Top tips for deciding on a room to host your wedding ceremony

If you’ve decided on an indoor ceremony, looking for the perfect venue is your next step. With such a large range of choices, from traditional churches, to quaint barn conversions, to lavish hotels, and all manner of unique spaces in between, it can be tricky to know how to narrow down your selection. Here, we will take a look at some top tips for deciding on a room to host your wedding ceremony, to ensure that it’s everything you desire.

Space and light

The right room for you will largely depend on the atmosphere you want to create whilst you say ‘I do’. Larger rooms with big windows create a bright and airy space, perfect for large guest lists and brilliantly illuminated photographs. However, smaller rooms can provide an intimate, cosy mood and the feeling of closeness between you and your guests.

Consider how many people you’re inviting to your ceremony, and how you want to feel walking down the aisle. Vaulted ceilings and decorative walls are historic and awe inspiring, whilst contemporary rooms with a modern edge can feel ethereal with the right floral decoration. As you view potential venues, ask yourself whether you’ll be able to fit everyone in comfortably, and what style of wedding photos this room would produce.

Acoustics

It’s never good if the people at the back can’t hear what you and your partner are saying during your vows, so be sure to consider the acoustics of your potential ceremony room. Churches and similar spaces with stone walls are able to carry sound well to all corners of the room, which is one of the reasons why music sounds so good inside chapels, cathedrals and churches.

But if you are looking for a non-religious space, you can improvise with microphones and speakers to help everyone hear clearly in a more modern building. Consider your musical accompaniments for your ceremony, and how you will help them fill the room with their melodies, as well as the available space for them to set up.

Decoration

Many wedding venues offer beautiful ceremony rooms that need little additional decoration, but as you view each option, imagine your chosen flowers and colour scheme in the space. Would sashes on the back of your chairs add a splash of colour, or would they take away from the built-in features of the room? Will your white flowers be lost against the white walls, or would they add an elegant touch to the texture of the space?

Be sure to ask whoever is showing you the room about any restrictions or requirements. For example, can you use real candles? However you envision your perfect wedding ceremony, be sure to relay the specifics to the wedding planner or venue manager to ensure you choose a room that can accommodate it all for you.

Decide early on

Experts recommend choosing your wedding venue 12-18 months before your wedding, so be sure to start considering your options early on. With these top tips in mind, you’ll be ready to select the perfect ceremony room for your big day.