Polhawn Fort are winners of the Most Romantic Wedding Venue in The Mills and Boon Romantics Awards 2015. If you have a wedding to plan, here are their top tips when choosing your wedding venue. 

• Talk to each other

When you are newly engaged it can be quite overwhelming and knowing where to start can cause headaches. Grab a bottle of wine, get cosy and spend the evening chatting and deciding what you both want from the day. 

• Research

Make sure you research the venue before you visit – their websites will be full of very useful information and showcase what they offer. On our website you will find prices, recommended suppliers, local accommodation, floor plans, pictures, videos and much more. Bear in mind that the most venues will also look different in real life. Here at the Fort nothing can prepare you for the real thing!

• Be open to ideas

You may think you know what you want but once you visit the venue and start to look into the nitty gritty, things may change. Write down and rank a list of your priorities. For example, most other venues charge corkage but we don’t, so this might be a big selling point for you. Be prepared to make compromises but don’t lose sight of what you envisioned for your big day.

• Ask questions

It’s incredibly useful when you attend a venue to have a ready list of questions. The more you ask, the more you will benefit from your viewing. The most common questions are:

– What time must the party finish?

– Where can we legally get married?

– Do you have example table plans?

– Can I choose my own caterers and bring my own alcohol?

– What is the maximum number of guests and how many can stay the night?

• Consider other seasons

You may have your heart set on an outdoor summer wedding, but have you seen our grand 80ft fairylight lit hall with its roaring open fire or how the crashing white topped waves create dramatic and stunning photo opportunities? Summer is the most popular time of the year to get married and it is also the most expensive. Autumn and winter weddings can be just as beautiful and the cost can vary considerably, so it is worthwhile considering the other seasons.

• Take your time

Don’t rush your decision, take time to show family and friends pictures and information about the venue and discuss with them the options. Most venues will allow you to make a provisional booking under no obligation. This is the perfect time to sit down and collect all your thoughts.

Polhawn Fort have been a licensed venue for over 18 years and in that time have hosted over 2,000 weddings. If you want to find out more about Polhawn Fort click on the link here.

All the Romantics Award winners and finalists can be found in our online directory. Email us and we will noitify you when the 2016 nominations are open theromantics@hqnuk.co.uk.

By The Mills & Boon team