Let’s be honest, planning the wedding ceremony can be more than just a little bit stressful. You want everything to be just right so that it can be a day that you truly love and will remember forever.
While you might be finding it incredibly exciting to be planning the food and party aspect of the event, it's important not to neglect the actual ceremony: this will be where you’ll be exchanging vows, after all. There's a few things that you’ll need to remember to make sure that everything runs smoothly and the guests keep smiling.
Choosing the Perfect Venue for your wedding ceremony
The great thing about having a ceremony-only venue is that it’s then easy to find one that you can legally get married at. While there are hundreds of reception venues in London, you can’t get the paperwork completed at all of them, which can necessitate a trip to the registry office the day before your wedding!
As such, in order to have the reception of your dreams and get legally married on the same day, many brides and grooms opt to start at a different venue for their ceremony and then move on somewhere else for the reception. It’s a really great idea that can provide the happy couple with the best of both worlds.
And with loads of registered wedding ceremony venues for hire in London, you’re definitely not going to be stuck for choice.
Transport + Location (Mayfair? Twickenham? Somewhere in-between?)
Before you get into the details of what you want your ceremony to be like, you need to make sure that the venue that you have chosen is going to work with the reception. How far away are the two? How far is the ceremony venue from where you are getting ready? How are you going to get there?
Along with that, while cars are normally hired, it’s also time to think about how your guests are going to travel from one venue to the other. If they are expected to drive, is there parking for everyone? A great idea is to order a bus for all your guests to be whisked away in after the ceremony is over. This way if you have a drinks reception at the ceremony venue, everyone will be able to partake and won’t be thinking about traffic!
Choose a Theme
The great thing about having two separate venues for your ceremony and reception, is that you can essentially have two separate weddings! Many brides stick to one theme throughout the day, but you don’t need to do this. You can go romantic and classic at the ceremony, and then the reception can be a little bit more out there and have more of a party feel. There can even be two dresses involved!
It can be difficult to settle on a style that you want for your wedding, so this way you can incorporate more than one in a straightforward way. Perhaps the first venue may be a simple hall in Marylebone or Hackney, and the second could be a unique venue complete with hall and garden and all of the space to decorate.
Vows
The vows are, of course, a big decision to make, and one that you’ll need to talk about with your partner. Do you want to stick to the traditional vows? Or do you want to write your own either instead or as well as? Writing your own vows can be daunting, but it can also be something that you do together as a couple as opposed to separately.
Think about which music will play in each hall
Music is perhaps one of the most important choices to make, noting both the song for the bride to walk down the aisle to, and then the first dance and exit music. Most people may go for an acoustic version of their chosen track, but again this is entirely up to you. Then, making sure that whatever tech is needed is there and working will be something you do during the rehearsal or set-up stage.
The Flowers
When decorating any venue, the flowers will be a vital aspect. Some venues are beautiful on their own and need very little in the way of décor added to them, but it all depends on what exactly you're looking for. When it comes to the bouquets and boutonnieres, it’s time to bring out all your favourite flowers! The style and colours will generally match the theme of the day, not to mention the wedding dress - but if you have a favourite flower, there's no reason it should be left out of the proceedings.
Your wedding ceremony is all about the love
you and your partner share, and so it’s important to try and relax even in the
midst of all of the planning! Luckily, most venues have an amazing team on hand
to help you with all of the important details, so there’s no reason to worry. No
matter what, make your ceremony about you as a couple, and there’s unlikely to
be a dry eye in the house.
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