News

Weddings are joyous occasions that require a significant amount of time and money to plan. It is easy to become distracted by all the expenses, wants, and inclusions and lose sight of your resources and money. Your wedding budget will almost certainly be the largest and most expensive you’ve ever hosted. Almost every aspect of wedding planning necessitates some form of compensation, with venue, catering, dressing, and entertainment depleting your funds the most.

This is why, before beginning the planning process, it is necessary to create a comprehensive wedding budget. Making the wedding budget should be the first step in the wedding planning process, and it should be approached with care and attention to detail. It is critical that you include even the littlest things in your budget estimate.

The process of creating a budget is never pleasant and may appear tedious, which is why we are here to help. Here are some pointers and steps for creating the ideal wedding budget in order to avoid debt and unnecessary spending.

Determine your financial situation

The first thing you need to do before making any plans is understanding how much money you can spear for your wedding. You and your partner should make an inventory of how much money you have because that will give you an idea of how to proceed from the very beginning. 

Consider how much money you have saved so far, and then calculate how much you and your partner can set aside for your wedding. This will assist you in determining how much you can save before the big day. It is important to be realistic about your expectations right from the get-go.

Who is paying?

You must decide who will be responsible for the wedding expenses. Will you, your partner, or both of you be in charge of the finances? Do you have relatives who are willing to contribute financially to your wedding? Knowing who is going to pay allows you to plan your budget accordingly.

If your family is willing to contribute, discuss with them which elements they will pay for or if they will handle all expenses. Show them what you and your partner have budgeted for the wedding so that both parties can agree on what to cover.

To avoid surprises along the way, make sure you give the person paying a realistic cost of expenditures rather than assumptions. You can determine how much you can afford to spend on your wedding by adding up any family contributions and your personal savings.

Do Your Research

Following the determination of your finances, the next step is to conduct adequate research to understand where you will allocate the funds and what the cost of each wedding element is. This is a crucial stage in wedding budgeting because you’ll need to know what the entire wedding planning process entails and how much it will cost. 

Make a list of all the vendors and services you will need for your wedding, as well as the average wedding cost australia for each service, from wedding venue, decoration, florists, and wedding entertainment, to catering, wedding outfits, wedding cake, and refreshments. 

Because each element will cost money, you should divide the wedding budgets accordingly. Compare the pricing of various vendors for a specific service to get a better value and quality, and always choose a vendor who is closer to your venue to save money on transportation.

Prepare for hidden costs

Most of the time, the base cost of the wedding vendors is not the total cost due to hidden fees that can blow your budget. That is why you should make allowances for hidden costs in order to stay ahead of surprises. Hidden costs can build up as a result of omissions in vendor contracts, transportation fees, setup and breakdown fees, custom services, and other factors.

Small fees that may seem insignificant at the time can add up over the course of the wedding planning process and cause a significant dent in your budget. That is something you would want to avoid at all costs.

Prioritize your spending

The next step of wedding budgeting is comparing your budget with the cost estimate of desired services. It’s time to add everything up and see if it fits within your budget now that you know how much each of the wedding-related expenses will cost. You might have to let go of some things or find cheaper services if the budget is surpassed.

Simply put, it means that in order to maximize your wedding budget calculator, you must begin prioritizing the various components. Making a list of all the wedding components and ranking them according to priority is a good idea. You may be forced to spend more on some elements while cutting back on others, and you may be forced to cut some items entirely from your budget.

Write down the final budget

Finally, you’ve completed the difficult part and can now put everything together to figure out your total budget wedding venue. This is the most enjoyable and satisfying part of developing wedding budgets because you will have a nearly complete picture of how your wedding day will turn out. 

In addition, this is where you correct any errors and read the fine print for any emissions. You will know how much money you have to spend, what you need to include, how much things will roughly cost, and what things must stay and can be omitted if finances require it. 

Track your spending

Keep track of your budget and record every expense you incur during the wedding planning process, no matter how large or small. Your wedding budget will be immediately destroyed by any missed payments, so be sure everything is properly recorded. It can be simple to lose track of money that has already been spent when payments are made frequently.

By making a spreadsheet to track all of your expenses, you can stay organized in the best way possible. The deadlines for both the initial payments and the final sum must be specified. Keeping track of payment deadlines is crucial to avoid any unexpected bills that you might have overlooked.

Now that you have created a comprehensive wedding budget, you can sit back and relax because you have a clear picture of how to proceed with your wedding plans and expenditures. Our tips on how to create a wedding budget will certainly make any wedding planning process an easier and less stressful one.

Your wedding day is a joyous day that marks the beginning of a new life with that special someone. A lot of things are optional while planning your wedding, but the one thing you can never overlook is a wedding venue. The venue sets the tone for all your wedding events and every aspect of your wedding plan revolves around it. Your wedding day is supposed to be filled with joy and excitement, and nothing beats celebrating your marriage with all the people you love. That is why it is imperative that you find a wedding venue that will be accessible to your family and friends.

Choosing the right wedding venue is a tedious task that takes a lot of energy. We would like to help you on this journey by helping you with tips that will get you the ideal wedding venue that will be accessible to your family and friends.

• Table of Contents

  Toggle

  Select a general location

Before you begin the search for a venue for a wedding, the first thing you need to do is decide where exactly in the world you would like to hold your wedding ceremony. This location could be a city you’ve always wanted to visit, your hometown, or a famous vacation destination. Knowing a general location narrows down and limits your search to that specific location. It is important to ensure that the location you choose will be easily accessible to your family and friends.

• Create a budget estimate

Hiring a wedding venue can take up at least half of your total wedding budget. A budget estimate helps you understand how much you are willing to spend on your wedding venue and what venues are available for the price you can afford. This will prevent any mismanagement of funds and will also help you get the best value for money by determining the cost and features of every wedding venue package.

• Set up a guest list

Creating a shortlist of the guests you would like at your wedding lets you determine what type of venue you should get. This will help you in finding a venue that will be near your loved ones. It’s easy to select a venue that will make both you and your guests happy if you have an idea of who will be attending your wedding event. A guest list also helps you understand which venue size you should go for because you wouldn’t want a venue that would be either too big or too small for your guests.

• Know the venue’s accessibility

Your wedding day will not feel complete without all the important people in your life, which is why you need to select a wedding venue that your family and friends can easily go to. A location that is too far might not be suitable for everyone. Likewise, no one wants to go to a place with too many obstacles along the way like rocky roads, hills or rivers. Ease of access is hugely important when selecting a wedding venue, especially if you are planning on having two different locations for your wedding and reception.

• Visit some of the venues

Brochures and pictures give a good image of a wedding venue, but sometimes it is important to visit these locations in person in order to see the place for yourself. Going there yourself will show you how accessible the venue will be to your family and friends. A tour of the grounds by the venue staff will get you accustomed to the place and will help you determine if it is the right venue for your wedding. Meeting the staff will also tell you how reliable they are and how much they are willing to work with you in order to plan the wedding of your dreams.

• Know the availability of the venue

A lot of venues will make you feel like you have found the perfect one, but not all of them will be available. This is why you should know which venues are available before you let your heart make the decision. Finding out that the best wedding venues of your dreams are unavailable is heartbreaking, so it is a good idea to hold off on forming any sentimental feelings until you are sure of their availability. 

• Seek advice from others

You might want to lead every part of your wedding planning and that is okay, but sometimes you need to step back and hear what others have to say. Your perspective matters a lot but it might not always be the right one which is why you should seek advice from either an expert or close family and friends. This will make your loved ones feel like their opinion matters and that they are a huge part of a special moment in your life.

Your loved ones need to be there with you as you celebrate one of the most important milestones in your life. This is why you need to make your wedding accessible to them by choosing a venue that they can easily go to. The tips mentioned above should help you in your search for an easily accessible wedding venue so you can enjoy your wedding day surrounded by all the special people in your life.

Weddings are very fun to plan and it may seem like it’s all romance and joy but ultimately, it is a process that requires a lot of transactions, deals and agreements from multiple vendors. That is the serious and business aspect of wedding planning. Every vendor you intend to work with, from wedding venues and event planners, to catering services and photographers, should have a contract set up that you can both agree on. It is essential to have every agreement and service written down in case any legal or payment related issue comes up while the event planning is ongoing. 

A wedding contract is an important part of your wedding plan because it creates a secure agreement between you and the vendors and also helps in setting up boundaries that you can both work within. Below is a list of necessary information that should be present in every wedding contract.

Your full name(s)

Having your name(s) on the contract is very important because this will help identify you as a client and prevent any possible misunderstandings that could sabotage your entire wedding planning. You can have only your name on the contract, or you can also include your partner’s name as well.

The wedding date

Having the exact date of your wedding on the contract will prevent any breaches from any vendor because the date that their services will be needed is clearly stated. It is important to write the date clearly without missing any information. The wedding date written on the contract should include the day, date, month, year and even time. You would not want any vendor to think your wedding date is scheduled for another year. It happens, you know.

The wedding venue

The venue should be clearly stated in the contract so the vendor can have an idea of where exactly their services will be needed. If there are different venues for the wedding and the wedding reception, that should be started as well. Trust us, a lot of things could go wrong if the wedding venue is unclear on the contract. Your wedding decor might just end up in another person’s wedding. Just saying. 

All the services provided

You should work with the vendors to write down all the services you expect to get from them. No detail is too little and no detail should be omitted in order to avoid dissatisfaction. It is absolutely necessary to go through every single detail about the service you need and have it written down clearly in the contract. This will minimise the risk of having to pay extra fees for a service that you forgot to note down in the contract. 

Price of each service to be provided

A lot of vendors have the habit of changing the price of services provided, so it is a good idea to write down the exact cost of each service. This will keep you ahead of any surprise charges that may arise during the wedding planning process. Having the cost of all expenditure will also help you keep track of your budget and aid in the management of your funds. 

Contingency plans and substitutions

There are some services whose availability can not always be ensured so it is important that all plan Bs and possible alternatives are also written down in the contract. The price adjustments that may be linked to the usage of any of the alternatives should also be noted down in order to avoid mismanagement of budget.

Deposits, balance, and refunds

Details of all business transactions, both paid and pending should be written down in the contract in order to avoid miscalculation of expenditures. Deposits should be recorded and outstanding balance as well. In the event where a refund is being discussed, the amount should also be stated in the contract along with the expected date of the refund.

Permits and Licenses

Some wedding venues and services require certain permits before being approved for usage. This permit should be included or attached in the contract in order to avoid any legal issues that may arise. Details like these could make or break your entire wedding plans, so make sure you keep them in check.

Legal and Binding Agreement

An undertaking should be included in the contract that states that both you and the vendor will adhere to the terms and conditions of the contract. 

Signatures

This is the part where the signing goes down. A section where the name of the vendors and the client, together with the signatures of both should be boldly stated. Your signatures will solidify the agreement and make the whole contract valid.

Wedding contracts make sure that there is no room for legal issues, extra charges, or abrupt cancellations. Writing up or understanding contracts might seem difficult, which is why we have stated all the important things that you should look out for in your wedding contract.

Your wedding venue is the one thing that houses almost every element of your big day. It is an absolute fact that finding the perfect wedding venue is among the biggest parts of your wedding planning. This part requires a lot of brainstorming because you would want an event space that goes along with all other elements of your wedding. This wedding venue sets the tone for your whole wedding event, no matter what type of wedding you have in mind. The second you have your wedding venue settled, everything else falls into place like pieces in a puzzle and your wedding plans will revolve all around the venue and your theme will resonate with the atmosphere of the venue.

To help you in your search for a wedding venue that suits your vision, we have set up tips that will help you along the way.

Talk to a wedding planner

Planners are ‘wedding experts’ and they have worked on enough weddings to understand your language and interpret your vision. They are familiar with the essential parts of a wedding venue like the capacity, furniture, ambiance, capacity and more. The wedding planner knows all the tips and quirks that are needed to turn your vision into reality.

Choose a wedding location

Weddings can be held anywhere, whether it’s your hometown, your current resident city, or a different vacation destination that you’ve always wanted to visit. It’s important to know exactly where in the world you’re planning on having your wedding because that is where you will search for your wedding venue. 

Start your search early

A wedding heartbreak would be finding out that the perfect venue you had in mind for your wedding is completely booked on your wedding day. Starting your search early would give you a better chance at securing the venue that suits your vision. If not, you might just have to settle with whatever venue is available or you might have to move your wedding date if you’re so hung up on a particular unavailable venue.

Decide on a budget estimate

We all know it is impossible to know the exact budget for your wedding events but it is very important to know an estimate that you will work around. Having an estimate in mind will help in narrowing down the long list of venues to a shorter list of venues that you can afford. When selecting a wedding venue, find out what’s included in the venue package. Does the venue come with tables and chairs? Decorations included or not? You need to know an estimate of how much you’ll be required to spend on the venue alone?

Find inspiration online

If you are confused about the type of wedding you would want to have, the internet should be your go-to place for a wide selection of wedding inspiration. There is an answer for every question you have online. Someone out there probably had the same vision and dreams as you, and might have already executed their vision. This will help you further understand what your dream wedding would look like and the ways you can turn it into reality. Some websites that can help you in your search include Pinterest, Instagram and Google.

Visit some potential venues

Sometimes, seeing something online or through a catalogue might not be the most convincing method of searching for a venue. Like the saying goes…’Seeing is believing’. You need to see some things for yourself in order to decide if it lives up to your expectations. You will also be able to see the venue personnel and ask all the questions you may have. Some venue coordinators might also decide to give you a tour so you can get a feel of the space.

Consider your guest list

Size certainly matters when it comes to choosing a wedding venue. Every wedding venue has the maximum number of guests it can occupy, so knowing the capacity of the venue can help you decide whether it’s the right place for you. The capacity is not always flexible as a lot of venues set a limit on the number of people it can hold. Knowing the exact number of your guests is essential when choosing a venue because you don’t want a venue that is too small or too big for your guests. One thing you’d want to avoid is having to cut people out of your list due to lack of space. 

Determine your wedding theme

You need to know your wedding style and vibe before you begin your search for a wedding venue. The venue you plan on choosing must align with the vision you have in mind for your wedding. If you plan on having a rustic wedding, a ranch barn or a warehouse might be the best choice of venue for you. Similarly, a glamorous black tie wedding should be held in a fancy hotel or event space. It’s important to note the indoor and outdoor atmosphere of a venue and analyze how it fits with the aesthetic of your wedding theme. This is also where you decide whether your venue needs extra decoration or the venue is naturally pleasing.

Trust your gut

Sometimes we need to trust our gut to see if any of the wedding venues you visited gave you a warm fuzzy feeling that indicates ‘This is the one’. Do you feel comfortable trusting the venue personnel to handle your wedding for you? Which venue do you think of first when you envision your big day? The answer to those important questions will tell you exactly where you need to go. 

Sign the contract

Now that you have decided on the venue that speaks more to you, ask for a contract and take your time reviewing every aspect of the contract. Make sure you ask a lot of questions so as to avoid unpleasant surprises prior to your wedding. Watch out for additional costs that were not discussed beforehand and ensure that there is a mutual understanding between yourself and the venue coordinators. 

Congratulations. You have successfully obtained your dream venue and that is a huge milestone in your wedding plan timeline. Hopefully, our tips have been of huge help to you. Here at Clarence House, ensuring that you have the perfect wedding of your dream is a huge priority to us. We offer you a lot of options to choose from when it comes to selecting the perfect wedding venue in Sydney.

Every couple desires to have a flawless wedding, and one of the most important aspects of a perfect wedding is getting the perfect wedding venue. Your wedding venue serves as the backdrop for your wedding event and it sets the tone for the entire occasion, which is why it is important to get the venue sorted out before everything else. It doesn’t matter what type of wedding you’re planning, whether it’s a small backyard wedding or a grand fairytale ball, the wedding venue will still be the defining factor of your wedding.

Take a look at the list we’ve set up to guide you on your journey of finding the perfect wedding venue. 

Find a good location

While searching for a wedding venue, make sure you give priority to getting a location that would be convenient for you and your guests. You will want to know the accessibility of the venue because a suitable location means that it is not too far or too difficult to navigate, especially if the wedding venue and the reception venue are separate.

It is also important that you pay attention to the interiors and exteriors of the location. A good and welcoming ambience sets a nice tone and atmosphere for your wedding. So keep a look out and make sure the location you choose is the perfect ground for your wedding.

Choose an appropriate size

Finding a location that would accommodate the size of your guest list without feeling crammed or oversized is essential. It is imperative to choose a venue that has a large enough capacity to fit your guests, and not too oversized as well. Besides, you cannot cram 400 guests in a venue that accommodates 200 people. Equally, an oversized venue would not be aesthetic as well. 

The size of your wedding location and your guest list should be an almost perfect fit. Let’s face it, it’s always a nightmare having to cut out some people from your guest list due to lack of space.

Get the best value for money

Your wedding venue will probably be the item that takes the highest percentage out of your total wedding budget.  Identifying how much you’re willing to spend on a venue early on gives you a better chance at getting the best value for money. Make a little research about each venue and find out what you get from every package. Sometimes, settling for the cheapest option isn’t always the best decision because all you might be getting is the venue itself, while you might be able to get additional features like security, furniture, decoration and more when you bump up your budget a little. 

So the best thing you can do is find the best connection between your budget, practicality and venue package.

Know your vibe and aesthetic

To find the wedding venue that best suits your fantasy, you need to understand the vibe and theme you would want for your wedding. The wedding venue sets the tone for your event which is why it needs to match the vision you have. If you, for example, are looking to have a rustic themed wedding, a luxury hotel or ballroom is probably not the best venue to choose. Similarly, a barn or a ranch might not be appropriate when you are hosting a glamorous black tie wedding.

All the elements of your wedding venue, from the exterior and interior space to the furniture and light setting, must fit your entire wedding plan vibe and aesthetic.

Privacy and Exclusivity

Another thing to consider when searching for a wedding venue is how private your wedding will be and how separate it will be from external events. You would not want your wedding events to be distracted by either another event at the same location or uninvited personnel snooping in. Make sure you ask the venue you have in mind how they manage multiple weddings at once and how each one is exclusively separate from the other.

Another thing to do is ensure that your guest list is strictly followed to avoid exceeding the guest limit. This can lead to overcrowding and insufficient supply of wedding resources. To avoid this, it might be advisable to consider having a security agent that will take care of your guest list.

Availability of the venue

If you already have a date in mind for your wedding, it is advisable to start searching for a venue months away from the date to secure booking at your desired location. This will help you in getting more available venue options to choose from that will fit your desired wedding date instead of having to settle with whatever location is open for rent on your wedding date.

Have an organised schedule

Wedding events pass by in a blur even with a lot of things on the schedule to go through so it’s important to get a wedding venue that is good at keeping wedding activities organized and sequential. An organised schedule ensures that there is a smooth transition between all wedding event activities starting from the arrival of the bride and groom, the main event, photography sessions, reception party, all the way to the departure of your guests.

Friendly in-venue staff 

Getting a warm reception by the venue staff when trying to discuss rental options gives you a good first impression and assures you that they will try their best to make your big day a priority for them. A staff that is ready to answer all the questions you have keenly and work with you to discuss how your demands can be met will make sure that your wedding event turns out perfect. 

The first visit will let you see if you can connect with the staff to bring your vision of a perfect wedding to life or not.

If you’re in search of a wedding venue in Sydney that will consider all of your concerns and requirements, our company is here to help you out. At Clarence House, we have a wide selection of the country’s most beautiful and accessible venues, and would love to help you find the perfect venue for your grand event! After all, your wedding day marks the first day of your life together with that special someone.