Monday Tips || 16.06.14

I don't know about you but I thoroughly enjoyed the weather this weekend, anyone who got married this weekend struck gold with the glorious sunshine. I sincerely hope that everyone else abandoned all wedding planning this weekend and just relaxed.

Last week's Monday Tips was all about how to whittle down your choice of possible wedding venues. Today I am worried that there might be a lynch mob waiting for me at the end of the day; but it's my blog and Monday are the days where I get to voice my own opinions on Wedding related stuffs...I wanted to share my musings on initial wedding meetings/consultations at the various wedding venues you might visit.

Sometimes you'll just be driving along and you'll happen across a venue you've never heard of/been to before. Sure, why don't you call in and pick up a copy of their wedding brochure. But please bare in mind these venues act as conference centres during the week, their rooms may be used for another function or their staff might be tied up cleaning out one event ready for the next. They will utmost to show you what they can at short notice, but if you want to sit down with their wedding team to discuss your wedding idea's I'd suggest making an appointment with them before you leave at a time that's convenient for all. If our function room was respectable and I had cleared most of my workload, I'd jump through hoops to help a new Bride & Groom with their enquiries...but sometimes I had a ton of things to do and I knew it wouldn't be fair to them or me to do a half-arsed job just so I could rush back to my desk and finish the rest of my work.

You should of course have a list of questions with you and a pen to jot down the answers, if you're visiting several venues in quick succession they will all merge in to one later on that night when you're discussing them with parents/friends. Also you don't to risk forgetting to ask something then not remembering until you're trying to get to sleep that night - it will only bug you. But please remember, us Wedding Co-ordinators are a friendly bunch - we love our jobs because we get to meet and chat with lovely couples, it helps us understand how you want your Wedding Day to run...if you're too stoic and refuse to engage in any actual conversation with us, only bark question after question after question at us - our job is made harder and we won't be able to suggest extra little touches that you'd love. If we offer you a cup of tea and biscuits - please accept. (Yes, I believe every couple deserves a cup of tea at the end of each show-around - it shows we have the time to dedicate to you and your wedding...you're not just another weekend in August that we're missing out on in the sun)

I was thinking of putting together a list of questions you need to have answered by the end of your initial venue meeting, put down some idea's and again - it look's like it should be a post in it's own right. Plus - I'm pretty sure that 3/4 of you stopped reading after the 1st paragraph.

So as a last point, what does your gut feeling tell you. Do you get all exited as soon as you walked in to the ceremony/breakfast room? Can you see yourself having your photo's taken on the veranda just outside? When you saw the Bridal Suite, did you get all giddy thinking of you and your Bridesmaids having your hair and make-up done in there on the morning of your wedding? If so - then I think you found THE Venue. If not - then keep looking.