How to Make a Unique Wedding Venue

How to Make a Unique Wedding Venue

Everyone dreams of having a memorable wedding, not only for themselves but for the people with whom they are sharing their special day. But as all weddings follow a similar narrative it can sometimes blur the lines of individuality and your wedding day may come across as the same as many others. If you want your wedding to truly stand out, it’s important to source a unique venue. Almost any location can be turned into a wedding venue. All you need is a little imagination and a decorating idea that is special to you.

Here’s how to make a unique wedding venue.

Significance

Your wedding venue must not only be unique, it should also be meaningful to you. When selecting a venue, considering practical options such as location and accessibility is important but try to envision how you can personalise the space to be significant to you. Ask questions about the venue’s flexibility and styling options so that you know you’re free to make the wedding your own.

Relevance

You can still choose a traditional venue and make it unique. Many people opt for the new venue in town, dazzled by the surrounding hype and unfamiliarity, couples can often lose sight of what they’re really after. New venues are great but spend some time looking into off the radar venues
for spaces that you can make truly your own, and often without the hefty price tag.

Unique Elements

When selecting a venue look for individual elements that you can work with to help make your styling and (subsequent) photos special. For an outdoor wedding consider the position of the landscape, how you could structure your lighting and how your decor will suit the natural environment. For indoor, look for beautiful elements to focus your attention on such as exposed brick walls, stained glass windows, heritage or rustic elements and you will soon find yourself with a platform to craft your own style around.

An Intimate Wedding Venue for Your Upcoming Nuptials

An Intimate Wedding Venue for Your Upcoming Nuptials

To make your wedding unique and truly memorable, you need to choose the right venue. The venue must not only be romantic, it must also be accessible to your guests who are sharing the special day with you. Some people think that if they want to have the perfect wedding venue, they need to go out of the city. But the truth is, hidden gems exist even at the heart of Brisbane
CBD.

One such gem is the Transcontinental Hotel. Located right in the heart of Brisbane, Transcontinental Hotel features a historic 1880’s heritage listed building that is the perfect intimate wedding venue for your upcoming nuptials. The old-world charm of the place will transport you and your guests back in time to an era marked by romanticism and age-old
tradition. With the hotel’s grand staircase, stained glass windows, varnished dark timber floors, exposed brick walls, outdoor balcony and historic furnishing, you will truly feel like you are living in a fairytale world.

Of course, it is not only the physical structure that makes Transcontinental Hotel an ideal wedding venue. The hotel also offers a variety of complete packages that can be tailor-fitted to your need for a truly bespoke wedding experience. Something that you and your guests will cherish forever.

Whether you want a traditional sit-down affair, a modern cocktail reception or a banquet featuring international dishes, the hotel, with its multi-awarded chef, Rob Campbell, will surely provide you with a culinary experience that you and your guests will be reminiscing upon years
after the wedding.

The Transcontinental Hotel will help you with your wedding process with experienced wedding planners to work closely with you through your engagement party to your reception, utilising close relationships with suppliers to ensure you get the best offering for your wedding.

4 tips to salvage a rainy wedding day

Are the impending clouds forecasting doom and gloom for your long-awaited wedding day? Wet weather can put a dampener on any occasion so it’s understandable that for your wedding, you’re praying it stays away and you avoid a rainy wedding. Unfortunately for some, it becomes an unavoidable part of your wedding. Should the rain threaten your perfect day, here are some tips to manage.

Check with your suppliers and service providers

Read the fine print, foresee the chance of rain and check everything thoroughly. If you have to cancel some outdoor styling or move inside at the last minute, make sure you are able to get your hard earned money back wherever you can. This will help soften the blow and won’t leave you feeling like the rain ruined it all.

Ask your vendors what their rain policy is. If you have musicians or stylists, ensure that they have a place undercover to perform or set up. Many people providing their own goods for the day will have a strong objection to leaving them undercover, you don’t want to be stung with a band that won’t play or a florist who won’t put up flowers. If you check beforehand you can make arrangements to keep them high and dry.

Remember that your reaction will set the tone for your guests

Okay so it may not have gone exactly how you wanted it to, but remember, all eyes are still on you and it’s up to you to salvage your day. Guests will react exactly how you do and that can be a good thing. If you’re visibly upset and refuse to continue the celebrations, your guests won’t feel like celebrating either. However, if you’re optimistic, the magic of your rainy wedding will trump any drizzle. If you have to huddle together in the rain, so be it but if the moment to dance in the rain arises then you’re enthusiasm can spark others. Before you know it, people will pick up on that and everybody will be dancing in the rain.

Be prepared

Have a plan B. If your wedding is outside, make sure to check if there is a rotunda nearby that you can have the ceremony under. If you’re heading to an indoor venue for the reception, organise to host the ceremony at that venue on the chance your outdoor ceremony is rained out.

Avoid spending the night before your weddings looking at the weather app by making sure you have a backup option for everything. If you have elderly guests, ensure you have enough umbrellas to keep them safe and warm. Think of things like your styling, were we relying on candles for atmosphere? If you’re having a wedding in a risky month, write a list of everything that could be hampered by the rain and work out a simple and quick back up. You may have to make some sacrifices but your stress levels shouldn’t be one of them.

Have an indoor reception to avoid a rainy wedding

What’s the safest way to avoid the rain? Have your reception indoors!

For wedding reception enquiries contact us today.

 

Photo: Trent and Jessie Photographers

How to Create a Perfect Wedding Budget for You

Creating the perfect wedding budget is one of the biggest challenges that newly engaged couples must face. No matter who is footing the bill for the big day, you will have to consider all the little details in order to control your spending. Or else, you or your fiancé can end up spending more than what is necessary. So how to create a perfect wedding budget for you? Below are some of the things that you need to keep in mind.

Create a Clear Vision

One of the first things that you need to do is to create a clear vision of the kind of wedding that you would like to have. Make a detailed list of everything you think you will need in order to realise your vision. Ensure that you don’t leave anything out as minor details can add up.

You don’t need to write down the cost of each item yet. You should include in the list even the things you think you won’t be able to afford. Show your list to family and friends and ask them if you have left anything out. If you have a wedding planner then be sure to ask his or her assistance in this initial stage of the budgeting process.

Determine Total Spend

The next thing that you need to do is to determine what your total budget will be. If you are paying for the wedding yourself then you should determine the amount that you are willing to spend for your dream wedding. If someone else is paying, then ask them how much they are willing to provide early on so that things don’t escalate beyond expectations. Use the list you’ve worked on to help you determine your budget or your parents/in-laws budget.

Revisit Your List

With the knowledge of your total budget, you can now go back to your list. This time you should set priorities to make sure that the essential items on the list will get proper allocation. You can then add or delete items on your list depending on your total budget.

This is how to create the perfect wedding budget for you, whether you want a small wedding venue or a large one.

Should You Marry in the Same Place as Your Wedding Reception?

So you and the love of your life are getting married soon. This is a very exciting time for you. But it can also be very stressful with all the decisions that are needed to be made. One of the most crucial of which is choosing the venues for both your wedding ceremony and reception. You might have your heart set on your ultimate wedding reception venue, the one that suits you and your in-laws, is affordable enough for you and your partner and fulfils your styling needs. However, finding the perfect combination of ceremony and reception venue can be harder than it seems leading to the surge in popularity of hosting your ceremony and reception at the same venue.

It’s a bonafide money saver

The most obvious advantage of holding the wedding ceremony and the reception in the same venue is that it saves money. Cost is the major consideration among soon-to-be-wed couples. If a couple can save money on the venue then they can use the extra money on other important matters, like champagne. Or use the money for their honeymoon or to simply save it for the future. Ceremony venue rental prices can be quite expensive, by having just one venue for both the ceremony and the reception, you can cut the cost significantly.

And time is money, better save that too

You will not only save money when you hold the ceremony and the reception at the same venue, you will also be able to save time. It will allow you to save time both during preparation and on the day itself. Logistics has always been a problem during weddings especially if the venues of the ceremony and the reception are different. Decorating two separate venues can cause plenty of headaches already. During the big day, you would also need to take care of transporting your guests from one venue to another. You can eliminate these problems and save Grandma the hassle by holding the ceremony and the reception in the same area.

Keep that styling consistent

As social media pushes the world to grow trendier, styling plays more of a significant role in the special day of to-be-weds and can be a huge point of focus for wedding organisers. For the style savvy and those who understand the world of ‘tablescaping’, hosting your ceremony and reception at the same venue opens up a world of options. Hosting your ceremony at your reception venue allows you to pull it all together, turning your vision into a true experience for you and your guests.

Should you marry in the same place as your wedding reception? Of course, it depends on your situation but with the three big advantages mentioned above, the answer is quite clear.

When to Book Your Wedding Reception Venue

When to book your wedding reception venue? A question faced by every Bride or Groom. Most will agree that you should book your wedding venue at least six to twelve months in advance. Some even suggest that six months is the absolute minimum amount of time that you should aim for, with 12 months in advance being the average time required to book most good venues. While this might be the case for most, If you are after a particularly popular wedding venue, booking it as soon as you can would be best to ensure you do get the venue you are after. Ask around well in advance to help you gauge the ideal time to book for your list of desired venues.

There are many reasons why you should book your wedding reception venue at least six to twelve months in advance. First of all, allotting that much time will give you the luxury of choosing the best possible venue. If you have your heart set on a certain date, why not begin searching for your venue straight away! You should be aware that there are many people getting married at any given date and the number of good wedding reception venues can be limited. With Saturday being the most popular day to get married, and there being only 52 Saturday’s in a year, it is important that you’re as organised as possible. Speaking to your desired venues will give you a good idea of their peak times and potential availabilities.

The beauty of booking your desired wedding venue well in advance is that you can relax knowing that you have secured the venue that will match your specific needs and specifications. By booking a wedding reception venue in advance, you will also have more time to plan out and design your reception styling, based on the layout of the venue. Designing and decorating a wedding reception venue takes time, especially if the venue is large. Booking a wedding reception venue in advance will give more time for your wedding coordinator, florist and stylist to work on the space available to make it look perfect for your big day.

Planning a wedding involves a lot of work. Having everything ready in advance will help you manage the stress and unforeseeable circumstances.

If you’d like to see what venues Brisbane has to offer you can visit this website.

How to Have a Small and Intimate Wedding – Some Creative Ideas

In this day and age when everything seems to be larger-than-life, over-the-top and out-of-this world, it’s refreshing to see things being done in a very simple way. This is probably the reason why some people still choose to have a small and intimate wedding. But since there are more couples who are into grand wedding worthy of Hollywood, it is hard to find information on how to have a small and intimate wedding. Luckily for you, you can find some very useful tips below.

Make your own wedding favours

An intimate wedding means having only a few guests. This would allow you to create a more personalised wedding favour. This is your chance to let out the Martha Stewart within you. If you are not particularly good with crafting, then at least you can spend more time (and money) getting special tokens for those who will share your special day with you.

Get everyone involved

If you are planning to invite only a handful on your wedding then why not assign a role to each one? Have a funny best friend? Then ask him or her to be the emcee. Have a brother who is good with computers? Then ask him to design your wedding invitation. Is your mom crazy about flowers? Then this is her chance to be a florist even for just a day. By getting most if not all of your guests involved you will not only be able to save money, you can also be sure that your wedding will have unique personal touches that you will always remember.

Choose a small intimate wedding venue

With wedding venues for all types of weddings and taste, it can be a daunting task to choose the right venue for your special day. Rather than going for a big to medium size venue, choose an intimate wedding venue. This way, the reception will be filled and not look empty. This allows guests to feel more comfortable and relaxed.

By following these ideas on how to have a small and intimate wedding, your wedding will surely be memorable even without the glitz and glamour.

3 Reasons to Choose a Small Wedding Venue

When it comes to weddings, bigger is not always better. Especially when it comes to the venue. Below are 3 reasons to choose a small wedding venue.

Small wedding venues are cheaper

Smaller wedding venues are generally cheaper than big ones. This means you will be able to save money on the venue. You can then use the money you were able to save on other more important aspects of your wedding. Or maybe you can use the money on the honeymoon instead. In this day and age, every cent counts. With a smaller venue, you can save a few hundred dollars to thousands. You can also opt to have a smaller but more elegant venue to make your wedding more special.

Small wedding venues are easier to manage

With a big wedding venue, you will need a lot of people to decorate and manage the area. This means you need to spend a lot more on manpower. So when you choose a small wedding venue, you will not only be saving money on rent. You will also save money on the people that you need to get to work on the area. When you have a small venue, you can even ask family and friends to help decorate the area so you won’t need to hire professionals.

Small venues provide a sense of intimacy

People can get intimidated with big venues. With a smaller venue, your guests can feel cosy and comfortable. With a big venue, the event will seem impersonal and formal. With a small venue, there will be more chance for your guests to interact with each other. Indeed, a small venue is perfect for a simple and intimate wedding. If you are planning to invite only the closest of your friends and family members, then it would be best to get a small wedding venue.

10 Most Overlooked Factors to Consider when choosing a Wedding Venue

A couple’s wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of their life. With proper planning, you can surely have the wedding of your dreams. One of the most important aspects of any wedding is the venue. After all, it is the place where you will exchange vows and gather friends and family to witness your union. Choosing the perfect wedding venue, therefore, is one of the most crucial parts of the wedding preparation. Sometimes though, even with careful planning, things get overlooked. Below are the 10 most overlooked factors to consider in a wedding venue.

Flexibility

Most wedding venues are accompanied by a strong wedding team to help you out on and leading up to your day. Developing a report with this team can go a long way to making your wedding day run smoothly. Check for things like flexibility on table hire, pick up/drop off times and food service times to avoid blowing your budget in extra fees.

Wedding Ceremony Cost

Do you plan to hold the wedding ceremony and reception in one place? Then you should make sure that the venue is also ideal for your wedding ceremony. Make sure that it is solemn enough so you can focus on delivering your vows come wedding day. Determine whether it will be more affordable for you to host your ceremony at your reception venue or keep them separate. Keep in mind, travel costs, car hire and transport issues for your guests.

Venue Size

Avoid getting a venue that is too small or too big. You don’t want your guests to be cramped. But at the same time, you don’t want to lose the intimacy with a venue that is too big. Be sure to evaluate your number of guests when visiting your venue and inquire about customisable spaces in case of unexpected guest numbers.

Venue Location

You should make sure that the location is not too far from your guests or you may find yourself getting plenty of invitation declines.

Wedding Photos

Photos and videos will be one of the most lasting souvenirs of your wedding day. This is why your wedding venue should look good in wedding photos and videos. Scout around the venue for romantic backdrops and hidden gems that could be the difference between a good and great wedding album.

Food and Drinks

If food and drinks are included in the venue, then you should make sure that the quality is good. Good venues should let you organise a tasting session before booking the venue to ensure you get what you’re expecting on the day.

Accessibility

If you have guests who are differently abled then you should make sure that the wedding venue is accessible to them. Create a plan to help them get to the reception smoothly on the day.

Wedding date

So you think you have found the perfect venue. But before you celebrate, check first if the wedding venue is available on your wedding date. Some venues need to be booked months or even years in advance. Look for pricing differences between days (some may be cheaper on a weekday). Ensure to check that they are operating on the day you desire.

Child Friendly

Some of your guests will probably bring their kids along. You should make sure that the venue is child-friendly. Check with your wedding venue for discounted or allocated children meals to avoid paying full price for your smaller guests.

Weather

If you are planning to hold your wedding in an outdoor venue, then you should make sure that it will be sunny on your wedding day. Alternatively, look for an indoor venue with an outdoor area or balcony that will give you that sense of space regardless of the weather.

Keep these 10 overlooked factors to consider in a wedding venue when you start your search.

Why more and more couples are choosing intimate wedding venues to host their reception

If you’re a quality over quantity type then the idea of an intimate weddings probably appeals to you. While the typical large wedding is for some, an intimate reception opens the doors for a night to remember with those who are most special to you without having to sacrifice the lavish decor, outrageous dancing and laughing of a full scale wedding.

5 reasons to choose an Intimate Wedding Venue

1. Flexibility

Every venue has their own way of doing things, but small wedding venues typically offer a more bespoke touch to their wedding offerings, as opposed to large wedding venues who offer fixed wedding packages and have strict time schedules. It can be difficult to make alterations to suppliers, meals & drinks packages at a fixed package venue, however, smaller venues often have a dedicated team who get to know you and help make sure you get the most out of your day.

As larger venues may have restrictive deals with suppliers, small venues often work closely with their suppliers to help you organise aspects of your wedding, without having to commit to specific suppliers so your Aunt Carol may be able to bring those cupcakes, after all.

2. Atmosphere

What is more romantic than a small, cosy atmosphere with the ones you love? A larger, classic venue may have the glamour and grandeur, but for a truly personal and intimate experience, it’s hard to look past a small venue.

3. A Personal Touch

This is the shining light of a small wedding. An intimate reception venue will often allow you to style, decorate and plan your wedding to be a true reflection of your relationship.
– Capture all the best moments of you and your guests. A photographer will always be in a closer proximity at a smaller venue giving you the best chance of getting those perfect shots.
– A smaller venue will allow you to create a personal tablescape, setting and program for your guests. Without thousands of guests to cater for, you can give it that personal touch you have always dreamed of.
– Get all of your guests together with activities at the reception that everyone can join in on. Rather than a stage/crowd setting, immerse yourselves with your guests by including them in family traditions or all inclusive table settings.

4. Handpicked Guests

Most people want to spend their wedding day with people they know and cherish. Avoid the age old drama of guestlists getting out of hand by holding a carefully selected reception.

5. Extra Attention

Less distractions = more attention for you on your day. Who doesn’t want that?

If you want a wedding venue where the staff are thoughtful, the food is great and the decor is as beautiful as you want it to be, consider a more intimate wedding venue.