You’re
engaged! Congratulations. It’s time to start planning for the biggest day of
your life, and what could be more exciting.
First
things first. Get your gorgeous ring insured and treat yourself to a top-notch manicure.
You’ll want your hands looking fabulous as you show off your new sparkles to
the world! Then take a breath, sit down with your new fiancé with a great
bottle of wine and work out exactly what you both want, and what your vision is
for the big day.
Next up,
it’s essential to get the basics in place before you get into the finer
details, namely the budget, date, and your choice of venue. It’s also important to consider taking out wedding
insurance, just for peace of mind. It covers you for all eventualities.
Along
with the guest list, the budget can be a difficult area to navigate, but at the
end of the day it really comes down to what you want versus what you can
afford. It’s important to remember from the off that you really can create the
wedding of your dreams on a budget, and there are loads of tips and ideas of
how to do this in bridal magazines and online. Our tip is to hold back 10% of
your total budget for bits and bobs, and the inevitable overspending!
Now it’s
time to decide if you want a religious ceremony or a civil service. If the
former, then you’ll also be looking for a venue for the reception. This can
make setting the date a little tricky, so be prepared to be flexible. The most
popular venues are booked up years’ in advance, but if you’re planning on
getting married outside of the summer season, you’ll find more of your
favourite places have availability.
If you
opt for a civil ceremony in a licensed venue you can also hold the reception in
the same place. This will help with the budget, and it will save your wedding
party and guests having to get from one location to another with all that that
entails.
Your
dream wedding could be a relaxed English countryside affair, a chic city
shindig or anything in between, and your theme will dictate your venue.
Contemporary, classical, traditional, elegant, historic, or even Boho, there’s
a perfect location for everyone.
At MiddleTemple, our clients all have one thing in common – wanting to celebrate their
London wedding in a unique, elegant, impressive, and truly magical venue,
steeped in centuries of important history. They want to dine at the table that
Elizabeth I gifted to the Inn, made from a single oak from Windsor Forest; they
want to be surrounded by ancient artefacts, stained glass windows, original oil
paintings on loan from the Royal Collection, and heraldic coats of arms; they
want to impress their guests with the finest example of an Elizabethan Hall in
the country; and above all, they want to leave their guests awe-inspired at an
event that will linger in the memory for many years to come.
The guest
list is the next big hurdle, and you’ll be limited by your venue’s capacity, be
that 20 or 700. We only have one tip when it comes to inviting friends and
family on both sides…Compromise! This is just as much your fiancés day as your
own.
Once
you’ve got all of the major things nailed down it’s time to have some real fun.
We’re talking dresses, food and drink, wedding stationary, gift lists,
entertainment, and all those little extras you’re inspired by every time you
open a bridal magazine!
Our final
piece of advice is to be organised. There are lots of online tools, apps, and
virtual wedding planners to help you keep on top of it all, but there’s nothing
like having an experienced events team to deliver your perfect day. We have a
specialist team in-house that works with the happy couple from the initial
enquiry through to the departure of the very last guest. If you book your
nuptials at Middle Temple, the team will swoop into action and hold your hand
every step of the way.
So, now
you have the lowdown it’s time to start planning the wedding of your dreams. We
wish you all the luck and happiness in the world!
If your
dream is to be married in an historic wedding venue in London and would like to
take a tour of Middle Temple, please contact events@middletemple.org.uk. To view our wedding brochure,
click here: https://www.middletemplevenue.org.uk/wedding-brochure