Birmingham, famed for its Bulls, Balti and Black Sabbath but also home to some of the most beautiful wedding venues in the UK…
Are you looking for a venue with a difference near Birmingham? Bridebook.co.uk has found 25 venues in and around the city that are stunning, fun, or a little bit quirky! Take a look at these incredible places, or hunt for yourself using our Wedding Venue Search tool.
1. Packington Moor
Just outside of Birmingham and surrounded by acres of woodland and countryside, Packington Moor makes jaws drop. This authentic stone barn with rustic beams gives off a light and airy feel for a perfect wedding.
This stunningly quirky venue holds productions throughout the year…and also weddings! Birmingham Repertory Theatre is ideal for couples who want a hint of dramatics included in their wedding day. Let’s get the show started!
The Kitchen Garden Cafe is a totally unique place to host your special day. It is an eco-friendly gem in the centre of Birmingham which offers heaps of charm for your wedding setting.
Inside the majestic exterior of Hampton Manor Hotel, you will find stylish and contemporary decor with a deep history at the heart of the venue. Surrounded by lush gardens, and only half an hour from the city of Birmingham, this venue is a rather grand oasis.
5. Bawdon Lodge Farm
In Charnwood Forest lies Bawdon Lodge Farm, the perfect place to set up a magical tipi or marquee wedding. Event professionals will be on hand to help your dreams become reality in this countryside haven.
This stunningly quirky idea is great if you want to create an unforgettable experience. Deckerdence is a double decker bus that creates the centrepiece to your marquee and, with an onboard bar, you’ll have your guests’ attention within seconds!
Hagley Hall is an incredible Georgian Palladian manor house on the border of the West Midlands. With its magnificent state rooms and acres of parkland, this venue is brilliant for your bespoke wedding.
These gorgeous 18th Century barns are just 20 minutes from Birmingham and have striking high-ceilings for a dramatic look. Shustoke Farm Barns is made up of several red-brick buildings that you can use as you wish for your special celebrations.
Fancy saying ‘I Do’ among the flowers? This is your chance! Birmingham Botanical Gardens offers fascinating landscapes and 3 beautiful event spaces that are sure to please all of your guests.
With an incredibly distinct exterior, Gorcott Hall is a 16th Century, Grade II listed Tudor building. Inside, the character continues with timber beams and open fireplaces to add loads of warmth to your big day.
New Hall dates back to the 13th Century, showing off its glorious exterior and wonderful grounds. The oak panelled rooms and sunny terraces welcome you to New Hall Hotel & Spa, which is fit for a King and Queen!
A combination of contemporary style with original features is present in the outstanding setting of Redhouse Barn. Within 5 acres of Worcestershire countryside, this one-of-a-kind venue is bound to impress.
The 18th Century manor house of Swinfen Hall Hotel is a sanctuary of interior decor, ornamental gardens and has a deer park in the grounds. Perfect for feeling like a princess on your wedding day.
Make your wedding day unforgettable by choosing Dudley Zoo & Castle as your special location. With a renovated sensory garden, 40 acres of beautiful grounds, and over 1,000 animals from across the globe, you can’t go wrong with this venue.
Nestled in the Worcestershire countryside, Bordesley Park‘s 16th Century manor house is the perfect setting for a fun and relaxed wedding day. Stunning decor, lush gardens, a luxury marquee and even a trampoline are included to take away the stress from your day.
The beautiful surroundings of Aston Wood Golf Club make this wedding setting totally unique. This venue can cater for intimate celebrations in the oak-panelled dining room offering delicious catering and impecable wedding service.
In rural Worcestershire, you will find the grand structure of The Elms. This beautiful Queen Anne manor house provides elegant lounges and stunning decor in every room to add the icing to your cake on your special day.
The contemporary setting of Mythe Barn is based in an idyllic location just outside the hustle and bustle of Birmingham. From ceremonies in the Oak Barn to wedding breakfasts in the Grain Store and outdoor courtyard celebrations, this venue is a special one.
Sat on the edge of woodland in the Staffordshire countryside, the character and romance of this venue will complete your magical day. Pendrell Hall offers crisp, stylish interiors, The Morning Room – a haven of wooden features perfect for ceremonies, and 3 bridal suites to choose from.
Rich in history and full of regal charm, Stoneleigh Abbey is an incredible fairytale venue just 25 miles from Birmingham. It brings elegant rooms with timeless features and the famous Saloon which Queen Victoria once dined at!
Wootton Park is a barn style venue overlooking a lake and island for the most stunning photo opportunities. The landscaped gardens and 16th Century farmhouse in their own secluded valley are yours to do with what you wish on your big day.
In nearby Staffordshire, the very lavish Alrewas Hayes venue will put a spin on your wedding day. Boasting traditional rooms with period features and the luxury Lakeside Marquee, anything is possible here.
This beautiful Grade I listed Georgian mansion is also a renowned art gallery and is surrounded by 120 acres of picturesque parkland. Compton Verney offers the striking Adam Hall, perfect for ceremonies and wedding breakfasts on your special day.
A stone’s throw away from the city of Birmingham lies Grand Station. The decadent and timely nature of this venue’s function rooms will stun your guests and give you the grandeur you require for your special entrance.
If you fancy something a little more quirky, Erasmus Darwin House is for you! With 250 years of history and doubling as a museum, this venue will add heaps of charm and character to your Birmingham-based wedding.
Still unsure about which wedding venue to choose? Are you looking elsewhere in the UK? Help is at hand! Use Bridebook.co.uk’s Wedding Venue Search and type in your preferred location.
If you’ve still got tonnes to plan for your big day, Bridebook.co.uk can make the planning process much easier. Fill in your wedding guest list, wedding budget and use our wedding checklist to make sure you don’t forget about anything in your busy schedule.
Whether you’ve recently started to plan your wedding or you’re right in the thick of it, you probably noticed something fairly quickly – weddings can be costly. In 2024, the average cost of a wedding is £20,775, and that’s before you’ve even got to the honeymoon or considered the cost of the engagement ring. So if you’re trying to figure out how to plan your dream wedding and stay firmly within your budget, you’ve come to the right place.
In this post, we’re going to take a deep dive into how to save money on a wedding and offer you plenty of tips to make sure you don’t go over your wedding budget.
Before we go over the many ways you can save money on your wedding, make sure you have a solid idea as to what you want to (realistically) spend. To give you a helping hand, you can use Bridebook’s useful wedding budget calculator.
Throwing a lavish and expensive wedding is a fabulous way to spend your big day, but it’s important not to get too carried away. Have a chat with your partner about what’s really important for both of you and create a list that categorises the must-haves and the nice-to-haves so you know what can be cut if you get a little too close to the top end of your budget.
Planning a wedding is a lot of fun, but it can also be a stressful time. That stress, combined with spending a great deal of money, can be create challenges. Remember to be open and honest with your partner and try not to get your heart set on something before you’ve booked it. The last thing you want is to be disappointed if something doesn’t quite work out how you hoped.
What’s the average cost of a wedding in 2024?
Average UK Wedding Costs: With and Without the Engagement Ring and Honeymoon
As uncovered in our ultimate wedding budget breakdown, the average cost of a wedding in 2024 is £20,775, not including the ring and a potential honeymoon. When you factor the engagement ring and honeymoon into your budget, the average cost rises to £25,952, which is a huge amount of money to spend.
It’s important to remember that this is just an average, and the actual cost of your wedding will depend on many factors, including the cost of the venue, number of guests, time of year, and even how many tiers there are on your cake.
Of course, you don’t have to spend this amount, or anything close to it – couples have weddings which range from costing less than £1,000 to costing £100,000 or more. If you budget wisely, make some careful decisions and plan ahead, you can make significant savings while still ensuring you have your dream wedding.
What are the best tools for saving money on your wedding?
When the time comes to start planning your wedding in earnest, the excitement can take hold and before you know it you’re creating spreadsheets, browsing Instagram hashtags and Pinterest stores, and your Google search history is nothing but venues and flower shops. But before you dive into the deep end, why not consider a tool to help you save time, money and effort?
We recommend using Bridebook’s state-of-the-art wedding budget tool to keep track of your expenses and make sure everything is taken care of. We also have a wedding planning app so you don’t have to keep a stack of notebooks with you or carry your laptop around when you meet vendors – you’ll have everything you need right there on your phone.
Can you save money on your wedding by inviting fewer guests?
When you’re getting married, we understand that it’s a big deal and you’ll probably want to invite every family member, friend, colleague and acquaintance you have. However, having a set number of guests will ensure you keep the guest list limited, which will save you on the venue, catering and invitation costs. It may be tempting to invite everyone you know to come and celebrate with you, but doing so will increase the cost of your wedding and could push it beyond your budget.
To put it into perspective, the average couple spends around £200 per guest – that means, if you’re ruthless with your guest list and invite 100 guests instead of 150, you’ll save over £10,000. If you’re not prepared to make cuts quite that drastic, even just cutting back your guest list by five could save you around £1,000.
A twilight wedding is a wedding that starts later in the day and is a great way to lower the cost of your wedding. It not only means you’re using your venue for a shorter amount of time, but you also bypass the expensive wedding breakfast and you pay vendors and staff for fewer hours as well.
For example, Friern Manor Country House Hotel offers a twilight wedding package starting at £3,500 for 70 guests, compared to £7,995 for a traditional wedding – that’s half the price! That means you can have all the celebrations of every other wedding, only condensed into a shorter amount of time. It’s the perfect way to make massive savings on your wedding if you’re happy to have the ceremony take place later in the day.
If you’re planning a wedding on a budget or just looking to save a bit of cash, knowing how to break down your budget will be one of the most important parts of your overall wedding planning, but how to stick to it? In this video course, Bridebook founder (and qualified wedding planner) Hamish Shephard explains how to plan a wedding on a budget, sharing his expert money-saving tips on everything from your wedding venue to your catering and more.
If you haven’t set the date yet, you can find huge savings by avoiding the busy seasons, certain days of the week and popular locations. So, if you’re happy to not have a Saturday wedding in the middle of summer, slap bang in the middle of London, you could save thousands. For example:
Choose a midweek wedding. You’ll save on almost every wedding supplier by joining the 50% of couples who hold their big day on any day other than a Saturday, which is the most popular day to get married. To maximise your savings, the cheapest day to get married is a Tuesday. Suppliers are usually happy to offer reduced rates on days that otherwise wouldn’t be booked.
Consider areas outside London. Couples are now spending over £15,000 (or 77%) more to marry in the capital. So, like other savvy couples, why not consider having your wedding somewhere outside of the capital (both Wales, and Yorkshire and the Humber, are the cheapest regions to get married in)? Plus, not only is a wedding away from your hometown a great way to save money, it increases the feeling of magic, mystery and adventure.
Have a winter wedding. Try to avoid peak wedding season, which is between June and September, when costs are the highest. Costs are lowest in the winter, with January and February being the cheapest months in which to tie the knot (24% less than the UK average). So, if you don’t mind it being cold outside, it could be a great choice. And on the off-chance there’s frost or snow, it’ll give you the opportunity to take unique wedding photos.
It’s also worth bearing in mind that many venues offer discounts and special ‘late availability’ packages in off-peak wedding seasons or to fill a space left by a cancellation. This can make even the most premium ones a far more affordable option if you’re happy with a bit of last-minute planning and organising. A great example is Holdsworth House Hotel, an idyllic wedding venue with 32 bedrooms, charming courtyards and enchanting gardens.
If there’s one thing people remember about weddings, it’s the quality (and quantity) of the food. Whether you go for a four-course breakfast or an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring around-the-world cuisine, food is guaranteed to excite your guests. For that reason, you won’t want to cut corners when it comes to your food, but there are still some creative ways to save money while not compromising on quality. But, with couples spending around £5,700 on wedding catering, it can account for around a quarter of your entire wedding budget.
As we’ve already highlighted, you can slash these costs by cutting the number of guests you invite, as there will be fewer mouths to feed. Your friend’s boyfriend of two months? Sure, you like them, but do you like them enough to pay £62 per head for them to eat a three-course meal? Cutting out a table of eight will save an average of almost £500 on food and drink (as well as saving you in table numbers and stationery). Not to mention that cutting your guest list might also give you the ability to choose a smaller, more affordable wedding venue.
If you’re keen on having a lot of people there, why not invite them to the evening reception? That way, no one will get offended about not being invited, and you’ll save money by not having to feed as many guests at the wedding breakfast. Alternatively, why not skip the expensive wedding breakfast altogether and have a breakfast buffet instead? A buffet drastically reduces costs by only requiring limited staff, plus it offers guests a wider choice.
Many people enjoy a drink or two at a wedding, and the most obvious way to save money is by not offering an open bar. Save over £2,000 by offering a paid bar. This requires your guests to pay for their drinks themselves, and stops everyone from accidentally over-indulging. Plus, guests won’t expect an open bar, with two out of three couples opting to let their guests pay for their own drinks.
Another way to save money is by choosing a more affordable fizz for the toasts. Champagne may be a luxurious choice, but cheaper alternatives like prosecco, sparkling wine or Cava will still go down just as well.
You may also be able to hire your own mobile bar instead of going with what the venue offers. One of our vendors, Near and Far Mobile Bar Ltd, is an excellent option as they set up their mobile bar at the venue, provide staff and bartending service, and offer pre-wedding consultation. Whoever you hire, just make sure they have a license. Or, you could choose to provide your own bubbly. Just bear in mind that the venue may charge a corkage fee. This can sometimes be more expensive than going with what the venue offers.
Below are just a few tips for helping strip those costs right back, while still ensuring you get wonderful professional photographs.
Consider an express package. Instead of having the photographer spend the whole day with you, ask if they offer two or three-hour packages, where they come and take shots of the venue, the bridal party and your close friends and family. Opting for fewer hours is the best way to reduce costs, but does mean forgoing pictures of you cutting the cake and your first dance at the evening reception. Some photographers also provide a second camera person and opting out of this service can significantly lower the cost.
Hire a local photographer. Local photographers will usually charge you far less than those who have to travel far and charge additional fees for those miles. Here at Bridebook, we have a huge range of fantastic photographers, so you’re sure to find one who operates where you’re hosting your wedding.
Go digital. If you forgo professionally printed albums as 9 out of 10 couples now do, you could save £250+. Most modern photography packages include a link to your own online gallery, where you can browse and enjoy all your favourite shots at your leisure. You can then always use a photo-developing service, such as Snapfish, to print your photographs for a fraction of the cost later on.
While the majority of couples choose to have a photographer shoot at their wedding, a third of couples also choose to hire a videographer to document and capture their big day in a candid and natural way, with the costs in line with that of a photographer. If capturing your wedding on video is important to you, there are plenty of ways to save money on a videographer too.
One way to save money on a wedding videographer is by hiring a professional who might not have as much experience as others. An up-and-coming videographer, who is new to the business, will have plenty of enthusiasm and passion, but not quite as much of a portfolio. They may also not have a range of expensive kit, such as drones or 4K cameras, but should still be able to produce a beautiful video for a price that fits within your budget.
You may also be able to save money by asking not to have any complex editing or cinematography, which can add a lot of time to post-production.
One of the expenses that might take you by surprise is the price of your wedding flowers, at an average cost of around £1,100. This is due to florists having to source different flowers, create elaborate artistic displays, and transport them to the venue, which all requires time, dedication, skill and expertise. That being said, there are ways you can save money on wedding flowers which mean you can have a luscious wedding filled with flora while sticking within your budget.
Many wedding florists have years, if not decades, of experience providing flowers for hundreds of weddings. That means they’re equipped to work with any budget – including yours. Speak to your chosen florist, tell them what you’re looking for and trust them. As with all wedding vendors, communication is key.
Here are a few money-saving tips for choosing wedding flowers:
Choose flowers with big heads. Not only do they look gorgeous, but generally, the bigger the flowerhead, the fewer stems you need to fill out an arrangement, which can cost a lot less than having multiple small-headed flowers.
Go for flowers that are in season. While it may be tempting to ask for roses at your spring wedding, they’ll cost a lot more then than they would during late summer or autumn, because they wouldn’t be in season. Choosing flowers that are in season will naturally help keep costs down.
Choose a naturally beautiful venue. Go for an outdoor wedding with plenty of surrounding greenery, so you won’t have to pay for additional decor. Great outdoor venues can include vineyards, parks and private gardens.
Opt for foliage over flowers. Greenery is super popular right now and many couples prefer to go with garlands to adorn their tables or drape over the altar. The best part is, foliage is typically way more affordable.
Wedding decor peppers your personality across your big day, but depending on your theme, the costs can quickly add up. The average cost of professionally sourced wedding decor is £1,500, but there are plenty of ways to save money if you’re willing to compromise, such as by creating DIY decorations or sourcing them from specialist vendors. If you’re happy not to have personalised decorations, you can slash this amount to just a couple hundred pounds. Check out our blog post on how to save money on wedding decor for more inspiration.
Another expense is the cost of marquee hire, which averages around £4,200. This depends on the size and type of marquee you go for, so if you’re not set on either of these, you can make significant savings by having a more basic marquee type. Another way to save money on a wedding marquee is by avoiding peak times, such as Saturdays and/or the summer months, as prices can be much higher during the busiest and most popular periods.
Your wedding cake is most likely the most expensive dessert you’ll ever buy, with the average cost at around £400 – £500. After all, it’s not just hugely symbolic: you’re paying for an edible work of art. Yet just like the cake itself, there are layers to the cost. The larger your wedding party, the bigger the cake will be, and the more expensive it will be too. If you do have a lot of guests, a cake with a less complex or intricate design will help keep costs down. You could also consider a dummy layer that replaces a layer of cake with polystyrene – not as tasty, but generally cheaper (though this isn’t always the case).
Due to the skill and time needed to make them, fondant and sugar flowers will typically cost more, so you can save money by forgoing them where possible. A lovely and cost-effective option (not to mention fashionable) is a naked cake with fresh flowers or fruit. Not only does a naked cake require less buttercream and fewer time-consuming decorations, but it still looks and tastes amazing.
Wedding cupcakes are another cute option and usually cost around £4 per guest; they’re generally easier to make and decorate, look adorable in pictures, and are often cheaper than a showstopping multi-tiered wedding cake.
For entertainment, it ultimately depends on your wedding theme. To keep costs down, consider creating a DIY kid’s table if children are coming to your wedding. A collection of colouring books, crayons and a box of Lego will save you £500+ that you would have to spend on a kids’ entertainer.
When it comes to music, if you’re interested in a live act, unless you want Tylor Swift at your wedding, a solo singer will generally be far more affordable than a band, simply because you’re paying one performer instead of four or five. Similarly, a DJ is often a more budget-friendly option and is almost guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser. You can actually save up to £900 by choosing a DJ over a live band (though a band will offer that unique touch to your evening reception).
Firstly, you can reach out to bridalwear boutiques and ask if they have any upcoming sales or bridal dresses at discounted prices. There’s every chance that in a week or two, there may be a sale that slashes the price of many of their dresses, saving you a bundle. And, it may be an awkward conversation, but asking your bridesmaids to pay for their own dresses could save you £300+.
Most bridal shops sell sample dresses in styles they’re either discontinuing or no longer want to sell at discounted prices. These are dresses you and other brides-to-be try on in the shops, but if you can look past this you can make significant savings. You can also opt for high-fashion brands – ASOS, Chi Chi London and Little Mistress all sell wedding dresses at super affordable prices (just note that these are unlikely to match the quality and service of a bridalwear boutique).
The amount of gorgeous second-hand dresses out there shouldn’t be underestimated, and you can save as much as £750 by finding a vintage or pre-loved dress. Plus, only 5% of brides buy a second-hand dress, which means you won’t face much competition if you opt for something pre-loved.
To save money on a veil, why not have it as your ‘something borrowed’ and ask a family member if you could use theirs? If you’re willing to compromise, you may also have other accessories at home already, including a belt and bowtie, or jewellery and handbag, which may already work with your wedding outfit.
It’s also worth checking the depths of your shoe cupboard to see if you have some shoes that will work. Just remember to give them a polish to make them extra shiny. And remember that, again, you might have to compromise on the exact look and quality you originally envisioned . Check out our dedicated post to discover more ways to save money on wedding accessories.
The thought of walking down the aisle, all eyes on you, is both exciting and probably a little nerve-wracking. But, when you look amazing, it can help you feel confident enough to melt those nerves away. This is one of the many reasons why hiring a professional to take care of your hair and makeup is important to so many brides and, in most cases, totally worth it – that and it’s one less thing for you to worry about on the day. But, with couples spending an average of £690 on hair and makeup (as well as other pre-wedding rituals) cutting costs where possible can be a lifesaver for budget-conscious couples.
The most obvious way to significantly save money on wedding hair and makeup is by biting the bullet and doing it yourself, or asking your bridesmaids to take on the responsibility. This could save you up to £330+, but comes with its own set of risks (which we set out in our article on demystifying bridal beauty costs). If the DIY approach isn’t ideal, you could instead consider hiring a makeup assistant , who won’t be as experienced as a hair or makeup artist but will still have worked closely with one at plenty of weddings.
Another cost-saving option is to travel to your stylist or beautician on the morning of your wedding, rather than having them come to you at your venue. This could potentially halve the amount you spend on beauty. Just note that you won’t get the same level of on-the-day care and attention, including last-minute touch-ups and veil adjustments, which might be stressful).
While not generally quite as pricey as a wedding dress, today’s couples spend an average of £700-900 on suits for their wedding. While a bespoke, tailored suit might be appealing, high-street retailers offer a great range of wedding suits for around £150 if you’re on a tight budget. You may also find a great suit or tuxedo at a local second-hand store or charity shop, but bear in mind you’ll likely need to have it altered to fit you perfectly (which will bump up the costs).
Another option to slash the price of a suit is through renting, which can cost as little as £50 per suit. Plus, if all the groomsmen rent their tuxes or suits from the same place, there’s a good chance the groom’s suit will be free, or at least discounted. And even if this isn’t an advertised offer, it’s always worth asking.
Your wedding ring is the one piece of jewellery you’ll rarely take off, so will be with you through thick and thin – which is why couples spend an average of £1,000 on their wedding rings. However, it is possible to save money on wedding rings by not relying on expensive metals such as gold and platinum, instead opting for something such as silver or titanium, which could lower the cost to as little as £50 per ring (and still be durable over years of wear and tear).
You may also want to seriously think about whether or not you want to choose wedding rings with set diamonds or other precious stones. While it may look incredible, it will be far more expensive than if you were to choose a plain band. Also, the thicker the band is, the more expensive it will be, so consider choosing a band that is on the thinner side to reduce the cost.
With Pinterest full of gorgeous and creative wedding invitation ideas, it’s hard to forgo a beautiful professionally-designed invitation in favour of a less aesthetic amateur one. But, you don’t necessarily have to do that to save money. Choose the invitation style of your dreams and go digital, and give your guests the option to RSVP digitally too. This will massively reduce the cost of your wedding stationery, on which couples spend an average of £400.
Almost a third of today’s couples don’t use paper stationery, such as menus and invitations, so consider joining them! Save money on wedding stationery by using sites like Paperless Post, or design your own beautiful digital invitations to email to your guests and save almost £300. At the wedding, a decorative chalkboard can explain the menu and agenda for the day – beautiful and often cheaper than paper (plus you can box it away as a keepsake post-wedding).
A registry office wedding is already one of the most affordable choices when it comes to a wedding on a budget, costing an average of £1,342. However, it’s possible to save even more money on a registry office wedding if you opt for the basic ceremony only, which means it could cost you as little as £57 (not including the £35 it costs for each of you to give notice).
It can also be cheaper to get married during quieter periods, so make sure you avoid peak times such as Saturday afternoons or the height of summer.
Hiring a wedding planner may sound like another cost you could do without – after all, the average cost of a wedding planner is £2,436, or about 10% of your overall budget. But, wedding planners can actually help you save money in the long run by ensuring you stay within your budget. Not only that, but being in the industry means that wedding planners also have plenty of contacts and connections and can help you land the best deals, discounts and savings as a result, and they’re expert negotiators as well.
One way to save money on a wedding planner is by hiring them to do a partial wedding planning service, which means they come in with a few months to go before your wedding to make sure everything is as it should be. It’s a far more affordable service, but obviously not as thorough as if you were to hire them at the very start of your planning journey.
A wedding celebrant is a wonderful way to personalise your ceremony, particularly if you’re not looking for a religious wedding or you’re a couple with mixed faiths. However, because a celebrant can’t legally marry you, there are further costs due to the need to also hire a registrar. And, with the average cost of a celebrant being £500, this can be an important cost to consider.
To save money on a wedding celebrant, consider compromising on the level of service involved. Ask if they’ll consider not meeting with you ahead of the wedding, and if they’re happy to rely on a questionnaire to personalise your ceremony. Similarly, many celebrants will want to speak to your family and friends about your relationship; cutting out this service may help to lower the price. Just be aware that you may not get as bespoke or thorough a service.
Go down the DIY route. DIY favours can really reduce your costs, and if you’re happy with them not being super personalised, you could get the cost down to less than £1 each.
Consider cheap sweet treats. Edible favours are usually a more budget-friendly choice, such as retro sweets, biscuits, or even homemade jam.
Keep packaging simple and practical. The simpler the design, the more affordable the packaging will generally be.
Donate to a charity. A charity donation made on behalf of your guests allows you to control how much you spend, and makes for a thoughtful and generous gesture.
Depending on your plans, you could spend a good chunk of the first half of your wedding day being driven from A to B to C and back to B again. For that reason, wedding transport can be expensive, with couples spending an average of £700 on the vehicle and driver of their choice.
To save money on wedding transport, consider hiring a venue that allows you to have the ceremony, breakfast, reception and accommodation all in one, so you only need to pay for an hour or so of time. Or, if you know someone with a classic car or something with some oomph under the bonnet, call in a favour in exchange for an invite and a night of free drinks.
Your honeymoon is your chance to relax and unwind after a year or more of full-on wedding planning. The honeymoon is non-negotiable for many couples and is one of the biggest splurges, costing an average of £4,300.
It can be tempting to book your honeymoon early to help you budget, but if you’re flexible with where you’re happy to go, you could grab a bargain by booking a last-minute deal a week or two before your wedding.
But if you have your sights set on somewhere in particular, reduce costs by travelling on off-peak days: Wednesdays and Thursdays are usually the cheapest for international flights. It also goes without saying that during busier times, such as school holidays or the summer months, it’s often expensive to travel. If your wedding is booked on such an occasion, why not postpone your honeymoon by just a couple of weeks and save money by travelling off-peak?
The cost of wedding insurance might feel like an unnecessary expense – as low as £30 for the most basic cover, to £100 -£180 on average, to up to £20,000 – but it can save you thousands down the line in the unlikely event something goes wrong.
You can save money on your wedding insurance by only choosing a basic policy, such as a policy which doesn’t include public liability. If you also forgo a marquee, you won’t need to add a marquee insurance extension to your policy, further bringing the cost right down.
Despite being a specialist type of insurance, comparison sites such as Money Supermarket let you compare quotes from various providers so you can secure the best policy. Just double-check that your chosen insurer includes everything you need and provides you with the right level of coverage.
Spending the ‘right’ amount of money on a wedding gift is something that plagues the mind of many wedding guests, but the cost of a wedding gift can vary dramatically based on several factors, including your relationship with the couple and whether or not you’re in a couple yourself.
But, there are ways to save money on a wedding gift. Why not club together with other guests, turning what would be several smaller gifts into a single larger one?
If the couple has a gift registry, it should include gift suggestions to suit a range of budgets. Don’t buy your gift from the first retailer you find it in – if you shop around you might be able to find a bargain, or at the very least something very similar with a far more affordable price tag.
Plan your dream wedding with Bridebook
There you have our top tips to help you save money on your wedding. For more information, check out our individual savings pages for even more ways to cut down your spending and make your wedding budget go further.
Here at Bridebook, we have thousands of wedding venues and suppliers to suit any budget. Sign up today and start planning your dream wedding!
Once you’ve finalised your Guest List – and we mean finalised, not nearly finalised – it’s time to send it to your venue and your caterers so they can prepare accordingly. We’d tend to advise against sending your Guest List before it’s fully finalised as you’ll end up sending revised version after revised version, and that risks leaving you (as well as your suppliers!) confused.
How Can You Make Sure You Have All This Information?
Well, there’s one easy way to keep track of all this information – it’s your Bridebook’s handy Guest List Tool! You can use it to keep track of your RSVPs, +1s and any extra information like dietary requirements and access needs too.
If you haven’t sent out your invitations yet, make sure to include a clear RSVP deadline. As a rule, set your RSVP deadline at least six weeks before your big day. We also recommend that couples always check with their venue, caterer and other suppliers if they will need confirmation of numbers earlier than this and adjust accordingly.
If you’ve already sent out your invitations and your RSVP deadline is fast approaching (or has even already gone by), don’t be shy! Reach out to any guests who haven’t yet RSVP’d to confirm whether or not they’ll be attending.
With these tricks up your sleeve, you’ll have your Guest List finalised in no time – and then it’s back to the fun stuff! Did someone say cake tasting…?
We know, we know – you don’t even want to think about it! And trust us, we’d much rather focus on the fun stuff too. But it’s got to be done – so let’s talk clear-up.
Who’s Going To Clear Up?
In an ideal world, you and your partner will be involved as little as possible in the clear-up – and if you can, we say delegate! If you’ve booked your wedding as a package (ie. including catering, decorations, etc.), the day after your wedding is likely to be a lot more straightforward as your venue may well take care of almost everything for you. You can also ask your suppliers what they offer in terms of clear-up – florists, for example, will likely come to collect any reusable elements from their displays. But if you’ve gone the DIY route, it’ll be on you. In that case, get your wedding party to take care of as much as possible so you and your partner can enjoy your first days as newlyweds… instead of spending them litter-picking.
How Are They Going To Clear Up?
Once you’ve confirmed who’ll be taking care of the clear-up, make sure they have everything they need. This includes things like bin bags and boxes – but it also includes transport. You’ll almost certainly want to make sure they have access to a car so that anything that needs to be stored elsewhere can be easily removed.
What Needs Clearing Up?
A few days in advance of your wedding, make a list of everything that will need to be cleared up – especially if you’re handing over responsibility for the clear-up to someone else. Start off by thinking about your decor, including decorations, signage, floral arrangements and table decorations. Equipment also falls into this category – sound systems, lighting and so on. Next, if you’ve rented any of your clothing, you’ll want to make sure you know when and where it needs to be returned, and whether it needs to be dry-cleaned in advance. Finally, work out what you’ll do with leftover food and drink.
Where Are You Going To Put It?
Start off by splitting everything into four categories: keep, collect, recycle/donate, bin. If you’ve arranged for your wedding party to take care of the clear-up, make sure to communicate to them what falls into each category. You don’t want keepsakes thrown in the bin – but you also don’t want to come back from your minimoon to find you have to recycle a hundred table settings. If you’d rather do it yourself, a good alternative is to arrange for everything to be temporarily stored somewhere until you have time to deal with it.
Searching tirelessly for the perfect wedding venue near Greater Manchester? Bridebook.co.uk has compiled a list of the top 25 venues in and around the city to help you out! Take a look at these incredible places, or hunt for yourself by viewing all our wedding venues in Manchester.
In the centre of Manchester sits Halle St Peter’s, an incredible grade II listed church that has been recently reformed. High ceilings and original features will impress your guests as they enter this venue – a stunning backdrop for your wedding day.
Wonderful grounds and a chic interior welcome you Ashfield House Hotel. This exclusive venue is the canvas for you to put your own spin on your wedding day, making your biggest dreams become reality!
Dating back to 1421, Chetham’s is made up of medieval buildings with heaps of character. As you say your vows among oak-panelled walls and take photos in the breath-taking library, your wedding day will be immersed in history and charm at this venue.
Fun, quirky and magical are the three words often used to describe this venue. Complete with bails of hay, authentic farm items and llamas and donkeys to pose with during your photos, The Wellbeing Farm has it all.
Amazing Art Nouveau architecture brings class and style to your wedding day in the form of Belle Epoque. Only a short journey away from Manchester, the stunning interiors and Italian glass mosaic floors of this venue are the perfect surroundings for your wedding.
This stunningly epic grade II listed building is completely one of a kind. The Great Nave within The Monastery is filled with history and offers spectacularly majestic surroundings for you and your guests to enjoy.
The Ashes boasts a stone courtyard, 50 acres of lush grounds and original interior brickwork. It’s easy to forget you’re just outside of Manchester when you see the picturesque pond and stunning surroundings of this venue.
Nestled away behind Didsbury Park, this Victorian villa is full of charm. The relaxing atmosphere of it’s gardens will be the perfect setting for you wedding day.
Set in the Peak District just outside of Manchester, Upper House stands tall over tranquil gardens and magnificent woodlands. Steeped in history and with a medieval banqueting hall ready to wow your guests, your wedding will be a success with this hidden gem.
This family-run beauty is nestled within Styal Golf Course and provides the blank canvas for you to work upon with your wedding theme. Styal Lodge uses gorgeous wood panelling and natural light to breathe fresh air into your wedding.
The incredible 15th Century Manor House of Mitton Hall combines historical features and a contemporary feel. Oak panelled rooms make the interior cosy, while adding a touch of class to your wedding.
Step into the limelight in this fabulously unique venue. The art deco glamour of The Plaza auditorium will transform your wedding into an unforgettable event, and you even get your own private film screening with popcorn provided!
Magnificent high ceilings and stunning architecture make Whitworth Hall a truly incredible place to tie the knot. In the heart of Manchester, the gothic grandeur of this building is all you need to stun your guests.
This rustic barn is a charming backdrop for your wedding day. Beautiful beams and natural light give The Oak Tree of Peover a magical and contemporary touch to the Cheshire countryside.
This stately home is truly magnificent venue that shows off beautiful architecture inside and out. The Adlington Hall & Gardens is set within the countryside close to Manchester and boasts incredible interior design. Wow!
The Saddleworth Hotel is a venue full of chic interiors and luxurious features. Based a short drive away from the centre of Manchester, the perfectly preened gardens and spectacular views are the ideal wedding backdrop.
A Medieval-inspired period barn and striking exteriors belong to Sandhole Oak Barn, set in the rolling Cheshire countryside. Say ‘I Do’ in the Oak Clock Tower, and then party the night away in the impressive grounds.
One of the most quirky ideas near Manchester is a wedding day trip with Canal Boat Cruises. The wedding boat ‘Romance’ is transformed into a venue for your special day, and you and your guests can even help to open and close the locks on your journey!
Heaton House Farm is a former dairy farm with sandstone barns and a rustic exterior. As you step inside, style and contemporary chic make a glorious backdrop for your very special day.
A truly unique wedding day can happen in front of your very eyes within The Manchester Museum. You and your guests can walk among the dinosaurs during your wedding for the ultimate step back in time.
The classic and historic decor of Capesthorne Hall will give your wedding day an edge of class. With breath-taking views across the countryside and grand interiors, this venue is the ideal setting when becoming Mr and Mrs!
Owen House Wedding Barn is a bespoke wedding venue dedicated to give you a truly unique wedding experience. The converted barn still has original features and plenty of rustic charm to offer for your photo opportunities!
This spectacular venue is surrounded by acres of woodland and lush greenery to enjoy on your big day. Sparth House Hotel is equipped with luxurious features and a personalised service to help you relax on your wedding day!
If you’re still undecided about your wedding venue or you’re looking elsewhere in the UK, use Bridebook.co.uk’s Wedding Venue Search and type in your preferred location.
Feeling stressed about the plans for your big day? Bridebook.co.uk can help you out and make the planning process much easier. Fill in your guest list, budget and use our wedding checklist to make sure you don’t forget a thing in the lead up to your special day!
Alice and Brad were all smiles at their totally chilled Bridgnorth wedding with amazing garden party reception in Autumn 2016. Rather than hosting a traditional wedding breakfast after the church ceremony, Alice and Brad chose to invite guests back to the family home for a huge garden party and buffet into the night! Music on the day included a performance from Megan Reece, a finalist on The Voice in 2016!
Venue: Marquee at bride’s family home in Bridgnorth, Shropshire
Words from the beautiful bride, Alice, describing the lovely wedding:
“Just full of love, from the ceremony to the amount of people there and the reception back at our family home. Everyone just got on no matter their age or background (people from uni, school, parents friends, grandparents friends, my friends, Brads friends) and had a good time filled with laugher, love and good food, drink and dancing.”
Talented photographer, Nick Brightman, recalls how relaxed and memorable the wedding was:
“One of the most chilled weddings that I’ve been to. After the church wedding all the guests walked back through Bridgnorth High Town for a party at the Bride’s family home complete with performance from a finalist from The Voice!”
Congratulations to Alice & Brad and thank you Nick Brightman Photography for sharing these beautiful images of this relaxed wedding!
Cutting down your wedding guest list can feel like you’re Hercules battling the Hydra – cut one person, and two more grow back in their place! But it has to be done, whether it’s because you need to save a few bucks or because they just! won’t! fit! in your venue. Remember, a bigger guest list means a bigger budget… or choosing between a champagne reception and serving your uncle’s homebrew!
The moment when you and your partner combine lists and discover the number is bigger than you ever imagined is always a dark day. To avoid disappointment for either of you – and the ruthless cull that has to follow – try using our Guest List Tool. It’ll do all the adding up, sorting and tracking, meaning you both stay on top of numbers.
Sadly, as brilliant as our Guest List Tool is, it can’t fight your battles for you. (Not yet, anyway. We wish!) So if you think your other half is being unreasonable (or maybe you just need to get something off your chest!), we’ve got some tips to help you navigate the tricky terrain of the wedding guest list.
“Your parents have a longer list… But they’re not paying as much as mine!”
Straight in at the deep end! We can almost guarantee that both sets of parents will want to invite a long list of their friends, regardless of whether or not you like them…or whether they can pay towards the extra cost. As a rule of thumb, we’d say that if they’re not immediate family or your other half hasn’t seen them in the past ten years, you have a right to question them.
“I don’t want children!” (*pause* “At the wedding, not with you!”)
Now, this is a decision that lots of couples struggle to make personally, never mind between the two of them. But if a child-free wedding is what you want, you should be reassured that you’re not a bad person for requesting this. You’re also not the only one – lots of couples do. Not only is it an easy way to cut costs and numbers (and, dare we say, stress levels), but it might even be more welcome among your guests than you’d expect! After all, it gives parents a proper night off to enjoy themselves.
“You don’t even like your work friends!”
Work friends are tricky. The key question to start with is whether they’re friends your partner happened to make through work…or if they really are work friends. Either way, it’s worth considering that not only can a blanket ban rub your fiancé up the wrong way, it might well make for an awkward office atmosphere for them post-honeymoon. Why not compromise and invite a handful of them to the drinks and dancing, if not the ceremony? That way, everyone’s happy… But you’re still not paying full whack!
“Why are you inviting your ex?”
We’d never want to make assumptions but this can be a ticking time bomb. Now, if you’re one of those lucky few who’s genuinely on good terms with their ex (and importantly, whose partner is on good terms with them too!), more power to you. Invite away! But there are no prizes for inviting an ex out of awkwardness or some kind of weird obligation – so if you don’t have a good reason to (e.g. you’re actually still close friends), we’d give it a miss. Remember, you’ll also be risking a fair few awkward conversations: “So, how do you know the happy couple?” “Oh, erm…” Our advice? Only invite exes in exceptional circumstances.
“It doesn’t feel like our wedding anymore!”
Managing a wedding can feel like a balancing act. Yes, you want the details to be perfect and to keep everyone happy… But you still need to think about the big picture (and vice versa!). This is never more apparent than when you’re putting together your guest list. Sure, maybe those extra six guests from Mum and Dad’s timeshare won’t actually feel like such a big deal on your big day… But if it’s overwhelming you right now, you need to let your parents know.
“Shall we just bloody elope?”
Every couple will have this moment… And you know what, some of you might decide you should! But take a minute and pour another glass of wine before making any hasty decisions. We promise that nine-and-a-half times out of ten, it’ll be worth it in the end!
“We’ll have to not invite some of your family.”
Chances are, one of you will have a significantly larger family than the other. To deal with this, try to assign rough portions of your guest list to each one of you early on so that you both know what you’re working with. You might do this equally and split the list into quarters: one for each of your families and one for each of your extras. Or you might decide to reflect on the size of your respective families: if your partner has a much bigger family than you (but is still close to them!), you could decide to give them a third for their relatives and yourself a quarter. Either way, your boundaries will be a bit more obvious – and so will overstepping them!
“We can’t not invite them – they’ve just got engaged.”
This is where you need to be firm with your decision. Lay down the law and stick to it – avoid any grey areas or sneaky exceptions. For example, many couples have a “No Ring, No Bling” policy, meaning a guest can only bring a plus one if they’re married or engaged. That said, given that many people choose not to marry nowadays, another way to keep your guest list a little leaner is by making decisions based on how long a couple have been together.
“Well, they invited us to their wedding…”
Look. Weddings aren’t tit for tat, and you should never feel obligated to invite someone to yours, just because they invited you to theirs. Planning a wedding is too hard (and too expensive!) for that. This is the bottom line: invite the people you want to spend the best day of your life with… And ideally, no one else!
“We’re treating our friends like they’re numbers!”
Maybe you are, but the reality is that this is what all couples have to do eventually. At one stage or another, you’ll start to feel like all your wedding guests have a pound sign hanging above their heads. Planning a wedding is a balancing act. Inevitably, you start to think about how one less guest means getting back their equivalent in booze, flowers or cake. But before you make any hasty decisions, think about how much that person means to you. This feeling won’t last forever – you’ll forget it as soon as they’re there at your big day. We promise, they’re worth every penny… But if you really don’t feel like they are, then it might be time to make a cut!
“It’s still! Too! Big!”
If you feel like you’ve done everything you can and your guest list is still just too big, it’s time to get pragmatic. Sit down with your partner and split your guest list into the A List and the B List. Sound cruel? Not at all! Many couples even plan ahead and print two sets of RSVP cards with different dates: an earlier date for the A List and a later date for the B List (to be sent out after the A List have said they can’t make it). A word of warning though: try not to let the B List know they’re the B List. Cher might get away with it in ‘Clueless’… But there’s no guarantee that you will too!
Got another guest list dilemma you want solved? Check out our Instagram, TikTok and YouTube channels. We might have already answered your question – and if not, drop us a line in the comments. But we reckon once you’ve sorted out these ones, you’ll be pretty much good to go. Send those invitations out – and once your RSVPs come flooding in, keep track of them with our state-of-the-art Guest List Tool. Then it’s onto budget blow-outs…
Most people think of a wedding as a lavish party with friends and family, centred around a couple in love. For an introvert, however, being the centre of attention can be scary – even on their special day. If you’re an introvert (or marrying one), we’ve put together a few easy tips to follow to ease your stress as you plan your wedding.
Low-Key is Lovely
Some people want loud music, heartfelt speeches, and lots of guests at their wedding. But if you don’t, that is completely ok! A small, intimate event with the most important people in your life is more than fine.
Remember, this is your day. Plan your wedding around your priorities. If you want a small guestlist, go for it! If you want a casual backyard BBQ, fire up the grill. Your happiness (and your spouse’s) is what matters most.
Know Your Strengths (and Weaknesses)
Introverts often feel overwhelmed in social settings, which can make planning a wedding (one big social event) very stressful. But you have innate strengths that can make planning easier than you might have realised.
For example, many introverts are great at making plans and organising. This skill is a godsend when you’re planning a wedding – armed with our wedding planning tools, you can take over the world. With so many elements to keep tabs on, an organised mind can keep everything running smoothly from day one, which everyone will appreciate.
However, don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to other people if they aren’t your cup of tea. Do you hate negotiating? Send your future spouse or a member of the main wedding party to book vendors for you. Not only will this take some stress off you, but playing to the strengths of your family and friends will help your wedding be even better.
Don’t Let Facebook Freak You Out
From the minute you post that engagement ring pic, your social media feed will be flooded with well-wishes, advice, and questions about the day. Seeing the notifications stack up can be overwhelming, but take a breath and you’ll be fine. Remember, you don’t have to reply to every single message. Thank the people who congratulate you, but don’t worry about all the questions and suggestions. They can wait! Also, ask a family member or member of your party to handle your social media on the big day, so you can live in the moment. There’s a time and place for social media, and your wedding day doesn’t need to be it!
Do a First Look
Some brides feel particularly anxious as they walk down the aisle. It doesn’t matter that they’re in a gorgeous dress, heading towards the love of their life. The fact remains that – gulp – all eyes are on them.
One way to alleviate that stress is to have a “first look” with your spouse before the ceremony begins. This private moment between the couple (and occasionally the photographer) can remind both partners what that day is all about: each other. With that in mind, even the most introverted bride can walk down the aisle a little more care-free.
Make Sure There’s “Me Time”
There is no doubt that planning a wedding is stressful. From the day you say “yes” to the day you say “I do”, you’ll be busy with seating charts, invitations, decorations, and a whole lot more. You’ll also be celebrating a lot; bridal showers, engagement parties, and hen dos are all par for the course for a wife-to-be. Somewhat raucous stags are expected for the husbands-to-be, too.
All of this can leave an introvert exhausted. That’s why it is very important that you schedule time to recharge throughout the wedding planning process. In fact, you should even carve out some “me time” on your wedding day, to help calm your nerves and make the day much more enjoyable.
And Remember…
Not every wedding needs to be a huge event. Even the most quiet introverts can have a beautiful, memorable ceremony that they will remember forever – as long as they plan accordingly. If you stick to your guns and plan the wedding that you know will make you happy, you’ll find that everyone else will be happy with you.
Whether you have 2 parental figures at the wedding or 8, all of them will likely have certain expectations and some firm opinions on your big day, and will want to play a part in it. This can be one of the most challenging aspects of planning your wedding, as juggling the desires of so many people you hold so dearly can be really tough. It is natural to be strongly affected by it, especially if you are relying on their support (both emotionally and financially) to make the wedding happen. When your W-Day is looking set to be more like D-Day, it takes some of the fun away from the process – so here are our 5 Tips for Managing Your Parents’ Expectations.
Plan with your partner first before anyone else
First and foremost, remember that it’s your day, so it’s imperative that you and your partner talk about what the most important (and realistic) aspects of your wedding are from the outset, and then keep tracking of them with our wedding planning tools. All the way through, keep why you’re doing it in mind, and why it’s all worth it.
Involve your parents in the planning
Traditionally, the bride’s parents paid for and hosted the wedding, whilst the groom’s did a lot of prep and liaison, but times are changing and many couples would rather do it themselves. However, parents would still love to be involved somehow, and it can be done suitably: by visibly taking their considerations on board (though not necessarily putting them into action), and taking the time to understand one another and explain the decision you come to. Try and discuss this with your partner first to predict what your parents may be keen on.
Take accountability for your parents
When relationships get really strained, it usually helps to manage your own parent’s expectations, and let your partner deal with theirs. This allows conversations to be held with much more honesty and authenticity, rather than the veiled politeness you may feel you owe your partner’s parents. Also, remember that every relationship is different: your partner’s relationship with their parents is likely to be different to your relationships with yours, so one solution may not fit all. Be supportive of your partner throughout, and they’ll be supportive of you too.
Prepare for telling them how you feel
Relatedly, steel yourself for the potential for some tough love if needed. You may be an adult, but in your parent’s eyes you’ll always be seen as their baby – especially in the run-up to a wedding! However, this doesn’t mean they can take over the planning, and you should prepare yourself to have to tell them that. It’s not necessarily a comfortable conversation to have, but at this point, your parents will hopefully remember you’re a fabulous full-grown human in your own right (thanks to them, mostly) and can make decisions for yourself.
Remember they have your best interest at heart
Although the key thing is that you both get your dream day, it’s good to remember that that’s all your parents are aiming for too, albeit in a considerably different way sometimes! A nice way of publicly showing you realise how much they care is in the speeches – if you’ve had a rough time dealing with parents’ expectations in the lead up, then acknowledging how grateful you are for everything they’ve done in the reception speech can be a lovely way to draw a line under it. Alternatively, make a joke out of it if you think it will go down well!
Ultimately they want you to have the most amazing day of your life, but if they can have a great day too….well, that would also be lovely. Weddings are crazy, heady, emotional times for everyone, but at the root of it all, it’s all about celebrating you two and your life together – sometimes those involved just need a nudge in remembering that. Now for the fun bits – the cake tasting and the champagne drinking…
Bridebook.co.uk, the UK’s leading wedding planning website and app, has broken down the final costs of Pippa Middleton’s wedding. Whilst the average UK wedding costs £16,842 in 2017, Pippa Middleton’s wedding cost almost 44 times as much at £736,706 ($946,961 USD, €844,780 EUR)
The high price tag of the 17-hour spectacular was due to having one glass palace, two venues, two receptions, two dresses, three wedding cars, two photographers, two videographers, three florists, but fortunately the couple have two multi-millionaire sets of parents who could help cover the cost.
The porta-palace glass marquee is believed to be the most expensive marquee available in Europe, costing £250,000, with the air-conditioning estimated to have cost £50,000 and the blossom trees to decorate it costing £31,500 on top.
Bridebook.co.uk, who work with over 70,000 businesses in British wedding industry, and have over 40,000 couples planning their weddings on the Bridebook wedding planning app, have broken down the costs:
Being hosted at the Middleton’s family home and with over 350 guests expected, a super-sized luxury marquee was needed. Whilst a luxury 350-person marquee will start at £25,000, Pippa’s porta-palace was a completely different league and the most expensive marquee option you can hire. The marquee required a huge reinforced structure for it to sit upon, plus two additional supersized marquees, and road tracking. On top of this, from talking to leading specialists, the glass marquee would have required huge generators to power extensive air-conditioners to stop the glass house overheating and this is expected to have cost £50,000 on the air conditioning alone. This marquee is only available from Belgian company PBI, whose team would have transported the marquee from Belgium, adding significantly to the cost. The effect of Brexit will have meant the weak pound will have likely added £30,000 to the marquee bill alone.
Bucklebury Manor – Free
The evening reception was held at Bucklebury Manor – the stunning home of Pippa’s parents, overlooking rolling fields and British countryside, so fortunately had no charge, but will likely need some time for their croquet lawn to recover.
Luxury Toilets – £4,000
The highest quality mobile toilets from top providers will cost £4000 to cater for 350 guests.
Church – £456
Pippa and James will have paid the church their marriage fees, but whilst this is the most important part of the marriage, it had the smallest price tag of all.
Englefield House – £20,000
To hire a luxury country house will cost around £20,000 for two-days over a summer weekend, including Friday night accommodation, where Pippa stayed, plus an evening dinner, plus the Saturday wedding reception.
Ceremony Catering – £14,000
During the 2-hour wedding reception, the 150 guests would be expected to eat 5-canapes hour per hour. These 1500 luxury canapes alone would cost around £6000 , but with serving staff, linen, crockery, chefs and decoration on top, the likely cost was £14,000.
Ceremony Drinks – £6,750
Guests would be expected to drink 2-glasses of champagne per hour. This equates to 50 magnums of Ruinart Blanc de Blanc at £120 per magnum, which was the champagne of choice, so £6,000, plus some soft cocktails on top.
Evening Catering – £80,000
The luxury caterers Top Table, would charge over £170 per guest for catering including all food, chefs and staffing, glassware and crockery hire, and linen hire. With it being a marquee wedding, an extra level of staffing would have been required to look after the 350 guests ,than at a venue, so it will likely be around £200 per guest. The evening food stations of hand carved serrano hams and parmesan, would be add an additional cost on top.
Evening Drinks – £31,475
Around 233 bottle of champagne will have been drunk by the guests during the evening drinks reception and speeches. Nyetimber 2010 Blanc de Noir Millington was said to be served, at £75 per bottle, costing around £17,475. On top of which fine wines for the dinner (around 200 bottles), and cocktails until 4am to be added.
Dress – £38,000
Giles Deacon designed Pippa’s bespoke designer dress. Giles previously designed Abby Clancy’s stunning wedding dress for her marriage to England footballer Peter Crouch which cost £10,000. Top London couture designers estimate the dress would have cost £38,000.
Church Floristry – £5,000
With the overflowing flower arch of the church, the huge displays at the church entrance, and every pillar and pew bursting with flowers within the church, luxury florist Lavender Green Flowers’ bill for this will likely have hit the £10,000 mark.
Engelfield House Floristry – £5,000
Lavender Green Flowers also decorated Engelfield House for the reception. The likelihood of the church flowers ‘look’ being carried through is high, so this will likely have added on another £6,000.
Marquee Floristry – £32,000
Pippa’s second luxury florist of the day, Djordje Varda was flown in from St Barths to work with yet another celebrity florist, Rob Van Helden, to bring the 350ft glass palace to life.
The Middleton family paid for the wedding and ceremony whilst the Matthews family paid for the evening reception, hence the different florists and teams. Each of the 35 table centres were filled with perfect blooms as was the rest of the marquee, Bridebook.co.uk luxury suppliers expect £32,000 would have been spent on the marquee floristry by these top florists, not including the blossom trees….
Blossom Tree Hire – £31,500
The focal feature of Pippa’s stunning evening reception was her blossom trees filling the height of the marquee. Most likely hired from London-based luxury greenery hire company Palmbrokers, each 5-metre blossom tree costs £900 to hire. With 35 tables, on trees alone that is £31,500
Photography – £9,000
Dorset-based Millie Pilkington was the wedding photographer as Bridebook.co.uk was first to predict. Millie was the private wedding photographer for the William and Kate’s wedding also. Just like Pippa had two venues, she also had two photographers with luxury wedding photographer Matt Porteus also shooting the day. A top wedding photographer, including a gorgeous album, will cost around £3,500, but with additional photographers to cover 350 guests and two venues and very long day, it could likely be even more.
Videography – £10,000
Just like Pippa has two photographers, Bridebook.co.uk can reveal she also had two videographers, James O’Garra of Jim & Tonic Films and an award-winning German filmmaker and director Patrick Gather. Keep your eyes peeled in this years Oscars for this high-budget production.
Cake – £2,600
A stunningly-decorated cake from a top cake maker will start from £2,600 and need to be six-tiers to give a slice to each of the 350 guests. The cakemaker is thought to London-based Domino Purchas.
Stationery – £5,125
From Save-the-dates, to the full invitation, to the Order of Service, to menus, and don’t forget the stamps! Stationery from a top stationer will cost around £11 per invitation alone, such as Mount Street Printers who are rumoured to be the chosen wedding stationer. Luckily they saved on design costs as a drawing by the Duchess of Cambridge was used on the Order of Service.
Music – £8,750
From bells ringers and the organist, to Jazz trio for the ceremony reception at Englefield House, to acoustic musicians for the evening reception, to the wedding band, to DJ and saxophonist for the party, Pippa has it all. A top London 5-piece wedding band will cost over £3,000 with everyone else on top.
Veil – £2,000
Celebrity milliner Stephen Jones designed Pippa’s stunning bespoke veil which likely cost £2,000.
Tiara – £4,000
Pippa wore her earrings from being Maid of Honour at Kate’s wedding, and accessorised with a diamond Maidenhair fern tiara by Robinson Pelham estimated at £4,000
Hair and Makeup – £1,700
Pippa had a top team on hand to ensure she was looking absolutely radiant. Celebrity hair stylist Pol Garcia did her hair. Hannah Martin of Bobbi Brown, who also did Kate’s wedding makeup for the Royal Wedding, is rumoured to have done her makeup.
Wedding shoes – £2,000
Pippa wore a Manolo Blahnik pump, in an ivory satin with bespoke pearl detailing which cost £2,000.
Wedding Rings – £1,600
Their wedding rings are said to be from Robinson Pelham. Both James and Pippa opted for simple gold bands, more understated than expected, but following suit of the Queen and the Duchess of Cambridge, which will have costed around £800 each.
Page Boys Outfits – £2,400
With Prince George was centre stage in his Pepa&Co bespoke outfit along with his 3 fellow page boys. The catalogue items are £350 each, so for fully bespoke they were likely £600 each.
Bridesmaids Outfits – £2,400
The average number of bridesmaids a bride has is 3.4 in the UK, so Pippa’s three mini-bridesmaids, including Princess Charlotte, were perfect. The Pepa&Co catalogue items are £520 each, so for fully bespoke they were likely £800 each.
Groomswear – £9,050
Dashing James Matthews wore a bespoke tailor made tailcoat, waistcoat and trousers. A bespoke tailcoat from a top tailor will cost around £4400 alone. His Edward Green shoes were £900. A new tailored dinner jacket and trousers for the black-tie evening reception would have cost another £3000 from a top tailor.
Second Dress – £6,000
With two venues, two photographers, two videographers and two wedding cars, of course Pippa had to have two dresses. Believed to have also been a Giles Deacon creation estimated at £6,000.
Wedding Favours – Free
Pippa’s brother James came to the rescue with 350 custom marshmallows from his company Boomf. We hope he didn’t charge for them.
Church & Reception Production – £6,000
With screens and speakers in the church, as well as production for Englefield House, including a platform built for Michael Middleton’s father of the bride speech, production would have likely be £6,000 between both.
Evening Production – £20,000
The Matthew’s family flew in their production team from St Barths along with London experts Starlight, whose incredible lighting and production could be seen miles away across the valley.
Wedding Transport – £7,400
With a vintage Jaguar for the bride to arrive with her father, and another for the pageboys and bridesmaids, each would cost around £1200. The Jaguar E-type, which is the oldest surviving of its type, would have likely cost £5,000 for such an incredibly rare car.
Entertainment – £11,500
From a spitfire flyby (£4000), projections mapped of the the happy couple on top the family home (£5000), a photobooth (£1500) and table tennis (£1000), the guests had plenty to amuse themselves with.
Guest transport – £45,000
Guests were transported in 50 Range Rovers. A full-day hire with security vetted chaffeurs will have cost around £900 each.
Private Security – £30,000
With royal guests, Hollywood stars, and sporting legends, security at the event was extremely tight. Whilst much of the security would have been provided by the police at no charge due to the Royal guests, an additional £30,000 of private security is estimated to have been on hand.
Total: £736,706 ($946,961 USD, €844,780 EUR)
Hamish Shephard, founder of Bridebook.co.uk, says:
“Weddings have become increasingly lavish over recent years mainly due to couples getting married when they are older, and hence being able to spend more, and social media raising everyone’s expectations of a wedding. Couples don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands to have an incredible day, today’s savvy couples find ways to save on average £10,147 on their big day so get very happily married without breaking the bank. With the month of May being outside the expensive peak summer wedding months, even Pippa and James will have likely had some discounts from their suppliers. ”
“Traditionally the bride’s parents would pay for the whole wedding, however this is only the case in 23% of weddings now, so it is likely both the couple themselves and the groom’s parents are contributing, so Carole and Michael Middleton likely won’t have been lumped with the whole bill.”
“If you are fortunate to have a large budget, what better way to spend it than celebrating finding the love of your life with your closest friends and family around you.”
“Endless inspiration and ubiquitous luxury have caused expectations to rise and made aspirations increasingly obtainable, which all lead to weddings becoming increasingly expensive. Whether you dream of an Italian silk dress from a top designer, or a ginormous glass marquee, if you can dream it, you can now have it, but sadly you (or your generous parents) will have to pay for it too.”
“It’s not only the couple who spent a lot, the guests likely spent a total of £67,485 to attend too. According to our latest Bridebook.co.uk survey, the average cost of a couple attending a wedding this summer is £385.63 (including gifts, accommodation, transport and fashion) and with Royal guests it was likely far higher for this wedding too.”
Although the Middleton wedding exceeds six figures, the other 4333 brides tying the knot that same day are likely to be spending substantially less. In comparison, the Bridebook.co.uk Wedding Report 2017 found the average costs for a UK wedding to be as follows:
Bridebook.co.uk is the UK’s leading wedding planning platform with over 40,000 couples currently planning their weddings on the website and app.
Launched in 2016, Bridebook.co.uk‘s state-of-the-art wedding planning toolkit with personalised Wedding Checklist, Wedding Budgeter and Wedding Guestlist Manager, enables couples to plan their entire wedding from any device, anytime, anywhere, all in one place…for free. With over 70,000 wedding venues and suppliers in its directory, Bridebook.co.uk increases the digital presence of industry professionals and connects them directly with local couples. Bridebook.co.uk has also partnered with leading experts such as Mary Berry, Bobbi Brown and Jimmy Choo to provide genuine expert advice and inspiration to its couples. Bridebook.co.uk was founded by Hamish Shephard, an industry professional and recently married groom who used Bridebook.co.uk to plan his own May 2016 wedding. Visit Bridebook.co.uk online and the Bridebook.co.uk App on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.
Are you dreaming of a beautiful barn wedding in South West England? Then go no further! Barns are spacious, versatile and offer heaps of character and charm to your special day. There are so many incredible barn wedding venues across the whole of the UK, but here are our top 29 barns based in Devon, Somerset, Dorset and even more that we’ve fallen in love with!
If you’re after a stunning barn to tie the knot in your area, use Bridebook.co.uk’s Wedding Venue Search, and choose ‘Barn’ in the filters. Happy planning!
Trenderway Farm is a Grade II listed farmhouse and restored barns based in the lush countryside of Cornwall. With beautiful oak beams and an original stone interior, this venue has lots of character to add to your magical day.
Within rural countryside sits Cripps Barn, a real gem of the Cotswolds. High stone walls and classic features such as the open fireplace and flagstone floors give this venue an incredibly romantic feeling for your special moment.
Offering a quaint Barn and stunning country views, The Barn at Cott Farm is a perfect spot to host your wedding. This spacious country wedding venue even gives you the option of having your ceremony outdoors! How perfect.
The Tithe Barn within the Symondsbury Estate is a 14th Century English barn in a tranquil village in Dorset. Glass entrances, stone floors and exposed oak beams give the venue interior a really elegant vibe for when you tie the knot!
Somerset’s no.1 wedding venue comes in the form of Quantock Lakes. With 200 acres of grounds and picturesque waterside views, the location of the newly-built Quantock Barn couldn’t get any better. Natural light and exposed wood beams make this barn a stunner!
The Great Tythe Barn, with its highly versatile space and lush lawns right outside, makes the ideal backdrop for any barn wedding. For a quaint ceremony or a lively reception party, this venue can handle it all!
Nestled in the Cotswolds, Hyde House & Barn offers a blank canvas for you to draw upon your creativity. The sleek-looking interior and elegant exterior of this venue allows you to put your own stamp on your wedding day.
The airy feel of Winkworth Farm makes it stand out from other barn venues. Natural light floods in, restored stone walls surround the space, and you can focus on having the party of a lifetime. What’s more, your guests can spill out onto the gardens and many acres of farmland.
Including an original farmhouse, threshing barn and organic farmland of 65 acres, River Cottage HQ totally suits a barn or country theme! Let your guests explore the land and relax in the yurt, while you host a celebration to remember!
The Dorset countryside wherein The Victorian Barn stands is the idyllic location for the best day of your life. The high ceilings and brick doorways give this venue just enough character for your wedding day without stealing the limelight from the Bride and Groom!
37 acres of countryside just south of Bath lies the 16th Century Barns at Wick Farm. Based on a farm with livestock and a duck pond, these 2 adjoining barns offer gorgeous stone walls and wooden beams that will set the most romantic tone to your wedding.
Nestled in the heart of Somerset and 200 acres of countryside, Huntstile Organic Farm is a 15th Century farmhouse with attached dining marquee. With a choice of ceremony rooms and even pet pigs on site, this unique farm is what dreams are made of!
Within Dartmoor National Park, Monks Withecombe brings sunny courtyards, stunning gardens, and several rooms to host your wedding celebrations. From intimate ceremony spaces to the meadows that can be filled with a marquee and hundreds of guests. Time for a barn dance!
Acres of lush countryside surrounds The Barn at Barons Hill Farm, where spectacular views can be seen. Rustic on the outside, yet contemporary on the inside, this venue is ideal for making your dreams come true.
This superbly unique and eco-friendly venue oozes rustic charm from every inch. Eggbeer Farm is a versatile space, perfect for holding weddings, and the barn is a stunning area for your themed celebrations!
Based right on the edge of a picturesque Devonshire lake, the barn of Duvale Priory offers a spectacular place to host your wedding celebrations. With lush green surroundings and idyllic views, no fairytale wedding would be complete without this location!
400 acres of land and a stunning thatched exterior welcome you to Middle Coombe Farm. The high-ceilings and magical vibe of the Cider Barn interior is sure to make your celebration special, while the exclusive use of the woodlands would be an incredible backdrop for your wedding photos!
As a distinctive 17th Century boutique building, The Manor Barn is undoubtedly breathtaking. It’s a traditional brick and flint stone barn with vintage gardens and is restored with a contemporary feel. Sat right on the doorstep of Stonehenge Heritage site, this venue is a real rustic retreat.
With iron chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and farm tools covering the stone walls, this venue is incredibly memorable. Kingston Country Courtyard has tons of character, ample outdoor space, and even it’s own wishing well. Let the party begin!
The elegance of the Georgian house and the country charm of the Mill barn come together to create the ultimate wedding venue, Launcells Barton. Original features shine through on the interior and exterior of this wonderful site, and views of the Cornish countryside give you all you need for your barn wedding.
Set on a farm amid the rolling countryside of the Cotswolds,Oxleaze Barnis a classic venue with lots of rustic charm to build your own bespoke wedding theme. The barn has been beautifully restored to reflect the earthy goodness and beauty of its surroundings, with exposed beams and stonework, an open fireplace and wide doorway that opens onto a private courtyard and garden.
Sat in a beautiful valley just down the road from Exeter, The Great Barn is a simply stunning wedding venue inside and out. Known as the “thatched cathedral”, the high ceilings and restored beams of this building offer plenty of space and inspiration for your barn wedding.
Nestled in the Gloucestershire countryside, Cripps Stone Barn is a gem of South West England. Gorgeous stone work will surround you and your guests as you celebrate your big day, while the rustic metal exterior makes a brilliant backdrop for photo opportunities. What more could you want?
400 acres of Wiltshire countryside is home to a working farm and the relaxed feel of Rye Hill Barn. Plenty of natural light and exposed wooden beams will make you feel at home in this lovely barn setting.
The spacious feel to Lower Stockbridge Barn in the Dorset countryside makes this venue truly unique. Everything from the magnificent exterior to the exposed wooden panelling inside set it apart from other barns and will add a very special backdrop to your wedding day.
Only a few miles from the Cornish coast, this barn is based on a working farm. With original wood features and a contemporary restoration inside, the world is your oyster at Nancarrow Farm!
Nestled within the Devonshire countryside, Forginwell Vineyard is an idyllic wedding setting. With plenty of outdoor spaces to entertain guests and distinctive vintage items around the site, your barn wedding will be unforgettable.
In the heart of Devon lies The Corn Barn, a wonderfully converted barn ideal for a wedding. Following through the building is a theme of tasteful exposed brickwork, and wooden beams give a rustic edge to this venue.
With a 6000-year history and having been built on the site of an Iron Age stone circle, Crasken Eco Centre is a mysterious and enchanting backdrop for your wedding. Surrounded by wonderful courtyards and green gardens, this barn is definitely not one to forget!
If you’re still struggling to find the perfect venue near you, try our Wedding Venue Search – and you may just stumble across the one. Bridebook.co.uk can also help you with all your other planning worries, such as suppliers, your personalised wedding checklist, and that all important budget!
Still looking for wedding venues in the UK? Here’s some inspiration to get you started:
Deciding what you’re wearing on your wedding day is hard enough – let alone deciding what everyone else will wear! But even though we can’t promise it’ll be totally smooth sailing, these three questions will get you and your bridesmaids well on your way to your dream dresses.
1. What Colour Will Fit With My Wedding Theme?
If you’ve already decided on a wedding theme (and we highly recommend you do), you’ll have a much easier time of it when it comes to picking out your bridesmaids dresses. Even picking out two or three colours will help narrow down your options – or knowing whether you’re going for something more casual or formal. On the other hand, you could start off by thinking about the time of year. If you’re having a winter wedding, for example, you’ll probably be discounting anything that gives you “sundress” vibes. On the other hand, you’re unlikely to want to go for dresses using velvets or furs in the height of summer.
2. What Suits My Bridesmaids?
Okay, so colour’s sorted – now what kind of style? This is when you’ll want to spend some time thinking about your bridesmaids and what suits them. The same dress is unlikely to look as good on your tallest friend as on your shortest. In our opinion, the easiest thing to do is to let your bridesmaids pick out their own dresses – with guidelines, of course! That way, your 5’10 sister can stun in a silk slip dress – but your pint-sized bestie still looks super cute in their A-line minidress. If you definitely want all your bridesmaids to wear the same dress, look for a “compromise dress” that looks just about okay on everyone. What you want to avoid at all costs is choosing a dress that looks spectacular on one of your bridesmaids – but terrible on everyone else.
3. Do Your Bridesmaids Like It?
At the end of the day, it’s your wedding – but your bridesmaids are some of the most important people in your life, so you want to be sure they’re happy wearing whatever you’ve picked out. Ideally, make a day of it and take all your bridesmaids on a shopping trip. At the very least, though, send them a link to the dress you’ve chosen before you commit to buying it. After all, you want everyone smiling in the photos!
It felt like the whole world was watching Pippa’s big day, with brides-to-be in particular keeping their eyes peeled for any extra inspiration. Thankfully, Bridebook.co.uk, the UK’s leading wedding planning app and website, has done all the leg work and compiled all of the new trends Pippa has set into motion in the wedding world with her big do. Whatever your budget or wedding style, you might just find something you’d like to re-create for your own big day.
The main trend from Pippa’s wedding is the embracing of traditions. From the choice of flowers and church location, to the outfits of the pageboys and bridesmaids and the wedding transport, to the design of her own dress and bouquet, Pippa’s wedding will have likely started a renaissance for tradition in weddings.
Wedding Dress Trends:
Tradition is the trend here. Gone are the days of strapless dresses and nude mesh cutouts. Instead, we’re seeing a shift to embracing the history and tradition of styles that are timelessly classical such as Pippa’s high neck, cap sleeves, chapel length train, and heavy embroidery. Want to re-create the look? Discover wedding designers and boutiques near you.
Mini-bridesmaids:
Pippa opted to have just children in her bridal party for the Church ceremony, as opposed to her adult friends. This is sure to become a more popular trend especially for brides who have too many close friends to choose from or would like to avoid the politics and save money by not paying for bridesmaids dresses and makeup. Plus, they look positively adorable!
Glass Marquees
The infamous glass marquee, costing a whopping £110,000, is going to set the trend of glass marquees like wildfire. You’ll be seeing couples leaving behind the boxy and restricting canvas marquee feel, and instead opt for the glamorous ‘greenhouse effect’. Track down your UK glass marquee today!
“Unplugged” Weddings
Just as we saw a spike in ‘plugged in’ weddings complete with wedding hashtags and live Instagram feed displays, we are sure to see couples return to the more authentic experience, including social media bans and no photos allowed, as was sure to be the case throughout Pippa’s day.
Wedding Flower Trends
Another ‘back to tradition’ trend here. Floral trends have been leaning heavily on bright, diverse and exotic combinations of flowers in the recent years, however Pippa’s choice of going traditional with a focus on pale pink English roses is an indication of a shift in preference for organic and natural flower choices. Pick your wedding florist from the best of Britain on Bridebook!
Two Venue Weddings
Pippa chose to split her big day into a two tier event, the more formal and traditional morning ceremony followed by the big bang of a party in the evening. As couples get married later in life and struggle juggling the expectations of the older generations with the party expectations of their friends, this is a structure that is sure to become more and more popular. Plus who doesn’t love browsing gorgeous wedding venues?
Black-tie Receptions
Usually associated with big American weddings, the black-tie evening event is experiencing a resurgence, just like we saw for Pippa’s evening event in the glass marquee. A great way to add that extra dose of celebration to your evening.
Two Dresses
Just like two part weddings are becoming a trend, so are two dresses! A formal more traditional gown for the morning ceremony, and then a more relaxed cut in the evening. Not only is this practical (no trains or big skirts to deal with during the dancing), it also adds that extra level of theatrical oomph as the bride reveals her second outfit.
Unique Entertainment
Whilst everyone loves a good magician, expect to see couples trying to get more creative and unique with their wedding entertainment (even if it’s not quite a Spitfire flyby).
May Weddings
Summer months have long reigned supreme for weddings, but we’re glad to see the appreciation for spring months increasing. While you may have to risk wet weather, the advantages are boundless. From fewer conflicting occasions, the gorgeous colours of British springtime, and the exciting energy that comes with the run up to summer, we’re happy to see May getting the attention it deserves.
Transport
Vintage is back in style! Pippa’s vintage Jaguar was a showstopper in itself, and much more classical looking than the newer luxury white sedans that have been popular as of late. Besides, when else would you have the excuse to ride in a gorgeous vintage car?
Exotic Guest Hats
Previously reserved for Ascot, expect guests to go big on hats! Not only does it make the congregation look fabulous as the Church is filled with different colours and shapes, it’s also an extra bit of excitement and fun for the guests. We’re hoping to see some more feathers in particularly, as one of Pippa’s guests so perfectly demonstrated.
Heirlooms
Pippa wore the same earrings on her wedding day as she did when she was Kate’s bridesmaid in 2011. We all know the ‘something old’ requirement, but tying in objects that have familial meaning and that can be passed on to your children on their wedding day adds that special touch.
Mix-matched Groomsmen Wear
Whilst the Middleton and Matthews men stayed very traditional with their tails, tie pins, and double breasted waist coats, they injected it with what is sure to become a popular trend. Balancing the traditional morning suits with pops of contrasting colours such as orange ties and baby blue satin waistcoats, with different groomsmen wearing different colours.
Family Involvement
More and more couples are embracing multi-generational family involvement in their big days. While there is a draw to involve your uni friends, there is a traditional and loving quality of opting to build your wedding party from family alone. Whether it’s your sister as Maid of Honour, or your adorable 5 year old second cousin, it’s good to keep it in the family!
Planning your wedding?
While all these trends are undoubtedly wonderful and very welcome, it can be easy to assume it would be too pricey or stressful to try and re-create for yourself. But fear not! Bridebook.co.uk, the UK’s #1 wedding planning app and website, have all of the wedding planning tools you need to ensure you can plan your wedding without the stress, and without the price tag!
Searching for that perfect venue ideal for your summer wedding? Bridebook.co.uk have done the hard work for you by listing the top 100 best wedding venues for the summer! These are the best of the best – and they suit sunny weddings down to the T.
If you want to look more locally for your dream venue, there’s always our huge Wedding Venue Search, with every venue you could possibly think of. You’re welcome!
The stunning manor house of Fennes set in the countryside of Essex is home to breath-taking gardens, perfect for hosting a summer ceremony. The bridge over the lake makes for incredible photo opportunities!
The shabby-chic style of East Quay Venue is perfect for a summer seaside theme. With a shingle beach and beach huts right on its doorstep, this makes it one of the best wedding venues in the UK!
The Granary Estates offer two incredible barns with a central private courtyard, this is one of the best wedding venues on the list, and it’s ideal for hosting a summer outdoor wedding reception.
As a former dairy farm, Heaton House Farm is home to rustic sandstone barns and infinite rural views, making it a brilliant setting for an outdoor ceremony. If a farm sounds like the perfect place to get married, check out 20 farm wedding venues we’ve put together for you!
Hengrave Hall is a stunning Tudor mansion in the Suffolk countryside and is a gem of the area’s medieval history. If you dream of a castle wedding on a summer night, this is the venue for you.
An outdoor wedding ceremony wouldn’t be complete without the backdrop of Tudor venue Leez Priory. 40 acres of parkland will ensure you have stunning surroundings on your special day.
While we’re on the theme of castles, this one is hidden in an enchanted forest. If you’ve always had the idea of a summer fairytale venue, check out these UK castle wedding venues!
This grand castle is fit for a King and Queen, with spectacular views across the Kent countryside. Feel on top of the world with a sunny wedding at Lympne Castle!
Heaps of character, history and warmth come with award-winning venue Iscoyd Park. The beautiful grounds are ideal for summer games and outdoor entertainment to charm your loved ones. Certainly one of the best wedding venues in the UK.
This white Palladian mansion boasts a 19th Century chapel and 40 acres of grassy surroundings, making Beaumont Estate perfect for your summer celebrations.
Set on 6 acres of meadows, High House showcases itself to be a striking summer wedding venue. With a Monet-inspired bridge over the pond, your wedding photos will look impressive!
The 750-year-old Elmore Court overlooks the Cotswolds and the River Severn, making it a great location to host a grand wedding. Elemore Court is a Grade 2 listed mansion house Elmore Court is a place of fun and maximum celebration. With an estate which is now rewilding and a wild swimming lake you could stretch your celebration over a weekend of festivities. Your summer wedding could take place in the walled garden, on the lawn, in the beautiful house or church nearby. Then let the party continue late into the night in the sound proof ‘future rustic’ Gillyflower, finishing round the fire pit in the meadow and back to the house for a night cap and a beautiful bed.
The beautiful country house comes complete with exquisite decor and high ceilings to make your special day feel like a dream. With Warwick House, you can dream away!
Flagstone floors, an open fireplace and heaps of character encompass Cripps Barn. With fire pits and sunny gardens, this is the ideal venue for the ultimate summer wedding.
Kilminorth Cottages is a beautiful wedding venue completely surrounded by countryside. So romantic! If you can picture yourself getting married in a setting like this, check out these 20 beautiful barn wedding venues!
A stunning red brick Tudor courtyard is the grand entrance to Fulham Place, a beautiful country house with lovely surroundings. You’ll forget you’re in London if you host your summer wedding here!
Dodmoor House is an award-winning grade II listed barn venue with four acres of grounds and a rustic courtyard, perfect for a breezy wedding celebration.
As a restored stone barn, the light and airy space of Winkworth Farm offers an ideal location for a wedding in the summer months – not to mention the 200 acres of organic pastureland!
On the edge of The New Forest National Park, The Old Vicarage is a country house and versatile outdoor space, which would be the ultimate venue for wedding garden games.
With a boutique interior and Georgian features, Nonsuch Mansion is excellent for an outdoor wedding – and you’d half expect to see something similar in a Disney movie!
Woodhill Hall is a truly unique venue full of character. With quirky outdoor features and stylish bedrooms, this location is perfect for a totally bespoke wedding.
If you’re after a venue that’s rich in glamour and luxury, The Kings Oak Hotel may just be the one. Set in Epping Forest, the gorgeous building and outdoor pool are perfect for partying on a summer night.
The 17th Century Queen Anne style Mansion House of Highfield Park stands elegantly among 35 acres of countryside and stunningly polished gardens. A perfect venue for a regal outdoor wedding.
Stunning grounds surround the immensely grand Clevedon Hall. With lake views and rural landscapes, this venue makes a great choice for a wedding in the summer months.
The wonderfully rustic yet romantic feel of Stratton Court Barn is ideal for your bespoke wedding theme. Party into the night with plenty of space on the barn grounds!
The 17th Century manor house Greenwoods Hotel & Spa is set in dazzling extensive grounds, ideal for a picture perfect wedding day. Choose to get married in the summer under the pretty gazebo and you’ll create a memory that will never be forgotten!
The 400-year-old barn of Lyde Court is a beautifully preserved venue. With a quirky interior and versatile outdoor space, this is a unique location to help your dreams to come true.
In the rolling Cheshire countryside sits Sandhole Oak Barn. With it’s lakeside location and decked outdoor space, it is an idyllic venue for a wedding in warm weather!
A sweeping driveway and incredible gardens are just the beginning of what Pembroke Lodge has to offer. This Georgian mansion also has remarkable views to enjoy on your special day.
The red brick 18th Century buildings of Shustoke Farm Barns are striking on the outside and inside. The gorgeous courtyards are ideal for celebrating with your loved ones in the summer months.
An amazingly restored 18th Century barn is set on stunning grounds and provides heaps of character and charm for your wedding day. This venue is The Garden Barn!
The award-winning Grosvenor Pulford Hotel & Spa is home to countryside backdrops, an Asian Sensory Garden, and a gorgeous lake. What more could you possibly want from a venue?
The grounds of Wotton House have stone pillars, water fountains, and a rather grand building to match. Where else would you want to host your summer wedding?
The Jacobean Manor of Holdsworth House Hotel has enticing gardens, rooms full of character and 3 acres of stunning grounds. Wake up and smell the flowers – quite literally!
China Fleet Country Club exudes tranquillity and romance for your big day. Sitting on the banks of the River Tamar, you also get magnificent views wherever you roam.
Complete with regal features and 30 acres of spectacular land, the Victorian manor house of De Vere Tortworth Estate is fit for the finest King and Queen!
A gravel driveway and elegant grounds lead you to the spectacular Brampton Grange Estate, where you’ll enjoy finding great spots for your wedding photos!
Compromising a classic house with a contemporary barn, Hyde House & Barn is definitely one of the best wedding venues on this list! Imagine your summer night party going ahead here.
Oozing tons of grandeur and luxury, Wood Hall Hotel & Spa really delivers for a summer wedding day – but why stop there? Make it a wedding weekend and take full advantage of the spa.
Offering 2 wedding venues and 500 acres of private parkland, Orchardleigh House & Estate is an elegant stately home that can cater for the ultimate summer wedding.
A 65-acre organic farm is where River Cottage HQ resides. With plenty of versatile indoor and outdoor space, this is a great venue to host the wedding bash of the season.
Traditional stone farm buildings and a wonderful sheltered courtyard belong to Healey Barn, an ideal setting for the most romantic of summer celebrations!
The pretty stone exterior of Crockwell Farm radiates rustic beauty, while the gardens give you the perfect location to celebrate with loved ones and enjoy the sun.
The elegant manor house of Dumbleton Hall Hotel is situated alongside the lake and backs on to extensive gardens with views of the Cotswolds. A perfect summer venue!
This 16th Century country house offers traditional charm with a contemporary twist. Your summer wedding at Swancar Farm Country House is sure to be one of romance and elegance!
The 200-year-old Threshing Barn and original rustic features, along with a modern vibe of the outdoor Collecting Yard, give you all you need to host the perfect summer night celebration at Southend Barns.
The long, grand driveway invites you in to the Grade I listed Hintlesham Hall. It has a charming interior and is nestled in the serene Suffolk countryside – brilliant for a tranquil wedding experience.
This spectacular purpose-built marquee sits within Painshill’s private gardens and has a glamorous feel inside. Not forgetting The Conservatory‘s fabulous outdoor space to entertain your guests!
Surrounded by the Staffordshire countryside, and with a fishing lake right on it’s doorstep, Blakelands Country House is a one-of-a-kind venue that will make your wedding day truly unforgettable.
The grand country house of Moor Hall is set on lush lawns and beautiful landscapes, perfect for enjoying your special day in the summer months. The unique sunken garden is a great photo opportunity!
Within Wales’ Brecon Beacons lies the magical wonderland that is Peterstone Court Hotel. Overlooking the Pen Y Fan mountain range, you can spend your summer wedding day enjoying the breath-taking country landscape.
Just off the North coast of Wales, Chateau Rhianfa and it’s architectural beauty stand tall over beautiful gardens and sea views. Let your dream come alive with a summer wedding here!
The stylish country mansion of Prested Hall is surrounded by stunning parkland and tranquil waters. Spend your wedding day here in the summer and you’ll have the most magical backdrop for your celebrations.
The Venue at Kersey Mill is set in the Suffolk countryside and offers many versatile spaces to make your wedding bespoke. Beams and original brickwork are displayed, and the Kiln Room is the perfect space for an intimate and romantic ceremony.
Perfectly-preened lakeside gardens could be the setting to your summer ceremony. The 16th Century Rookery Manor Hotel not only brings beauty and class, but plenty of luxury too – in the form of a spa!
The spectacular Birtsmorton Court has it’s own moat, so while you’re getting stunning photos taken, your guests can enjoy drinks in the sun and picturesque views from the court.
The Victorian country building and it’s lush gardens belong to Trunkwell House, which offers a luxury marquee for all of your guests and a truly unforgettable outdoor ceremony set up.
The Georgian Friern Manor boasts perfectly manicured lawns and exquisite menus to celebrate your first day as Mr and Mrs!
So, that’s our top 100 summer wedding venues to take into account when planning your celebrations within the summer months, wherever you are. Make sure you check out the rest of our wedding planning tools too – we’ve got a really powerful budget tool, an awesome guestlist function, and a directory overflowing with amazing suppliers to give you the day of your dreams.
If you liked what you saw here, check out some more wedding venue inspiration articles we’ve put together for you:
OMG. If you’re reading this article, your wedding day must be close… How exciting! But that also means it’s time to make sure absolutely everything is in place. Now, every wedding is unique so we can’t guarantee that this list is exhaustive – but with these key tasks ticked off, you’ll definitely be in a great position.
1. Give Your Guest List A Once Over
Do one last guest list check. Are all your RSVPs in? Did you catch all the +1s and dietary requirements? Do you need to make any last-minute changes to the seating plan? If so, now’s the time to make those changes and send a completely up-to-date guest list to your venue.
2. Wardrobe Checks
If you’ve purchased your outfits, it’s dress rehearsal time. Get the wedding party together (including you and your partner) and make sure everyone’s outfits are just right. If you’re renting any aspect of your wedding outfit, make sure to finalise the date and time for pickup and collection. Now’s also the time for any last hair appointments, beauty treatments and so on. Don’t forget to put your shoes through their paces to make sure they’re broken in before your big day. And always pack an extra shirt!
3. Pin Down The Details
Contact all your suppliers to confirm all the details, including timings and locations. Now’s the time to give them clear directions to your wedding venue too – you don’t want to be fielding calls on your big day! Make sure you tick off the following:
Officiant – arrival time, details of any personalised vows
Photographer – arrival time, shot list
Videographer – arrival time, shot list
Cakemaker – arrival time (likely the day before), storage arrangements
Caterer – arrival time, menu, serving times
Transport – pickup and dropoff times, locations
Entertainment – arrival time, timings
Band or DJ – arrival time, timings, first dance song, set list
Hair and makeup – arrival time
Once you’ve confirmed with all your suppliers, make one last call to your venue to make sure they know everything that’s going on too.
4. Speech, Speech!
Give your vows and speeches one last read through and make sure you’re 100% happy with them. Give yourself a day or two to get familiar with any edits you make – and set aside some time to do a practice run in the bathroom mirror!
5. In Case Of Emergencies…
A few days in advance of your wedding, put together an emergency kit of wedding-day must-haves. This will be personal to you and your partner but might include items like deodorant, safety pins, plasters, a hairbrush or comb, wet wipes, a travel sewing kit… It might seem like overkill but we can guarantee you’ll be glad to have it on the day!
Now don’t get us wrong – you may well have a lot more to do than that! There are decorations to organise, rehearsal dinners to host, place settings to write… But make sure you’ve covered this in the week or two leading up to your wedding and it’ll be much smoother sailing.
Bridebook.co.uk, the UK’s leading wedding planning website and app, has broken down the costs of the most hotly anticipated wedding of 2017. Whilst the average UK wedding costs £16,842 in 2017, Pippa Middleton’s wedding will cost almost 15 times as much at £246,949 ($320,113 USD, €292,699 EUR). There will be 4,333 other weddings happening in the UK on Saturday 20th May, but Pippa and James’ will certainly be the most talked about, and likely to be the most expensive.
Here is the breakdown of the cost of Pippa Middleton’s Wedding:
Venue/Marquee – £65,000: Being hosted at the Middleton’s family home, with over 350 guests expected, a super-sized luxury marquee is needed as the venue. A luxury 350-person marquee will start at £25,000 but can easily go much higher. With the unreliable British weather in May, a wet weather solution for the drinks reception will also be needed, requiring another marquee, plus a fully-equipped catering tent boosting the price. The average UK wedding venue cost is just £5,819 in comparison.
Catering – £70,000: The top luxury London caterers will charge over £170 per guest for catering including all food, chefs and staffing, glassware and crockery hire, and linen hire. A marquee wedding requires an extra level of staffing compared to a permanent venue, which will increase Pippa’s catering costs to around £200 per guest, and will comprise the largest cost of the wedding. Luxury wedding caterers, The Admirable Crichton, who hold the Royal Warrant for HRH The Prince of Wales for catering excellence, are likely to be the caterers for the wedding. With over 2,000 canapes and at least 15 chefs required, it will be a busy day for them.
Dress – £10,000: Giles Deacon is rumoured to be the designer of Pippa’s bespoke designer dress. Giles previously designed Abbey Clancy’s stunning wedding dress for her marriage to England footballer Peter Crouch which cost £10,000.
Floristry – £16,000: Marquees always require a lot more floristry and decoration than a venue, so luxury florists Lavender Green, the florists for the day, will have their work cut out. On top of this, the wedding florist will include the flowers for the church, plus the bouquet and more. With the wedding hosted in the Middleton’s rustic garden, with wild flower meadows and in-bloom purple rhododendrons, expect tall overflowing centrepieces fusing the marquee with the garden. Elaborate table-centres can cost £300 each alone, so with 35 round tables for the guests, the cost can easily stack up.
Drinks – £17,720: We expect around 233 bottles of champagne alone will be drunk to keep the guests topped up during the drinks reception and speeches. This champagne will cost around £9,320, on top of which will be fine wines for the wedding breakfast and open-bar cocktails for the evening.
Photography – £3,500: Hiring one of the top wedding photographers, including a gorgeous album, will cost around £3,500. Dorset-based Millie Pilkington, the private wedding photographer for William and Kate’s wedding, is most likely to be the person behind the lens.
Videography – £4,000: Without the world’s media filming every moment like her sister’s wedding, Pippa will likely have a videographer there to capture the day’s special moments. Luxury videographers have teams of cameramen to capture all angles, plus usually a drone or two.
Cake – £2,600: A stunningly-decorated cake from a top cake maker will start from £2,600 and need to be six-tiers to give a slice to each of the 350 guests. The cakemaker is thought to be luxury London-based Domino Purchas or local-Berkshire based top baker Rosalind Miller.
Stationery – £5,125: The wedding will require a number of stationery elements including save-the-dates, the invitation, the Order of Service, the menus, and the stamps! Invitations from a top stationer will cost around £11 each before the other items are included. Mount Street Printers are said to be the chosen stationer.
Music – £6,750: From bell ringers and the organist and choirs in the church, to relaxed acoustic musicians for the drinks reception and a top wedding band and DJ for the party, music will be the centre of the entertainment. A top London 6-piece wedding band will cost over £4,250 with everyone else on top.
Wedding Rings – £19,900: Rumoured best man Spencer Matthews better not make the expensive mistake of forgetting the rings. With their wedding rings said to be from Cartier, a diamond encrusted wedding ring for Pippa will cost £15,500 whilst a platinum band for James would be £1440.
Bridesmaids Outfits – £2,250: Whilst the bridesmaid’s dress Pippa shone in at the Royal wedding cost over £2,000, the average cost of a designer bridesmaids dress is £750. The average number of bridesmaids a bride in the UK has is 3.4, so we are assuming Pippa will have 3 bridesmaids.
Flower Girls and Page Boys Outfits – £1,698: With Prince George and Princess Charlotte due to be centre stage as flower girls and page boys, Nicki Macfarlane, who provided the flower girl outfits for the Royal wedding, will likely be back on hand. A page boy outfit will cost around £226 each, and flower girl dresses £340.
Church Fees – £456: Pippa and James will need to pay the church their marriage fees, but whilst this is the most important part of the marriage, it has one of the smallest price tags.
Decoration and Production – £6,000: For spectacular lighting and production throughout the grounds surrounding the marquee and inside the marquee itself, a top London agency will likely be taking on the job of adding the absolute wow-factor. From bar hire to amazing dance floors, production is key to transforming the blank-canvas of a marquee into something truly jaw-dropping.
Groomswear – £6,050: Dashing groom-to-be James Matthews is likely to be wearing a bespoke tailor made tailcoat, waistcoat and trousers from one of London’s top Saville Row tailors. A bespoke tailcoat from a top tailor will cost around £4400 alone.
Hair and Makeup – £1,700: No doubt a top team will be on hand to ensure Pippa and the whole bridal party will be looking absolutely radiant. Hannah Martin of Bobbi Brown and Richard Ward, who also did Kate’s wedding makeup and hair for the Royal Wedding, are the top choices.
Veil – £2,000: Celebrity milliner Stephen Jones is rumoured to be the designer of Pippa’s bespoke veil, which will doubtlessly have incredible attention to detail.
Entertainers – £1,500: Whilst guests taking photos is expected to not be allowed at the wedding, a photobooth will be an ideal opportunity to capture the guests at their best. Luxury children’s entertainers, like London’s based Sharky+George who did the Royal wedding, are expected to be on hand to give parents, like William and Kate, the night off.
Music – £6,750: From bell ringers and the organist and choirs in the church, to relaxed acoustic musicians for the drinks reception and a top wedding band and DJ for the party, music will be the centre of the entertainment.“The Rumours” led by Pips Taylor, who are regulars on the society festival scene, are said to be DJ’ing the event.A top London 6-piece wedding band will cost over £4,250 with everyone else on top.
Wedding Favours – £700: These lovely little gifts for every wedding guest should not break the bank. We expect something low-key and personal, such as a small jar of local honey considering the wild flower meadows that fill the Middletons’ garden.
Transport – Free: With James being a previous racing driver, we are confident he has a few friends who can lend him a stunning car to drive himself and Pippa, as a happily married couple for the first time, from the church to the reception, just like Prince William did.
and finally…
‘Luxury Facilities’ – £4,000: Don’t forget the toilets! With this marquee wedding the luxury toilets that will need to be on hand are unlikely to be the plastic boxes we are used to seeing at festivals. Imagine luxurious bathrooms with gorgeous soaps and fresh linen hand towels. For 350 guests, top end mobile toilets will cost £4000.
The above figures have been calculated following an analysis of over 170,000 weddings viaBridebook.co.uk‘s wedding planning tools andbudget calculator, and a review of over 70,000wedding industry suppliers’ price estimates listed on Bridebook.co.uk’s wedding venue and supplier directory. Bridebook.co.uk is currently being used by 1 in 5 UK couples planning their wedding, and therefore has an unparalleled understanding of the wedding planning process, as well as relationships with brides and wedding industry suppliers across the country.
Hamish Shephard, founder of Bridebook.co.uk, says: “The whole world will be watching Pippa and James tie the knot on 20th May. The international media will turn their attention to the British wedding industry, which is exciting for all suppliers at every level. We believe Pippa has purposefully chosen to work with a number of superb British brands for her big day, helping to support them and showcase how brilliantly the English ‘do weddings’, with so many talented people working in our industry.”
“Weddings have become increasingly lavish over recent years mainly due to couples getting married when they are older, and hence being able to spend more, and social media raising everyone’s expectations of a wedding. Couples don’t need to spend hundreds of thousands to have an incredible day, today’s savvy couples find ways to save on average £10,147 on their big day so get very happily married without breaking the bank. With the month of May being outside the expensive peak summer wedding months, even Pippa and James will have likely had some discounts from their suppliers. ”
“Traditionally the bride’s parents would pay for the whole wedding, however this is only the case in 23% of weddings now, so it is likely both the couple themselves and the groom’s parents are contributing, so Carole and Michael Middleton can breathe easy.”
“It’s not only the couple who are spending, the guests will likely be spending a total of £67,485 to attend too. According to our latest Bridebook.co.uk survey, the average cost of a couple attending a wedding this summer is £385.63 (including gifts, accommodation, transport and fashion) and with Royal guests it is likely to be far higher for this wedding too.”
Although the Middleton wedding exceeds six figures, the other 4333 brides tying the knot that same day are likely to be spending substantially less. In comparison,the Bridebook.co.uk Wedding Report 2017 found the average costs for a UK wedding to be as follows:
Bridebook.co.uk is the UK’s leading wedding planning platform with over 40,000 couples currently planning their weddings on the website and app.
Launched in 2016, Bridebook.co.uk‘s state-of-the-art wedding planning toolkit with personalised Wedding Checklist,Wedding Budgeter and Wedding Guestlist Manager, enables couples to plan their entire wedding from any device, anytime, anywhere, all in one place…for free. With over 70,000 wedding venues and suppliers in its directory, Bridebook.co.uk increases the digital presence of industry professionals and connects them directly with local couples. Bridebook.co.uk has also partnered with leading experts such as Mary Berry, Bobbi Brown and Jimmy Choo to provide genuine expert advice and inspiration to its couples. Bridebook.co.uk was founded by Hamish Shephard, an industry professional and recently married groom who used Bridebook.co.uk to plan his own May 2016 wedding. Visit Bridebook.co.uk online and the Bridebook.co.uk App on the iTunes App Store and Google Play Store.
With your Guest List sorted and your invitations sent out, you might think you’re out of the woods. No more arguments about whether or not Cousin Penny’s new partner makes the cut? You’re sorted… Right?
Well, not quite. We hate to break it to you, but once the RSVPs start to come flooding in, you’ll have another challenge to face: creating your wedding seating plan.
What’s The Best Way To Seat Guests At Your Wedding?
We know it’s not the answer you want, but all we can say is… It depends! What vibe are you going for? If you want to create a more relaxed atmosphere, long rectangular tables can be a good option as they allow guests to chat more easily. On the other hand, you could opt for traditional round table plan, which work especially well if your Guest List is divided into clear groups – or if you want to encourage guests to mix.
How Should You Decide Where To Seat Guests At Your Wedding Table Plan?
Whatever table layout you’re going for, we recommend seating guests according to your relationship with them. There’s no “one size fits all” here, but working through this list from “nearest to top table” to “furthest from top table” is a great place to start.
1. The Top Table
Start off with the top table, which is usually a long table facing the rest of the guests. Here, you’ll find you and your partner, along with your parents and the very closest members of your wedding party (the best man or woman, maid or man of honour, or similar).
2. Immediate Family
Any immediate family should be sat at the table nearest to you and your partner – most likely your siblings, if you have them.
3. The Wedding Party
Any bridesmaids, ushers or other members of your wedding party should also be prioritised for a seat near the top table.
4. Extended Family
Next up is your extended family: your grandparents, uncles, aunties and cousins. If any of your other relatives have travelled especially far to be at your wedding, consider including them here too.
5. Close Friends
Any close friends who didn’t make your wedding party come in around the same place as your extended family.
6. Friends
Look, you shouldn’t usually rank your friends… But you might have to make an exception! The A List are in your wedding party and we’ve just dealt with the B List, so this is the C List – plus any acquaintances or friends of your parents you felt obligated to invite!
7. Colleagues
If you’ve invited your colleagues, it tends to be a good idea to put them all on the same table as they may not know many of your other guests. If you’re super close to your colleagues, bump them up to sit somewhere between your “close friends” and “regular friends”. But for most people, colleagues come in last place.
If you’re married or have your wedding date booked, you’ll have a good idea of exactly how much is involved in preparing for a wedding. Bridebook.co.uk – the UK’s no. 1 wedding planning app, -recently found that millennial couples are getting married later in life, which means paying the bill themselves and taking on more wedding planning responsibilities!
However, Harry and Meghan are not your average millennial couple. The groom and bride-to-be won’t be enlisting the help of friends to make bunting on a Friday night, and Harry won’t be playing supermarket sweep to get the best drink deals for the wedding party to enjoy.
But with great power comes great responsibility, and while they have all the help in the world, Harry and Meghan are under serious pressure to make sure that they throw the wedding of the decade.
With less than one month to go until the Royal Wedding of 2018, let’s take a look at what the soon-to-be newlyweds should be up to…
1. Attend the final dress fitting
Meghan should have a date with the dress sometime this week.
She’ll wear the underwear and shoes she’s picked out for the big day to ensure that her bespoke wedding gown fits perfectly in every way and looks seamless from all angles.
We predict that Meghan will opt for something sleek, classic and romantic. Stay tuned… the dress will soon be revealed! Eeek!
2. Write the wedding speech
Most grooms won’t have started their wedding speech by the ‘one month to go’ point. When you have a Stag Do to survive, it simply doesn’t make sense to start preparing a speech before you’re in the clear.
However, we’re sure Harry has now started to pull together and formalise ideas for his wedding speech. Possibly with the help of William and his father, seeing as they’ve both already survived their royal wedding toasts.
Don’t worry Harry. You’re only expecting around 600 guests at the private evening reception!
This is where Royal status comes in handy. Finalising those on-the-day wedding coordination details and confirming final details with wedding suppliers is something Meghan and Harry won’t have to worry about first hand.
As well as confirming organisational details such as arrival times and setup locations, the Royal Wedding Planner will need to confirm must-have shots with the photographer and videographer and send the venue and caterer the final guest headcount.
4. Finalise guest list and seating plan
If we were invited to attend the royal wedding, we wouldn’t need chasing for an RSVP. But because of Meghan and Harry’s royally impressive guest list, they will need to conduct a final chase of any ‘maybe’ RSVPs to ensure that all attendees are accounted for.
The couple will then need to finalise the seating plan with their wedding planner.
5. Pack for their honeymoon
Once all the organising is over, it’s time to pack for the expected £120,000 honeymoon – one of the more enjoyable ‘last minute’ wedding prep tasks.
Don’t forget to roll your Hawaiian shirts Harry – saves on space and reduces ironing.
Have you set up your own personalised wedding checklist?
If you’re in the throes of wedding planning, we advise you to start your wedding checklist – whether you’ve enlisted the support of a wedding planner or are doing everything yourself.
Bridebook.co.uk, the UK’s number one, free wedding planning app, provides couples with a free wedding countdown checklist to ensure you never miss a single wedding planning action.
Set up a free account today and enjoy the many benefits of becoming a Bridebook bride or groom. Our advice section will help you plan the best day of your life while you search thousands of UK wedding suppliers in your local area, completely free.
Who needs a royal entourage when you’ve got a royally great wedding planning app?
Looking for a wedding venue that will leave your guests speechless and melt your heart? Barns are incredibly versatile and they come in all shapes and sizes – from charming and rustic to suave and modern. And they always look good when decked out in fairy lights! Today, Bridebook.co.uk shines a spotlight on 38 beautiful barn venues across counties in the South East, including Kent, Surrey, Oxfordshire, West Sussex and more (if that’s a bit far for you don’t worry, we’ll be covering your region soon!).
Have a look through, click the links to find out more and message any that you like the look of on their Bridebook profile. And don’t forget that if you’re looking for barns in your area, you can find them all by going to our Wedding Venue Search and choosing “Barn” in your filters. Click here to see all the barn wedding venues in the UK. Have fun on your search and happy planning!
Historic Preston Court is a 600-acre private estate and farm offering three exceptionally unique spaces for your wedding celebration, including its enchanting 17th-century barn. With unique features such as a carousel, a magical moated island and farm animals – Preston Court has everything you could wish for and more for a magical wedding day and reception.
Whether you are planning an intimate civil ceremony, or a more lavish, opulent reception, Winters Barns offers an awe-inspiring, multi-functional space which you can freely decorate as you wish. Their belief that weddings should remain private means that this romantic setting is exclusively yours for your special day.
Set in the rolling hills of the Kent countryside, The Barnyard is the perfect backdrop for lovers of peace, tranquillity and privacy. Home to both a beautiful old barn conversion, as well as a truly luxurious grand marquee, you have the luxury of choice at The Barnyard.
Inspired by the surrounding country feel, this building has been cleverly converted to blend old oak beams with versatile modern facilities and its enchanting contemporary walled garden is somewhere to enjoy both privacy and tranquillity. There is a wonderful intimacy about Bury Court Barn that provides the atmosphere for a truly special wedding.
The beautiful oak-timbered 19th-century Fison Barn, and its secluded courtyard provides a unique and picturesque canvas for you to create your wedding day your way. The courtyard provides a wonderful backdrop for open-air blessings, reception drinks or the occasional hog-roast. And, to top it off, they even have a camping area for your guests so they can pitch up and stay the night with you. Glamping wedding anyone?
A magnificently restored historic barn beautifully located in rural Oxfordshire, and set in its own grounds near the ancient market town of Wantage, south of Oxford. The main barn consists of a majestic hall with huge barn doors opening onto the lawned courtyard. Catering is carried out in-house to a very high standard and offers a superb range of menus to suit your individual tastes.
Cooling Castle’s glorious high beamed Tithe Barn is a wonderful canvas for you to paint your own picture. The decorative choices you make whether grandiose, glamorous, sparkly, rustic, or understated, will reflect your own ideas and style. The team behind the scenes work tirelessly to make sure your day becomes a reality and if we’re honest, who doesn’t want a castle backdrop thrown in there too.
A Cotswolds Barn in a truly romantic setting, Caswell House offers a unique ambience created by a combination of stunning barns and exclusive use of the immaculate grounds. To top it all off, the Bride and Groom can enjoy the complimentary bridal suite after the festivities have ended!
Grade II listed wedding barns of different sizes for different ceremonies. Enjoy your ceremony in the cloistered garden, drink and dance in The Great Barn or the Small Barn, kick off your shoes and relax after all the dancing in the Engine House.
Millbridge Court is an idyllic rustic wedding venue with gardens that you and your guests will love, and a stunning barn, this could be the wedding venue of your dreams!
A wedding venue for all seasons, their purpose-built barn boasts stunning lakeside views and was designed with weddings in mind. Created using traditional techniques, it provides a rustic setting with integrated modern features including music system, atmospheric lighting and the option for web streaming the ceremony, meaning that no matter where in the world your family are, they can be by your side.
Your Day. Your Way. At Stratton Court Barn they offer a traditional converted barn, originally built in Cotswold stone in 1872. They pride themselves on providing a relaxed atmosphere, with an informal approach, to help you really enjoy your day. Their belief that your wedding day should reflect you, as a couple, means that you can let your imagination run wild and really create a bespoke to your day.
A 200-year-old wedding venue like no other, the barns are set in luscious landscaped gardens with hidden courtyards and tranquil lawns. As evening falls, the gardens are lit with romantic up-lights that show off the fantastic flint and log walls of the wedding barns. Here guests can gather around the relaxing Collecting Yard with its sumptuous sofas and fire pits to enjoy a truly magical evening setting; the perfect end to a perfect day.
The historic buildings of The Olde Bell, function as a village, the main Inn building for the overnight guests and locals, and the auxiliary buildings for private gatherings. The Tithe Barn is the largest of the spaces offering exposed beams, locally sources food and overnight accommodation.
Comprising of two beautifully restored interconnecting 18th century stone barns, they have been sympathetically converted to retain many of their original charm, along with the beautiful arrow slit windows, natural stone 2 foot thick walls, exposed beams and boasting two log fires. A setting that allows for a day couples will cherish for a lifetime.
Gate Street Barn is built in the traditional style using wood from oak trees lost on the farm in the 1987 hurricane. It boasts beautiful landscaped gardens and views of the working organic farm and a hobby herd of English Longhorn cattle. The dedicated team make you feel at home and support you every step of the way whilst creating your big day.
A unique 16th Century barn fronted by a large covered drinks patio and adjoined by a flower-laden pergola leading out to a large lake, beautiful gardens and woodland views.
A Traditional barn with ample romantic spots to take photos in the woodland. Open the floor to ceiling barn doors to reveal the magnificent dining area. The Starlight Barn offers a truly unique space where you and your guests can dine under the stars.
Offering a reception that seats 70 people, the 200-year-old barn is ideal for intimate weddings in a tranquil and rustic environment in the Kent countryside.
Positioned on the banks of the River Blackwater in Yateley, Hampshire, you’ll find Rivervale Barn. A wedding venue full of natural charm and elegance, built with beautiful weddings in mind. It boasts a selection of different barns to choose from for your ceremony, reception and dining – each unique and as captivating as the last and is equipped with a romantic bridge which, of course, is wedding photo shoot ready.
Rustic, elegant and simple. Dovecote Barn is a Grade II listed building, full of character and charm with exposed brickwork and oak beams. For larger wedding parties (over 100) they offer a bespoke marquee or two hat Tipi situated in one of their picturesque farm locations. The only limit to this venue is your imagination!
Feel like you’re a million miles away from anywhere as you embrace the site of the historic thatched clock sitting on top of the barn’s entrance welcoming you and all your guests into this enchanting venue. Surrounded by lush green foliage, the clock tower and detail inside the barn add unique style and pretty period charm to the countryside setting. You’ll be begging for time to stand still once you see this timeless venue.
Offering two refurbished wedding barns, one 500 years old, the other equipped with antique cartwheel chandeliers. Hire one, or both for the exclusive use of the whole estate on your special day.
The barn is set in the middle of a family farm. You will have exclusive use of the venue for up to three days and freedom to choose any supplier you wish. With views of a spectacular landscape, the only rule they have is that you respect the awe-inspiring nature you are surrounded in!
You have the choice of two 17th Century barns, one accommodating 200 guests, and for more intimate celebrations, the Barley Barn can seat 60. Include the farm animals in your photos and enjoy drinks on the manor house lawn before dancing the night away.
Say your vows in front of 80 of the most important people in your life in the most exquisite 16th Century barn. The barn at Elvey Farm Country Hotel is ideal for an intimate ceremony.
This Grade II listed barn features a handsome fireplace and Baltic pine wooden floor. Incredibly versatile and well equipped for any type of weather it is the ideal location for whatever time of year. Have the freedom to choose your own suppliers and enjoy the truly unique space and surroundings.
A magnificent barn wedding venue to celebrate in! Hidden amongst the trees of a private wooded estate is this magical blank canvas wedding venue where you and your partner can tie the knot in the most unique way, bespoke to you!
Located beneath the Selborne Hanger of the South Downs National Park, enjoy your day in the 16th Century Hampshire Barn, with glorious views over tranquil meadows. There is a fixed price all year round, so you can have your Saturday wedding in the summer for the same price as a mid-week wedding in November!
Charming flint barns in East Sussex, offering couples a beautifully unique space as a DIY venue. Hire of the barn includes porter loos, otherwise, you are free to choose any supplier and any decoration you wish!
Beautiful barns in the heart of the Cotswolds. Each of the barns are inter-connecting and open on to a beautiful flower-filled courtyard which means your guests are never too far from the celebrations. All three barns have their own individual characteristics giving your guests a surprise as they enter each barn.
Set in a region of impeccable beauty, this barn is full of character and charm. Party to music played by the DJ from the raised gallery, eat mouth-watering canapes from the in-house catering team and soak in the great atmosphere this 18th Century barn offers.
Set against the rolling South Downs, Pangdean Old Barn offers a unique setting in an 18th century Old Barn, charming courtyard, flint walled garden and working farm environment.
Open log fires and large doors opening onto the garden, this West Sussex venue is perfect for winter and summer weddings. The gardens featuring ponds and willow trees creating a beautiful photo backdrop.
In addition to these amazing barns, try entering your location and see which alternative venues are near you. Filter the results by what’s important to you and you’ll be sure to find gems of all sorts for your wedding!
Choosing a DJ or musician for your big day is mega important to ensuring you and your guests have an unforgettable time. Whether you have a solo cocktail singer or a 10-piece jazz band, these are our top tips to remember.
Research
Look into what you can afford in your budget and what sort of music you want as a couple. Before you set your heart on your favourite local band to play at your wedding, research into all other options before pinning your hopes on one idea. Always have a plan B too, incase the vendor you ask is not available. It is also crucial to clarify if the DJ or musicians hold public liability insurance and all of their electrical equipment is certified – if not, this could cause big problems on the day, and most venues ask for music vendors to confirm this before they are allowed to play.
Consider Your Venue
A solo singer may get lost in a huge venue, but if you’re having an intimate drinks reception outdoors then a single musician would suit this. Think about the size of your venue, how much room you can afford to reserve for musicians, and how many guests there will be listening at one time.
Hear Them In Person Beforehand
Before booking anyone, be sure to meet them and hear them play in person. This will help you determine whether they are the right fit for your special day. Ask them for any upcoming gig dates or wedding exhibitions they may be playing at and make the effort to go and see them. You can also chat to them about your expectations and requirements for your special day to make sure they are a good match.
Always Soundcheck
It’s super important to ask your musicians to get to the venue early to set up and have a full soundcheck before any of your guests arrive. Your attendees will hate standing around listening to instruments being tuned, so make sure your musicians are ready well in advance of any arrivals. Ensure there is plenty of power supply too, so there’s no sudden power cut halfway through your first dance!
Playlist Do’s and Dont’s
Ask your music vendor for a full list of their repertoire and with your partner choose which songs you want to cut. This is to avoid cringey moments when a song is played that reminds you of your ex! Also make a note of your favourite songs from the list so your musician or DJ knows your ‘must-play’ requests. If your special song is not included in their repertoire, see if your musicians can learn it especially for you!
Consider Your Guests
You and your husband-to-be may love rocking out to heavy anthems, but remember to compromise. If there are a lot of older relatives at your wedding, throwing in a few 60’s numbers will make their night – and it could be a lot of fun for all involved! Also ask to keep the song choices censored for any young guests that will be attending.
Think Carefully About Your First Dance Song
A first dance can be awkward, especially if you’re not that great on your feet, so don’t choose a super long track. It is, of course, your special moment – however four minutes of swaying back and forth can be tiresome for your guests after they have initially smiled and taken a photo. Choose a song that is special, but will also get everyone involved by the end so all of your guests can enjoy it as much as the two of you.
Noise Levels
Check with your venue about any noise limitations and the time when loud music has to cease. Relay this back to your musicians or DJ so they know how much time they have, and can fit in all the requests and encores thrown at them! Have a think where the speakers are too, so you don’t place someone with sensitive hearing in the loudest part of the room.
