So you’re planning the most important day of your life, but where do you want to get married? For some, getting married in the city sounds perfect. But for many, a rural or countryside location is their dream! Choosing a rural setting for your wedding can mean beautiful backdrops for your wedding photography but there are also some things to look out for and consider.
Transport
Are your guests willing to venture down single-track country roads to find your venue? If not, you may want to reconsider a rural wedding. For many, exchanging their vows on a farm is the perfect wedding day but unless you want to get married alone, you do need to consider how all of your guests will get to the venue. Think about all transport links: planes, trains, buses, cars, and taxis. Of course, if your venue doesn’t have parking then that will rule out cars as a transport option and if there are no local taxi companies that don’t charge a fortune, your guests may become disgruntled by the time they’ve arrived at your ceremony. To keep all of your friends and family happy, find a countryside venue with ample parking and good transport routes. For example, a venue that is surrounded by beautiful scenery but is still within easy reach of London!
Accommodation
Does your wedding venue have overnight accommodation? If not, consider what hotels there are locally and the number of guests you’re inviting. If you have invited 200 guests but there’s only one small local hotel then that’s just not going to work. If your venue does have accommodation, then make sure you check it out to ensure what they’re offering is actually of good quality. You don’t want to hear your guests telling you after the wedding that their room was horrible, as much as you don’t want to head to your bridal suite at the end of the night only to find it isn’t as nice as you expected!
Wildlife & Nature
Do you usually spend most of your time in the city? Well you might not be used to all of the wildlife that the countryside has to offer and may be reluctant to have to deal with it during your wedding day. One of my favourite rural wedding destinations is Wales because of its stunning natural landscapes! Getting married in the countryside may seem like a dream but there’s also the local wildlife and general landscape to consider. You just can predict British weather and if most of your wedding day was going to take place outdoors then you’ll need to think about mud. Perhaps you should mention on your wedding invitations that guests should bring their own wellies? If this doesn’t sound like something your guests, or you, would enjoy then you may need to reconsider your wedding location. If you’re getting married on a farm there is also likely to be plenty of wildlife around… So maybe you should opt for a converted barn instead of a real one if this doesn’t sound like something you could handle.
Finding suppliers
Being in a rural location can feel perfectly secluded, allowing you the privacy to celebrate your wedding day how you wish. However, there are some very important suppliers such as a DJ or band, a caterer, and a florist that will need to come along to your venue as well. If you don’t live locally, you’ll need to do some research to find your favourite local suppliers, it’s likely your venue will have some preferred suppliers that they will suggest to you. If you can’t find the suppliers that meet your expectations then it might be a good idea to get married somewhere a little more accessible as there will be more choices for you!
Enjoy planning your beautiful rural wedding, just make sure to keep my advice in mind so your wedding day can be the best day ever.
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