top of page

6 Tips to Choosing A Venue in Southwest France

Updated: May 11, 2021

With so many venues to choose from in Southwest France but also worldwide how to you choose the one which is right for you?


Below is only 8 off the amazing venues you can choose from and this is only types of venues you then need to narrow it down to the actually site. It is still most popular to get married in a Chateau but there is a growing trend in weddings in barns and marquees. But your options do not stop there what about a winery or a library, a boat or a beach???





Every couple has there must have points when choosing a venue this could be, outside space or even as specific as the colour of the dance floor (yes a had a couple who had to have a wooden dance floor and hated the black and white ones.) Even with the list you already have I would always suggest thinking about the following considerations also as some of these can add unnecessary cost if you have a set budget for your wedding.


Set-up- Finding out not only how the room is recommended to be set by the venue but also when you can set up and who is around during setup is essential when choosing a venue as some venues have multi-use spaces which you can only gain access to after breakfast which could be very tight for a early Wedding Breakfast.


I mentioned here knowing who is around to set up with a wedding in South West france this is key as most venue are Dry hiring meaning nothing is included so you need to confirm if you caterer is setting the tables or if you need additional staffing to set the tables. And then who is going to make all the finishing touches on the tables, Wedding favours, kids packs, Special gifts etc


Knowing how they recommend setting the space is key to knowing if the venue can fit the numbers for the wedding. The final consideration is when the room needs to be cleared and if anyone from the venue helps with clearing down or if you need to be there at the very end to box everything back up.


Accessibility-As just mentioned in set up accessibility is key as if you can get access until you are already getting ready you need to know who will and you also need to accept you will not see the space until later.


But the main point on accessibility is how easy is it to access the event rooms are there stairs, how far away is the parking. These are areas of concern for decorations but from a full event point of view it is necessary to know how far away the kitchen is to time service and understand how the food will arrive to the event room.


Additionally depending on how many suppliers you have and where you expect them to set up you need to know about the electrical outlets this is even more important if you are having an outside venue as may result in buying in a generator.


Finally it doesn't effect everyone but if you have guests who need help to access any of the event space make sure the venue suits their needs. South West France isn't the most advance in this area as a lot of the venues are old and hard to modernise.


Size-In addition to understanding the setup of the room it is all essential to understand how the space works for different set ups and to ensure that the space is not only not to small if numbers change but also not too big. At this point any venue would need to understand the style of wedding and the set up expectation to be able to confidently advise on if the size would work.


Some event rooms can be partition if the size decreases these are all elements you need to know the answer to when considering a venue. You do not want your guest floating around in a venue which is huge or squashed into a venue which is too small.


Parking- Not only is parking a consideration for set up it is also a consideration for guests. Some venue's will have lots of parking some will have very little depending on if it is a town or country location. This is not necessarily a deciding factor but is something which needs to be considered before choosing a venue as you may need to add transportation costs.




Staffing-During all stages of booking a venue it is essential to consider the staff depending on how they treat you in the booking stages is a key factor to how things will work out on the day. Also it needs to be considered the expectation of staff and does the venue have enough for what you are looking to achieve. Some venues wouldn't be able to tell you at booking stage exact numbers but they should be able to tell you the ratio they work to which would help you know if they can satisfy your expectations. A lot of South West France weddings this would be the Caterer who can give you this information


You would need to understand how the planning stages work who looks after you and who is in charge on the day. Finally in some cases you need to know what staff wear to work as this may impact your colour theme or really stand out.




If you are struggling with this then please get in touch I love finding new venues and the perfect venue to suit your needs, take a look at my website where you can see the different packages I offer. I can help with anything from simple sourcing a venue or with your planning from beginning to end.


Refrence

historical Buildinghttps://www.womangettingmarried.com/brooklyn-historical-society/

Beachhttp://www.stylecraze.com/articles/what-to-wear-to-a-beach-wedding/#grefCruise Shiphttp://wedding.mouzenidis-travel.com/article/wedding-athens-yacht

Marqueehttp://www.fewsmarquees.co.uk/wedding-marquee-hire/

Hotelhttp://cocoweddingvenues.co.uk/coco_listing/corinthia-hotel-london/

Wineryhttps://www.thecelebrationsociety.com/top-6-winery-and-vineyard-wedding-venues-in-georgia/

Restauranthttps://www.brides.com/story/how-to-have-a-restaurant-wedding

Family Home http://www.bridebox.com/blog/top-seven-wedding-venues-for-todays-couples/

40 views0 comments
bottom of page