to hold both civil ceremony and reception.

Types of venue
If you or your parents have a large yard, you could have the reception at home and hire a caterer. Hotels and restaurants can usually take care of all the arrangements - food, drink, tables, china, and often cake and flowers, which is useful if you're short of time. Other options are heritage houses; boats; museums and galleries; and beaches and sports clubs.

Finding a venue
Popular venues get booked up months or even years ahead, particularly over the summer, so it's never too early to look. Word of mouth is a good start, or look in the Yellow Pages, local newspapers, hotel guides, wedding magazines, and on the internet. There are even companies that specialize in finding venues.

When you've found a venue, the first questions to ask are, is it available and is it the right size? Is it close to the place of worship where you're getting married? Find out if there's an in-house wedding coordinator; whether there will be other weddings there that day; whether or not there's an in-house caterer; whether they can recommend other services, such as musicians; and how late the reception can carry on. In the case of a hotel, ask if they'll offer special rates for guests staying the night. Is there enough room for dancing? Is there ample parking? Do the staff seem efficient and helpful? Ask how the venue's charges work, what types of reception you could have and, finally, for a written estimate. If you're happy, reserve the day and find out how much deposit is required. Ask for details of your booking in writing.

If you're renting a tent, think about the number of guests. Will there be a sit-down meal or dancing? Will you need buffet or bar areas? Think about flooring, lighting, heating, furniture, and decorations. You may need service tents for catering staff and portable restrooms for guests. Make sure there's enough parking and remember that lighting and heating costs are higher for an evening than a daytime reception, and in winter rather than summer. Consider your neighbors if you have a wedding at home. Warn them in advance and tell them when the music will stop. Ask your tent company if it can use a 'sound ceiling' to limit noise.

Antoinia Swinson also gives advices on venues for the actual ceremonies, for more see The Wedding Planner.