How to Choose the Right Wedding Venue for You

It’s hard to quantify the importance of finding the right wedding location. If you haven’t booked your wedding venue, your wedding is just a blank page and it’s nearly impossible to make significant decisions regarding it. The venue you choose for your wedding will define the overall style and atmosphere of your wedding as well as the budget and location, so it’s important to choose carefully. Once you have decided on your wedding location the location will dictate pretty much everything else about the day itself, from food to photography, all the way to the attire you wear.

Selecting the wedding venue for your wedding is always a challenge However, it’s made easier by first deciding on the style of party you’re looking for, as well as the type of atmosphere you want to create – be assured that this is the only part your guests will still remember on your wedding anniversary!

For your wedding venue hunt, we’ve put together a list of the five main wedding venues available, with the advantages and disadvantages of each. Once you’ve picked the type of wedding you want and are looking for a guide, this article will help you narrow the options down!

It’s the Two Big Wedding Venue Questions

Before you begin looking into wedding venues, organise a chat with your partner where you talk about suggestions for your wedding as well as (hopefully!) choose the type of celebration you’d like to throw. We have a lot of fantastic articles on the beginning stages of planning your wedding and determining what kind of wedding is for you however, there are two main questions that you need to answer first:

1. How many guests are you going to have?

Consider the approximate number of guests before thinking about making the list of venues you could consider. If you’re planning to host over 200 people for example, your venue search will be hugely restricted by that amount. In general, for weddings that have more than 150 guests, it’s likely that you’ll end up in the hotel or an exclusive wedding venue or marquee or for weddings that are less than 50, a private place or restaurant will be best. If you’re not planning to get married in the near future we suggest that you decide on the number of guests you’d like to have in the ideal scenario, rather than trying to figure out what restrictions of Covid-19 may be at hand when the big day arrives.

2. How hands-on do you intend to be?

If you’re looking for a way to minimize the stress and stress of wedding planning, marquee hire or exclusive hire venue are probably not suitable for you. A hotel wedding, where the wedding planner is in-house and handles the bulk of the work, is what you need best. If, on the other hand you’re planning on coordinating each and every detail on your own hiring a private venue or marquee wedding could be right for you.

Hotel Wedding Venue

Traditionally, planning a wedding in Ireland was fairly simple – you booked the local hotel, and the local church, and you were done! While Irish wedding couples are becoming more adventurous and creative in the choice of their wedding location, venue and method of celebration, there are still lots of reasons that a hotel may be the ideal choice.

Pros:

Package Deals Hotels that cater to many weddings typically offer low-cost packages that make the process of budgeting much more manageable.
Wedding coordinators in the house The wedding coordinator will take care of all the nitty gritty of the wedding for you.
Trust: A respected establishment with a stellar reputation allows you to be sure of your decision
Accommodation: It’s on site for most, or even all, of your guests
Recommendations: Most venues can offer recommendations of trusted suppliers

Cons:

There is less flexibility: You will likely be limited in the style of your decor, food, wine, etc, and have less time to prepare the room and decorate it.
Packages: They can be expensive and extras can really cost a lot.
It’s the same thing. Same as before: Function rooms in hotels can be boring, and in some cases you will need to put in more effort to personalize it and make it contemporary.
Supplier restrictions: Some venues demand that couples use only using certain suppliers

Exclusive Hire Wedding Venue

An increasingly popular choice among Irish couples is the exclusive wedding venue it is a great option for couples who are planning an formal(ish) wedding with a dinner and dancing wedding, but who don’t prefer an hotel.

Pros:

Privacy: Since you’re the only group of guests, you’ll enjoy the privacy and intimacy of a private celebration
Wow Factor Venues that are private are usually stunning and unique venues with real character
The personal touch: A private venue is usually operated by the owner in person, and is only used for a few weddings per year, which means you have a much more personal connection with the location and people

Cons:

Small: A lot of private locations are suitable for smaller wedding parties in the house within the house
Expense: For larger wedding parties, marquee hire is often possible, but typically, it costs more
Planning: Private parties involve more coordination among suppliers. Therefore, a wedding planner is often needed
Restrictions: A private wedding venue for hire is someone else’s property , often their house, meaning you won’t enjoy the complete control of the venue

Marquees and/or Weddings at Home

The most personal of all, having your wedding with a marquee inside your home or at a different location is an excellent option should you find the appropriate space as well as the mental determination to go to do it. But be warned that organising a marquee wedding is not for the faint-hearted!

Pros:

More Personal: Hosting a celebration at home is a way to ensure you and your guests will feel immediately at home and at
Control: You determine every aspect of your life from the design to the supplier – you can also take the whole week of setting up and decorating to your heart’s content if you would like to.
There are no limitations: You may hold an open bar or party until 6am, and no one will tell you to turn off music (except maybe your neighbours!)
Budgeting: A wedding marquee is not cheap, however there’s more opportunity to save money in certain areas

Cons:

Hidden costs: Unlike a wedding package from a hotel, the cost of an event in a marquee are not straightforward, and they could surprise you
Weather: Wedding marquees these days are weatherproof, however rainy days can ruin the style and appearance of your garden wedding
Intrusion: Your personal space will be spied upon by suppliers throughout the days prior to the wedding
Coordinating and organizing: A wedding in your home is a lot more work for you as the coordinator, and you will certainly require a wedding day coordinator to help you with the wedding planning

Restaurant or Pub Wedding Venues

For couples who want an intimate and less traditional affair, a wonderful bar or restaurant is definitely to be considered for the reception.

Pros:

The Food: Your guests will thank you for this one!
Atmosphere: The ambience is typically more relaxed and intimate.
The decor of a restaurant will allow wedding decor to be reduced to an absolute minimum
More options to choose from: More and more restaurants are offering weddings as a service

Cons:

No Accommodation: Guest accommodation is not usually available on-site
Location: Good restaurants are usually located in cities, which means it could be difficult
Early Night: Late licenses can be trickier for restaurants
A Dance Floor is Not Available: Space for dancing may be limited or even not be available at all
Ceremony Venue: A separate location for the ceremony is usually necessary – some eateries will have an appropriate location, but not all
A Little Sense of Occasion: This might not matter to you but if you’ve had dreams of a big white wedding, a restaurant will probably not be suitable.

DIY Weddings aka Anything You Want

If you’re considering an outdoor ceremony on the cliffs, a picnic reception or an evening party at the beach, you’ll likely experience the same pros and disadvantages of having a wedding in your home or an exclusive venue for hire. This implies more planning and planning (and usually hidden expenses) If you and your spouse have a passion for having a unique wedding, we trust it will be a success!

The last thing to keep in mind is that every wedding location will be different. There are places that offer packages and hotels that are exclusive hire locations, therefore we’ve made many generalizations here and hope that our suggestions will guide you and your spouse to the right path.