Whether a venue is required for both the civil ceremony and reception, or just the reception, finding somewhere suitable to hire can be a daunting task. The bride and groom should look at as many wedding venues as possible before deciding what suits them best.

Popular venues get booked up well in advance - sometimes more than 18 months - especially on Saturdays in the summer. Reception venues that are located close to religious ceremony venues will be popular.

Religious ceremonies (church weddings etc) require a separate reception venue, but many civil ceremonies are held in the same venue as the wedding reception.

If the reception venue is separate it should, ideally, be located close to the ceremony venue. Guests should not be expected to travel for more than 30 minutes.

Civil ceremony venues can often be quite small and often won't seat as many guests for the ceremony as expected.

Hotels are popular wedding venues and will offer packages that include accommodation for the bride and groom, wedding party and guests.

See Civil Ceremonies: Approved Venues

See Wedding Style: Ceremony

See Wedding Style: Location

See also

Visit the Debrett's Wedding Collection for our handpicked selection of the finest wedding venues across the UK.

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