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Joe's Diary: The Honeymoon

Seeing as we're going to have most of the trimmings of a traditional wedding, we are definitely going to have one of the best bits - a grand honeymoon!
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Joe's Diary: The Reception

This is probably the most important decision we need to make so early on. As our ceremony is going to be on a Saturday in August we need to book at least a year in advance - Pete couldn't believe it! Some popular venues are booked years ahead for summer dates so I am turning my mind to this now. If we were willing to settle for a weekday or Sunday wedding it would be cheaper and less of an issue but I don't think we can.

Thankfully, seeing we have to have a civil ceremony a lot of the places licensed for such things also double as reception venues too.

Then theme comes into it - 1960's chic or whatever we end up doing would need somewhere very different to the Robin Hood wedding that I keep teasing Pete about. The fact that we are expecting a large number of guests eliminates some possibilities immediately as some venues can only cater for small numbers, especially some of the more quirky locations like converted mills and the like. Budget is of course a factor, no good blowing all of it on a venue and not having enough left to feed the guests!

The other factor to consider is easy access now that Uncle Fred is in a wheelchair. I don't want him to feel uncomfortable on the day.

There are lots of things that I need to check when we have a shortlist of potential venues - I think I'll write a list for the fridge so I don't forget any of them when I call.

One of the most important things to remember when sorting out something with so many aspects is to check exactly what is included in any quote price, and whether the dreaded VAT is included.

Mark has said he'll go to the venue on the morning of the wedding to make sure that it's all in order, which is a weight off our mind.

With so many options I'd better get my thoughts in order.

Reception at home

This is something to bear in mind if we have the ceremony in a registry office. It's a big thing though, it would be chaos that morning, we'll have to make sure that it's all tidy and ready for guests in the last minute panic of the lead up to the day. There would be catering to arrange too. I think we'd have to borrow chairs, there are hire companies for that and for crockery and glasses too. I should think that the neighbours would help out, we'll need someone to make sure it's all straight before we all pile up from the ceremony.

Actually a marquee would be a good solution to the space problem - they're ideal if the garden is big enough, and you can have ones that are designed to either fit onto the back of the house or have connecting awnings or walkways. Pete knows about these through work and said that if it's on grass you can have a traditional pole structure, if not then you can get one that is a self-contained frame that can be put on any surface.

There are companies to call in my Wedding Organizer, apparently they don't just provide the marquee but also dance floors, loos, tables and chairs and even heating for winter weddings.

Hired venues

Where to start? We could have the reception in a stately home, a castle, even on a moored boat or ship! All very romantic, and many of them have civil licenses which would be very convenient as once guests have arrived we don't have to worry about them changing venue after the ceremony.

Even a plain hall, restaurant or set of function rooms could be decorated with flowers and balloons so they'd be cheerful enough for a party. As long as they have the facilities we need like enough loos and the capacity for dancing and music - oh I'd have to check about alcohol licensing and public liability insurance too.

Having it in a hotel may well be a good option as there are many geared up for weddings. They even have dedicated wedding coordinators now which would be reassuring. I'd just have to make sure that I keep them up to date with any dietary requirements and changes in numbers once they know what we want.

Hotels have lots of advantages as many offer packages that include all kinds of things like drinks and catering, even a master of ceremonies. Some offer a room for us to have during the day, and the convenience of having a venue that the guests can book rooms at is very appealing, then they'll only need to stagger up some stairs rather than worry about taxis. Some packages include free accommodation for the couple - I saw some in my Organizer.

We need to make a shortlist and then check availability. Then there's the nice bit where we visit each one and have a meal to make sure that the food is up to scratch. I'm sure Pete won't moan about that bit!