Finding a venue is like finding gold dust. I'm not joking either!

Yes, there are literally thousands of wedding venues in every corner of the country. Do you go for a country manor hotel or city chic? What about a rustic vine yard in Italy or a vintage country garden? These were the very questions that we asked ourselves and went backwards and forwards many times on decisions. One day we were settled on a English country garden ceremony, the next day we'd be thinking 'screw this for a game of soldiers, lets just get married somewhere sunny by the sea!' How do you decide when there is seemingly every option of venue possible? Obviously part of this decision will hinge on your budget. Have an amount in mind when you begin as this will help to narrow your search down. However, your style and personality will ultimately direct you towards a type of venue and your wedding theme.

We knew that we could never really seriously consider getting married abroad as it would mean that many people who we really wanted at our wedding wouldn't be able to come. So we were back to a country wedding. Happy with our decision, I excitedly and a little somewhat idealistically, embarked on the venue hunt alone, my fiance having returned to Iraq. My search took me, in a virtual sense, all over the south and southwest of England. I was spoiled for choice, beautiful venues with cloisters or arches for civil ceremonies, or stunning gardens, I was drawn only to the unique. There were of course many hotels with 'wedding packages' that seemed to offer something a little different. But when the small print is studied carefully, do the restrictions become somewhat apparent: corkage fees or venue provided wine and champagne, often at inflated prices; limited menu choices; and a general lack of opportunities to inject some individuality. I thought that many were over priced, an example of a ever expanding wedding industry perhaps?

After many an hour spent glued to my laptop, I had a short list of  several venues to contact, all were nestled in the southwestern countryside and had that rustic country setting with a civil ceremony license that we were after. After the first couple of calls, I started to get disillusioned, particularly when the response from the venue often began with a little snort of laughter, followed by, "July '11?! You are joking, those dates have been booked for two years!" Oh. Tears and tantrums ensued. At this point I must apologise to my mother and fiance who bore the brunt of my frustrations. I am sorry. It will all be worth it, I promise!

Back to the drawing board. It was then that I stumbled across a venue in the town where I had gone to school, a beautiful old mill and garden. And it was free on our date. No, this was too good to be true. There must be a catch. Nope, the only catch was three other couples were chasing the same date that we wanted. Tactical talks took place, and after a very successful visit, the date was booked, we had our venue! Relief doesn't even begin to describe how it felt.

We are getting married at Gants Mill & Garden in Bruton, Somerset.
www.gantsmill.co.uk

So, you've just got engaged... What next?

Getting engaged is the most amazing feeling. Wherever and however the proposal happens, describing it as being on Cloud 9 doesn't even come close. I wanted to shout the news from the roof tops so many phone calls to my nearest and dearest were made!
Then it was down to business. We knew that we didn't want to wait too long to get married, so summer '11 it was. Being a teacher means that the summer holidays are the only real option if you want a decent honeymoon afterwards.
There are two options when it comes to setting a date and choosing a venue. If you have your venue in mind, then selecting your date comes next, obviously depending on the availability of the venue. Or, if like us, you are limited to a specific date, you need to find a venue to match your date, a task that isn't always straight-forward!