The Best of Bridebook 2023 winners have been announced! This list showcases UK photographers with the most 5-star reviews from 2022. Take a look at this talented bunch:
“The UK’s greatest wedding businesses have been chosen! We are so proud of the 450+ winners, especially after a difficult few years for the industry. We are excited to recommend the best wedding services. Huge congratulations to this year’s winners”. – Hamish Shephard, CEO & Founder, Bridebook.
The Best of Bridebook 2023 winners have been announced! This list showcases UK venues with the most 5-star reviews from 2022. Have a peek at the venues in your area below:
“The UK’s greatest wedding businesses have been chosen! We are so proud of the 450+ winners, especially after a difficult few years for the industry. We are excited to recommend the best wedding services. Huge congratulations to this year’s winners”. – Hamish Shephard, CEO & Founder, Bridebook.
Woodlands Park is a magnificent mansion, set in beautiful landscaped grounds provides the perfect venue for your wedding reception. Frequented at the turn of the century by the then Prince of Wales and the famous actress Lillie Langtry, Woodlands Park continues to radiate a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
We talked to Cheyenne Crombie the Events Manager at Woodlands Park to find out more about this stunning venue.
Tell us about yourself!
I have worked at Woodlands for about 3 years now. I do not have any human children but I do have a fur baby called Duchess who is a cat and my best friend, I am a bit of a crazy cat lady. I enjoy travelling, I lived in Australia for a year on the Gold Coast and I also volunteered in South Africa at and elephant reserve which was incredible, highly recommend.
What drew you to the wedding world?
I have always loved customer service and weddings take that to a whole new level. There is nothing more exciting than planning a wedding day, it’s the best event to plan because the client is always excited and you can get excited with them and I love that. As weddings take a while to plan, I get a longer period of time to build a relationship with my couples so then it’s so rewarding to see the final event on the day.
What do you think makes Woodlands Park special?
I think the people we have here at Woodlands Park make our venue unique, they really care about delivering a flawless day for our couples so everyone’s attentiveness is amazing. Not to toot my own horn but I am a bit of a perfectionist and I think that is really important for couples as they know they will have someone who is going to ensure all the finer details are correct. I have to mention the building itself – the first sight of Woodlands Park is always a ‘wow’ moment. The venue is beautiful both inside and outside with extensive gardens and grounds. The history of the building is also something which our couples love to hear about, it dates back to 1885. Lastly, we do operate on a one bride policy because we believe that full attention should be solely on that wedding. Our focus for the day is to deliver a completely personal experience from the get go.
How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
Nothing beats meeting people in person, it’s always nice to put a face to a name. With weddings I get to meet with my couples regularly but there are also lots and lots of emails and phone calls that go back and forth. I just try to make them a bit more relaxed as opposed to formal emails but it all depends on how my couples want to communicate. The first stage is upon enquiry from the couple, my response always mirrors their initial enquiry which is usually via email. At this point I will encourage couples to book an appointment straight away so I get to chat with them as early as possible. At the first appointment I run through all the most important information and show the couple around the wedding spaces. We will talk about package inclusions that are available or discuss a more bespoke package if that is what the couple prefer. Once we have agreed on all the details we will get everything signed off and provide the couple with their wedding handbook. I love this document as it details the timeline for planning and helps couples when thinking of things they need to do before the big day. It becomes their wedding bible! I will also invite my couples to visit their venue as much as possible by attending showcase events. This is so couples can come and see the rooms set up for inspiration. We post all of our showcase dates on Facebook. When it starts to get close to the date of the wedding the couple will attend their menu tasting and meet with the Chef to ensure everything is perfect for their wedding meal. Couples really enjoy this part as it’s a little preview of part of their day and they can even make a night of it by staying with us too.
What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?
I think a lot of people forget that a wedding isn’t just about the partying, it is ultimately about the couple getting married and as long as you are able to do that surrounded by the people you love, you’ll have the best day! My best advice would be to make your day as personal as you want to – it’s a day all about you and it is a day where all the people you both love are celebrating you. The best weddings are the ones where everyone enjoys themselves so I tell my couples to try to keep things relaxed and not to over-plan and aim for a day that flows, even with the photos, moments captured are often the nicest.
What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Most importantly, remember that it is your wedding day so choose the things that you like and which are important to you. And create a couple’s email address just for the wedding!! It will help you keep track of everything and allow you to keep your wedding planning in one place.
What do you love about Bridebook?
Many of our wedding couples find us via Bridebook. I think it’s great that this platform gives couples so much relevant information in a clear way but for me I think the reviews are really important. For us as venue it’s lovely to read such happy words from newlyweds and for potential couples I think it builds real excitement about their own day.
What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at Woodlands Park?
This is a very hard question to answer as every wedding is completely different and they are all memorable in their own way. It’s not always the biggest weddings with lots of embellishments which are the most memorable – intimate and really special ceremonies can be very emotional, in a good way! One wedding that we are fond of was an Exclusive use wedding at Christmas time. The couple had a gingerbread house which was actually a replica of Woodlands Park and it almost filled a 5ft table! The wedding was a winter wonderland theme so this focal piece was a spectacular addition.
Why should a couple book Woodlands Park?
There are plenty of reasons why Woodlands Park is an amazing wedding venue. We offer exclusive use which means you can take the whole hotel, the grounds, the bedrooms, the restaurant – everything – as your own for the duration of your wedding. We also offer non-exclusive options too so we are flexible to give couples the day they are dreaming of. We have a one wedding policy which means no other wedding will take place at the same time so couples can be sure they have our undivided attention on the day. The feedback we regularly receive from our wedding couples and their guests is that they experienced brilliant service from all staff. We pride ourselves on being a team of people who are professional and friendly which will make all the difference to your day. Plus we have great relationships with recommended suppliers which all our couples have access to. Not only that, the extensive ground and gardens provide an amazing backdrop for wedding photos during all seasons. Woodlands Park is located in Surrey so the surrounding countryside is spectacular. The venue is close to the M25 and airports which means guests who are travelling can reach the venue easily. All your guests are welcome to stay with us during the period of your wedding, whether that is the night before to be prepared for an early start or the night of your wedding.
What’s the best photo spot at Woodlands Park?
I will have to give an indoor and outdoor spot in order to cater for all seasons… The love seat swing in the garden which hangs from one of the large oak trees is beautiful for an intimate picture of the newlyweds. Inside, the Grand Hall balcony has our stained glass ceiling in the background and this is truly special to capture.
What part of your business are you most proud of?
I’m really proud to be a part of the Woodlands Park team and I believe the service we deliver as a team is impeccable. We all have a vital part to play in every wedding that takes place here and without everyone doing their bit it just would not be the same. Being part of a team of people who all love what they do and who are experts in their roles makes me proud.
How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
I think the wedding industry has adapted alongside technology however I feel every venue or wedding professional experiences it differently. For our venue we find that couples still choose to visit the venue in person as they want to spend as much time here as possible. Virtual appointments are available and are key at certain times but nothing beats seeing something or someone in real life. We don’t currently instant message with our couples are we practice a more personal approach. Obviously technology has had the biggest impact online as couples are now able to search far and wide for venues in a really short space of time and watch online tours, read reviews and look through pictures on Instagram or Pinterest to make their own opinion on whether the venue is what they are looking for before even making an enquiry.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?
Continue to plan your wedding! Don’t get disenchanted and push things to the sidelines if your date has been postponed. Time flies by and the last thing you want to do is rush when you get closer to the day. The process of planning a wedding can be stressful but it should be enjoyable and even though your wedding day may not be happening when you thought it would be you should still make the most of the process and focus on the good things that come with it.
A huge thank you to Cheyenne Crombie for answering our questions. Check out Woodlands Park on Bridebook!
Looking for more venues in Surrey? Find your unforgettable venue by searching venues here.
Are you looking to promote your beautiful venue to our community of couples? Contact our Venue Consultant team at business@bridebook.co.uk
Elusive Locations presents Kirtlington Polo Club, an affordable all-inclusive wedding in a unique and breathtaking location with spectacular views over the Palladium Mansion, Oxford & Leckhampstead Forest, set in a serene ancient oak forest. It’s truly the perfect solution for couples wanting a peaceful, private wedding experience.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I’ve been working in events – I say the term loosely as it’s been mostly commercial events and festivals – for the past four years or so, and weddings the past 18 months. Elusive Locations is a venture that we’ve taken on in addition to a long standing luxury wedding company called Marble Private, which has been featured in Vogue for its stunning weddings (I know, epic right!). I’m currently a world-class plate spinner working for both of these wonderful wedding companies – but don’t worry, I’m not yet ‘wedding-ed’ out.
A bit more about me, I’m 23 living and working in London, and when I’m not at the office in Notting Hill or working from home, you can find me painting or reading in a park somewhere, or heading back home to the Cotswolds countryside to be with my family. My role at Elusive Locations is mostly marketing focused, but I will also be your first point of contact when you enquire with us, so do drop me a line and say hello!
What drew you to the wedding world?
Weddings have always fascinated me, and I absolutely love how fast-paced and exciting the industry is. There’s a real passion amongst the wedding planners and suppliers I have had the pleasure of working with, and of course it’s one of the most rewarding jobs out there! Seeing happy couples say ‘I do’ is a true joy – especially now when so many have been postponed two or even three times. The first ‘wedding related’ job I ever did was actually as an assistant Wedding Florist – it was about 3 years ago – and it was my responsibility to hand the bride her bouquet. She literally burst into a flood of tears and the make up artist had only just finished her lashes! I remember thinking ‘this is such a cool job. I want to do more of this’
What do you think makes Elusive Locations unique?
Elusive Locations was born in a time where venue hunting has become a challenging and exhausting job, so we’re attempting to cut through the noise with not just an affordable option, but an exclusive and undiscovered option. Our two venues – Kirtlington Polo Club in Oxfordshire, and Leckhampstead Forest in Buckinghamshire – are in previously unused spaces, hidden away in deep forests, and it’s there amongst the trees that you’ll find our enchanting wedding spaces. As I said earlier, our company has its roots in the wedding industry and our directors have won awards for their 15 years of experience, so these spaces are beautifully designed. Every little detail is meticulously thought out, and because both our venues are completely outdoors, there is a magical feel to them. Think of it like this: disco balls line the trees, festoon guides you to your huge private tent, and when you step inside there’s a stunning dancefloor, beautifully decorated tables, a bar filled with only the fizziest of champagne, and the smell of seasonal flowers fills the air. We love the festival feel of an outdoor celebration, and we’ve brought this to both our venues with an elegant, luxurious spin.
Added to this, we build special relationships with our clients by making sure the first step in our enquiry process is a phone call. We want to hear your vision, get to know you, and then personalise our venues to suit your needs. We know that no two clients are the same, and so we make sure to listen to your every need to personalise your day – for example at our Kirtlington venue, you can actually watch a game of Polo during your drinks reception, and the two teams can wear uniforms that are personalised to your couples names!
How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
As mentioned, the first step in any consultation with us is a phone call. This is important because we want to get to know our couples personally and curate every wedding to suit them. Everything from the flower arrangements, tablescapes, firework displays, and cocktail choices can be completely personalised to represent our wonderful, unique clients. As part of our service offering, we provide a wedding planner on site for 5 days, making sure that the details are absolutely perfect for our couples, and we also make sure our caterers are in direct conversation with our couples so that the food and drink is exactly what they’re looking for. We’re currently running Open Days because we really want to get to know our clients personally, and we’re encouraging them to bring images, tell us their ideas, and get excited with us about their upcoming celebration!
What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?
Details! The devil is truly in the details, and we’ve only learned this after 15 years of working in the wedding industry. Whether it’s as simple as providing polaroid cameras for guests to take pictures, which are then used as name places on tables, or whether its selecting seasonal and sustainable flowers that are handpicked by our floral team, there are endless opportunities to make the wedding unique and memorable for our couple. Both our venues have the catering tents, dancefloors and glamping rigged and ready to go all season, so what we do exceptionally well is add in the special extras to set the wheels in motion.
What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at Elusive Locations?
Part of our extensive service offering is music and booking curation, so on one occasion we had a client who absolutely loved pop star Mika – and what did we do? Secretly booked him in for a 2 hour set, and he did a sound test whilst the guests were eating in the adjacent tent, only to burst into song as desserts were being polished off! On another occasion, we used a field next to the venue to build a secret rave in the forest, where we led guests by Samba band to a dancefloor amongst the woods. They literally partied till 5am!
Why should a couple book Elusive Locations?
We’ve hand selected our stunning venues in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire because of their enchanted and undiscovered feel. We know that stately homes and manor houses can be a charming place for a wedding, but hundreds of couples have walked through that threshold and got married before you. What we offer is a venue set in a unique location on the periphery of London; romantic and peaceful, and perfect for a couple who wants to fall in love with their surroundings as they say their special ‘I do’.
What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Try to incorporate your personality into your wedding to give your guests – and you! – the most memorable experience. This day is all about your love for each other after all, and there are so many fun ways to bring that into your day. Our favourite example of this was a ‘food tour’ with all the places our couple had had a special moment – starting with pints of Guinness and oyster shucking, to wood fired pizza and wine tasting, and then a limoncello gift for guests before they depart.
What’s the best photo spot at Elusive Locations?
At Kirtlington, the best spot is undoubtedly at the top of the hill, looking out over the Palladium Mansion in Oxford on one side, and on the other the grounds designed by Capability Brown. It’s absolutely always a winner for our clients!
At Leckhampstead, it’s got to be in amongst the trees when they are lit up with disco balls, fibre optic lighting and candle orbs.
What part of your business are you most proud of?
I think what we’re all the most proud of is our collaborative approach. We all work together to create the most stunning experience for our clients, and with our suppliers and partners as well. We’ve handpicked local recommended suppliers – from florists, photographers, caterers and tech teams – and these wonderful people are truly some of the best in the business!
How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
Zoom weddings were certainly an interesting thing to come out of the pandemic… whilst we love this adaptability and creativity, we’re thrilled that physical weddings and events can take place again in the coming months. We’re always putting human connection at the very centre of how we work, and this is most important at a wedding! Some of the technology we’d love to see prevail though is paperless invites – it’s an opportunity for our industry to become more eco-friendly and reduce waste.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?
It sounds cliche, but take it one step at a time. Wedding planning can be super exhaustive at times, but this is what we’re here for! The whole idea is we’ll take the stress out of your day whilst keeping the fun and romance. Try not to get overwhelmed by an endless list of tasks and to-do’s, and instead allocate an hour a day to achieve one simple task. Stay organised, stay positive, and most importantly keep a really open line of communication with your suppliers and planners.
What do you love about Bridebook?
Right from the get go we’ve had amazing support from the Bridebook team, Kane especially. They’re always on the other end of emails to give a helping hand, and that’s been invaluable for us starting a business literally in the middle of a pandemic.
Are you looking to promote your beautiful venue to our community of couples? Contact our Venue Consultant team at business@bridebook.co.uk. Also, if you enjoyed this article, see more here.
If you’ve decided you’re keen for a videographer, then let’s make sure you find one that is perfect for you. Like your photographer, they are going to be working in close proximity to you on one of the most important days of your life, so you want to make sure you like their style and them! Catching your wedding day on film is an amazing memento and one you will get teary over for years to come! Before you hire one, let’s make sure you ask the right questions and find the best one for you…
You will want to make sure that the person you hire is experienced enough to convey the atmosphere and emotions of the day on film – creating something Oscar worthy!
2) How would you describe your style?
Styles primarily divide into documentary (filming as the day unfolds) or cinematic (weaving the episodes of your wedding into a story). Both are absolutely great to look at, so choose whichever style you like best! Also discuss whether your video will be music based or dispersed with speech and wooping from guests – again this is completely your preference!
3) Have you worked with our photographer before?
Would you be open to meeting with them if not? The photographer and videographer work very closely on the wedding day and therefore need to get along and know how the other operates.
4) Have you worked at our reception venue before? If not, would you be up for visiting it with us – would this cost extra?
If your videographer is familiar with your wedding venue, they will know the best angles to film from and the best lighting opportunities.
This may seem like a silly question if you don’t know a lot about cameras, however, this will give you an idea about how large the video equipment is, how the microphones will work and what sort of lighting the videographer intends to use.
6) How long do we have to wait to see the final result?
While you can get the raw footage, or the highlights video fairly soon after the wedding, the full film may take up to six months in editing, so make sure you’re happy with this.
7) What will the final result be?
One 10 minute video? Or a feature length with all of the full length speeches?
8) Can I choose the music for the film?
Many videographers are more than happy to do that, so have a discussion with them and have a list of favourite tunes at the ready. If they can’t use your exact song selection they might come up with great alternatives along the same vibe.
9) Who will own the copyright?
This is important as any additional copy will have to be paid for separately.
10) How many copies of the film do I get? And how much does it cost if we want to buy extras?
If you want to distribute the video to all your relatives abroad, you may want to find out how much an extra video costs before you make any promises!
Set amongst the cityscape of Oxford’s dreaming spires, the Ashmolean Museum is a magnificent venue for your wedding, civil partnership or celebration.
A wedding venue like no other. Founded in 1683 the Ashmolean is the oldest public Museum in the world. Displaying half a million years of art and history, the spaces provide a stunning backdrop for a very special occasion. All our galleries are licenced which means we can offer intimate ceremonies at any time through to impressive evening receptions, dinners and dances combined with outstanding hospitality and entertainment.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I love everything about weddings, and I am currently planning my own special day, so I can empathise with couples in a very real way. I realised my passion for event and wedding planning very early on when I helped four of my older siblings plan their weddings. Coming from an Asian cultural background I grew up surrounded by the excitement and buzz of large family gatherings and weddings, involving a series of celebratory events that can sometimes stretch out for a period of two weeks before the actual wedding day!
Weddings are such incredible events, from the moment we first connect with couples, to when they make their vows and onto the reception – there is just nothing like them.
What an emotional rollercoaster this past year has been! I have had to postpone our wedding date three times now and I know first-hand how overwhelming this feels. Not only have couples had to navigate through the financial implications on paid deposits, they’ve had all their enjoyment curtailed by all the stops and starts with (re)arranging. It also became very clear that couples were not only having to process their own emotions but were also having to manage questions and disappointment from families and friends.
In my spare time, I love to travel and read up on the latest archaeological discoveries! I studied Archaeology so any chance I get to visit and immerse myself into different cultures, I just have to grab it! I am a big foodie and I love experimenting with our in-house chefs on how we can push the boundaries to create an exceptional new culinary experience.
What drew you to the wedding world?
My role at the Ashmolean combines two of my passions; history and delivering incredible bespoke events to each couple. When I moved back to the UK from Israel and had the opportunity to return to the museum it was a dream come true. I was in awe of the weddings hosted at the Ashmolean so when there was an opening in the team I jumped at the chance. To me there is something absolutely enchanting about getting married in a city like Oxford, so steeped in tradition, and there is something even more magical about getting married amongst half a million years of human history.
No two couples are the same and so none of the Ashmolean’s weddings are the same either. The team and I pride ourselves in carefully curating each wedding so it is a truly unique reflection of each couple. My favourite part of being a wedding event manager is getting to know the couple and finding elements from our enriching and stunning art and archaeology collections that can be incorporated to personalise their day. The team and I strive to carefully tailor each wedding so that guests feel every element is a reflection of the couple’s love story, from the galleries we use through to the catering that reflects their backgrounds, flavours and favourite dishes from their childhood.
What do you think makes The Ashmolean Museum unique?
The Ashmolean is the oldest public museum in the world. Displaying half a million years of art and history, the spaces provide a stunning backdrop for a very special occasion. All our galleries are licensed which means we can offer intimate ceremonies at any time through to impressive evening receptions, dinners and dances combined with outstanding hospitality and entertainment.
What sets us above and beyond other venues is our exceptional attention to the guests’ experience. Our friendly and professional team of wedding event assistants have been trained to deliver the highest quality of customer service, so wedding guests feel special and well looked-after by our team during their time with us. The team are also knowledgeable about our world-class collections and are able to entertain guests on the incredible objects and pieces of art around them. They are great at revealing the sensational and fun or quirky facts not mentioned on the labels!
Planning a wedding can be one of the most stressful times in a couple’s life. As the dedicated wedding manager, I work with the couple and their family to make the experience stress-free and enjoyable. I support them through the emotions they feel during the process and offer them my professional experience and practical guidance to help plan their special day.
How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
The Ashmolean boasts a team of passionate and experienced event and wedding managers. They are dedicated to playing their part in making your wedding or celebration truly memorable.
We have regular meetings with our couples so we know what makes them tick; this is vital so we can ensure that weddings go smoothly. I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to listen to what couples envision for their day. It is only through listening that we are able to pick up on a common thread or theme and get to the heart of the emotion and aesthetics they are trying to portray for their day. Once we have that we can suggest creative ideas and themes that incorporate this beautifully.
My favourite part is getting to know the couple and their unique love story and weaving in galleries and collections that are relevant to their story. With a treasure trove of the most beautiful old master paintings and ancient objects we are spoiled with choice. For example, we had one couple where the groom had a Scottish background and the bride a Coptic Egyptian background. To make the day unique to them we incorporated a blessing ceremony in the Egyptian galleries followed by a bagpiper leading guests from the ceremony gallery, all the way up to the wedding breakfast via the museum’s impressive cascading staircase! We also worked closely with the couple to offer a tantalising menu that reflected the couple’s favourite Scottish and Egyptian dishes. In the past we have offered ‘night at the museum’ tours, taking guests to view collections from areas of the world the couple had travelled to.
What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?
Chemistry. Chemistry between the couple of course, but also between the guests and all the different suppliers. There are so many moving parts that need to be on point on your special day and having suppliers that have great rapport with one another makes everything work smoothly.
Over the years we have developed relationships with trusted suppliers to support events at the museum. This means we can offer our clients a curated list of suppliers and creatives who share our values and meet our high standards. Their familiarity with our event spaces means they can work with your ideas and bring them to life in the museum.
What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at Ashmolean Museum?
We had a couple where the groom’s family were from Germany and the bride’s were from Japan. Both families flew in for the occasion and arrived in the city of Oxford for the week of the wedding. As this was the first time many of the extended families had met, we thought what better way to introduce their guests to one another and ‘break the ice,’ than to host an informal rehearsal dinner in our rooftop dining room. We treated the group to a fun and engaging ‘night at the museum’ tour, incorporating highlights from our Germanic and Japanese collections. Later that week for the actual wedding day, both couples incorporated traditional wedding customs from both sides including having a Japanese tea ceremony in the museum’s very own Japanese tea house.
Why should a couple book Ashmolean Museum?
The Ashmolean has been telling stories since 1683 and we want you to add yours to our collection. We understand that every wedding is different which is why our expert team are on hand to tailor your day. An experienced team supported by an exclusive catering partner and handpicked suppliers will bring your dream celebration to life. Whether you decide to make a grand entrance, have an intimate exchange of vows in the presence of a few loved ones, dine like royalty or party the night away, the Ashmolean offers the most magnificent backdrop to your occasion.
What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Stay true and authentic to who you both are and trust your instinct! Just because something looks incredible and is currently in vogue doesn’t mean it is right for you. Each couple is different and what may suit one will not be appropriate for another. So, as much as someone tries to convince you that you ‘need’ a particular wedding item, theme, dress, flowers etc., remember to check in with yourself on whether that actually is your taste and a reflection of you. In a world of Instagram, Pinterest boards and wedding blogs, it is easy to get carried away with following the latest trend and before you know it, your wedding starts to look like someone else’s day. Social media platforms and blogs can be great to get a feel for what you resonate with and it’s fantastic to find wedding suppliers that match your tastes. It is also very easy to fall down an endless rabbit hole and lose a sense of what is most important about your special day. Which is the both of you, who you are and celebrating your love and commitment to one another, in a fashion that is true to your union.
What’s the best photo spot at Ashmolean Museum?
The Forecourt – The imposing façade will not fail to impress your guests as they arrive at the museum. The iconic portico and neo classical architecture offer a fantastic opportunity for photographs. It’s also a great space for a welcome drinks reception on a summer evening and is one of the few historic venues in Oxford to permit biodegradable confetti outside. All under the watchful eye of the Greek god Apollo, who perches on the centre of the pediment of the entrance. It is only fitting that wedding guests are welcomed beneath a statue of Apollo as the western tradition of having a wedding band placed on the left hand ring finger came from the Romans, who inherited it from the ancient Greeks. This finger was referred to as Apollo’s finger as he was associated with marriage. The Greeks believed there was a vein that ran from this finger straight to the heart.
What part of your business are you most proud of?
Our ability to adapt. We were one of the first venues in the UK to be COVID-secure and offer hybrid weddings. Not only offering live streaming but embracing the challenges presented by social restrictions, looking at creative ways to work with suppliers and couples on how to re-imagine their wedding whilst keeping it special and memorable, within the guidelines.
How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
It is a very innovative and exciting time to be an event professional and we love to be the first to incorporate new technologies to enhance our clients’ experience. At the Ashmolean we know how important your wedding is and understand that for many reasons some guests may not be able to be with you on the day. Now everyone can take part. We can help you to share this special time with your friends and family, wherever they are in the world. Our discrete and professional live streaming service is the perfect way to include all your loved ones and to ensure that they don’t miss a moment. They can join in the excitement and emotion as if they were with you in the room. The final bonus is that couples get a copy of the stream to keep forever; a wonderful way to save the memory of your perfect day! We have the experience, so leave it to us to arrange it with our technology partner.
Hybrid weddings are definitely here to stay! We have worked with our couples to consider how they can enhance the experience of their guests who are tuning into the live stream so they feel involved in the day. Our caterers can even arrange to send virtual guests a wedding meal, bottle of fizz or slice of wedding cake to enjoy during the ceremony to enhance their interaction with the couple and attending wedding guests, even sharing messages and photos with the couple live during the reception.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?
Keep the faith. The recent announcements on the easing of lockdown measures are very encouraging. As a bride-to-be I have experienced the stress, random panic attacks and the worry that important family members won’t be able to take part in the day, but I am hopeful that normality is coming back very soon.
It is very easy to get swept away with all the wedding planning and trying to make your wedding day reflect a certain vision you have always had. But it is important to remember that just because you always thought you wanted a certain type of wedding years ago, once you strip all of that back, the only thing that really matters is that you get to express your love and enduring commitment to the one you love.
What do you love about Bridebook?
Bridebook have been fantastic to us – they named us as one of Britain’s top venues which gave a welcome boost to the team. Their account management has been second to none. Kane, who is our main contact, has been very supportive during this period.
Final Comments
If you want to experience the magic that the Ashmolean has to offer, we would love to hear from you. We will also be hosting future virtual wedding fairs, where our most trusted and hand-picked wedding suppliers will be giving you their top tips when planning a wedding. Our first one was a huge success; you can watch the highlight video here.
Let’s talk wedding stationery – the perfect way to set the tone of your special day, get creative and, most importantly, let your loved ones know that your wedding is soon approaching!
Bridebook is excited to announce we have partnered with Papier, one of the leading wedding stationery brands in the industry, to help our couples design their perfect stationery.
Papier is unique as they collaborate with talented artists and illustrators to bring our couples all the designs they will need for their big (or little) day – from save the dates & invitations to menus, guest books, thank you cards & more.
Sophie Agar, Brand Director at Papier comments, “At Papier, we believe that stationery is a very special part of your wedding story. We’re so excited to be working with Bridebook to share our collections with you all.”
Wedding stationery can be personalised at Papier and is expertly printed on sustainably sourced paper in England. Choose from different paper thicknesses, finishes such as gold or silver foiling, and order samples to see how your designs look and feel. Papier’s friendly experts are on hand to help with any questions.
Browse Papier’s wedding stationery options:
Save the Dates
Set the tone for your wedding with Papier’s save the dates. Illustrated, foiled and photo designs can be paired with matching invitations and are available with or without envelopes. Prefer to send a digital save the date? Papier can help with that too.
Wedding Invitations
Calligraphy, floral, classic, modern – Papier has invitations to suit every couple’s style. All sets come with optional matching info cards, RSVP cards, pre-addressed RSVP envelopes & you can also get all your guests’ addresses printed on the envelopes to save you valuable time!
On the Day Designs
Add the finishing touches with orders of service, table plans, guest books, menus and place names. They’ll tie the details of your day together and give your guests little keepsakes to hold onto after the event.
Happy Planning!
Ready to order your wedding stationery for your big day? Send your request to Papier ‘Wedding stationery‘
If you’d like more advice on wedding stationery, below are some useful articles:
Bridebook are excited to announce the launch of our partnership with Searcys, which is in residence at some of UK’s most iconic venues including Blenheim Palace, The Pump Room in Bath, The Gherkin, St Pancras International and many more.
Rodney Payne, Searcys Regional Director comments, “Searcys started out as a weddings and events caterer back in 1847, and we are proud to have been serving our customers with finesse and personality since then. We are honoured to have been trusted with over 340 weddings over the past three years, including hosting micro-weddings during an incredibly challenging 2020. We look forward to welcoming our beautiful couples back into our iconic venues, when safe to do so. Our team is delighted to offer them additional support through the incredible tools from Bridebook – to plan, budget and organise their special day without a glitch.”
As a business we are aware that the last 12 months have been exceptionally difficult for the industry, therefore it has been incredible to see brands like Searcys innovate and adapt to offer solutions to recently engaged couples. During the start of our partnership with Searcys they have adapted to offer beautifully designed micro weddings at their venues, as well as recipes and useful tips for couples staying in to mark occasions through their ‘Staying in with Searcys’. Their most recent exclusive offer for our couples was free cases of Champagne for all future confirmed bookings.
9th November 2020: Parliament debates Weddings – everything you need to know.
Last night, we saw MPs from across Britain discuss E-petition 329339, the petition relating to the number of guests permitted at weddings during the coronavirus pandemic. Below is a summary of the main highlights, the video recording and the full debate transcript.
Summary:
Overall, this was a brilliant debate that finally shone a light on the struggles we are facing and the urgent needs of our industry. Bridebook, the Association of British Wedding Businesses (ABWB), Wedding Venues and suppliers across the country have been looking for a platform to voice their opinions and this was that platform.
MPs in attendance were focused on 3 main arguments:
Increasing the guest numbers at venues to fall in line with venue capacity.
The need for a clear roadmap for reopening so that businesses can start to rebuild and plan for the future.
Financial support to assure that we are able to survive as an industry.
The debate highlights:
Elliot Colburn strongly opened the debate, clearly informed by the ABWB briefing note stating: “Weddings take months and even years of intricate planning. Myself and many others believe the maximum number of guests authorised at wedding ceremonies should be increased. The number of guests permitted at weddings should be calculated according to venue capacity.” He closed his opening by urging the government to “set out a clear road map for reopening so that businesses can begin to bounce back.” This was to set the tone for the rest of the debate.
MPs in attendance continued to stress the real need for a roadmap and clear guidelines & instructions to assure that the industry survives.
It was further explained that the wedding guest number should be based on venue capacity with social distancing being observed.
Also highlighted multiple times was the ripple effect stemming from venue capacity limits. Venues are the key to unlocking the industry as many suppliers rely on the venue’s business. The industry is an ecosystem with venues at the helm.
The unfairness of pubs & restaurants being able to hold receptions when wedding venues can’t was almost scoffed at. The Ministers explained that wedding venues and suppliers would do anything they can to assure they were COVID safe and that risk assessments were met.
MPs also plead for financial support, stating that the majority of grants, to date, have not reached or supported businesses within the wedding industry
January & February were highlighted as crucial months for the industry. In just two short months, venues are able to recover a substantial amount of lost revenue, as they market for future business, specifically for 2022 bookings.
MPs explained that there is no substantial evidence that suggests that weddings have a direct impact on COVID numbers. Specifically highlighted was that in NI, where weddings have been able to take place with higher numbers, that again there has been no direct evidence of weddings having an impact.
Death bed weddings – MP urged the minister to increase the restriction to allow for more family members to attend death bed weddings.
Sadly, the minister Paul Scully closed the session without giving any real clarity as to solutions, nor did he show any real urgency in providing further guidance or support. Scully explained that the hospitality industry has put a lot in place to assure covid-safe rules but that this would be more difficult with wedding venues as friends/family are within the given area for longer periods of time so social distancing rules would be challenged.
What’s next?
Scully, although lacking conviction, did state that he is working on measures to bring the industry together. He proposed to introduce a task force that would support encouraging the government to engage with the industry.
The ABWB will be writing an official response and will be reaching out to Paul Scully to gain clarity on the next steps.
Bridebook will be monitoring progress closely and will continue to share regular updates with our community.
The Law Commission held a public Q&A session to discuss their Consultation paper. Below is a summary of the main highlights and the Q&A.
Law Commission: Weddings – the home of all the information you need on the proposed reform of Wedding Law.
Provide your thoughts and feedback on the Law Commission’s proposal here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/7R3TH65
Main highlights of the Law Commissions proposal
The Law Commission’s proposal recommends that weddings will be able to take place anywhere with a revised focus on dignity & existing health and safety legislation.
Rather than noting where the weddings take place. The new law would notify the officiant instead. In the case of registration officers, it may not be possible for a registrar to be identified and in this case, the location would then be listed. Once a schedule is listed, it will need to be signed and returned. Scheduled system to be introduced.
There will be 5 categories of officiants including independent officiants (celebrants)
Officiants will have to go through training in order for them to perform the legal requirements of marriage. Training has not yet been defined fully.
Questions asked with a summary of the Law Commission’s answers
Q: Registration Services have their own rooms, for example in the Town Halls where they’re based, to be able to conduct marriages in. Is it proposed that registrars still have exclusivity over their own venues? This isn’t clear in the consultation.
Yes they would. Those who own buildings can still control who has access to those buildings. Local authorities could say that only their registrars can hold weddings in town halls.
Q: I don’t have an issue with the concept but I think it is ill-timed. The industry needs to recover after COVID and does not need any more to deal with
We understand this. Our review is a general review. It was set up before COVID happened. And it is looking at wedding law and how weddings will happen in the future. We believe there is still a need to reform for the future.
What we have been able to do is look at what has happened during covid.
We know looking at other jurisdictions – outdoor weddings: outdoor weddings are less risky – future law much more resilient for future pandemics.
Also, we have been thinking about how emergency powers could help to support weddings to take place. E.g. enabling formalities – virtual weddings. We understand the impact that covid has had – we believe that this proposal will
Q: The wedding industry has been decimated by Covid-19, how on earth will existing wedding venues have the opportunity to recover if the new proposal will allow more venues to host weddings. The venues market is already overcrowded.
To remove the residency requirement – this will make it possible for couples coming from overseas to get married.
New revisions will make Eng & Wales more attractive – would lessen people going abroad – 73000 individuals go oversea to get married
The number of officiants – they had to turn business away because of the difficulty for registrars to book. Only one officiant would be needed.
Greater flexibility
Existing venues have an existing business – service they offer – not all of the weddings that take place – smaller/family weddings
Heard from existing venue owners – venues would be able to offer a wedding outside their buildings
Q: You’ve said by end 2021 that’s unfair
We will publish recommendations to the government in mid-2021. The legislation would have to go through parliament – changes wouldn’t be in place by end of next year.
Q: If a venue for marriage / civil partnership isn’t stated on the schedule, how will registration services know which marriages / civil partnerships are taking place in their district? Without knowing this, it’s difficult to ensure all are registered.
Rather than noting where the weddings take place. They would notify the officiant instead.
Registration officers may not be able to be identified – location would then be listed.
Once a schedule is listed, it will need to be signed and returned. Scheduled system to be introduced. Rather than listing the venues, it would be focused on the officiant.
Q: Has the proposal concerned the risks hosting weddings in venues/spaces that aren’t managed professionally eg wedding suppliers will not be vetted correctly, risk of poor service, food poisoning etc.
Discussed Venues in chapter 7 of the consultation paper. The marriage act – only governs where weddings take place. Already wedding law does not vet reception venues. Planning law, licence & health and safety laws – people providing services are governed under that law.
Safety & dignity would be the focus.
Officiant would be trained to address.
Q: You would not suddenly effectively deregulate the car industry without properly investigating the impact on the industry
We will do an impact assessment – chapter 13 and respond.
Q: I am in favour of most of the proposals. My query is how celebrants will be properly regulated – will some form of training and regulation fall on registrar services? What sort fo checks and balances are suggested?
Regulations will be focused on officiants – regulation will need to be met in order to officiate.
Chapter 5 – all officiants would have the same legal requirements – express consent and requirements are met and signed. They would have a responsibility for safety.
5 categories of officiants – independent officiants – independent celebrants: these individuals would be able to conduct ceremonies – more detailed requirements to show that they are fit and proper – completed training or that they have been approved.
Q: Have you noted this year how when wedding receptions are (often illegally) held in private houses/gardens, they tend to be more unsafe and unregulated, and that enabling people to get married at home could have similar health/safety concerns in the future?
Other underlying health and safety regulations all continue to apply.
It is not illegal to hold a wedding reception – what we anticipate is that the couple that owns the house – put concerns in the consultation response
Q: Would it still be a requirement to hold the ceremony under a cover/structure in order to keep the registers dry, or would anybody be able to get married literally anywhere?! This could be disastrous for already struggling venues if people are to be allowed to literally marry anywhere!
A wedding could take place at any place which is agreed between couples & officiant. Has to be safe.
If you are organising a wedding, you would need to take into account the weather conditions
Impact on existing venues, some of the venue owners we have spoken to are keen to use their outdoor space – marketing this.
That approach is not novel – it already happens in Scotland already.
The demand by couples – structures outdoors that are then licenced as approved premises
Issues – there are different applications across England and Wales and these decisions are made by local authorities. There are a lot of differences across local authorities – this is an issue that needs to be addressed in reformed law.
Q: Q from Ribble Valley Wedding Partnership Alcohol – clearly this is not currently permitted at or around the ceremony, what are your views regarding your proposals and if relaxed how will the dignity of the event be ensured. There doesn’t seem to be any mention in the consultation
We do in chapter 7 – currently, the only regulations relate to approved premises. Nothing currently to alcohol/decency.
Nothing to stop people before the wedding or in another part. Some local authorities dictate you can’t serve weddings before.
We focus on dignity and officiant to manage. Couples & officiant cannot be intoxicated.
Q: If a venue had a nominated responsible person (currentl required by the licence), could they also supply a celebrant to run a ceremony? Two separate people. Also could venues have control over who could run a ceremony – and have the freedom to decline particular celebrants or individuals?
Our schemes propose this – independent officiants – propose that there will be a rule
Q: Why has a report to reform the wedding law been commissioned?
We have a weddings law from 1836 that hasn’t been reviewed properly since.
The wedding law isn’t working for a lot of couples and proposes a number of restrictions
Out of date based on other countries
Asked to do scoping work by the government – immediate catalyst – focused on humanist
Current law doesn’t work for religious groups – recognised by religion but not by law.
Q: This seems to be an academic approach without any regard for the effects on a £10bn industry
Chapter in about impact – keen to collect thoughts. We will publish an impact piece.
We do try to take into account the opinions of those affected
Q: from Ribble Valley Wedding Partnership Could the new ‘Officiant’ be an employee of a venue, this would make everything easier
Conflict rules have suggested that we will not permit that
Q; what about the dignity and the legal seriousness of marriage. Naked Celebrant? People can be very strange so are we condoning that to an unlimited degree?
Officiant would be in control of this – proposal focuses on dignity.
Current law only relates to the dignity of approved premises
Q: What will the celebrant training look like?
We don’t prescribe this – we do talk about it in general terms – it would focus on the legal requirements – duties, consent & schedule signed.
The guidance given focused on forced marriage. We don’t prescribe but do ask you to share your thoughts on this.
Q: So basically all those unlucky couples who have had to postpone or cancel their weddings due to covid will now be able to sack off their original venue and potentially their associated suppliers and opt for a home-based wedding which will put so many venues and businesses out of work at the worst possible time! Why is this not now being stalled in order to give our industry a fighting chance?
We are not looking at those who supply services.
Nor is out consultation paper looking at existing couple contracts.
Looking at what wedding law will look like in the future.
Proposals are not going to provide a solution for changes to wedding plans this year
Q:Q from Ribble Valley Wedding Partnership The term ’guidance’ to officiants feels a little weak and open to interpretation, which is a concern, especially when it relates to health and safety, and accessibility. Is there not an argument for something more structured, maybe even qualified?
We welcome your views in the consultation response. The training that they would have to undertake will have to reflect that. If there are particular thoughts we would like to receive
Q: Is there any merit in proposing a “certification” standard or exam that all officiants should achieve, regardless of how they are appointed, to ensure consistency across celebrants?
The difficulty is that this already exists and it might not be prop0ortionate to influence or affect this if is it is working.
E.g. religious training exists. There would be concerns if priests have to take new training.
Q: I asked earlier about keeping the register dry – not sure you understood the question… I am asking whether if a couple choose to get married on a beach or a hilltop for example, do they have to be under a structure still (not a building, just a structure)
No, they would not. They would not need to be near a building.
Schedule system – authorised to go ahead. The registrars wouldn’t need to bring the registrar book to the wedding.
There will be one simple form for the record of marriages.
Q: Much of the decision re the setting safety seems to be suggested will now rest with the celebrant, but you’ve said anybody can be a celebrant. They will not be qualified to make that decision
There will be clear processes around officiants and the training that they will have.
We are not envisaging that officiants will be experts on health & safety or building experts. Officiants would look at other existing legal requirements.
Q: How would a venue check whether a celebrant was qualified and who is responsible if there is an incident? would there be a governing body for celebrants to call them to account?
All nominated officiants & independent officiants would be on a central database. There will be a means of checking.
Governing body – the general registry body with oversight
Nominated – by religious groups / non-religious belief – nominated
Q: A lot of room for profiteering re independent celebrants being paid to perform a legal marriage – trafficking/forced marriage
All marriages would need to be preceded by preliminaries.
Criminal activities – laws in place to support this.
Q: Giving a couple a meaningful ceremony in a place and form that has significance for them, led by someone who understands them and uses the words that they would like is a wonderful and beautiful aspiration. Has any thought been given to explicitly ruling out certain places, however – for example abattoirs, sewage works and so on? That may seem extreme, and certainly, those places may be special to some but there should be some exceptions?
Interested in consulting these views.
Q: We have spent a fortune ensuring disabled access and H&S – is that need out the window now if people can get married on top of a tree?
We do look at accessibility – existing rules on health & safety still apply independently of weddings law.
Q: I’d be interested in the timescale you expect for any changes to be implemented.
Publish in the second half of next years – we will be providing recommendations not draft legislation.
The government then to decide to accept/prepare legislation
The expectation that the government will give an initial response in the first 6 months and a full response within a year.
Q: is there any way that existing venues which are already licensed could automatically be ‘approved’ as a future venue, thereby making a pre-visit / inspection by an officiant unnecessary = saving cost
Good point. We do suggest that local authorities can keep their own list of venues that host weddings. This would prevent the need for officiants to go.
That is something that we are keen on considering.
Q: Are you prepared for say, 100,000 new celebrants and keeping a check on all of them?
I suspect that the number of celebrants will depend on demand.
I’m not sure there would be 100,00 and as we’ve highlighted, these are questions for the government to decide.
Q: What about giving notice? What would the rules be and who do they go and see?
Would be the same as they are now. With Anglican weddings – give notice to the registrar.
Q: To not consider the ancillary services of weddings demonstrates your lack of understanding of how weddings operate and are delivered.
We are looking at Weddings Law – looking at the weddings itself.
Q: would the general registrar office know whether they later got a criminal record for instance?
There would be an ability to withdraw their officiant authorisation withdrawn
Disclosure of disclosing criminal records. These rules will continue to apply.
Please put in your consultation responses to us!
Additional comments
“We manage outdoor venues and this is a huge growth industry. We’ve also been hugely affected by Covid-19. Couples hold an outdoor blessing and then a reception in a marquee of tipi. Our couples would love it if their outdoor ceremony, could also be the legal ceremony. I think existing venues with licences should be confident that couples would still choose their venue, for service, location, catering etc rather than trying to hold onto their competitive advantage and limiting choice for couples. Venues with licences do not comprise the full wedding industry.”
Is there any evidence at all that the demand for traditional (country house, hotel, church) weddings will decline? These types of weddings are hugely popular – people can already have a celebrant wedding in their back garden if they want to! people seem worried that the industry will collapse which is unfounded – there will be a huge surplus of couples in the coming years who haven’t been able to marry. it may be worth showing the evidence that ‘traditional’ venues will be just as needed – if not more now that they can use their gardens/outdoor spaces?!
I do not support your proposal to allow weddings to be hosted virtually anywhere. This idea is very ill-thought-out and will result in the closure of many dedicated wedding venues, as the market will become saturated with the number of venues.
Scotland has now restrictions for weddings but we do see that weddings are still taking place
One thing that I do agree with is that there should only be one registrar in attendance as this would vastly improve availability and costs
Tuesday 3rd November 2020
On Tuesday, I was asked to represent our industry and the Bridebook community in the latest Law Commission consultation. A small group of industry professionals met on Zoom to discuss the provisional proposals to Wedding Law Reform. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s public Law Commission Q&A event on weddings law reform.
The scenario
The Law Commission proposed that if the new law is passed, anybody will be able to apply to become an officiant.
Anyone looking to become an officiant will need to go through thorough training and will need to be approved by Registrars.
There will be a published list of official registrars and when couples give notice, they will have to list who the officiant will be.
Couples will be able to get married in any safe and dignified location agreed by the officiant.
As I see it, the benefits to wedding venues
With plentiful officiants, couples will be able to book dates and times of their marriages instantly with their venues.
This will speed up the venue booking process
There will be no more fees or red tape to be an approved premise
Multi-faith ceremonies can occur at your venue
The risks to wedding venues
There will be increased competition in venue market place. But, we must remember that couples who have religious ceremonies are already free to choose any venue for their reception. Couples already prefer and choose approved premises already, so I believe this is a low risk.
Benefits to couples
Increased choice on where they get married
Increased ease of securing a registrar
More personalised ceremony
Lower cost, as wider choice of officiants
Hugely beneficial to many faiths and religious weddings which are rather excluded by current law.
Risks to couples
Increased costs as officiants become a standalone professional supplier with increased demand during seasonality.
Officiants will require significant formal training to become an officiant, so it isn’t as easy as just asking your friend to host your ceremony.
I predict
Most likely this will cause an increase in the cost of weddings. Weddings will become even more personal or unique, and even a small registry office wedding will be replaced with become something much more personal, and likely more expensive. Eg Marrying on a boat or on the beach etc. Large weddings likely unaffected except for outdoor moments.
Conflict that officiants choose where is safe. Currently this is the responsibility of the approved venue, hence being approved. If the officiant says they are happy to host a wedding up a mountain, are they liable for the safety of all the guests?
Likely damaging impact to religious premises, where marriages are a vital revenue stream eg small village churches, and due to the convenience of ceremony and reception being in one location, many of these will lose out.
The industry will become even more creative as social media imagery of ceremonies occurring on boats, trains, outdoors, mountains, inspires couples to hyper-personalise even further, which often comes with added expense.
Law Commission Agenda:
We have invited a range of organisations to discuss our provisional proposals, particularly as they relate to wedding venues and other vendors. The purpose of the roundtable is to facilitate an open discussion among attendees about our provisional proposals for reform.
The proposed requirements governing the ceremony
Couples will have to give notice to the registration service before getting married.
We provisionally propose that all wedding ceremonies must be attended by an officiant.
Registration officers will officiate at civil weddings;
Anglican clergy will officiate at Anglican weddings;
Officiants nominated by religious organisation will officiate at all other religious weddings;
If authorised to conduct legal weddings, officiants nominated by non-religious belief organisations will officiate at non-religious belief weddings; and
If authorised to conduct legal weddings, independent officiants will also be able to officiate at civil weddings.
Every officiant will have duties to ensure the requirements of the ceremony are complied with, and to uphold the dignity and solemnity of marriage.
We propose that couples will be able to get married in any safe and dignified location agreed by the officiant. There will be no requirement for venues to be pre-approved by the state. Both civil and religious weddings will be permitted to take place in any type of location (but religious groups will be able to impose their own requirements about where their officiants will agree to officiate at weddings).
Couples will not have to say prescribed words during the ceremony, but will have to express their consent in the presence of the officiant, each other, and two witnesses. Religious content (such as religious readings, hymns or religious imagery) will be permitted at civil wedding ceremonies. Weddings will not have to take place with open doors.
At the end of the ceremony, the couple, officiant and witnesses will be required to sign the schedule.
Questions
Q. Is it your experience that couples want to have their wedding ceremonies in non-approved areas of approved premises (such as outdoors)? Or in venues and locations that are not approved (eg due to cost) or that cannot be approved (eg because they are outdoors or on moving vehicles, including on water)?
Q. Is it your experience that some couples having religious weddings want to be able to marry in secular or commercial venues?
Q. Will venues benefit from being able to offer these options to couples? Will any types of venue benefit in particular? Will any types of venue not benefit?
Q. Will venues benefit from not having to pay approval fees? From not having to meet the requirements for approval (and if so, which ones)?
Q. Are there reasons why the location of wedding ceremonies needs particular regulation, as compared to other types of events or gatherings?
Q. How do you think the officiant agreeing to officiate at a wedding in a given location, considering safety and dignity, would work in practice? How does it work in practice currently in relation to weddings that are not legally recognised taking place in locations that are not necessarily approved premises?
Q. Would an optional system for venues to be pre-approved be useful, or efficient?
Friday 1st November 2019
Last week I asked venues owners and managers across the UK to share their views on the Law Commission’s proposal on Wedding Law reform. Hundreds of you spoke up and as a result, Beth Wright and I were able to share representative opinions at the pre-consultation meeting on Monday.
Here’s what YOU had to say, and everything you need to know about Monday night’s meeting…
Your opinions on the proposed Wedding Law changes.
This report, along with other Bridebook couple and industry insights have been shared with the Law Commission for their use during this project.
UK wedding venues employ 50+ employees and work with 20+ local businesses on average.
Almost two-thirds of venues could not stay in business without weddings.
Half of the responding venues have not experienced any growth in the last 3 years due to economy, competition and couple preferences.
Venues’ Current Experience with Ceremonies
Ceremony space: The majority of venues host weddings ceremonies as well as receptions, and two thirds do not have an outdoor approved premise. Many express frustration related to not being able to host weddings outdoors, especially when planning permission prevents them from erecting an approved structure.
Regulations: While a third feel costs are too high and regulations too much, most are satisfied with current costs and regulations. They do mention that some regulations feel antiquated (e.g. room licenses) and sometimes restrictions limit business growth.
Registrar experience: While most report a good experience with registrars, many venues mention difficulty for couples to book registrar and overly strict registrar rules which can limit business growth.
Fees: Fees are inconsistent across venue and council and can range from +£100 to over £1,000.
Venue Preferences for Future
Location: Venues feel that approved premises should still be regulated, but that rules should be relaxed with regard to outdoor space and different room options at approved premises.
Celebrant: Venues feel that approved celebrants should be able to administer weddings, but that these celebrants should be regulated (e.g. not friends of the couple).
Other Ceremony Requirements: Venues are happy with regulations across many aspects of civil wedding ceremonies, and find that the current set of regulations are suitable for the formality and sanctity of marriage. However they do feel that some ceremony requirements could be relaxed.
What happened at the pre-consultation meeting on the Government Reform to Wedding Law.
What the Law Commission is doing: The Law Commission is focused solely on reviewing the law governing how and where people can marry in England and Wales.
Who are the Law Commission? The Law Commission are funded by the government but work independently in order to provide potential Law reform for the government. On average, 2/3 of the projects put forward by the Law Commission will be enacted and law will be amended.
The Facts:
The current laws date back from 1836 so are very dated in some places and not representative of today’s market and modern couple’s needs.
Based on government research 42.8% of legal marriages take place in hotels.
Jewish and Quakers wedding ceremonies can currently take place anywhere.
Currently:
There are different ways to give notice for different types of weddings.
Almost all wedding must take place in certain buildings
A wedding must be either civil or religious
The law is not clear as to the status of a wedding that was not celebrated in one of the legally authorised ways and some religious ceremonies have not been recognised
The law is complex and contains different rules about where a wedding can take place, depending on the type of ceremony.
Who attended the Commission meeting? 12 wedding venue professionals with differing backgrounds in the industry including local authority representatives, registrars, London wedding venue owners and managers, outdoor wedding company owners and industry community representatives.
What the Law Commission & Government reform will consider:
Whether everyone getting married should have to give notice to the register office.
Where couples should be able to marry such as: outside, in a private home, on board a ship, on trains – or even in Tescos!
Opinions for couples to express their commitment in a way that is more personal to them.
How the law might allow non-religious belief organisations and independent celebrants to conduct weddings.
What should be the minimum requirements for marriage to be recognised by law, such as: giving notice, the consent of each member of the couple, signing the paperwork etc.
How to eliminate unnecessary red tape.
What was discussed?
Venues’ experience with the approved premises regulations, including:
the costs and how they affect venues and couples;
problems that arise during the approval process, or during ceremonies; and
hosting religious weddings on approved premises;
Where couples want to get married;
Experiences of working with registrars, religious or belief celebrants, or independent celebrants;
Where civil weddings should be able to take place;
What rules or guidelines there should be about civil weddings venues; and
How a more permissive system might work.
Main discussion points and opinions raised:
Everyone agreed that the dignity and sanctity of marriage needs to be kept in mind.
There were many frustrations regarding the limitations the law has on allowing outdoor ceremonies and also ceremonies in specific rooms: why is it that only 4 out of the 5 rooms in my venue can host ceremonies? It is not clear.”
It was agreed that there is a higher demand in today’s couple market for a wider variety of wedding ceremony location options. Wedding venues can satisfy this demand by the Law allowing more flexibility in terms of outdoor and building regulations for weddings.
It was posed that hosting Religious ceremonies/blessings is one of the highest heard requests from couples and that there is confusion as to why it is not possible to have such religious blessings held at approved venues.
Safety regulations both in terms of the security that venues provide and the implications of safety on couples and guests in outdoor / at home weddings has to be taken into consideration.
The local authorities’ ‘free reign’ on approved premises regulations and on costs are seemingly subjective and can be restrictive for smaller venues. More clarity needed on the reasons why different authorities have such differing costs and regulations.
Registrar restrictions on conducting ceremonies based on ceremony timings, the weather and location impacts couples preferences and venue flexibility massively. Standardisation and clarity is necessary.
There were mixed opinions on who should be able to conduct a legal ceremony. Many agreed that celebrants should have legal rights however there are concerns regarding friends or family of couples.
It was also noted that no one in the room has ever seen or experienced a disruption during a wedding yet, if public access is granted to wedding ceremonies this could become more of an issue.
What’s next?
A public consultation will take place in Spring 2020. This is the industry’s opportunity to have their say on the proposed changes. Based on this consultation, the Law Commission will make their detailed recommendation to the Government, with any legal changes being implemented in 2021.
Bridebook will be continuing to work with the Law Commission and I will continue to share any updates I receive with our Venue Community. If you have any further thoughts or feedback please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Bridebook is excited to announce the launch of Searcys intimate wedding packages and our partnership ahead of engagement season. Searcys run some of London’s most iconic stand alone restaurants and Champagne bars, including St Pancras Grand Brasserie and Champagne Bar.
Although not new for 2020, micro weddings offer a perfect way to create your big day, where every detail can be tailored to meet any want or need. Hosting up to 15 guests, the Searcy’s team have created bespoke intimate wedding packages available for our couples.
With our 143 years’ of experience in catering for weddings, Searcy’ and its iconic venues are ready to host our couples’ special day with tailored event spaces, bespoke menus focused on the best seasonal and British product, and expertly paired wines and champagne to celebrate.
Things may be a little different right now, but Searcys Exclusive Events team is on hand to create bespoke wedding experiences to make our couple’s day one to remember. In the past fortnight alone, the team at Searcy’s has received over 60 enquiries for weddings until the end of 2020, with 5 confirmed bookings, some within a week’s notice.
Throughout this year, Searcys Exclusive Events team has been helping brides and grooms plan their big day in the new normal. Over the past few months, the team have been curating bespoke weddings for couples, customising options from menus to music, as well as quirky touches of personalised bride and groom face masks, ensuring all is done in a secure way for all guests. Interesting food and drink themes, from miniature champagne bottles for a toast to touch-free menus delivered in stylish boxes, let your personality shine.
While a traditional big celebration may be on hold for the next few months, micro weddings offer the chance for an intimate and personal ceremony. As part of the new normal, don’t compromise and look to Searcys and the Exclusive Events team to make sure your day goes off without a hitch.
Choose from one of Searcys iconic and historic venues, including:
Looking for something a little quirky? Why not marry on the concourse of the station, followed by a bespoke wedding breakfast at Europe’s longest Champagne Bar. On the doorstep to France and beyond, where better to say ‘I do’ than under Tracey Emin’s ‘I want my time with you’, before experiencing a truly unforgettable day with a Champagne reception and tailored menus, set in either the Champagne Bar or art-deco Brasserie, or your very private dining room.
For unrivalled sky-high views across London, there are few spots as striking as Searcys at The Gherkin. Able to adapt to suit the size and style of any event, the Gherkin offers majestic views, with options including a private dining room, beautifully designed and flooded with natural light, for an intimate celebration dinner, while for a more exclusive feel, dine at the very top levels of 39 and 40 to a truly remarkable backdrop.
Home to The British Academy in the heart of Westminster, the Grade I listed Georgian Townhouse offers 10 elegant private rooms, each with its own character. Carlton House Terrace is a stylish townhouse charm with views across London’s iconic landmarks offering a picture-perfect setting.
The Barbican Conservatory is a botanical oasis famous for its cascading plants, a high glass roof and tranquil fish pools. Licensed to host wedding and civil partnership ceremonies, it is a magical space in which to entertain your friends and family. After the ceremony in the breath-taking Conservatory, you can proceed to a reception set against the lush green background or choose to enjoy your wedding breakfast at our Osteria restaurant overlooking the City.
Photograph by Andy Gaines – Instagram: andy_the_gaines / Facebook: andygainesphotography
Located in the heart of the City and steeped in history, The HAC offers four striking event spaces stretched across the estate, each licensed to hold wedding and civil partnerships. It is a six-acre estate and the home of the Honourable Artillery Company, a charity set up by Henry VIII in 1537 to support the Regiment that shares its name. The HAC offers a stunning, 18th century manor house and a contemporary, self-contained conference suite. What’s more, five acres of beautiful lawns provide an unforgettable background to wedding photographs and reception drinks, with all food and drink catered by Searcys to meet any requirement.
From photographers to caterers, to wedding dress designers, the UK is lucky enough to be home to some of the most gifted Black wedding suppliers in the world. The creativity and passion of these artisans and experts are sure to make your day one that you will treasure forever.
At Bridebook we are creating long term action strategies, both internal and external to improve inclusion and diversity within our industry but we know there is a long, long way to go. This list is just our starting off point, which we will be constantly and consistently adding to. In the meantime, we couldn’t recommend the Noire Wedding Edit by Ofe of Studio Oudizo more, for inspiration and an incredibly detailed list of suppliers.
If you’re after relaxed, informal wedding photography that is going to be as creative, quirky and fun as you are, then keep reading! Marni is all about authentic moments; tears of joy, stolen kisses, crazy dancefloor moves and everything in between. She’ll be wherever the action is, getting to know the people you love, so she never misses a moment. If you want a photographer that will feel more like an extra guest then she’s got you covered.
Leesha specialises in emotive and creative wedding photography for quirky couples in love. Her photography style definitely reflects her love for all things artsy and romantic, as well as being incredibly detail-oriented. Leesha sees the beauty not only in the big moments but the little things too, that really tell the story of your special day!
Joséphine’s love for photography stems from her love of connecting with people and showcasing their genuine emotion. Both of these are key elements of candid wedding photography, and they’re the reason she specialises in laid back wedding photography for fun and creative couples. That means that there’ll be no awkward moments or cheesy poses – she’ll be snapping all the crucial little moments of connection and emotion, and she’ll do it as part of the flow of the day.
Bubble Bar Caravan is a unique and beautifully converted caravan bar, perfect for intimate weddings. They serve a full range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, from IPA’s, Lager and Ciders on draught to bespoke Gin & Tonics, Prosecco and cocktails. They pride themselves on their friendly, energetic service that you and your guests are sure to love, as well as being an incredible backdrop for photos.
The Little Cake Garden specialises in creating bespoke wedding cakes and other sweet treats. They create some of the most stunning and whimsical cakes we’ve ever seen, as well as incredible dessert tables. Being hopeless romantics, they deliver designs that truly capture and reflect your desires. They are dedicated to quality and tailor-made creations, with all of their products made from scratch, using only the very highest quality ingredients.
The Indulgent Sugar Plum is a concept bakery & lifestyle store that produces luxurious handcrafted cakes and confectionery. They are not afraid to cross boundaries and have even been featured on Channel 4’s ‘Extreme Cake Makers! From the first moment you receive your cake, until the moment you eat it – they aim for their goods to ‘inspire your conversations’. Through the creation process the draw on inspiration from your visuals, colour scheme & themes to create a cake that’s uniquely for you and your partner.
With over 13 years of baking experience, M+H Cakes are delicious and handmade with love from their kitchen in London from start to finish. Their attention to detail is second to none, and they’ll ensure that you get your dream wedding cake. Each cake is bespoke, handmade and a true work of art.
Naomi Deru Bridal creates dresses for the contemporary bride with a modern take on style and silhouettes. Every single piece bearing the Naomi Deru Bridal label is handcrafted from scratch in Kent, with every gown being impeccably tailored, perfectly executed and with beautiful detail. Naomi makes sure that each dress is a carefully thought through collaboration with the bride, making sure the bride’s unique style and personality is reflected.
Kahmune’s aim was to redefine the word ‘nude’ and they have certainly succeeded. Just as ‘nude’ plasters are not a one size fits all, neither are shoes! Brides and bridesmaids should be able to find shoes that blend seamlessly with their skin tone, and Kahmune has delivered on their promise, blending style and comfort, with flats and heels in 10 beautiful skin shades.
Queen of Hearts Floral Design is a London based luxury floral studio in the heart of North London. Founder Bilen Zeremariam has been an Interior Designer for the past twelve years and brings forth an extensive knowledge in colour, texture, shape and interior styling. Bilen decided to pursue her passion for flowers after creating her own wedding arrangements, which led her to learn the art of floristry. Today, Bilen takes pride in creating opulent, memorable and dramatic floral displays that transform weddings & events in London, throughout the UK and abroad.
Hazel is a passionate floral artist and designer with a varied and rich background in the creative arts. Her style is free with an enriching take on colour, form and texture. After a childhood surrounded by nature in south-east England, Hazel has had a lifelong appreciation for the natural world, which is a clear inspiration in her work. Training at world-class florist McQueens, Hazel continually translates the world, taking inspiration from art, fashion and architecture. Her work is a love letter to nature with creative choices and combinations creating her fresh and unexpected designs.
Since March 2020, our industry has experienced the most challenging times in recent history. Amidst the hundreds of thousands of wedding cancellations and postponements, our industry has maintained its strength and resilience through unprecedented challenges. It has been wonderful to see business owners coming together virtually to support one another through the UK Venue Slack group, the ABWB, the #whataboutweddings campaign, our Bridebook government petition, industry letter-writing to MPs and more.
I’d like to share some key considerations based on my unique experience as not only the CEO of wedding planning app Bridebook, but also as a fellow wedding venue owner of Hedsor House. I also co-founded HelloFresh and was formerly an investment banker at UBS during the last financial crisis, so have had a varied career with some very relevant experiences. I’ve also been in direct communication with the CMA and a panel member of the Law Commission overseeing regulations for wedding venues, all of which enables me to gain insights into the current state of the industry from many sides.
Looking ahead, we unfortunately know that 2021 will be a challenging year too. However, we all have opportunities that we can leverage to position our businesses as best we can at this time. I encourage you to think about each of these key considerations.
Key Consideration 1: Prioritise Cash Flows
Key Consideration 2: Optimise Your Team
Key Consideration 3: Understand the Current Market
Key Consideration 4: Understand the Government Regulations
Key Consideration 1: Prioritise Cash Flows
Cash is vital. This can not be emphasised enough. Focus on cash. We know that weddings will be back at some point, we now need to secure enough cash to ensure that our businesses are around for that moment. Make sure you understand the implications of postponements and deposit amounts to your cash flows, and make adjustments accordingly.
A. Adjust deposit structure to frontload sales. Beware the underlying cash flow issues that postponements may have on your business. Take a close look at your cost to host a wedding, and compare that with to the deposit you charge clients. If your cost to host a wedding is >50% of the clients’ total fee, and you charge a 50% deposit, you may have an upcoming cash flow issue.
For example: Suppose you charge £10,000 for a package wedding, it costs you 70%/ £7,000 to host the wedding, and you take 50% deposit. Whilst receiving the first £5,000 deposit is useful and lucrative, beware being lulled into a false sense of security on the second payment. Though you will receive a second £5,000, you will have £7,000 outgoings so will actually have a net cash outflow. Postponements stack these outgoing up. If your hosting costs are less than your second deposit, then you don’t have this issue.
In a normal year, hosting weddings and selling weddings balances out, so you have positive cash flow. However, a year filled with hosting postponed weddings and selling weddings 2 years out may have a new cash impact for your business. Know your costs, know your cash flows, and make adjustments to your cost structure or deposit structure to ensure you stay cash flow positive. Frontloading sales early on is a key way to address this issue. The further out you can sell dates, the smoother your cash flow will be.
B. Give upgrades, not discounts. A discount hits your cash flow and net profit instantly, while an upgrade doesn’t. Think about the timing when your business is impacted from these types of incentives, and encourage your sales team to promote incentives that affect your bottom line as late as possible, with the least amount of impact to your cashflow.
For example, let’s consider £1,000 off venue hire versus £1,000 off champagne on the wedding day. The first option costs you instantly from net profit and cashflow now, while £1,000 champagne, likely only costs you £330-£500, and the cash flow impact is only at the wedding. Consider that actually £2,500 of free champagne might have the same net profit impact for you as £1,000 upfront discount, still has a later cash flow impact, and is likely much more persuasive to the couple!
Key Consideration 2: Optimise Your Team
Making sure your team is equipped to handle your upcoming business needs is vital. As we approach the biggest engagement season of the year, with 40% of the year’s engagements occurring between December and February, a huge opportunity awaits and a capable sales team should be in place to maximise results.
Be mindful of redundancies. Ensure your business is ready not only to host weddings like mad in 2021, but to sell like mad into 2022. You may be considering redundancies, but I urge you to think seriously about the repercussions. For most venues, the cashflow saving of a redundancy will be less than if that person sold one (1) additional wedding a month, or took administrative duties off a salesperson so that salesperson could sell an additional one. Beware of a vicious cycle, that if you cut costs too heavily, you may be unable to sell due to administrative overload on your sales team which can become increasingly unproductive.
A key consideration when considering the difficult decision to make someone redundant is their replaceability and the actual saving. For example, if you are making an employee redundant you may give them 2-months settlement. Hiring their replacement may cost a 20% recruitment fee, and training up the new colleague may take another 2 months. In this scenario, if you believe their role will be required within 6 months from November, then it would be a false economy to follow a redundancy route. A mutual agreement of reduced hours / sabbatical / temporary role reassignment may be a more optimal route for both parties and for morale.
Be prepared for engagement season enquiries. Be ready for another 100,000 engagements at Christmas, and have your team ready to secure business. Position your team wisely, and consider shifting roles to prioritise sales. If possible, get operational team members handling relations with existing couples and postponements, while your sales time focuses all their efforts on gaining new business. Think ahead how your entire team can work together to maximise time dedicated to new sales. Cross-training your team now will pay off later.
Key Consideration 3: Understand the Current Market
Beware increased competition. As with the last financial crisis, the competition for wedding business will increase significantly thanks to corporate business shifting to weddings. Corporate business will be affected by COVID much longer than weddings, so corporate venues will focus more on weddings in the absence of corporate events. In a recessionary environment, the first business expense cut is corporate events. Businesses have a responsibility for their employees’ health and safety so will feel very nervous about arranging large gatherings for a very long time. Just like personal travel will recover much quicker than business travel (eg Summer holidays bounced back rapidly this August, but business travel was still firmly on hold) corporate events will follow the same pattern. Ensure you are well positioned to capture and compete with this new competition for wedding business in the coming 6-12 months. We have seen this first hand, as we launched Hedsor House to focus on corporate business in 2008 until the financial crisis hit, which was when we pivoted to the stability of weddings. We already see many corporate businesses following this path.
Get timing and pricing right. Focus on late 2021 and 2022 wedding sales. Bridebook already has a backlog of over 100,000 2020 couples waiting to find their venue and we all need to be ready for this backlog to release. At this stage, venues should be booked around 40% of 2022. Across the country, 2022 is already getting booked due to postponed Covid weddings taking 2021. In fact, 57% of all Bridebook’s bookings in September were going into 2022, and 62% in October.
Filling 2022 key dates with new business, rather than postponements, is crucial for your future business viability. Selling these dates early is key to this.
Dynamic pricing for your business is incredibly important too. This will allow you to maximise sales by actively shifting couples into weekday rather than weekend bookings. If you need any guidance on dynamic pricing, do message your Bridebook venue consultant.
Key Consideration 4: Understand the Government Regulations
While our industry is impacted significantly by COVID-specific regulations, we are also experiencing impacts from changes stemming from the Law Commission as well as CMA guidance. Make sure you’re up-to-date on the impacts these governing bodies have on your business’s opportunities, competitors and contracts.
Easing of location and celebrant restrictions. On 3 Sept 2020 the Law Commission announced suggested changes to how and where couples can get married, that will ease the red tape experienced by couples and venues for approved legal weddings. I was on the commission panel during the consideration process, and feel that it is not only positive news that antiquated laws are being updated, but that new opportunities will arise for us amidst the easing of these restrictions.
The changes will likely allow weddings to take place outdoors, in a wider variety of buildings, with loosened restrictions on celebrants, ceremonies and notice-giving. While many within our industry may be wary of increased competition from non-traditional venues, we should not expect a rush to weddings in McDonalds. Couples will still want large groups of friends and family, in beautiful settings, where they can dine together in one room, and not be reliant on the weather, and that are run by experienced staff. This all leads back to the professional venues of today. We can also view the easing of these restrictions as opportunities for us to conduct wedding ceremonies more freely on our own premises and in our outdoor spaces, enabling us to enhance our current wedding offerings. Do note that celebrant weddings are already very popular, although not legal, and the vast majority of them take place at approved premise wedding venues anyway. The easing of these celebrant and ceremony restrictions benefit our venues by offering more freedom and flexibility to our clients while on our premises. We can expect further updates later in 2020.
Post-covid refund rules recommended by the CMA. On 7 Sept 2020, the CMA released guidance on wedding services affected by COVID-19, specifically on cancellation and refunds, alongside the CMA open letter to the wedding sector. Their guidance was clarified in regards to Covid and where Covid means a wedding cannot be hosted without substantial differences to the agreed contract.
Further details of a CMA action involving Bijou Weddings Group were released which concluded the fair and reasonable non-refundable amount to be 37.2% of the total cost of the wedding. On 9 Oct 2020, Bridebook issued an update to the CMA Guidance Summary, which includes an assessment of the decision with Bijou Weddings Group and continues to add updates to this page.
I know these last seven months have been difficult, and I applaud all your efforts to keep calm and carry on, despite the many adversities your business has faced. I know that we are all poised for a boom in bookings come engagement season, only two months away. I strongly urge you to take some time to seriously think about all of these key considerations and make sure your business is in the best shape possible for the next 6-12 months.
I see plenty of hope for our industry. From Bridebook data in September, we see newly engaged couples’ predicted budgets have remained unchanged versus 2019. Couples still want the large weddings we all know and love, and they are willing to wait for when it is possible. 2021 and 2022 will likely be the busiest years of weddings ever. We want to be sure you are there to work with them when that time comes.
I also urge venue owners and managers to get connected with your fellow industry colleagues on the UK Wedding Venues Slack group, a forum of thousands of wedding venues across the country, supporting each other and discussing relevant issues on a daily basis.
Now is also a great time to ensure that your digital presence is in tip-top shape, in preparation of the Christmas influx of prospective couples to your website, social media and Bridebook profile. Make sure all your photos, videos and details are up-to-date. Remember that couples love social proof, so chase any outstanding reviews from clients and fellow colleagues (share this simple link to collect reviews), and add testimonials to your Bridebook profile and website wherever possible.
Additionally, book a call with your Bridebook venue consultant to learn about ways to boost your presence among local couples, by heading to THIS PAGE or emailing business.bridebook.co.uk. If your business doesn’t have a Bridebook profile yet, create a free profile and our team will be happy to welcome you to our wonderful community of wedding professionals.
There are so many moving parts in our industry right now, and I truly want you to be the best equipped business you can be to navigate the difficulties and come out on the other side stronger than ever.
If I or the Bridebook team can help with anything, do get in touch.
This year has been an impossibly hard one for the wedding industry, but our industry is a resilient one. With 86% of 2020 wedding bookings now falling into 2021, Bridebook predicts that 2022 will be the biggest bumper year in wedding industry history. It is time for you to save your business, by focusing your marketing efforts on the future. Bridebook has developed a 4 step strategy to help you sell your business back to success and to make it through 2020.
STEP 1: Decide on a realistic timescale for a return of meaningful weddings.
The first step is for you, to decide when you think you’ll be able to sell ‘meaningful’ weddings again. By this, we mean weddings in a more ‘normal’ state: more guests, more flexibility and most importantly, more room for profit.
A survey in the UK Wedding Venues Slack Group showed that 60% of venues would suggest March 2021 as the very earliest for the return of meaningful weddings. You need to be considering what this means for your business in terms of potential loss and then get creative with your short term venue & marketing.
How can you support your business and bring in revenue now? Here are a few of our short term recommendations:
Host 30 person weddings, as long as there’s a return on investment (ROI): The Government update of 9th September limits social gatherings, indoors and outdoors, to 6 people only. Whilst this may feel like a step back, the good news is that this does not include weddings, which can go ahead with receptions of 30 people. Venues have been battling huge challenges of couples wanting refunds, only to go and host bigger receptions at home or in the pub. Couples who wanted refunds are already starting to request receptions for 30, now that their plans have been made ‘illegal’. Venues need to use this update to their maximum advantage, and market all availability for 30 person receptions to keep revenue, even if small ROI, coming in.
Got accommodation? Host families or small groups of friends as a B&B or holiday venue. A great example of this is how Hedsor House has flipped their marketing to being a ‘luxury country retreat’ and offering takeover of the venue to families, friends or couples.
Lights, camera, ACTION! Could your beautiful, unique, quirky venue be used for filming?! There are many location agencies (eg Lavish Locations & Shoot Factory) that promote venues to location agencies and then take a commission.
Get your chefs cooking up a storm – why not turn your venue into a temporary restaurant? Quantock Lakes have launched “Kitchen at Quantock Lakes” – allowing them to welcome new guests and most importantly, bring in new revenue.
Whilst we wait for meaningful weddings to return, we also highly recommend doing a cost-cutting exercise for your venue. Are there any ‘less necessary’ overheads you can forgo for the time being? Spending the time going back through your books and cutting even a few overheads (e.g. phone bills) could mean assuring keeping a team member, paying an electricity bill and saving your business.
STEP 2: Focus your attention 2022
The second step is to focus your mind on 2022 (and beyond). The lack of news from the Government is keeping our attention focused on the here and now. Not helped by the combination of the old and new CMA guidance, which is forcing venues into a myriad of legal issues. To avoid putting your head in the sand and digging yourself into a worse cash position, start focusing on 2022 and its revenue-generating potential.
Bridebook statistics prove that the future is much more secure and has the potential to save your business:
17,500 couples have signed up to Bridebook since the beginning of August (+15% YOY) clearly showing that the business for 2022 & beyond is readily available for you to secure.
Roughly 50% of these users are planning their wedding in 2022 or later.
For the users who have put 2021 as their wedding year, 60% are planning to have their wedding in the second half of the year.
57% of all enquiries sent since the beginning of August are for 2022 or later.
Couples are ready to pay deposits and secure their future wedding dates now. Deposits taken for future bookings gives you money in the bank and keeps your business tick over.
What actions can you take immediately to support 2020 revenue generation…?
STEP 3: Take action and turn 2022 into a bumper year for your business.
The third step to consider is how to start marketing your 2022 (and beyond) to ensure that it is your best year yet. 2022 is likely to be the year that saves the wedding industry – so how can you make the most of it?
Review your existing 2022 calendar – get a strong view on your availability – what dates, months, seasons are currently available for bookings? Use this knowledge to frame your marketing efforts. E.g. if you have a large amount of Autumn and Winter dates available, how can you use imagery to highlight these dates specifically?
Challenge yourself with the number of weddings you can host. Which days can you host weddings on – can you do more?
For example, if you usually only host 2 weddings per week, see if you can host 3, or even 4.
Stretch yourself to make the maximum amount of revenue during this undoubtedly busy year – this is your opportunity to recover your losses.
Set clear KPIs and goals for you and your team, to ensure you are motivated to hit sales targets for 2022 & beyond.
Focus on marketing your high value, priority dates first. Get the peak season dates sold first, as these deposits will do more to support your business in the short term.
Selling all your Saturdays in July and August for 2022 would give your venue security for that year, and also cash flow to get you through these hard times now.
If your venue only has a summer license – can you re-address this? Can you start doing events in the shoulder season, or winter, to increase your opportunity for revenue?
Local councils may be more flexible with licensing, so it is worth asking.
Don’t forget to push sales into your ‘off-days’, and use your pricing strategy to support you.
Similarly to above, you can use your dynamic pricing to push your mid-week dates, just as you can with your seasonal dates. E.g. “That Friday is booked, but the day before is free and is £XX less.”
Make the time to review your Pricing Strategy – pricing is your most powerful lever for revenue growth.
Ensure your prices are dynamic, so you can increase your volume of sales significantly, and achieve a higher marginal price on each of these additional weddings.
For example, you should have very different prices for your Saturday in August, than a Tuesday in February.
You can use your dynamic pricing to fill your remaining dates & support your sales tactics. E.g. “Our September dates are busy but we have space in October and they are £XX less.
Review and optimise your Terms & Conditions for future bookings, to support healthy cash flow in the short term.
Securing upfront deposits and booking fees for weddings in 2021/2 will be vastly easier than finding the equivalent cost savings in 2020.
We have seen one venue make very smart amendments to their T&Cs so that the couple is “purchasing an option to use the facilities at VENUE “exclusively” of any other guests”. This has protected them during COVID. Couples are able to change the date but not liable for a refund.
Instead of using discounts for future sales, use upgrades (only if you need to!).
Upgrades impact your cost of sales, whereas discounts directly hit your net profit. Giving a free late-night extension worth £1000 has a vastly smaller financial impact to a £1000 discount.
Get creative with your marketing: how can you stand out from the crowd? Every venue will be jumping aboard the 2022 sales push, so you need to go above & beyond. Here are some things to think about:
Open day appointments/wedding fairs: how can you host these safely? Or virtually?
Styled shoots: couples love to get inspiration for their own weddings through editorial pieces. Who can you partner with? Make sure to share it like mad after!
Winter weddings: can you use any weddings from this Christmas in your marketing, to support sales for the 2021/22 festive seasons?
Special Offers: how can you make booking far in advance irresistible to couples – what can you offer them?
Reach out to your Bridebook Venue Expert and become a VenuePro member today.
VenuePro is the most powerful marketing tool available in our industry, with three options available to suit your venue.
If you’d like a free consultation with one of our VenuePro Experts, please leave your details HERE.
STEP 4: Don’t forget 2023
We foresee 2022 as the bumper year to recover the wedding industry. Whilst you should be prioritising filling your 2022 calendar, we also highly recommend being prepared for the end of 2021 AND 2023 as they have the potential to be extremely busy as well.
You need to have your pricing strategy for 2023 in place sooner rather than later, so you do not lose out on potential business.
By putting Bridebook’s 4 Step strategy into action, you will be able to recover from 2020 and save your business. As our industry continues to go through such difficult times, remember that things will get better. Our industry is a resilient one, and people will never stop getting married – we just have to make it through the storm.
Bridebook are here to help our wonderful community as much as possible, so don’t hesitate to reach out. Our brilliant team of Venue Consultants would be delighted to chat with any venue wanting to learn how we can support you with our premium platform, VenuePro – just leave your details HERE.
We also highly encourage all venues to join the conversation. We have over 1000 venue professionals using the UK Wedding Venues Slack Group to communicate with each other every single day. Join for free now and make the most of valuable and supportive business advice and knowledge.
I (Hamish Shephard, CEO & Founder of Bridebook) would like to share a very important update on the CMA guidance on refunds for wedding venues and suppliers. Details of the CMA’s agreement with Bijou Weddings have been released and the outcome gives extremely valuable insight on what is deemed as fair and reasonable by the CMA. Here is the key information:
THE CMA concluded the fair and reasonable amount Bijou could retain was up to 37.2% from weddings affected by COVID from 24th March 2020:
The CMA allowed retained costs to include proportions of planning costs, staff costs, venue repair and renewal, and cleaning or gardening amongst others.
This gives much further clarity to the CMA’s most recent guidance of 7th September, which has been regularly misinterpreted as a directive for full refunds.
The CMA’s breakdown is explained here:
The CEO of the CMA, Andrea Coscelli, confirmed the CMA’s confidence in the Bijou settlement as a benchmark for the industry in September. “It is good news that Bijou has agreed to offer fairer levels of refunds to its customers, and we encourage other firms in the industry to follow suit“
Another key part of the Bijou agreement was that the CMA confirmed that “Bijou will not have to give refunds to people who have already received, or are going to receive, their money back through their insurance.” This again puts pressure on the insurers to honour and payout on their insurance contracts.
We know discussion on refunds has been an incredibly tense and challenging topic for wedding businesses and couples over recent months, and hope this insight aids in reaching fair and amicable outcomes for both parties.
At Bridebook, we strongly encourage that the optimal outcome for all parties is postponement, rather than cancellation, in the majority of cases. This allows couples and businesses to not forgo incurred costs, for businesses to retain this future business, and all parties to enjoy the celebration at a later date.
We believe this insight into the CMA’s opinion will help give ongoing business confidence to wedding companies, give existing couples increasing confidence in their venue and suppliers, and adds needed pressure on the insurers.
I know these times are incredibly tough. The rollercoaster seems to never end, and the end is not yet in sight. But stay strong. We will get there.
2021 and 2022 will be incredibly busy wedding years. The COVID backlog of weddings will ensure the rapid recovery of our industry, the reflourishing of our wonderful businesses and the joy of hundreds of thousands of couples. Bridebook and I are dedicated to ensuring everyone gets there. This week, I have been on BBC News live and BBC Radio 4 live fighting for our industry and will continue to do so.
If I or the Bridebook team can help you in any way or you’d like to discuss anything further, please email business@bridebook.co.uk.
The latest official guidance from the CMA can always be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/cma-covid-19-response#updates-from-the-cma
Stay strong,
Hamish Shephard
7th September 2020: CMA News Update
Wedding professionals, particularly venues, have been one of the most hard hit and under supported groups of businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our industry, usually so full of joy and love, has been plagued by financial and emotional stress as weddings are postponed and cancelled. And sadly, the majority of venues are still sitting empty through our industry’s peak season
There will likely be an increase in requests for historic refunds / settlements from previous couples
The CMA want the venue to split the consumed costs with the couple, so be aware of this
We expect venues will be having even more difficult discussions with couples, as they have the CMA guidance on their side
As always, we recommend that venues remain firm and fair: do the absolute best for your couples whilst protecting your business. Also, do remember that whilst these guidelines are presented by the CMA to encourage reasonable and fair behaviour, the final determination of individual scenarios would only be given by a judge via a court escalation. For more information on this please read Explanation of CMA Guidance on Weddings & Refunds.
This guidance may not be what we wanted to read, but now more than ever, we must hold our heads high and continue to support each other. We must look to the brighter future to get through the ongoing difficult times we face.
How can you support influencing CMA advice, as a venue?
When the CMA first released their guidance on business refunds due to the pandemic, the Association of British Wedding Businesses’ Venues Committee members were impacted as venue owners, along with much of the wider industry with customer refund claims and threats of action from the CMA. They considered the guidance to be unbalanced and unfair, so formed the Wedding Venues Support Group (WVSG) to mount a legal challenge on the CMA. Over 170 venues have joined the Company and pledged over £60,000, used to instruct solicitors and deliver Target One, outlined in this flyer.
In light of the new CMA guidance, the WVSG are continuing their mission and are asking more venues to join this industry wide wedding venue initiative, as a united front. You can join as a member and pledge to support their fund HERE. New members will receive the full benefits of Target One legal advice and defences, and their subscriptions will be used to fund (for the benefit of all Members) Target Two, a Wedding Industry Standard Contract based on Counsel’s expert opinion, designed to be authoritative and CMA proof. If you have any questions, please email the team at info@wvsg.org.
Keep looking ahead – the future is brighter!
Keeping your head up and pushing to fill the diary with bookings for 2022 and beyond is the only way to keep afloat through these tricky times. The new CMA guidelines mean venues may need to issue a higher number of refunds, so continuing to bring in new revenue to support your cash flow is crucial. The end of 2021 and 2022 are going to be the busiest years for weddings in history, so now is the time to be securing that business as early as possible. After all, the pandemic has not stopped couples getting engaged; Bridebook has seen 17,500 new couples sign up since the beginning of August, which is up 15% YOY!
The Government update of 9th September limits social gatherings, indoors and outdoors, to 6 people only. Whilst this may feel like a step back, the good news is that this does not include weddings, which can go ahead with receptions of 30 people. Venues have been battling huge challenges of couples wanting refunds, only to go and host bigger receptions at home or in the pub. Couples who wanted refunds are already starting to request receptions for 30, now that their plans have been made ‘illegal’. Venues need to use this update to their maximum advantage, and market all availability for 30 person receptions to keep revenue coming in.
There are many ways to support your revenue stream to get through the storm. We highly recommend optimising your Terms & Conditions to promote a healthy cash flow. For example, securing upfront deposits & booking fees for future weddings will be much easier than trying to find the equivalent cost savings this year.
Secondly, make sure you take the time to review your Pricing Strategy. Pricing is your single biggest lever for revenue growth as a venue, so ensure you are being dynamic. For example, you should have very different prices for your Saturday in August, than a Tuesday in February – you need to be thinking how you can use your dynamic pricing to support your sales. Hamish Shephard, Bridebook CEO & Founder will be hosting a virtual Masterclass on creating a pricing strategy and using it to recover your business, so watch this space!
Finally, in order to be securing those new bookings, you need to get your venue in front of couples. This is not the time to drop your venue marketing – quite the opposite! Make sure you keep up your social media, website content and keep any online profiles up to date. If you are a VenuePro member, make sure you keep your Account Manager informed of any Special Offers you are promoting so we can push them to our community. If you are not a VenuePro member and would like to see how we can boost your marketing, please leave your details HERE. For advice on how to make the most of your social platforms, how to build content, the benefits of video tours and more, see our articles & videos here.
We are stronger together.
Our community is like no other; we are so lucky to be surrounded by genuinely caring, fun and resilient individuals in the wedding industry. Whilst coronavirus has caused terrible times for our industry, the one positive has been wedding venues coming closer together, which continues to be crucial during these turbulent times. The UK Wedding Venues Slack Group has been an incredible source of support for its 1000+ members, and we invite any venue who is not yet a member to join. A recent survey showed that 87% members would recommend the group to a friend, so what are you waiting for! We have been uplifted seeing venues coming together in all sorts of ways; whether it is to offer advice on a tricky situation, share personal experiences or just to jump on a video call with a glass of wine to de-stress.
Whilst the updated CMA guidelines are not what our industry was hoping for, we urge our venue community to not feel defeated. By working together, continuing to push for support from the Government and maintaining a view for the future, we will get through this.
Excerpts and links to relevant guidelines for wedding venues – updated Tuesday 21st July 2020
Government update Friday 17th July: From 1 August, small wedding receptions will be able to take place – this means sit-down meals for no more than 30 people and subject to COVID-19 Secure guidance.
Original article – published Thursday 16th July
On 23rd June, the Prime Minister announced that lockdown guidelines would be relaxed beginning on 4th July to enable weddings to restart at a restricted level. Further guidance was issued on 24th and June 29th June to provide additional clarity, and instructions for NHS Test & Trace support was issued on 2 July.
We are thrilled about the great news that our industry is finally able to host weddings again, and these guidelines represent a starting point from which we can begin working again. Below are a few links to Government guidance for your review. The guidelines are filled with recommendations on re-opening protocols and restrictions that will vary in relevance to each of our industries and individual businesses. We encourage you to read the Government guidelines thoroughly to identify how they apply to you.
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
Social distancing:“Where it is possible to keep 2 metres apart people should. But where it is not, we will advise people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’ meaning they should remain one metre apart, while taking mitigations to reduce the risk of transmission.”
Business risk reduction:“We are today publishing guidance on how businesses can reduce the risk by taking certain steps to protect workers and customers. These include, for instance avoiding face-to-face seating by changing office layouts, reducing the number of people in enclosed spaces, improving ventilation, using protective screens and face coverings, closing non-essential social spaces, providing hand sanitiser and changing shift patterns so that staff work in set teams.”
Gatherings:“We advise that from 4 July, two households of any size should be able to meet in any setting inside or out. We are not recommending meetings of multiple households indoors because of the risk of creating greater chains of transmission. Outside, the guidance remains that people from several households can meet in groups of up to six.”
Hospitality:“All hospitality indoors will be limited to table-service, and our guidance will encourage minimal staff and customer contact.”
Track & Trace:“We will ask businesses to help NHS Test and Trace respond to any local outbreaks by collecting contact details from customers.”
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
1.17 Can weddings go ahead?
Yes, from 4 July, weddings and civil partnerships will be allowed to take place. You should only invite close friends and family, up to a maximum of 30 people. The wedding exception is for wedding ceremonies only. Large wedding receptions or parties should of course not be taking place. Wedding celebrations can only happen when people follow the guidance of six people outdoors, support bubbles, or two households indoors or outdoors. It is critical for these guidelines to be observed to keep you and your family and friends as safe as possible.
1.25 Can I gather in larger groups for any reason?
You should only be gathering in groups of up to two households (including your support bubble). It is against the law to gather in groups of more than 30 people, except for the limited circumstances to be set out in law. You should observe the guidelines for meeting people wherever possible, and limit your social interaction to your own household or one other (or, outdoors, also a group of up to six people), to help to control the virus.
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
COVID-19 secure environment:“legally-valid ceremonies or formations are strongly advised to go ahead only where they can be done in a COVID-19 secure environment. It is also advised that the ceremonies are kept as short as reasonably possible and limited as far as reasonably possible to the parts of the ceremonies that are required in order for the marriage or civil partnership to be legally binding. No more than 30 people should attend a marriage or civil partnership, where this can be safely accommodated with social distancing in a COVID-19 secure venue.”
Receptions:“Any receptions that typically follow or accompany marriages or civil partnerships are strongly advised not to take place at this time. Small celebrations should only take place if following social distancing guidelines – i.e. in groups of up to two households indoors, or up to 6 people from different households outdoors.”
Venue decision-making:“Venue managers will have discretion over when they consider it safe to open, and the officiant should also be content that it is safe to proceed. The venue should decide to remain closed or not proceed with the marriage or civil partnership if they are not able to safely adhere to the guidelines outlined below. Where the legislation requires that a venue does not open at this time then it must remain closed.”
See excerpts (and please read the full linked document):
The following information should be collected by the venue, where possible:
Staff
the names of staff who work at the premises
a contact phone number for each member of staff
the dates and times that staff are at work
Customers and visitors
the name of the customer or visitor. If there is more than one person, then you can record the name of the ‘lead member’ of the group and the number of people in the group
a contact phone number for each customer or visitor, or for the lead member of a group of people
date of visit, arrival time and, where possible, departure time
if a customer will interact with only one member of staff (e.g. a hairdresser), the name of the assigned staff member should be recorded alongside the name of the customer
No additional data should be collected for this purpose.
To support NHS Test and Trace, you should hold records for 21 days.
For more business advice we’ve collated all of our COVID-19 resources for wedding professionals to help you easily find the support you need. If you have any questions at all or need any help then please do reach out to anyone in the Bridebook team.
At present, venues are still unable to host in-person show rounds. Creating and hosting virtual video tours should be your No.1 priority to continue generating revenue during COVID-19.
Bridebook’s amazing product team have built Video Tours to increase the exposure of your virtual tour capabilities. These tools are available exclusively for VenuePro members.
Get real-time video tour enquiries from prospective couples using Bridebook. Activate ‘Enable LIVE Video Tours‘ in your profile and we will let searching couples know that you’re ready (and raring) to host a live showround.
2. Help couples get the feel for your venue and team by adding a pre-recorded video to your profile. We have built a dedicated ‘Video Tours’ section on your profile, so couples can easily find it. Please note you may only upload in a Vimeo or Youtube format.
Over the last three weeks, Bridebook has seen an 8% YoY increase on engaged couples signing up to the app. There is new business is out there, waiting for you. Virtual tours are crucial for bringing your venue new business during lockdown.
Please note that as Bridebook introduces more & more high tech features such as these, we are unable to support old web browsers, most notably Internet Explorer 11. We always recommend using Google Chrome for the best experience with Bridebook Business.
We have said it once (or twice!), but we will say it again – every single wedding venue must be making use of video tours or LIVE virtual tours. By prioritising revenue generating marketing efforts, such as using video tours to get new business, you will support the future of your business and get through this challenging time.
At this moment, the Government continues to keep wedding venues closed. Wedding venues shouldnot be hosting in person show rounds, even with distancing measures. Luckily, virtual tours are an incredibly effective way of giving a prospective couple a real ‘feel’ for your venue, even if they can’t visit you. A Bridebook survey showed that 86% of venues who offer virtual tours have received at least one booking as a direct result.
If you are unsure whether virtual tours will be a fit for your venue, look at the huge host of venues already offering them and their success stories. The team at Hedsor House have been offering virtual tours for over 2 years, and have seen huge revenue generating success. Hedsor even has a room dedicated to virtual tours in a nearby outbuilding, as a way of hosting tours even if there is an event happening in the main house. They also find this a crucial way to convert couples from abroad!
Whether you decide to create a pre-recorded tour or offer LIVE virtual tours via Facetime / Zoom, you must market these to ensure couple interaction. Your first step should be to upload these to your Video Tours section of your Bridebook profile(please note, this feature is only available for VenuePro members*) and let us do the promotion for you! We’d also recommend advertising these on your own website and social media platforms.
We look forward to seeing all your wonderful videos on Bridebook soon. Keep in touch with us on the UK Wedding Venues Slack group – we’d love to hear your venue’s experience with virtual tours!
* VenuePro Lite memberships are available for FREE until the 6th July. Click here to upgrade – no payment details required.
At Bridebook, we feel very lucky to have such a collaborative and inspiring community of venues. It has been heartbreaking to see the devastating impact of coronavirus on businesses, in all aspects of our industry. We are determined to continue to be a pillar of support through these tough times. We aim to do so through both educational content and building innovative product features.
In just a few weeks, the world’s weddings have come to a halt. The COVID-19 global pandemic has led to widespread wedding business closures and the cancellation of thousands of weddings globally.
With isolation measures in place around the world, wedding businesses are now forced to navigate the uncertainties of moving peak season wedding date bookings into the future while still trying to reach new couples in order to stay afloat. Understanding what couples want and need during this time is essential to ensure each business is making the best strategic decisions.
Bridebook, the world’s #1 wedding planning app, has teamed up with Style Me Pretty, the world renowned top inspirational wedding resource, to deliver this free report to you.
This in-depth report presents 30+ pages of insights, from 6,000+ couples in over 85 countries, on how COVID-19 is affecting weddings in all stages of engagement. You’ll learn:
Wedding date preferences for postponing couples vs. new bookings
Expectations for postponement of weddings later in 2020
Impact of COVID-19 on wedding costs
Impact of COVID-19 on the wedding budget of newly engaged couples
Video tour preferences among newly engaged couples
..and more.
As a member of the global wedding community, Bridebook feels the heartbreak of both the couples whose wedidng days have been jeopardised, as well as the industry professionals whose livelihoods are now at risk. We know that venues and professionals around the world are giving up so much while postponing months worth of weddings, and we know that difficult times lie ahead for your businesses, even after restrictions are lifted.
On behalf of couples everywhere, thank you for being a part of one of life’s happiest moments, and for being generous and caring to the thousands of couples whose celebrations have been put ‘on hold’.
All of us at Bridebook look forward to providing as much guidance, insights and support that we can in order to keep this wonderful wedding industry strong and growing.
While you may not be able to view wedding venues physically right now, we want to make sure you’re still exploring your options and to shed some light on the incredible teams at some of the best wedding venues in the country! With our Venue Showcase series, you will learn more about what makes each venue unique and find out how their team works with couples to put together the day they dream of!
The first in our series is The Wellbeing Farm – a fun, quirky farm venue in Bolton. The founder and Managing Director, Celia, shares the story of the venue below.
Tell us a little bit about yourself!
After experiencing work-related stress in the NHS, I resigned from my role and set about transforming a neglected farm in Bolton into The Wellbeing Farm. In the process, I experienced every type of business scenario and won various awards such as Implementer of the Year at the National Entrepreneur Awards. I secured a publishing deal to tell my story and my book ‘Why Put a Bow Tie on a Llama? How a crazy idea can change your life and transform your business’ was published in January 2020.
In my spare time I love yoga, meditation, reading, walking, gardening, baking and family days out with my son, Matthew, age 12, and partner Stephen. I also love walking with my dog, Maxy.
What drew you to the wedding world?
After I opened the business in March 2013, everyone kept asking me whether they could get married at the farm. I didn’t have anywhere for anyone to get married, but I set about transforming an indoor riding school into a wedding barn. Our first wedding was in July 2015 and since then enquiries have never stopped rolling in!
What do you think makes The Wellbeing Farm unique?
We apply the concept of Wellbeing to everything we do at the farm. We help couples’ wellbeing by managing the stress of wedding planning and organisation through a thorough and structured programme of meetings, resources, planning and support to ensure EVERY wedding held at The Wellbeing Farm is fun, quirky and magical. We also are a green business with the highest award achieved in green business so sustainability and wellbeing is at the heart of not only our ethos but within the fabrication of our buildings.
Our most memorable way we stand out is through our furry friends – our llamas, donkeys and alpacas – they are the true stars of the show – how many weddings have you attended where you can pose with a bow tie-wearing Llama?
How do you get to know your couples before the big day?
We really do love getting to know our couples, and without it sounding like a complete cliché, by the end of the process we really do feel like we have made a long lasting friendship! From the very first time we meet, we always welcome them with a warm hug, a cup of tea and a piece of homemade cake – which is always a good start to the exciting process that lies ahead.
We have a very hands on planning process, and in addition invite our couples to all of our open days and a yearly Quirky Wedding Fair- so they know they are always welcome up to the Farm even if just for a nosey around, to bring their parents for a grand tour or for a cup of tea!
We now also offer a wedding planning service from abroad! We have planned weddings with couples from Dubai and the Philippines over FaceTime and Zoom – the couples arrived in the UK a week before their wedding to found everything planned and organised for them! Our record time for meeting the couple and delivering a wedding is two weeks!
What do you think makes for the perfect wedding?
Amazing food, plenty of booze, memorable entertainment and of course a beautiful ceremony where as a couple you are surrounded by your family, friends and loved ones.
What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve had at The Wellbeing Farm?
We really do believe that no two weddings are the same and feel strongly that it is the extra special touches that truly count. We really do go on a journey with all of our couples and do everything we can to make their day one we will all truly remember. This last year (so far!) we have had lots of doggy ring bearers, a Bride drive a tractor to her wedding, a ceremony broadcast to Canada, a couple bring their horse to a wedding and a first dance outside under the stars and a couple who wanted to do a karate fight as their first dance!
Why should a couple book The Wellbeing Farm?
We won the UK Events Team at the National Wedding Industry Awards 2020. We provide so much support for couples in both booking and planning their wedding. We even have a guarantee on the quality of food served at your wedding.
We fully accept that if a couple is looking for a hotel type wedding in a sophisticated setting – we are probably not the venue for them! This is something we are proud of and will continue to be proud of. We want to be a venue the wedding guests all remember for a long time to come. If a couple wants a wedding where their guests can kick off your shoes, dance on a hay bale, wrap ties around their heads and forget their inhibitions, then we are the venue for them!
What is your #1 wedding planning tip for couples?
Forget tradition – go with what type of wedding YOU want. You can enjoy a relaxed, informal wedding just as much as a five course experience. Don’t try and please everyone, make it your wedding, your way.
What’s the best photo spot at The Wellbeing Farm?
Probably where the couple sit on board a vintage blue tractor with each of them holding a bow tie-wearing llama!
What part of your business are you most proud of?
Winning UK Events Team of the Year at the National Wedding Industry Awards.
How do you feel technology is changing the industry?
I feel that after experiencing lockdown, in future more wedding planning will be done using Zoom or FaceTime and live streaming will be something that venues will be offering at weddings.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to couples that are currently struggling amidst the COVID-19 crisis?
Covid-19 is nobody’s fault and worrying never does solve anything. The panic and fear is just as contagious as the blasted virus. Work with your venue to both agree on a revised date for your wedding. Even if the date isn’t what you originally wanted, I have taken this great advice from Alan Berg – ‘When you look at your photos, can you tell what day of the week it was? Does food taste any different on a Tuesday? Do people dance differently on a Wednesday? Does the sun not shine on a Thursday? Your guests will remember your wedding not what day of the week it was on’.
The support Bridebook provides is amazing, the industry reports you distribute and the coverage you gain from being with Bridebook is brilliant.
Any other comments?
Your wedding is one of the milestones in your life. It’s something that you’ve spent months planning (or even years). So you want the planning of your wedding to be an amazing happy experience, but so often it can turn into a huge amount of work full of stress. Make sure you choose a venue which will help you through the process and support you every step of the way.
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