Christmas Theme Budget Wedding?

by Leila
(Sheffield)

I'm having a budget wedding in December and I want a Christmas theme, right down to the red gown and (fake) fur cape! My problem is I’m stuck for a cheap venue at that time of year.

We need a dance floor and disabled access. Our menu is causing is problems as well. We want to have sausage in Yorkshire pudding as we both love it, but the venues are either unhappy to change their menu at that time of year, are charging the earth for it or won’t allow outside caterers.

Do you have any ideas for a type of venue that will suit all our needs and budget?


Answer:

Having your wedding around Christmas will be lovely. The lights and decorations will bring an element of warmth to your budget wedding (and allow you to save on decorations!).

Your question is a bit tricky as you have quite a few criteria to meet – dance floor, disabled access and catering facilities – that’s available at that time of year!

I’m actually quite surprised to find that the venues you’ve spoken to won’t accommodate your catering needs. I assume they’ll be quite a few of you and with you only wanting one dish to be served, I would have thought it would be easy to accommodate!

Perhaps it’s worth negotiating this a bit more with them. Agree a minimum spend or guarantee to fill a number of beds for the night. By saying your wedding party will spend more with them, may help them to change their mind. Don’t forget, you could get your guests to pay for their drinks and their rooms, so this extra cost you’re guaranteeing doesn’t have to come from your pocket.

You could also re-think your venue. My favourite type for a venue that meets your needs is actually a village hall. They often have wooden floors for dancing, disabled access and catering facilities that you, or a catering company, can use. Plus, if you enquire now, you’ll easily get the dates you want for your wedding around Christmas.

Don’t be put off by village halls. Many of them have been refurbished or completely rebuilt with lottery money and so now, they can be great locations for a wedding. Even if they’re not that great inside, you can easily decorate it or use drapes to hide any unsightly walls.

I even spoke to marquee companies that have used the internal decorations from a marquee (the lining and swags) and put them inside a village hall that wasn’t quite what the bride wanted. Likewise, I’ve also seen marquees put up on the outside of halls to hide less attractive entrances. Either way, the end result is a stunning venue at rock bottom prices.

Check out this article about how village halls make cheap wedding locations.

Good luck!