INSIDER KNOWLEDGE Before booking a venue, what questions should we ask? When looking for a wedding venue, you’ll be bombarded with lots of information all at once, especially if you’re looking at more than one place. To make sure you’ve got all the essential information, we’ve created five key questions to ask a wedding venue once you’ve established that your date is free: How many day and evening guests can they accommodate? You’ll have a rough idea of your wedding guest list, so making sure the venue can accommodate your numbers is going to be the first question on your list and the most important. You want to know if they have enough space, so that your guests (and especially you) are comfortable on the day. Is the venue exclusively yours? If you’re looking for a private wedding venue, then this is your second-best question. Properties such as hotels, or venues in public parks, for example, may also allow the public on-site while you’re having your big day, so make sure you ask this question before you confirm your booking. Who will look after us in the lead-up to the wedding and on the day? Knowing who to contact with different questions in the lead up to the wedding and also knowing who will be looking after you and your guests when the big day arrives is worth its weight in gold. Do you have accommodation on-site? This is especially important if you have family based all over the UK or the world! Make sure you find everything out and send out an FAQ page – if there are any discounts for guests available, check-in/check-out times – it’ll save you time in the long run when your guests ask questions. What’s included in the price? You’d be surprised how many people forget about the little things, like linen and crockery, knowing what’s included will allow you to keep an eye on your budget, and also give you food for thought on any extras. The wedding team at Venue Wales https://venuewales.co.uk/wedding-2 TIME TO CELEBRATE We’re having our wedding in our local church followed by a drinks reception outside; can a harp be moved to play in both locations, and is there anything we need to take into consideration? I have played at numerous weddings in which I have moved location between the ceremony and drinks reception. I usually arrive at the reception venue and set up before the majority of the guests arrive, but having a few photos at the church and mingling with your guests outside for a short while usually aids in ensuring that I have enough time to pack the harp away and arrive at the reception venue before your guests arrive. A few considerations are needed to allow your harpist to comfortably play outdoors. As the instrument is very valuable it needs to be kept out of direct sunlight and away from the elements. Having a flat surface to place the harp on is also an important consideration as the harp must be kept steady. The harpist may also have an amplifier and therefore need access to power. Speak to your harpist and venue directly to ensure there are plans in place in the event of hot or adverse weather conditions, such as providing a parasol and ensuring there is a shaded area for the harpist to set up if the weather is hot or allowing the harpist to set up indoors in the event of rain. Hannah Williams www.hannahwilliamsharpist.com PERFECT PALETTE PICKS My wife-to-be and I are getting married next spring, and we’d like our bouquets to be different but also complement each other. Do you have any suggestions? As a florist, I’m very aware of how flowers will look in photos. I always consider the blooms selected, styles and colours as they need to complement each other, or they will look strange when seen in a photograph. I think the same rule applies for two bouquets; they can be sisters and not twins! Lots of people choose to have their favourite flowers in their bouquet, these can be different but in the same colour palette. I always like to reflect a person’s personality in their flowers, so maybe one bouquet could be a little larger and wilder than the other. Maybe one could be a cascading bouquet and one front facing, while still keeping within the same colour theme. Bouquets can have wonderful movement, life, and scent, which can be incorporated into two similar but different bouquets. Rhian Rees www.wildandfabulousflowers.com 58
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