West End
A Grade II* listed baroque chapel hidden in a London square
Bethnal Green
A multi-use blank canvas venue with breakout & cocktail bars
East London
Stylish cutting edge design blank spaces for all events
Hackney Road
Unique versatile event space in the heart of East London
North West London
A world class sporting venue in leafy St John's Wood.
Westminster
Stunning bright venue with 360° view and contemporary interiors
Let’s be honest, getting married is a big deal. You want everything to be just right, and for it to be a day that you truly love and will remember forever. While you might be getting into the detail of the food and the party aspect it’s important not to neglect the actual ceremony. This will be where you’ll be exchanging vows after all. If you already have a wedding reception venue in mind and want to choose somewhere else close by for your ceremony, then there are a few things that you’ll need to remember to make sure that everything runs smoothly, and the guests keep smiling.
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! 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
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? 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!
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. Afterall, both venues will be decorated separately, and
this is where your theme really comes to life.
Vows
This is, of course, a big decision to make,
and one that you’ll need to talk about together. Do you want to stick to the
traditional vows? Or do you want to write your own 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. It can be a chance for you both
to make the promises that mean the most to you. At the same time, there’s nothing
wrong with just sticking to the classics, sometimes they say all that’s ever
needed.
Time to Think about Music
What song will the bride walk down the
aisle to? This is perhaps one of the most important music choices to make,
after the first dance song of course. This is also the perfect chance to inject
some of your personality into proceedings. Most people go for an acoustic version
of their chosen track, but again this is entirely up to you. Are you getting
someone in to play or are you playing it through a phone? Making sure that
whatever tech is needed is there and working will be something you do during the
rehearsal or set-up stage. You will also need music to be played when you are
signing the registry, as well as the exit music for when you leave the room as
husband and wife! The exit music is generally a little bit more upbeat and also
more modern, but again, the decisions are all yours.
The Flowers
When decorating any venue, the flowers are
what people generally think about. Yet you can have as many or as few at your
ceremony venue as you want. Some venues are beautiful on their own and need very
little in the way of décor added to them. If this is the case, think about the
fact that sometimes less really can be more. It’s always best not to make any
venue look over cluttered. 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! Yet if
you have a favourite flower, then 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.
