You’re engaged! Congratulations. It’s time to start planning for the biggest day of your life, and what could be more exciting than choosing your wedding venue?!
First things first. Get your gorgeous ring insured and treat yourself to a top-notch manicure. You’ll want your hands looking fabulous as you show off your new sparkles to the world! Then take a breath, sit down with your new fiancé with a great bottle of wine and work out exactly what you both want, and what your vision is for the big day.
Next up, it’s essential to get the basics in place before you get into the finer details, namely the budget, date, and your choice of venue. It’s also important to consider taking out wedding insurance, just for peace of mind. It covers you for all eventualities.
Along with the guest list, the budget can be a difficult area to navigate, but at the end of the day it really comes down to what you want versus what you can afford. It’s important to remember from the off that you really can create the wedding of your dreams on a budget, and there are loads of tips and ideas of how to do this in bridal magazines and online. Our tip is to hold back 10% of your total budget for bits and bobs, and the inevitable overspending!
Now it’s time to decide if you want a religious ceremony or a civil service. If the former, then you’ll also be looking for a venue for the reception. This can make setting the date a little tricky, so be prepared to be flexible. The most popular venues are booked up years’ in advance, but if you’re planning on getting married outside of the summer season, you’ll find more of your favourite places have availability.
If you opt for a civil ceremony in a licensed venue you can also hold the reception in the same place. This will help with the budget, and it will save your wedding party and guests having to get from one location to another with all that that entails.
Your dream wedding could be a relaxed English countryside affair, a chic city shindig or anything in between, and your theme will dictate your perfect wedding enue. Contemporary, classical, traditional, elegant, historic, or even Boho, there’s a perfect location for everyone.
At Middle Temple, our clients all have one thing in common – wanting to celebrate their London wedding in a unique, elegant, impressive, and truly magical wedding venue, steeped in centuries of important history. They want to dine at the table that Elizabeth I gifted to the Inn, made from a single oak from Windsor Forest; they want to be surrounded by ancient artefacts, stained glass windows, original oil paintings on loan from the Royal Collection, and heraldic coats of arms; they want to impress their guests with the finest example of an Elizabethan Hall in the country; and above all, they want to leave their guests awe-inspired at an event that will linger in the memory for many years to come.
The guest list is the next big hurdle, and you’ll be limited by your venue’s capacity, be that 20 or 700. We only have one tip when it comes to inviting friends and family on both sides…Compromise! This is just as much your fiancés day as your own.
Once you’ve got all of the major things nailed down it’s time to have some real fun. We’re talking dresses, food and drink, wedding stationary, gift lists, entertainment, and all those little extras you’re inspired by every time you open a bridal magazine!
Our final piece of advice is to be organised. There are lots of online tools, apps, and virtual wedding planners to help you keep on top of it all, but there’s nothing like having an experienced events team to deliver your perfect day. We have a specialist team in-house that works with the happy couple from the initial enquiry through to the departure of the very last guest. If you book your nuptials at Middle Temple, the team will swoop into action and hold your hand every step of the way.
So, now you have the lowdown it’s time to start planning the wedding of your dreams. We wish you all the luck and happiness in the world!
If your dream is to be married in an historic wedding venue in London and would like to take a tour of Middle Temple, please contact events@middletemple.org.uk. To view our wedding brochure, click here: https://www.middletemplevenue.org.uk/wedding-brochure
