Congratulations if you have recently got engaged! Getting engaged is one of the most exciting things, but once you’ve said ‘yes’ there comes lots of planning and there are lots of decisions to be made! One of the biggest decisions that you will have to make together is where you choose to have your special day. There are so many options when it comes to wedding venues and the type of day you want to have will impact on the type of venue that you choose.
If you have children yourselves or have lots of friends and family members that have large families and this is something that you want to incorporate into your wedding then choosing a family friendly wedding venue will be important to you. When you are searching for a venue you will need to take into account not only your budget, but also look at the location of the venue, how good travel links are and if there is plenty of accommodation either at the venue or nearby.
Venue location
Location is really important if you are looking for a family friendly venue as people with children will need plenty of parking as it’s more than likely that they will travel to the wedding by car, rather than taking public transport. Depending on how old their children are as well will determine how they travel to the venue, people with babies will need a lot more things than people with older children.
Another thing that you will want to consider is how safe the venue and location is. Looking at exclusive use venues is a great option as it means that the only people that will be at the venue will be your wedding party, and there is no risk of other people being around. You also will want to make sure that the surrounding areas of the venue are safe too. For example, you won’t want to choose a venue that is right next to a busy main road, with children attending.
Facilities
If you are looking for a venue that is family friendly you will also want to see what facilities that they have for children there. For example, are there outside playing areas that children can play at while the adults are enjoying their reception drinks. A venue with outside space would be good so that you can have games and activities set up outside for people to enjoy.
Accommodation
It’s a good idea to choose a venue that has accommodation either on site, or is close to a hotel or somewhere that people can stay. At the end of the day, people won’t want to be travelling too far with children, and will more than likely not stay until the end of the night anyway.
Food
We all know that the food served at a wedding is one of the most important things and something that you and your partner will spend lots of time deciding on. You may even attend tasting events at the venue to make sure that the food you choose for your day is special. If you are having a child-friendly wedding it is important to consider the food and choose somewhere that can cater for children. They won’t want to have the same food as the adults, and will only require a much simpler version. You will also need to make sure that the venue can accommodate children at the tables and within the seating plan too. Depending on how old the children are, you might need to make sure that there are an ample number of high chairs.
Separate spaces for children’s entertainment
Children won’t want to spend hours eating their meal and won’t enjoy sitting around while the adults enjoy their reception drinks. This is when it is a good idea for you to choose a venue that has a separate space for children to have their own entertainment. You could choose something such as a magician who can keep them entertained while the adults finish their meals. You could even have a DJ specifically for the children who can keep those classics such as baby shark within the children’s area and not on the main dancefloor!
Five family friendly wedding venues
The Old Rectory – Royal Berkshire
Glen Tanar – Scotland
Manor Farm Barn – Oxfordshire
Charlton Park – Canterbury
The Cow Shed – Cornwall
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