Wedding planning tips from our wedding coordinators
Planning your wedding is an exciting experience, but with so much to think about and organise it’s great to have some expert advice to guide you. To get you started, a few of our amazing wedding coordinators have weighed in with their advice for your wedding planning journey.
From timings and picking the perfect venue to making sure you have a wedding day that feels right for you as a couple, keep reading for their top tips.
When should we book our wedding venue?
“I wouldn't leave booking the perfect wedding venue long after your proposal if you don’t want a long engagement,” Laura from Cornhill Castle urges. “We have couples booking their wedding from dates this year until the end of 2028!”
While Megan from The Busby Hotel adds: “Couples should book at a time that's right for them! For some people, that falls in the same year, for others it's a few years in advance.”
How will we know when we’ve found the right venue for our wedding?
Bowfield Hotel & Spa’s wedding coordinator Shelbie shares that it’s important to make sure the venue caters to all your needs, before adding: “you will get a feeling as soon as you see the ceremony room and envision yourselves walking down the aisle in your venue.”
Echoing this, Megan explains: “Couples will 100% know when they find their dream venue. It all comes down to the 'gut' feeling they get. They should love absolutely everything about the venue and nothing should feel like a compromise.”
What do we need to know before attending a wedding venue viewing?
If you’re thinking about getting married in one of our beautiful venues, we offer wedding viewing appointments, where you’ll get the chance to speak to the wedding coordinator and see all of the wedding spaces in a one-to-one appointment.
Before coming to your appointment, Shelbie advises: “You should have an idea of rough numbers and your budget. You can do some research into the venue too and check out their reviews.”
While Laura adds: “Be prepared to be open to changes to your initial plan, once a couple fall in love with a venue they tend to make the guest list work around the venue and the availability.”
How can we make the most of the early stages of wedding planning?
“You do you! Try not to let others influence your day - everyone will have an opinion, so do your planning and choose your venue based on what you and your partner want to do,” Shelbie advises.
Adding to this, Megan shares: “I would recommend weighing up what is important to you and deciding where best to spend your budget. It's helpful to decide what you are willing to splurge on and potential areas of saving on the things that might not feel so essential to them.”
Can we come back and see the venue again before the wedding?
With our venues offering the opportunity to stay over within the hotel or enjoy a meal in the restaurant, couples can spend as much time at their wedding venue in the lead up to the big day (and come back afterwards too!)
We also host Wedding Inspiration Days throughout the year for couples who have booked their wedding day with us so they can come and see the venue and explore decor and supplier options!
"Couples are more than welcome to pop in anytime at all during their planning process to view their venue in full wedding setup and bring their bridesmaids or family to show it off," Megan encourages.
How can we make sure our wedding day runs smoothly?
“Share all the details with your wedding team, this will help your day run very smoothly and they don’t have to bother you on your wedding day with questions,” Laura reassures.
Megan agrees, adding: “Trust your wedding team! We ensure everything is as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. Make a plan with your coordinator, and a back-up plan if needed to cover every eventuality!”
With Shelbie adding: “Be prepared that things might not all go to plan on the day, however there is always a solution. The things that seem like big worries now will not be a worry on the day!”
Don’t forget to spend time as a couple on your wedding day
When asked their top tip for couples, the resounding answer from our wedding team was to make sure you spend time as couple on the big day!
“Enjoy every moment on the wedding day. Try to spend time with your guests and spend time together as a newly married couple too!” Laura encourages.
Megan agrees, saying: “Make time for each other! Whether it's a private moment in the honeymoon suite or wedding gardens, allow time to converse, take it all in and make memories together.”
Start planning your dream wedding
Browse all of our wedding venues and book a wedding viewing appointment to see them for yourselves below.
Happy planning!
