Save the date

If it’s all about location for your big day, then remember to be prepared and ask the right questions on your visit

It’s one of the key decisions in your wedding planning, so make sure you take your time and pick the right venue.

Choosing your venue is one of the biggest decisions you and your partner make. Not only will it influence the date you marry, it may also affect the size of your wedding party and also the themes you are able to have.

It won’t take long for people to start inquiring: “have you set a date yet?”. But in order to do this you must first secure your chosen your venue – and there’s much you have to consider before you take the plunge.

Although it may seem like everything hinges upon it, don’t feel rushed into making a decision. Once you have handed over a sizeable deposit, you won’t be able to back out without potentially losing some – or all – of that money.

To help you narrow down your search, you need to decide what kind of wedding you want: will it be a church or registry followed by a hotel, country house or marquee or will it all take place in the same venue?

Think about how much you want to spend on the venue. Remember that some places might be able to offer deals or packages depending on the time of year. Summer is usually the most desirable, but expensive time of year.

Once you have a shortlist of potential venues, make appointments to go and see them – or visit when a wedding fair is being held, so you can see the way the rooms would be set up.

Find out the maximum (and minimum) guest numbers, which rooms are available for hire and the cost of food and drink per head. Take a look round the grounds for photographic inspiration.

If you have your heart set on a summer wedding and you’d like the option of having a ceremony outside – talk to the venue about how this works (and, since we live in Scotland, remember to ask about the contingency plan if weather is not cooperating!)

The diaries of popular venues can fill up well in advance so it’s not uncommon for couples to book a year or more in advance. If you are not too fussed about the time of year – or are looking to do things quickly – you might be able to take advantage of late deals.

Although it may seem like everything hinges upon it, don’t feel rushed into making a decision