By Suzy Powell

The location of the wedding venue is of course paramount. The geographical location will work best if it is close to major cities and transort networks. If you desire a rural location then you can have the best of both world. A scenic beautiful rural location which is no more than an hours drive from one or two major locations should provide the beauty of location and also the practicalities for your wedding party to access your celebrations with ease.

Wedding ceremonies can be conducted in most places now. If you wish to get married and hold the reception at the same venue then you need to check that they have the marraige license. Personally I would ask to see the license, however in the main reputable wedding venues will invite you for a visit and give you a guided tour and be only proud to show the license.

If you prefer to be married elsewhere, be it a church or registry office then it makes sense to hold the reception nearby. Some would say within walking distance, but thats your choice.

If your wedding will involved children then make sure that the hotel or venue is family friendly and better till have a childrens play area. Some of my most enjoyable weddings as a guest has been where my young son has been able to play and mingle in a dedicated enclose play area. Some hoteliers are not keen on the thought of little children making mess, and of course I would expect anyone with children of their own of child guests would not be happy to use such a venue.

Wedding photographs capture the day on film and will be regarded for years to come. It is so important to have beautiful landscape or scenery. Some venue websites will show film footage, photos or virtual tours of the location. Look for water features, rivers greenery as they will look far more attractive than high rise flats or housing estates. Of course if and when you visit your short listed venues you will see the locality for yourself.

Wedding dining is important but often accidently overlooked under the stress of finding the venue, the dress, the rings, the flowers, the cars and so on. When you are looking for a venue, my advice is to check out the food. Ensure that menus are available for meat eaters, vegetarians, and those with special dietary requirements, such as gluten free. Once you have established that the wedding venue can cater for your requirements ask for details of the head chef. Is she or he an award winning chef. How many work on their team.

One of the biggest short falls with wedding meals is that the establishment fail to serve hot food due to the high numbers of meals being served. If however the venue is used to working for wedding parties then this is not likley to be a problem. Ask for testimonials, and contact previous couples.

Its best to have a ball park number of guests in mind before looking for a wedding venue. Some venues will excel in dealing with intimate affairs whilst others have expertise in large parties of hundreds of guests.

Once you have found a few locations there is nothing to stop you dropping in on them unexpectedly for a first viewing. Good hoteliers will be pleased to see you and give you the tour there and then. You will see how friendly and hospitable they really are.

Enjoy your big day.

About The Author

Wedding Venue Yorkshire The Fountain Inn, are a licensed wedding venue on the edge of the Peak District see virtual tours at http://www.fountainweddingvenues.co.uk/

Tags: For Weddings