In the past 12 months we’ve documented a notable shift in the volume of couples opting to book weddings on weekdays rather than opting for previously popular weekend dates.
And with couples saving an average of £1,679 by not booking a Saturday wedding it’s not difficult to see why, as a nation, we’re losing our love of the weekend wedding.
More of us are working flexibly these days too, so taking a day or two off mid week is no big deal anymore as many people will compensate by working the weekend instead.
The core theme of 2017-2018 is choice. Couples have more choice these days and flexibility is the trend of the Century.
But don’t take our word for it.
We met to discuss the weekday wedding trend with the team at South Farm.
South Farm lies on the borders of Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, and has been holding weddings for twelve years now. This well-established wedding venue boasts beautiful grounds, a gorgeous country farmhouse and lovingly converted barn buildings, as well as its very own organic smallholding providing much of the produce used for wedding breakfasts.
South Farm has experienced something of a weekday revolution over the last couple of years and, in fact, this wedding venue is now booking more weekday weddings than weekend dates.
James Paxman, Managing Director at South Farm says: “it is becoming more and more apparent that couples are keen to embrace a greater degree of flexibility around the date they choose for their wedding as it enables them to secure their dream venue at a fraction of the cost that weekend dates can command. We have long advised our couples never to underestimate how much people will want to come to their wedding, regardless of the day of the week, and we are seeing many couples now looking to take advantage of the lower venue hire fees offered on Mondays-Thursdays.”
Tip:Bridebook Business profiles that include pricing details receive 10x more enquiries than those who do not. Be transparent with your wedding venues weekday wedding costs.
The pricing structure at South Farm means that couples with their heart set on booking their wedding day at their dream venue can do so at a much lower cost midweek than they can on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday if they are able to be flexible. The savings this can afford couples means that they can free up their budget for other wedding costs, such as the all-important dress, booking other suppliers and even their honeymoon.
Because budget is so important, the South Farm team puts together a detailed and comprehensive cost estimate for each couple at their very first meeting.
James says: “as a venue we are completely transparent with regard to our costings; publishing all our prices and availability online, which helps hugely when couples are planning and budgeting for their big day. In fact we find, on average, that a couple’s final account is actually lower than their original estimate. By helping the couple manage their wedding costs with a working cost estimate, we enable couples to focus on the details and finishing touches for their wedding day whilst being fully informed of variations at all stages. At this first meeting we are also able to demonstrate to couples how much a weekday wedding can potentially save them.”
Holding your wedding during the week at South farm could mean a saving of up to £4,000.
Tip: Regardless of how big or small a saving you could offer, wedding venues nationwide could explain what these kinds of cost savings could mean in real terms to wedding planning couples using Bridebook’s wedding budget estimate. You’ll surprise and delight them, and hopefully secure a weekday booking off the back of it.
Does having a weekday wedding mean that couples have to compromise?
At South Farm couples receive the same standard of service and catering options including a full range of menu choices and dedicated planning support in the lead up to their wedding day, regardless of the day of the week. If budget-savvy couples really can enjoy a greater choice of dates at a lower cost and enjoy the same quality of wedding day, it seems like a no brainer to us.
South Farm has also seen some of their recommended wedding suppliers follow suit and offer lower prices to clients for week-day bookings rather than weekend dates.
James says: “some of our suppliers, such as photographers and entertainers are now offering a price structure that reflects our own, with weekday bookings representing greater value for the same service compared with weekend dates. We expect that the industry will follow suit as couples increasingly demand high standards of service and greater price flexibility.”
So does that mean that weekend weddings are fast becoming a thing of the past?
“Despite the fact that weekend weddings command a higher venue price they still remain in demand, particularly in the summer months, and are usually the first dates to book up, however couples with a more flexible approach are taking advantage of our week-day venue fees. In 2017 we booked 93 weekend dates and 139 week-day dates at South Farm which demonstrates a shift in industry trends with lots of couples taking advantage of the pricing structures for weekday weddings and making great savings.”
These are interesting times for the wedding industry and South Farm are certainly seeing a shift in wedding day decisions.
The Bridebook.co.uk Wedding Awards 2018 results are in, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this year’s winners!
Determined by reviews of their past couples, these florists, photographers, caterers, venues and general dream makers, have each been crowned the 2018 Bridebook Wedding Awards Winner in their respective category.
Congratulations to all the winners, and a special shout-out to all our suppliers who won a Certificate of Excellence for their contributions to the wedding industry in 2017. If you’re looking for your dream team, be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these Certificates displayed on their Bridebook profiles!
And to the couples still planning their wedding, who knows if one of these champs will help put together your dream wedding…
See all the winners of The Bridebook Wedding Awards below:
Winner: Dodmoor House – “Winning the award has definitely resulted in our venue receiving more enquiries from Bridebook and we have also held the number 1 search position in Northamptonshire for more than six months.”
Winner: The Wellbeing Farm – “It has certainly helped raise our reputation across the North West – we’ve been incredibly proud to say we were the winners of the North West Venue of the Year! It has been an amazing accolade and experience.”
Winner: Quantock Lakes – “When we received the news, we were thrilled to share our Venue award win on our Facebook page which we pinned to the top of our page. The post has reached over 10,000 people and received over 1,300 clicks. The exposure we have received from the award has been phenomenal and we enjoy using the Bridebook hashtag regularly on both Facebook and Instagram. We have sold many weddings this year through our Bridebook listing and award. The award has helped install confidence in couples coming to view Quantock Lakes for the first time as Bridebook is trusted and well known by many couples.”
Winner: Larchfield Estate – “We were so delighted to be chosen as the NI venue of the year, it has meant a lot to the team as shows that our care and hard work ensures our couples have the best day. Our enquiries through Bride book have increased in the last year and I am sure the award has helped raise our profile within the industry.’
Winner: Samantha Jayne – “The experience was fantastic. Simple to enter, great to market to clients etc. Winning was freaking AMAZING! It’s been a huge opportunity to create more awareness about my business, gain more clients and grow my business! I’d highly recommend that other businesses take part. It’s the best form of advertising! Clients and prospective clients love to see that you are doing well and this gives them more confidence in your ability to provide your service to them!”
Bridal Beauty of the Year
Dani Roberts Makeup
Winner: Dani Roberts Makeup – “It has boosted my confidence in myself that I am making my clients happy and with the title behind me it also increases confidence in future brides to book me and know they are going to be in good hands!”
Cake Maker of the Year
Cakes by Nina
Winner: Cakes by Nina – “Wherever I’ve mentioned I have won 2018 Cake Maker of the Year people seem to have heard of Bridebook and have congratulated and recognised the reward. It’s a wonderful award to win because it is actually based on what your customers actually think of you and it is lovely to know what people truly think of your work.”
Winner: GDC Weddings & Events – “Winning my award has given clients more confidence in booking. I’ve had lots of enquiries and actual booked Events since winning. A fantastic status also to have won this prestigious award!!”
Dress & Accessories Supplier of the Year
Sarah’s Wedding Boutique
Winner: Sarah’s Wedding Boutique – “We really enjoyed entering the Bridebook awards 2018. Unlike a lot of awards in this industry, this award is based on actual feedback from our customers rather than a panel. Our customers really got on board and wanted us to win too so they were happy to write a review for future brides to read. (It was lovely for us to read them too!)”
Entertainer of the Year
The Wedding Crècherz
Winner: The Wedding Crècherz – “Winning the Bridebook wedding awards 2018 meant the absolute world to us. It opened up so many opportunities for us, and added gravitas to our name and branding.”
Florist of the Year
Mrs Bouquet Floristry & event styling
Winner: Mrs Bouquet Floristry & event styling – “We display our award on our desk in the showroom and take it along to any wedding fairs we attend. Our upcoming brides absolutely loved that we won & of course our previous brides were ecstatic to say they had award winning suppliers.”
Winner: RLA Wedding Designs – “When I found out that I won I genuinely cried! I was so overwhelmed. Winning has boosted my confidence and given me a great platform. To say I am a national winner gives all my potential customers the faith and trust to book with me and also gives my current clients the ability to say that their invites were created by an award winner!”
Transport Supplier of the Year
Churchtown Wedding Cars
Winner: Churchtown Wedding Cars – “Being the UK’s transport provider of the year is an amazing accolade and we proudly display the logo for our customers to see. It gives them the confidence that our past brides and grooms have enjoyed an amazing experience and they can read the reviews too.”
Videographer of the Year
Veiled Productions
Winner: Veiled Productions – “Winning Videographer of the Year has been brilliant for the business. I’ve certainly had more bookings through Bridebook this year than last year – couples like reading from past clients and hearing about their experiences with us, on their wedding day and after watching their films back. It shows we are a trustworthy wedding supplier too which is so important when planning a wedding.”
Bridebook is the UK’s number one free wedding planning app, with over 16,000 registered wedding businesses and more than 100K couples planning their wedding with us.
A Valentine’s Day Playlist was in order, so the Bridebook team put together our favourite love songs, from different decades, genres and swooning styles.
The new year is well underway and we’re already looking forward to wedding season 2018. Based on predicted trends it’s going to be a bold and beautiful year.
A few teasers have already landed on our desks with regards to popular wedding photography styles and wedding themes thanks to brave couples choosing to marry in January! And so we’ve gathered trends from the hottest wedding photos we’ve seen in this chilly month so far.
We’ve also scoured leading design publications to see which visual trends are leading the way in photography now, and how colour and artistic themes could influence the wedding photography landscape this year.
Here goes…
Wanderlust – documenting our great escape
When does a trend stop being “trendy” and become a way of life?
Wanderlust = life, right?
Wanderlust travel photography will of course continue its upward trend as the need for silence, solitude and wellness dominates trends for 2018. And with overseas weddings now more popular than ever before it’s no surprise that destination wedding photographers with a diverse geographic wedding portfolio are hot property.
Wedding photographers can inspire 2018 couples by showcasing shoots from beaches, countryside, mountain tops and more. It’s a great way to leave potential new clients with a lasting memory of your wonderful wanderlust-inducing work.
Portraying a carefree lifestyle, escaping the grind and ‘telling your own story’ is set to remain a popular theme amongst smartphone photographers and Instagrammers.
The irony of travelling to remote places to escape whilst documenting that solitude on social media does not elude us, however it demands behavioural psychology investigative work than we’re not qualified to provide at this stage.
Conceptual realism and surrealism
A preference for the surreal over reality is a trend that’s set to continue from last year into this, and it serves as a means of escape from political, economic and environmental world concerns.
However the desire for realistic, authentic and believable images in a world where media content is freely invented and shared is more important for both photographers and consumers now than ever before.
2018 photography is about blending incredible experiences with raw, uncut nature and adding a dose of human imagination to the mix to provide people with the escape they’re so looking for.
Be creative with your wedding photography but ‘keep it real’. We’re fortunate to work in an industry designed for capturing raw emotion from real subjects in photographs. With skill and experience, wedding photographers can create dreamy wedding stories within the realm of reality.
Banishing stereotypes
Male stereotypes are being challenged and many brands are looking to tackle overt masculinity by introducing more complex, gentle and emotionally astute representations of the gender.
As wedding photographers, you have an advantage here. You’re lucky enough to have the opportunity to capture these kinds of raw emotions in a pleasing, gentle and natural way…
“Accept me for who I am” is a visual trend based on challenging stereotypes. Expect to see photographers inside and outside of the wedding industry capturing women and men as ‘their true selves’. The interchanging roles of genders will also be a focal theme for many creatives.
And it was all…purple
This year’s must-know (and must include) colour is ultra-violet purple.
Pantone has officially named it colour of the year for 2018, and describe it as “a dramatically provocative and thoughtful purple shade, PANTONE 18-3838 Ultra Violet communicates originality, ingenuity and visionary thinking that points us toward the future.”
This colour inspires and represents the exploration of new technologies, the cosmos, artistic expression and spiritual reflection.
It is a colour that we often associate with mindfulness and meditation; offering an escape for those seeking refuge in an over-stimulated world.
We’re expecting all shades of lavender, plum and other purples to be popular too, not only in design, branding and photography but in homewares and fashion too.
Wedding photographers…if life gives you lavender fields, you’re one lucky shooter.
However you can still show that you’re at the cutting edge of photography trends by making sure that any wedding you shoot that does incorporate this colour is featured at the top of your portfolio and on your homepage.
Incorporating this Pantone is good for securing bookings from style conscious couples and great for getting you noticed prior to wedding awards in 2018.
Bold and brave colours in general are “in” this year, leaning away from the more natural palette of 2017. However a great way to make ultra violet purple less brash and more crowd pleasing is to combine it with greenery (Pantone’s 2017 colour of the year), greys and more neutral tones for a pared back yet on trend wedding look.
Space is ace
In keeping with our ultra-violet year, fantasy and space are set to grow in popularity across all consumer based industries, including photography. Shutterstock has seen a massive increase in search demands for fantasy characters and the most savvy photographers and videographers are already honing in on space-themed conceptual realism by enhancing an already starry night sky, for example.
Conceptual realism can be best described as imagery that looks real, even if the idea does not seem to be so.
This fantasy theme will continue to be seen in branding developments, including the use of vivid colours, creating a sense of escapism from reality.
#nofilter
Unfiltered images are expected to enjoy a long awaited revival after what we’re now creatively calling “the age of the #filter”. This style is also known as Dead Pan and was popular in the 50s, and it involves subjects represented as they are – raw and ready.
You’re ready to visually delight the critics of 2018
Wedding photographers – it’s time to develop your photographic style and more so, your portfolio, in keeping with this years hot visual trends.
Stay relevant, stay popular and earn critical acclaim.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
Wouldn’t it be incredible to know exactly what a couple is looking for in a wedding venue before they even visit?
Truth be told, a lot of the time, couples don’t really know themselves what they deem most important in a venue until they’ve visited a few and have come to realise what they are, and are not willing to compromise on.
What we can prepare for, however, is the fact that all of us are influenced one way or another by trends, and by what we’re seeing more of in shops, fashion and in wedding shoots.
Trends aren’t unique to each industry – they don’t develop in silos. They’re present in the clothes we wear, the interior decor we lust after and the media we consume. And whether couples consciously opt for a ‘fashionable’ wedding or not, they’re likely to incorporate accents of trends that they themselves may not have even noticed.
By subtly incorporating ideas from predicted 2018 trends in your wedding venue you can position yourself as a relevant and desirable place to wed.
And one of the best things about being a wedding venue is that you can work with other local wedding suppliers to transform your space. You can offer fellow suppliers an amazing venue to exhibit their finest work at, and in return, you benefit from having your venue perceived as on trend – no matter how traditional the foundations are!
Incorporating 2018 wedding trends into your venue
Here are 4 key wedding trends that you need to be incorporating into your wedding space on open days to win more bookings.
1. Open spaces and industrialised architecture is a key trend for 2018 weddings
Ok, so most typical UK wedding venues aren’t going to be dripping in natural, industrialised architecture but you can easily fake it, and include metallic touches to your events rooms and open spaces in a sympathetic and unobtrusive way.
Consider working with local wedding decor suppliers who can provide copper chairs, lanterns, candle holders, cups and cutlery.
Tip: 2018 has seen us move away from rose gold accents in favour of industrial look copper.
For your next wedding fair or open day, work with your preferred supplier to set up an industrial themed corner which would appeal to couples who’re looking to incorporate this trend.
Fairy lights are the perfect accompaniment to an industrial theme as are green garlands – drawing on last years trend. Soft draped fabrics work well to counter the harsher metallic look and add a fairytale feel.
Treat your wedding space like an exhibition and provide a couple of different trends and expressions to suit different tastes. By featuring a trendy theme alongside a more traditional one you’re appealing to couples awareness of ‘what’s hot’ without moving too far away from the typical ‘white wedding’ idea.
2. White and green is still in… just add marble
In addition to copper and metallic details, a super hot wedding trend for this year is to add marble aspects into the mix.
Some wedding venues have the marble monopoly, like Holkham Hall…
By adding white and green tones to floral décor a wedding venue like Holkham Hall can become very current very easily.
For those wedding venues with less natural marble to play with, partner with wedding decor suppliers who can bring marble themed table runners to your next wedding fair or open day…
Or perhaps a marble inspired seating plan with matching place setting cards…
A really impressive way to incorporate a marbled theme in your wedding space is to work with a local wedding cake maker and ask them to produce a marbled cake with wow factor…
3. Keep it light and minimal
2018 weddings are all about natural light and stripping things back to basics.
Leaving ceilings and walls neutral and minimalistic allows more couples to envisage their dream wedding day, and it enables you to work with local wedding suppliers to add the kinds of details we describe above.
Metals and marbles are quite dominating materials to have in a wedding theme therefore it’s important not to add too much elsewhere.
Focus on making the most of natural light and offering a simple, polished space that couples can build ideas on.
4. Blank canvas venues that couples can make their own
Following on from above, it’s now more important than ever for couples to have freedom and options where building on their wedding theme is concerned.
Yes, you can offer ideas and help paint a picture of what their day could look like with the help of like-minded wedding suppliers, but there will always need to be a little room for movement.
Be yourself… AND be the wedding venue that 2018 couples want
Couples will on some level be influenced by popular themes that they may not have even known were on trend because of exposure to them; exposure in the media, in retail and in the ideas wedding suppliers offer. That’s a fact.
It’s important to work with what you already have, own your venue style and compliment it. How does your wedding venue space tie in with the popular trends above?
Don’t try and be everything for everyone but make sure that you’re not alienating couples by refusing to be anything other than traditional.
Incorporate trends with a little help from supplier friends and you’ll be surprised how much a little modern vision can help couples to decide whether you’re the wedding venue for them this year.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
Looking for venue inspiration for your upcoming wedding? Look no further! Bridebook.co.uk (your go-to wedding venue finder) has compiled a list of the most amazing wedding venues in the UK.
Browse the list below, and click the links to explore them more. You can even message each of these beautiful venues asking for some more info!
While you’re in wedding venue wonderland, be sure to personalise your wedding venue search with the filters that matter to you. Set your filters to “Luxury” or “Lovely Grounds” or “Castle” to see some jaw-dropping wedding venues near you, or set your filters to “Rustic and Barn” or “Exclusive Use” for some beautiful and heartwarming options. The variations are endless!
The Keeper and The Dell, a wonderfully secluded, outdoor wedding venue in Norfolk, is a beautiful collective of a traditional canvas marquee located in a pretty woodland dell, an 18th-century Gamekeeper’s barn, camping gardens, firepit and wood cabin. This is one the most amazing wedding venues in the UK!
Caswell House, the Cotswolds, offers a unique ambience with the perfect mix of rustic romance surrounded by breathtaking scenery, stunning barns and exclusive use of the immaculate grounds.
Askam Hall is a country house hotel in Cumbria, brought into the 21st century, with a converted barn featuring rustic oak ceilings and stone walls paired with modern lighting and beautiful glass doors. This is one of our favourite glass house wedding venues.
Ever After, a unique outdoor wedding venue on the banks of a Dartmoor river, showcases an open-sided oak and stone barn, glass-roofed outdoor rooms, a bespoke marquee, and an 18th-century luxury honeymoon cottage.
River Cottage is a 65-acre organic farm tucked amongst rolling hills on the Dorset and Devon border, offering the beautifully restored Threshing barn, the famous farmhouse, a yurt and walled gardens for use on your special day.
South Farm, the perfect setting for a quintessential English Country Wedding in Hertfordshire, is home to a lovingly restored Grade II listed house, beautiful Tudor barn and lovely summerhouse set in stunning gardens. Guests will enjoy prize-winning menus utilizing produce grown on-site.
Doxford Barns is a truly unique barn-wedding venue, located in the heart of coastal Northumberland on a private and secluded country estate. The best part…exclusive use to you and your guests spread over three days!
Packington Moor is set within a 700-acre livestock farm in Staffordshire and includes The Malt Barn and The Oat Barn, farm-to-table wedding meals, a restored honeymoon suite and a nearby Coach House for additional lodging.
Carbis Bay, a modern British boutique hotel located on the coast in Cornwall, is set within a 125-acre estate with sub-tropical gardens and a private beach.
Tunnels Beaches is a stunningly unique location found on the Devonshire coastline, featuring a hand carved tunnel through a cliff leading to a stone terrace overlooking a hidden private beach.
Angel House, a Grade I listed Regency Town House in East Sussex, has a stunning seafront location right on Brighton and Hove border overlooking the Angel Peace statue out to sea.
Artists Beach House, with original arts and crafts detailing, is situated just above Tankerton Beach and a short walk from the fashionable fishing town of Whitstable in Kent. The Whitstable Street, a geophysical phenomenon, located below the property offers a stunning backdrop.
Titchwell Manor, steps from the golden beaches of Norfolk, is a Victorian manor with secluded walled gardens, log fires, spacious contemporary bars and lounges, beautiful dining room and outdoor terrace.
Sudeley Castle & Gardens was once home to Henry VIII’s final wife, Catherine Parr. Experience the royal treatment in this historic Tudor castle in its’ own Cotswold valley, in Gloucestershire.
Lough Eske Castle is a fairytale five-star refurbished castle-hotel located in Ireland outside of Donegal Town.
Aikwood Tower, a unique Scottish castle five-star wedding venue outside of Edinburgh, is the perfect marriage of ancient and modern.
Fasque Castle, one of the top country house wedding venues in Scotland, has a unique blend of opulence and comfort with a choice of large reception rooms, exclusive use bar, 19 luxurious bedrooms and a high-spec dining kitchen with adjoining terrace.
Amberley Castle is a genuine medieval castle in West Sussex, with stone walls, 12 acres of gardens (with peacocks and alpacas!) and tower views of the nearby village.
The Gainsborough Bath Spa occupies two Grade II listed buildings with distinguished Georgian and Victorian facades originally built in the 1800’s and situated in Bath a World Heritage Site.
The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa, a luxury wedding venue in a Grade I listed building in the heart of Bath, boasts an all-new Wedding Garden for use on your special day.
The Bingham, tucked away by the river in Richmond-upon-Thames, this chic London boutique hotel is a romantic destination with a contemporary and elegant interior.
Brunswick House has become a central London landmark. Inside its lofty Georgian interior, the panelled rooms are packed with salvaged curiosities, magnificent chimneypieces, brilliant cut glazed entranceways, sparkling chandeliers and beautiful antiques in each room.
The Dolls House, located in London a stone’s throw from Islington Town Hall, makes a spectacular setting for any wedding reception offering a truly unique and glamorous location.
Fulham Palace, a one-of-a-kind historic London wedding venue, is situated in a beautiful riverside location with sumptuous gardens, a private chapel and multiple versatile and elegant event spaces.
Hotel Café Royal, located in the heart of London, features The Pompadour Ballroom that is ornately gilded and beautifully restored, offering an outdoor terrace with views of Regent Street.
Weddings at QMUL is a brand new venue providing a unique setting for a wedding day like no other! They offer flexible spaces for the perfect wedding in London.
The Lanesborough is moments from Knightsbridge, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park in London. This hotel’s flawless surroundings are the very definition of a fairytale wedding venue.
Rosewood is in the heart of London just steps from Covent Garden. Guests arrive through an archway that opens into a grand Edwardian courtyard, offering the perfect start to your memorable day.
The Savoy, a Fairmont-managed five-star hotel, is one of the most celebrated of London landmarks featuring the iconic Lancaster Ballroom and various private entertaining spaces.
St James’s Hotel & Club, a five-star boutique hotel located right in the heart of Mayfair, London, offers the opportunity for you to host an intimate wedding fit for royalty.
The Trading House, a Victorian space with an eclectic feel in the heart of London, features a grand central bar, incredible tapestries and taxidermy, and reimagined retro dishes.
The Zetter Townhouse is a 13-bedroom eclectic Georgian townhouse with an award-winning cocktail lounge, choice of event spaces, and bespoke food and drink menu located on the historic St John’s Square in London.
Hedsor House is a stunning exclusive use Georgian mansion with over 100 acres of private parkland, located in Buckinghamshire just a short distance from London. Take advantage of the 24-hour stay over party option, your guests will love the nightclub lighting and cocktail bar, a great twist on the traditional décor.
Foxhill Manor, a private manor-house hotel, is one of the Cotswolds’ most amazing wedding venues. The highlight being The Ballroom, which opens directly onto a terrace and gardens with amazing views of the Vale of Evesham.
Pynes House is an exclusive use, a country house in Devon set on its own 37-acre park. Steeped in history, it is believed to have inspired Barton Park in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility.
Gosfield Hall, a stunning Georgian manor house in the glorious Essex countryside, offers grand and ornate reception rooms, Queen Charlotte’s Gallery with a 120-foot long aisle and Marquis of Buckingham’s Ballroom.
Leez Priory’s magnificent Tudor mansion located in Essex is one of the most sought-after wedding venues in the country.
Knowlton Court is a gorgeous country house manor with regal character, surrounded by hundreds of acres of charming parkland, near Canterbury in Kent.
Castle Green Hotel is situated in Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, surrounded by breathtaking views of rolling countryside, Lakeland fells and the remains of Kendal Castle.
Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, Lakes District, has its own lake in 100 acres of private grounds with options to hold your wedding in the conservatory or a marquee.
Orangery Wedding Venues
Babington House is a Grade II listed manor house with an 18th century chapel in the heart of Somerset.
The Manor, a beautiful country mansion with vaulted ceilings built in 1235, is set within 12 acres of the exceptional British countryside in Somerset.
Pennard House, set on the last south facing slope of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, is the epitome of dreamy English elegance with a Grade II listed Georgian manor house, extensive landscaped gardens and a converted 18th-century coach house.
Sparkford Hall is a private mansion on 23 acres of beautiful parkland, orchards and gardens in Somerset. Exclusive use of numerous bespoke event space and accommodation options, including the option to party until dawn in the private basement nightclub!
Washingborough Hall, set within beautiful secluded grounds with mature gardens in Lincolnshire, has its own private entrance to the village church and offers the newly completed Winston Room with an elegant orangery wedding venue style backdrop.
Wilderness Reserve radiates all that is beautiful and unique, offering a stunning Grade II listed Georgian manor house, extensive grounds and fabulous backdrop all sitting in the rural and rustic Suffolk countryside.
Ettington Park Hotel, in Stratford-Upon-Avon in Warwickshire, is a magnificent romantic gothic mansion built from six types of Cotswold stone and housed on a 40-acre estate.
Axnoller is home to three stunning large private houses with a mix of contemporary and antique features, set in 100 acres of rolling countryside in West Dorset.
Bignor Park epitomizes rural elegance in the heart of West Sussex, featuring the Greek Loggia, part of eleven acres of beautiful grounds, formal gardens, sweeping lawns, a temple and zen pond.
Cowdray House is a spectacular country house in West Sussex, surrounded by historic parkland, including Cowdray Ruins.
Iscoyd Park, a newly restored award winning Georgian country house in Wales, is surrounded by 18th Century Parkland, stunning gardens and a beautiful church on the estate.
Valentina’s Lost Orangery, an exclusive manor house in Wiltshire, harbours an inspired history and impressive fairytale-like grounds with gardens, a thatched boathouse, and orangery. This is without a doubt one of our favourite orangery wedding venues in the UK.
Thyme, a beautifully restored Southrop Manor Estate on the Oxfordshire Border in the Cotswolds, is the perfect setting for your quintessential English country wedding with a beautiful village church, manor house, and Medieval Tithe barn.
Gidleigh Park Hotel, an exclusive use country house hotel in Dartmoor, boasts fabulous views and a two Michelin Starred chef for a food and wine lovers dream wedding.
Bridwell House & Deer Park is an elegant Georgian house set in 100 acres of breath-taking parkland, featuring the house, a chapel, parkland, old stables and magnificent views across the Culm Valley in Devon.
Belmond Le Manoir Aux Quat’Saisons is situated in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Great Milton. It is one of the country’s most cherished manor house hotels with stunning gardens and a two Michelin star rating.
Hipping Hall, a boutique bolthouse, sits between the beautiful English Lake District and the rugged Yorkshire Dales, offering the perfect exclusive wedding venue for your intimate affair.
The Crown Inn, a 16th century Inn steeped in history and recently renovated into a stylish pub with rooms, is located in the heart of enchanting Old Amersham in Buckinghamshire.
Lord Crewe Arms is an Eleventh-Century Abbot’s Guest House in County Durham with vaulted rooms, flagstone floors, summer gardens, and famous northern hospitality.
The Sheene Mill is a magnificent 16th century Grade II listed water mill set on the River Mel in Cambridgeshire, with a view of the old mill pond and landscaped gardens.
The West Mill is a Grade I listed former industrial mill in Derbyshire dating back to the early 1800’s, restored and converted into a beautiful wedding venue.
Dreamland, located on the Kent seaside, is a completely unique wedding venue, unlike anywhere else in the UK, where an amusement park soaked in history can be the backdrop to your memorable day.
Combermere Abbey, a 900-year-old estate in Shropshire, offers exclusive use of the beautiful walled gardens where The Glasshouse, a truly unique fan-shaped building is surrounded by a fruit tree maze. There is also the impressive Walled Garden Pavilion with an impressive star-lit ceiling. Definetely one of the most beautiful glass house wedding venues in the UK.
Nutbourne Vineyards, West Sussex, is one of the premier wine producers in the South East. The grounds include a timber built wine lodge nestled within the vines, an old windmill, 360-degree balcony, outdoor fire-pit, and tractor-drawn carriage for guest arrivals or vineyard tours.
In addition to these amazing venues, try entering your location and seeing which venues are nearest to you. Filter the results by what’s important to you and you’ll be sure to find gems of all sorts for your wedding!
Marriage ceremonies can come in so many different and amazing forms. Whether it’s at a temple, mosque, synagogue, church or a registry office, a marriage partnership is one of the oldest traditions in many cultures. It can be difficult knowing exactly which wedding legalities each ceremony requires, both in terms of legal documents and religious proceedings.
We’re here to help with all those tiny details so that whichever ceremony you choose goes flawlessly. You can even filter our massive venue directory search to only include venues that have a license.
Good, huh?
For Civil Ceremonies:
The first step you have to take for a civil ceremony is giving notice. You should give notice at least 28 days before the marriage is due to take place. If you live in a different location to where the ceremony will occur, you are also expected to notify the local register. The notice needs to be given by the couple in person.
For a civil ceremony, you will also want to make sure that the venue where you choose to get married is licensed to register marriages. Most venues that host weddings are properly licensed, but it is worth checking with them just in case! You will want to make sure the person marrying you is also properly authorised and that you have two competent witnesses who will sign the marriage register.
For Religious Ceremonies:
Church of England ceremonies
All British citizens have the option of getting married in the Church of England, providing the church is local to where they are registered. Otherwise, it needs to be the couple’s chosen place of worship or the bride and groom must be listed on the church’s electoral poll.
Although new same-sex marriage legislation is now in force, it remains the case that it is not legally possible for same-sex couples to marry in the Church of England. Exceptions to these rules can be made if you speak directly to the religious authority presiding in the church, who will be more than happy to help you with any of your queries.
To get married in a church you must partake in the reading of the banns – basically a public announcement of your upcoming marriage! The banns are read on three consecutive Sundays within three months in the run-up to the wedding (the banns aren’t a requirement in Scotland). The couple should try to attend at least one of the readings and sometimes a number of Sunday services.
More information can be found here: http://www.yourchurchwedding.org/
Roman Catholic ceremonies
For a Roman Catholic ceremony, you will need to bring your baptism and confirmation certificates to the meeting with your priest, at least six months before the ceremony. If one of you is unbaptised, you will need to seek permission from your chosen Church and the priest. You may sometimes be required to attend marriage preparation talks and Mass for six weeks before your wedding day.
Jewish and Quaker ceremonies
While you still need to give notice to the register office a minimum of 28 days prior to the ceremony, the officials performing the ceremony will be able to register the marriage for you.
All other religious ceremonies
For all other religious ceremonies, we advise you to contact your place of worship for information, as they will be able to advise you if you require a superintendent registrar to be present at your wedding or if the ministers or priests can register the marriage for you. If you do need a superintendent registrar to register your marriage, you should book them as soon as possible, as they will have to be present at your ceremony. You will be required to give the 28-day notice at your local register office.
Additional Details:
Documentation
Once you have given notice (at least 28 days before the wedding), forms will be sent to you for you to fill in. You should include all relevant documentation, like birth certificates, death certificates and divorce certificates for those widowed/divorced, as well as proof of identity and nationality.
Time
In England, marriages used to be limited to the times between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., excluding Muslim and Jewish weddings. However, the law has been changed and it is possible to get married at a later time, but we do strongly advise you check with your venue, as some will still have time limitations.
Payments
You and your partner will each be required to pay £35 when giving notice. You will need to pay £45 if you have the ceremony at a registry office and more at other venues. The marriage certificate will cost you £4 on the day of the wedding and £10 after.
Wedding Insurance
Insurance is a wedding essential you should really not forget about. As soon as you establish a budget, start shopping around for insurance, it can realistically cost you anything between £20-£200. It will cover you in most eventualities, so nothing can deter you from having the best day of your life.
Immigration
If you or your partner is subject to immigration laws, there may be other legalities for you to consider and we recommend you seek advice from https://www.gov.uk/marriages-civil-partnerships/religious-ceremonies.
Bridebook was lucky enough to have Bobbi Brown herself spill all her wedding beauty secrets…she reveals all below:
The gorgeous and inspirational Bobbi Brown herself
No matter your age, bridal makeup should be special. On your wedding day, you should look like yourself at your most beautiful. However, it’s not a time to try a look that is very trendy or radically different from your usual style. Wedding makeup should be long lasting, look amazing in photographs, and be timeless.
When you look at your wedding pictures ten years from now, you should still love the way you looked.
The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Block, perfect for giving your cheeks some colour for your wedding day.
Bridal makeup needs to have enough colour to compensate for the whiteness of the dress. Remember, there’s a big difference between everyday clothes and a wedding dress, so there should be difference in your makeup, too.
Start by making sure your skin looks even and smooth, and then add colour to your cheeks and lips to give them a glow. Finish with eye makeup that defines your eyes but doesn’t look overdone. To avoid feeling rushed, allow 45 minutes to an hour for makeup application on the wedding day.
Bobbi Brown’s concealer to cover dark circles under your eyes.
A few wedding beauty tips:
Emphasise your eyes by brightening any darkness under them with corrector and concealer.
Set concealer and foundation with a sheer loose powder. Powder applied with a powder puff assures amazing wearability and reduces unwanted shine – a must-have look for pictures.
Neutral, brown, and pale lip colours can look washed out in photographs, so choose a lipstick that’s one or two shades brighter than what you normally wear. If you usually wear a neutral hue, it should be worn as a base, with a pink or rose colour on top. If you typically wear dark lipstick, use that as the base, and apply a brighter pink on top to give the colour a lift. Pinks, roses and plums are all great, classic choices for brides.
Define your eyes by applying colour in the crease, but avoid using a shade that’s too dense or dark, as it can detract from the eyes themselves.
Use a water-resistant liner that can withstand tears! If you prefer to line with shadow, make it last longer by applying it with a slightly damp eyeliner brush.
After applying all your makeup, finish with a highlighter shade on the brow bone to make the eyes pop. Rub your finger in a light matte shade, and pat lightly on the outer corner of the brow bone.
Bobbi Brown’s Luxe Lip Colour, Pinks, roses and plums are all great classic lip colours for brides
And of course, make sure to take care of yourself on the inside too – eat well in the weeks leading up to your wedding, and try to exercise a few times a week. Drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated and refreshed, and take a relaxing bath the night before.
Most of all, be present! Slow down and appreciate what’s around you rather than rushing to get from start to finish.
Hidden wedding costs can sneak up on even the most diligent of couples. It’s easy to forget to check whether a supplier’s service charge is included, for example… Only to find out a week before your wedding that you need to cough up an extra few hundred pounds! Nightmare.
So what should you look out for? Well, luckily for you, we’ve asked our experts and got the inside scoop. Read on to find out the hidden wedding costs you’d never think the budget for. We promise your wallet will thank you!
Psst! If you want to make even bigger savings, Bridebook is home to the most powerful wedding budget planner available. Simply enter your total wedding funds and in just one click, you’ll have your personalised wedding budget breakdown. Wave goodbye to spreadsheets and penny-pinching!
1. If you’re getting married in a church and want an organist, bellringer or choir, check if it’s included. It rarely is, meaning you’ll need to budget extra for the add-on.
2. Watch out for where you’re getting married when estimating costs! An off-site civil ceremony tends to cost more than a ceremony at a registry office.
3. Remember that you’ll rarely pay the base rate for your wedding dress. Wedding dress prices often don’t include the cost of any potential alterations – and you’ll usually need around three fittings to get it just right!
4. Don’t forget any delivery costs that come as extra. Many suppliers, from florists and cakemakers to hair and makeup artists, will charge a premium when delivering from a certain distance.
5. It’s a sneaky one, but check whether or not envelopes are included in the price of your wedding stationery. Can you believe they sometimes aren’t?!
Want even more wedding tips, tricks and inspiration? Check out our Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
6. Another stationery-related one for you: consider the cost of stamps – especially if you have family abroad! Depending on the weight of your invitations and how far they’ll have to travel, stamps can rack up fast.
7. Feeling peckish? Plan in advance what you and your wedding party will snack on while you’re getting ready on the big day, even if it’s just some homemade sandwiches. Remember, you’ll probably be nervous. You might also have had a little something to drink… And we all know how easy it is to spend a small fortune on takeout when hunger strikes!
8. While reusing flowers from your ceremony at your reception can be a quick way to save a few bucks, you’ll need to check beforehand if you’re travelling between venues that it’s actually as cost-effective as you think. Your florist may well charge a fee for the extra work they’ll do to relocate displays between different locations.
9. If you’re filming your wedding, some musicians may charge a fee to have their performance filmed. Ask in advance so you’re not surprised on the day!
10. Don’t forget to tip! Make sure your wedding venue (or caterer) includes any compulsory service charges in their bill from the start. It can be an unpleasant (and costly!) surprise to have another 12.5% added to your bill at the last minute.
11. Something many couples forget is that their wedding team (think your photographer, videographer, entertainer, band or DJ, etc.) – may well be expecting to be fed. They won’t necessarily expect the same meal you’re serving your guests – although this can be an easy way to kill two birds with one stone – but do check their contracts, as some will stipulate hot meals be provided. Whether it’s part of their contract or not, we’d always advise that best practice is to make sure your suppliers are provided for.
12. Definitely don’t forget about corkage fees. This is a charge many venues will add onto alcohol bought elsewhere – and it can add up fast. This means that even if you found alcohol for sale at bargain prices, it might no longer be cheaper than buying from the venue once you consider how much the venue will charge you to serve it.
13. If you’re having a marquee at your wedding, make sure to take out insurance to cover any potential damage. It’s not worth the risk of going without!
14. One detail it’s easy to forget – but impossible to avoid – is transport! How are you getting to your ceremony, from there to your reception, and finally back to your accommodation? Whether you need a car, a tractor or a horse, factor the cost of that wedding transport in.
15. We know, we know – we sound like a broken record. But don’t forget about VAT! Check whether or not it’s included and read the small print to avoid any surprises.
16. Your main focus might be on your wedding day but it’s important to budget for any post-wedding spending, as these costs can be significant. For example, you might need to dry clean clothing, buy thank you notes for your guests, and so on.
While we can’t guarantee that covers absolutely everything, those are the top things we’d look out for – and even they could save you hundreds of pounds! One final tip is to make sure you note everything down in one place and make sure the terms of all your arrangements are crystal clear to both parties. That way, you’re on top of everything – and you won’t need to worry about any unexpected surprises!
As a groom, your wedding speech can be one of the most important parts of your wedding day. It’s your big chance to tell everyone how wonderful the love of your life is – but don’t freak out! We’ve put together this handy guide that will take you through writing, preparing and delivering a killer groom wedding speech.
Of course, an individual speech might not be for you– and in that case, why not give a joint speech with your partner? It takes the pressure off and is a great way to kick off your marriage as a real unit. Otherwise, read on for our top tips on writing the groom’s wedding speech.
How To Get Started With Your Groom’s Speech
1. Ask For Help
If you’re not sure where to start with your wedding speech – well, you’re in the right place! But there’s nothing better than talking to people who’ve already done it. What are your married friends glad they did and what do they wish they’d done differently? If you still have a few weddings to attend before your own, pay close attention to the speeches too.
2. Brainstorm
There are a few things you’ll definitely cover in your speech so start off with a brainstorm. What do you definitely want to mention? Who do you absolutely need to thank and what stories are you certain you want to tell?
How To Write Your Groom’s Speech
There’s no right or wrong way to give a groom’s speech – so do what you want! But if you need some help, here’s a simple structure to use as a starting point:
1. Say thank you
If you’re part of a couple made up of a bride and groom, it’s likely you’ll be the second speech of the evening as it’s tradition for the groom’s speech to follow the father of the bride’s. In this case, you may want to start by thanking him for his kind words – and, of course, raising his wonderful daughter!
Otherwise, you’ll either want to start off by thanking the person who spoke before you – whether that’s your partner themselves or one of their parents – or by thanking your guests. At this point, you might also want to mention any absent friends, including those who’ve passed away.
Next, thank your best man (or woman) and ushers. (Top tip: now’s a good time to jump in and mock yourself before your best man has a chance to!) And make sure to give a few moments to your partner’s half of the wedding party too, whether that’s another set of groomsmen or the bridal party.
2. Give Your Family Some Love
Now it’s time to give your families some love. Thank your family for their support and thank your partner’s family for bringing up such a wonderful person! Shout out any relatives who’ve been a particular help in the wedding planning process. Now’s also a good time to mention any funny anecdotes about meeting your new in-laws…
3. Talk About Your Partner
This is the moment you’ve been waiting for: speaking about the love of your life. Now’s your time to tell everyone what makes them the person you want to spend the rest of your life with. Why did you fall in love? What are you excited for about your life together?
4. Thank Everyone Again
Close your speech with one last thanks to your guests and wedding party… Then sit back and prepare yourself for the best (wo)man’s speech!
Preparing the Groom’s Speech
1. Cut It Down
The best speeches are short and sweet – so even if you want to thank every person and tell every story, be ruthless. Keep it to the must-haves.
2. Get A Second Opinion
Practise your speech with a close friend and get their thoughts. But don’t practise too much – leave yourself room to relax into it.
Delivering the Groom’s Speech
1. Work Out The Running Order
If your partner is also giving a speech, have a quick chat with them about who will go first. Never make assumptions!
2. Do A Soundcheck
Make sure to test the mics beforehand. If you don’t have time on the day, ask one of your groomsmen to step up.
3. Get It On Camera
If you don’t have a videographer, make sure someone films your speech (as well as everyone else’s). You don’t want to forget this moment!
4. Relax
The key to delivering a killer speech? Relax, have fun with it and enjoy the moment. As long as you speak from the heart, any speech you give will be absolutely perfect.
When it comes to planning your wedding, there will be plenty of important choices to make – ranging from the enormous to the teeny tiny. Many of these choices will be optional, but one of the biggest will be making sure you choose the right venue. After all, it’s where you and your guests will spend the entire day and can’t be changed once the big day arrives.
As you work out your wedding budget, you’ll need to make sure you dedicate enough toward your ideal venue. Whether it’s a hotel, a golf course, a vineyard, a village hall, or anywhere else you want to marry that special someone, you’ll need to budget accordingly.
Below, we’re going to take a look at the average cost of a wedding venue, what’s included in that cost, and any unexpected fees you should look out for.
With the average total cost of a wedding in the UK rising to £20,775, over a third of that cost is likely to go towards the venue. In 2024, the average cost of a wedding venue is around £8,000-£10,000 (£9,877 to be exact). Of course, this figure can vary dramatically depending on different factors, including the type of venue and where in the country the venue is located.
For example, our 2024 UK Wedding Report found that couples in London pay an average of £14,357 for their venue, compared to Wales where the average is £7,641. However, that’s not to say that one is better than the other – it’s all a matter of taste, what’s right for you, and how far you and your guests want to travel.
It’s also important to remember that you won’t necessarily have to travel great distances to find a venue that works for your budget. For instance, venue prices at London Shenley Club, found in beautiful Hertfordshire, start from as low as £550.
How can the cost of a wedding venue vary?
Costs taken from our 2024 UK Wedding Report, based on data gathered from ~6,000 married and engaged couples, representing an average for venue types across the UK
There’s a range of wedding venues available across the UK, so whatever your budget you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something to your taste:
Affordable – £3,000 – £5,000
Moderate – £5,000 – £10,000
Luxury – £10,000 – £15,000
Super luxury – £15,000+
How does the type of venue affect the cost?
Costs taken from our 2024 UK Wedding Report, based on data gathered from ~6,000 married and engaged couples, representing an average for venue types across the UK
The type of wedding venue you choose affects the price, with certain types of venue costing significantly more than others on average. According to our 2024 UK Wedding Report, couples are more likely to spend the most on venues for weddings at castles, stately homes and country houses, and the least on registry offices, places of worship and restaurants.
Here’s a breakdown of the average cost depending on the venue type, based on data gathered from almost 4,000 couples married and engaged in 2024:
The cost of the venue will include rental of the space itself, however, it can also include additions and the use of certain facilities, such as:
Tables and chairs
Linens, such as tablecloths, napkins and chair covers
Lighting and sound
Wine and bubbles for the tables
Bar services
Catering
Coordination and setup
Exactly what’s included in the cost of the venue is something that you’ll need to confirm with the venue. For example, some venues won’t have catering facilities and will require you to arrange your own vendors. For more information check out our post featuring questions to ask your wedding venue.
Mark Dawson, the former owner and operator of Brookfield Barn and expert on all things venue-related, explains why wedding venues are often so expensive:
“Couples benefit from being “one-time customers” that venues are trying to attract and therefore price is a key lever. The venue market has become extremely competitive with diminishing margins. So many features at the top of couples’ lists come with high maintenance costs. For example, listed and historic buildings, extensive grounds. Remember you are paying such that the venue is maintained in a way to be at its best on your big day – and every other couple has the same expectation.”
“Exclusivity on your day means you are the sole revenue stream for the venue. So when faced with budget challenges, take time to prioritise what is most important. Is it exclusivity on the day for your wedding, is it the historic setting, is it the extensive grounds, is it having it for multiple days to set up and clear up, is it having lots of staff support from the venue for planning it all – they all drive the price point that the venue needs to continue to operate.”
What factors can affect the cost of a wedding venue?
We’ve already highlighted how the type and location can affect the cost of a venue, but there are plenty of factors that can contribute towards how much you might pay for your dream venue.
Size
Naturally, the higher the number of guests you’d like to invite, the larger the venue will need to be. Of course, it makes sense that a venue with a 30-person capacity will usually be more affordable than one that can accommodate several hundred.
As you might imagine, venue prices vary depending on the season. When it comes to choosing a wedding date, spring, summer, and even autumn dates are more popular than winter. As a result, you’ll likely find that it’s more affordable to secure a date in January or February than it is in July or August.
Similarly, Fridays and the weekend – particularly Saturday – are more expensive than weekdays, as well as specific dates like Valentine’s Day or New Year’s Eve.
It may be possible to grab a bargain if you’re open to a last-minute booking during off-peak times or based on a cancellation – though this risks you missing out by catching vendors and guests off-guard. Here at Bridebook, we offer late availability deals at many of our partner venues – just filter by ‘Special Offers’ when searching for a wedding venue.
Packages
The majority of wedding venues will have packages that can include anything from a glass of bubbly for the guests on arrival to a free stay for the newlyweds on the night. If you definitely don’t want one of these, you can ask your chosen venue if they can exclude some items to give you a lower price.
Catering
According to our 2024 UK Wedding Report, two thirds of couples choose venues that include catering in their offering. However, couples also spend almost £4,000 more on average for venues that include catering, making venues that don’t include catering the cheaper option when considering just the venue alone.
Costs taken from our 2024 UK Wedding Report, based on data gathered from ~6,000 married and engaged couples, representing an average for venue types across the UK
Average wedding venue cost without catering – £6,084
Average wedding venue cost with catering – £9,877
Exclusive use
Exclusive use of the wedding venue means that you and your guests will be the only ones on the premises during your special day, so you don’t need to worry about anybody accidentally stumbling in and helping themselves to the buffet. Normally, venues that offer exclusivity will charge slightly more, but it’s definitely worth it.
What are some unexpected costs or fees at a venue?
When speaking with the venue, you should clarify early on what is and isn’t covered, otherwise you may find yourselves being hit with one or two (or six or seven!) surprise costs that can cause your budget to spiral.
Some potential hidden fees to be mindful of include:
Taxes
Gratuities
Security deposit to cover loss and damages
Cleaning fees
Insurance
Overtime fees
Corkage fees
How much does it cost to decorate a wedding venue?
Once you’ve chosen your venue and signed on the dotted line, there may be additional costs to bear in mind to make sure it’s decorated to perfectly match your tastes. Decoration hire, such as unique lighting and features, may not be included in the cost and is another cost to factor into your budget.
Have you discovered your dream venue?
Are you planning your wedding and umming and ahhing over the perfect venue Bridebook’s wedding planning tools provide you with everything you need to find your venues, caterers, photographers, music and more!
And if you’re looking for ways to save money on your wedding venue, we’ve got plenty of money-saving tips to help you stay firmly within your budget.
If you’ve set up a wedding website for your wedding business, you’re in the SEO game.
And with the search landscape guaranteed to become more competitive throughout 2018 you need to make sure that you aren’t ruining your chances of ever ranking well; regardless of how much time and effort you want to spend on developing your website ranking right now.
Ensuring that brides and grooms can actually find you is pretty darn important and being able to rank highly without having to pay for the privilege is an art. However it’s a logical and systematic art form that is actually pretty easy to nail – if you know the basics. Here are some simple things you can do – or not do – to improve your chances of becoming a major player in the SEO sphere and to reduce your chances of sabotaging your wedding business (eek)…
1. Choose your keywords wisely
There’s a place for broad keyword phrases but your main focus in 2018 has to be local keywords.
Broad keywords are classed as general words or phrases, such as “weddings” or “wedding venue”, and they’re highly competitive. Yes, it’s good to include these generic phrases in body content but you should set your primary keyword phrase for each page as something specific and where possible, local.
An example of local keywords could be: “wedding venue Ware, Hertfordshire”. This local term should be set as your H1 or H2 (depending on how your website is tiered). These are the first and second headings on the page you’re choosing to edit and they will signal to crawlers what your page is about and the specific keywords that relate to your topic.
People are more search savvy than ever before and they’ll type highly specific requests into Google and other search engines. Think about it; when do you ever search for the phrase “restaurants”. You’d have a job sifting through your options unless you searched for “restaurants near me” or “restaurants in Soho, London”.
Meta data is the ‘language of search engines’ and it’s what Google-bots will read to find out what your pages and posts are about.
Meta data is essentially just keyword phrases and words describing the contents of each page on your website, and each page should have its own unique title tags, meta tags and page description.
Your images rank alongside your content so you also have to make sure that you include Alt tags so that images are fully optimised.
If you’re using a content management system like WordPress, you’ll have access to this information and will be able to formulate and input your own tags and descriptions. However if you’ve created your website via a developer using a custom built CMS, you’ll need to contact them to request unique meta data on each of your website pages.
3. Anchor text ensures that internal links don’t drift from the core topic
One of the easiest ways to improve your SEO is to use anchor text wisely.
Links to other pages on your website or external pages should be optimised so that Google knows why they’re being referred to another source. Inconsistencies in subject matter and links that don’t flow between relatable topics signal to Google that there’s dodgy link business happening on your website. For example, we might choose to send our readers to a related SEO post, so I’d include an anchor text link in this phrase: find out more about the latest SEO techniques for wedding pro’s in an earlier Bridebook post.
We’ve told Google and our readers what the page is about before we’ve sent anyone anywhere.
Top tip: broken links harm SEO efforts. Regularly check all site links to make sure you’re not harming your website ranking over something so easily solvable.
4. Don’t run before your website is crawled
In order for Google to rank your website in the search engines or update your ranking after you make improvements, Google bots need to “crawl” your website. In simple terms, they need to find and scan your content before they can index it (or add it into search) so that it can be discovered by potential clients.
To ensure that your website is regularly crawled, check that you’ve created a sitemap and that your sitemap is submitted to Google Webmaster Tools.
By default, every WordPress post and page is indexed so once again, you’ll only have to request the above are completed manually if you’re not using WordPress CMS.
5. Keep up the (good) content
So you already know the importance of website content. Not just any content but regular, informative, keyword rich and user friendly content.
It’s getting competitive out there in the big wide world of wedding websites but you can still make a big impact on your sector by leading the way with rich content.
Boring, badly written content is picked up by Google bots and they can detect spelling mistakes, bad grammar and poor syntax which is bad news for your website and will harm rankings.
Approach wedding website SEO improvements with determination (but patience) this year
SEO is a long term (in fact, lifelong) strategy and you won’t experience instant results; even if you made every possible positive change today.
Sure, you’ll see some results quickly but others may take months or even years – quite simply because we’re all dependent on search engines and the process of crawling, indexing and ranking.
Are you interested in finding out more about the advanced SEO predictions of 2018?
Whether you’re an SEO expert, are brand new to the search engine game or would rate yourself somewhere in the middle, you should know that Moz is a fantastic reference site.
And Moz co-founder Rand Fishkin has a new year tradition which is to predict SEO trends for the coming year. And he’s more often than not correct (or at least not entirely wrong) with his predictions which is no mean feat in the unpredictable landscape that is search engine optimisation.
No one loves weddings as much as we do. We can promise you that.
And it’s not just because of the white dress or the flowers or the cake – although we do love cake-, but because of the magic. The wedding magic that can electrify the shyest of guests into dancing queen mode and make the toughest of grooms shed more than just a tear or two at the altar. Let’s face it, it’s that magic that makes weddings as special as they are.
And who is there to witness it all? The photographers!
This year, we challenged hundreds of Bridebook’s best wedding photographers to one simple task: Send us your most unique, outrageous, tender and funny wedding photos from your 2017 weddings and share those special moments for all to enjoy!
So without further ado, here are some of the very best wedding photos of 2017, and the ones we thought had that extra special something!
Click the link to each artist’s Bridebook profile if you would like to see more from them, or book them for your own special day!
Last year’s colour theme of the year was Greenery and we definitely saw a surge in brides and grooms opting for green decor and garland style floral installations.
The Pantone colour of the year is always a strong indicator of wedding trends to come so expect to find couples requesting fifty shades of purple this year!
We think it’s the most beautiful colour for weddings – adding a calm sophistication and often regal touch to any tableware, flowers or decor, and there are a lot of ways to incorporate accents of this colour in a wedding theme or to go all out and let the purple reign.
Now is the time to start thinking about designs, decorations and photographs that incorporate ultra violet purple to ensure that you position your wedding business as relevant and on trend in time for peak wedding season.
Here are a few ideas to inspire you to incorporate this 2018 wedding trend in your wedding supplier collection…
Purple wedding flowers
Perhaps your clients will want to really embrace the ultra violet vibes…
Or perhaps they’d prefer to mix ultra violet with more subtle lavender tones…
Will the newly engaged couples you work with opt for strong purples and deep velvet ribbons…
Or splash the brightest purples across garlands and amongst greenery for a bold look that builds on last years hot trend…
Keep it simple for couples who don’t want to spend a fortune on purple centrepieces…
And why not recommend that couples use lavender as a cost effective way to add a bohemian edge (and a beautiful scent) to a purple wedding theme. They’ll appreciate your advice and will trust you more for it.
Purple wedding cake
Design beautiful wedding cakes that combine deep purple with a marbled effect – another hot trend of 2018…
Swot up on these types of dessert table delights. The “help yourself” dessert table is set to replace traditional wedding breakfast desserts in 2018…
Purple wedding decorations
Feature photographs of an elegant, purple themed wedding breakfast table on your wedding website to capture the hearts and minds of trendy 2018 couples…
Include purple paper lanterns in your product portfolio for couples wanting accents of colour rather than swathes of it…
Or be very clever and show couples how effective purple lighting can look alongside sophisticated whites and crystal table decorations…
We just love these lavender mason jars…
Purple wedding stationery
Showcase bright and elegant wedding invitations on your website that incorporate purples but remain traditional in style…
Show 2018 couples that you also cater to contemporary stationery themes with this bold, dramatic and stylish purple invitation…
And add beautiful botanical wedding invitations to your purple collection – always a crowd pleaser…
Ultra violet purple and gold – the edit
Purple and gold look so great together. We wouldn’t be surprised if Harry and Meghan opt for a similar dramatic yet expensive-looking theme.
For a truly regal look add elaborate gold metals to your wedding collection…
Gold cutlery is hot stuff and we’ve seen a rise in requests for it over the past year or so. With the arrival of purple as a key colour of 2018, expect a surge in requests for gold tableware and purple glassware and chargers – this style of table setting is going to be hot property…
Or prepare for couples to flip the colour scheme around and opt for purple tablecloths and gold chargers. We love this look for a winter wedding whereas the above could work all year round.
It’s time to stock up on colourful ideas for your wedding business
We have it on good authority that ultra violet purple will be making an appearance on engaged couples Pinterest boards any day now – and it should certainly be splashed across yours too if you want to be seen as a hot and relevant wedding supplier this year.
We guarantee that your competitors will be considering when to place their first order of purple flowers now, as well as researching where best to source ultra violet purple table decorations like napkins, plates, tablecloths, glassware and chargers. And we’ll soon see the leading stationery companies showcasing purple themed wedding invites.
Get ahead of the game and start investing in ultra violet wedding decorations and ideas now to luxe up your portfolio and win the hearts (and bookings) of couples this year.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
All those things you promised yourself you’d do differently last year can finally be put into practice and you could make 2018 your best year of weddings yet.
That is, as long as you’re prepared to make positive changes now.
Here are 3 things that the most successful wedding suppliers of 2018 will be doing right now and throughout 2018. If you want to have a winning year too, you’d best get started…
1. Be stringent with time management and communications
Think back to how busy you were during peak wedding season 2017. Wouldn’t it be incredible if you could be equally as busy this year but without the added stress of feeling like there simply aren’t enough hours in the day?
Streamline your communications now and you’ll soon notice how much more efficiently you’re managing your time, and how much more you’re able to get done. We strongly recommend that you write down a basic communication plan and stick to it as closely as you can. It could look something like this:
Enquiry: respond via email within 24 hours (tip – prepare a template and include personalisation fields)
Follow up email / phone call: if you haven’t heard back since the initial enquiry, schedule a follow up email and / or phone call 5-7 days later.
First meeting: organise a first meeting to discuss ideas and secure the booking. At this meeting, inform your clients of how you prefer to work in terms of ongoing communication between now and their wedding day. Perhaps you could share a Google document with the couple and ask them to input all of their ideas and requests there, and let them know that you’ll be free to discuss all ideas exactly 12, 10 or 8 months before their wedding day – whichever schedule works for both you as the wedding supplier and for the couple in question.
Ongoing communication: set your second meeting (whether face to face, skype or phone call) and schedule a final pre-wedding meeting with the couple so that they feel comfortable knowing that you’re in control of things. This also helps you better manage your time.
Prepare for ad hoc email communications and phone calls but try to keep all communications direct and concise – it’s simply a better use of everyone’s time.
2. Be clear on your goals
What do you hope to achieve in 2018, both personally and professionally? It’s important to consider what a better wedding business and a better life means to you, and to think about how these elements tie together.
If you’re challenging yourself to generate more revenue and more bookings but are also determined to secure a better work-life balance this year, you’ll have to consider building a bigger team to free up your time. Is this financially feasible?
Carefully consider your objectives for this year and document three clear goals for you to work towards and remind yourself of regularly. Checking in monthly will provide reflection; enabling you to see how you’re progressing and helping you stay on track.
Tip: you’re much more likely to do something if you write it down so even if you work alone, note down your goals and display them in your office so they’re clear for you to see!
3. Build your online presence
It is getting more and more difficult to get noticed online but it’s absolutely essential that you try and that you’re consistently dedicating a fair proportion of your time to doing so.
Consistently produce and upload fresh, new, high quality content and stay abreast of new developments in SEO. If you’ve already got a great website and are present on social channels and online wedding planning tools like Bridebook, consider working with a local SEO consultant or digital marketing specialist to boost your presence and further build authority in search results.
Local pros can be found on Linked In and on specialist freelance sites like UpWork, but be careful to ask for examples of work and demonstrable experience before engaging a freelancer as specialist sites don’t always mean specialist services!
We’ll be sharing our top SEO tips right here, at Bridebook Business Hub, throughout the year so if you’re keen to have a go at becoming an online marketing pro yourself, stay tuned for hot new tips and tricks.
It’s time to change the game
To make a positive long-term impact on your business it’s essential that you focus on making small changes today. These super achievable game changing tips will make your life easier and your business better. Start today and become this year’s winning wedding supplier.
Looking for more wedding industry trends and couple insights? Head to the Bridebook Business Hub, the home of wedding industry knowledge.
If you are looking for an Asian wedding venue in London, you’ve come to the right place!
Wedding planning is a very exciting time, but with so many amazing wedding venues out there how do you know how to choose the right one? A brilliant place to start (if we do say so ourselves) is Bridebook’s wedding venue search – it’s the biggest in the UK.
There, you can search all of our venues and filter the results to meet your wedding needs. You can set your capacity, and tick other requirements such as “Asian” or “Exclusive Use” to help find the venues that are right for you! We’ve compiled some of our top picks available through the directory below, because we’re lovely like that.
5 Star Venues
For the most discerning bride and groom, you can’t go wrong with this selection of top-notch wedding venues.
Celebrate your wedding day with confidence, as the team at Sheraton Park Tower take care of all your needs! This beautiful Asian wedding venue in London is located in the heart of the city, perfect for you and your guests.
If you want to throw a luxurious wedding, The Dorchester is a great choice! Located on Park Lane, this venue will wow your guests with its elegance and luxe!
Unusual Venues
If you’re looking to wow your guests with something different then these wedding venues are for you.
What best way to throw a memorable wedding than to host yours at the Natural History Museum? Knows for its amazing atmosphere, this is one of our favourites on the list!
The Landmark in an absolutely gorgeous wedding venue. With high ceilings and banquet rooms boasting with natural light, this could be the one and only place for you to tie the knot.
The perfect escape from London is only a stone’s throw away. De Vere Devonport House is one of favourite wedding venues in the UK, and we’re sure you and your guests will love it!
Golf Clubs
You don’t have to be a golf lover to host your wedding at one of these two gorgeous venues.
Your dream wedding should be put together by a dream team. C and L Country Club specialise in hospitality and decorations, so you can rest assured you and your guests will be happy.
If you have family travelling from a long way, why not host your wedding at Sofitel Terminal 5? It’s luxurious and it’s grand, so your wedding party will surely be a memorable one.
Get your guests from the plane to the party by hosting your wedding at the Heathrow Marriott Hotel! Elegant and spacious, your party will be one for the books!
Country Houses
Get married in style at one of these beautiful wedding venues just outside London.
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and your guests are an integral part of what makes the day so special. Selecting your guests is such a fun process – when else do you get a day filled with all your favourite people!? Don’t get overwhelmed by all the people you want or all the people you feel you have to invite… we’re going to help you nail your guest list, which you can then keep track of with our handy Guest List tool. You’re welcome!
Venue
Where do you want to get married? If your event is a lavish affair in a massive venue, then go crazy on numbers. If you only want your nearest and dearest at a smaller venue, then that will give you an indication of how many people you can invite. Your budget will also play a big role in the decision making process, but tricks like opting to hold a buffet or a cocktail party instead of a sit down meal will give your budget room for manoeuvre (yay!).
Divide the guest list
Set aside a cosy evening to sit down with your loved one and write down everyone you might want to invite: family, friends and optional guests. The optional guests will probably include work colleagues, distant relatives, or the potential plus ones of family or friends. The best way to decide on the optional guests is to ask yourself: would I be offended if I wasn’t invited to their wedding? If the answer is yes, then it’s best you include them on the guest list! Bonus: if you suddenly need to cut down on the guest list, you will know which group to start with! And if some of your friends and family can’t come, you can start inviting some of those optional extras.
Families
Consider how many guests you are allocating to each of the families. When previously the bride’s family paid for everything, they got the upper hand in deciding whom to invite. Now, some couples pay for their own weddings, or both families contribute, so think about how to have this conversation with your parents. Similarly, families may be expecting to bring their children along to your wedding and if this isn’t something you want, think about letting them know in advance, so that they can organise babysitters.
Timings
Play around with your timings. You could invite immediate family and friends to the ceremony and reception and then invite a load more for the food and dancing – or the other way round. Or you could invite more people after the wedding breakfast for cocktails and grooving. Play with the timings and numbers to suit you and your budget! Remember, that on average, 20% of your invited guests may decline, allowing you more room for manoeuvre. However, don’t hold out for this exact number to decline! In fact, it is always worth asking your caterer the cost of last minute changes, just in case someone turns up or drops out!
Don’t forget the bride and groom
Final point: Once you’ve made the perfect guest list, don’t forget to put your own names on the list, you would be surprised how many couples don’t do that and are amazed to find the caterer short of two plates!
Well what a year it’s been! We’ve seen oodles of happy couples choose to tie the knot in beautiful locations and with it, we’ve gazed in awe at some of the incredible wedding photographs we’ve seen shared online.
If you’re getting married next year (or if you’re just addicted to beautiful wedding photography like us) grab a cup of tea, sit back, relax and flick through our collection the best wedding photos of 2017.
It might just inspire you to check out one of these wonderful photographers or at the very least, follow them on Instagram and continue to oggle the beautiful wedding images they share.
Have you always envisioned a grand and dramatic wedding? Are you seeking a bit of royal wedding action in your life? These stately home wedding venues are the closest you’ll get – and they’re pretty special too!
These impressive manor wedding venues will have you begging for more as you become a King or Queen for your big day. However, if you’re looking for something a little more low-key, use Bridebook.co.uk’s Wedding Venue Search and use the filters to find your perfect setting!
One of England’s greatest estates, Holkham is a majestic Stately Home that will leave your guests in awe as they contemplate the luxurious Marble Hall, the Saloon, and the Statue Gallery along with many other outstanding rooms. Whichever space you choose, the experience will always be memorable.
Located in Essex, the exquisite Gosfield Hall has plenty of venues suited for each step of the ceremony. From the wedding breakfast in The Marquis of Buckingham’s former ballroom, to the actual ceremony in Queen Charlotte’s gallery, everything is covered for your big day.
For a fairytale wedding, there is hardly a better venue than Prestwold Hall. This majestic Stately Home offers three splendid locations to tie the knot, including the church for a religious ceremony, the library inside the estate, and the gardens for an outside affair.
This beautiful Grade I listed building overlooks it’s own lake and 35 acres of grounds in the picturesque Essex countryside. Boreham House offers a gorgeous oak carved ceremony room and a marble reception area, so you can experience being Lord and Lady of the Manor for your wedding day.
The striking exterior of Hengrave Hall will whet the most demanding of wedding venue appetites, as this breathtaking Tudor mansion wedding venue boasts 350 acres of parkland as well as it’s very own church in which to say your vows. You won’t need much persuasion after visiting this stately home!
Just when you think you’d like to find the perfect stately home wedding venue in the West, we call upon Orchardleigh House & Estate! Not only is the elegant house up for grabs, but also the Italian-style Walled Garden with a gorgeous light-filled Orangery may be the ideal place for your ceremony in the spring and summer time.
Stonehouse Court Hotel is a 17th Century stately home venue that dreams are made of! It hosts a plethora of flexible spaces in which to celebrate with your nearest and dearest, including the newly-refurbished Caroline Suite – a stunningly romantic banqueting room that backs onto the private gardens.
Could a hotel be the perfect spot for you and your beau to tie the knot? Check out our top picks for hotel wedding venues in the UK!
Port Eliot will blow you away with it’s breath-taking Georgian Orangery, it’s elegant Boathouse on the river banks, and it’s traditional reception rooms oozing with charm. As the historic seat of the Earl and Countess of St Germans, this enchanting stately home truly is a fairy-tale setting.
Gorgeous high ceilings and elegant decor welcome you as soon as you walk into Lartington Hall. On offer is 75 acres of parkland, a stunning Chapel space and the heavenly Ballroom, creating a magical setting for your grand wedding.
Hertfordshire’s Ashridge House is a rather royal affair, as it was once home to Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I. On it’s own 190-acre estate, this manor wedding venue boasts high ceilings, exquisite decor and the grand staircase as a gorgeous focal point.
Dating back to 1760, Brocket Hall Estate is set in picturesque countryside and boasts three fairytale venues for your stately home wedding. The Ballroom is at the heart of this stunning venue – the opulent ceiling was painted by Sir Francis Wheatley, and it was the first place in England to be introduced to the Waltz. How romantic!
Irnham Hall‘s spacious Orangery and it’s very own Church are perfect settings for your ceremony, followed by a glass of bubbly in the Walled Garden. Continue your celebrations in the stunning Summer House before retiring to the onsite luxury cottages with your nearest and dearest.
What a choice you have with the breath-taking Blenheim Palace, where you can choose between several different settings. Literature lovers – here’s The Long Library, complete with grand organ and 10,000 books, or there’s The Saloon, a French-decorated State Dining Room. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!
Bringing together a stunning stately home, a rustic barn venue in the woods and dramatic parkland backdrops, Cambo Estate really does suit all tastes! This Scottish oasis oozes charm and tradition to create the wedding day of your dreams.
This gothic revival castle will really sweep you off your feet! Allerton Castle is a jaw-dropping setting, some key features including the Grand Staircase on which to utilise for a dramatic bridal entrance – amazing photo opportunity right there!
Suffolk’s gem of a venue Belchamp Hall is a gorgeous red-brick structure with a long sweeping driveway, stunning stained glass windows and a nearby church in which to say your vows. It’s a must-see.
Looking for a stately home wedding venue with a modern twist? Kimberley Hall is the place for you – a historic house including a stylish West Wing with chic decor and state-of-the-art-lighting. This venue will light up your life!
Penshurst Place and Gardens is a one-of-a-kind stately home venue that lies in a glorious village in Kent. This enchanting Medieval house offers three unique banqueting rooms, not to mention the perfectly manicured gardens where you can take a romantic walk after you tie the knot.
The spectacular lake-fronted Stoneleigh Abbey is an impressive mansion wedding venue with a rich history. Choose from a range of banquet halls, reception rooms and timeless settings in which to host your wedding day – all with stunning views over parkland.
Leigh Court‘s Great Hall is truly the heart of this venue – with it’s surrounding double staircase and striking pipe organ, there isn’t a better place to have your ceremony. And if you haven’t fallen in love with it yet, the rest of the 19th Century Greek-style decor throughout the rest of the building won’t disappoint!
With 20 acres of luscious gardens and surrounded by endless Northamptonshire countryside, Holdenby House is one to remember. The state rooms of this traditional setting scream grand and romantic – what more could you want?!
No fairytale wedding is complete without the backdrop of Capesthorne Hall! As one of the most prestigious venues within Cheshire, this Jacobean-style building combines history, grandeur, and a touch of contemporary charm too.
The magical Welsh venue of Plas Dinam Country House makes the ideal setting for your grand wedding. Float through this beautiful Grade II mansion, have drinks in the wildflower meadow, and feast like Kings and Queens in the glass-roofed Old Stables. Lush!
Sennowe Park is Norfolk’s delight, offering the stunning Long Room or the Winter Garden for your bespoke ceremony. With a luxury marquee on the grounds and gorgeous views across the land, you can party the night away at this grand stately home venue.
Haven’t found the venue for you? Use Bridebook.co.uk’s Wedding Venue Search and click the filter for ‘stately home’ if you would like a grand wedding day!
Bridebook Business Hub has been created for you, the wedding industry professional. We want to make sure you have the skills and resources you need to build a strong digital presence and market your wedding business with confidence. From couple insights and trends to social media and lead generation (and much more), the Bridebook Business Hub is a one-stop shop for the all the latest news and top tips to power your wedding business.
As well as this, we look to provide supportive and educational insight into the industry. We do this by working with our Bridebook data scientists and by partnering with leading experts, inspirational thinkers, and thought generators.
Is there a Business topic you’d like to be discussed or a business concern you currently have? Pop Beth an email at [email protected] and she will give you a helping hand.
