Choosing a venue for your Hindu wedding is possibly the most important part of the wedding planning process. Our advice is to secure your venue before booking any of your vendors like your wedding photographer! The first question any vendor would generally ask is the date of the wedding and the venue, so it’s always good to be ahead of the game. We have put together a few points to consider when deciding on your dream Hindu wedding venue, so boys and girls take notes!
Hall capacity and layout
Us Asians love a big wedding, so knowing the capacity of the main wedding hall is extremely important. The dimension of the hall is also key particularly when deciding on the length of your walkway, decorations and for the arrangement of chairs. Consider the layout of the whole venue as well. Is the foyer area big enough? Would it fit a welcome table and a welcome sign? Is there plenty of room for the groom and his family to all fit in the foyer when they enter? If you plan on providing guests food, find out whether there’s a separate hall for dining and the capacity of this hall with banqueting tables. Make sure you find out whether the venue provides all the furnishings e.g., chairs and tables or whether you need to source this yourself.
Caterers
Some venues have a list of caterers you must choose from and do not allow external caterers. Other venues allow more flexibility and allow any caterer if they help with the cleaning up.
Bridal suite
Brides check if there is a bridal suite with a mirror for you to change in, for touch ups of your makeup or even just to sit and chill! Grooms you may want to also want to find out whether there is a separate room for you too. Even if you don’t want to change at the venue, I’m sure family members would love an extra room to keep their belongings in or to even get changed! Ensure there is a toilet next to your bridal suite as you don’t want to have to share toilets with your guests and ruin the surprise!
Wedding Reception
If you intend on having your wedding reception on the same day in the same venue, make sure your guests are comfortable when you go for your outfit changes and have an area where they can unwind and have a few drinks! You may also want a bar as well if you’re thinking of having the wedding reception on the same date, so find out from the venue if you need to pay extra for corkage!
Fire Ceremony
Having an open fire is an essential part of a Hindu wedding ceremony. The fire symbolises a purifier and a sustainer of life. Blessings are made in front of the fire, which is thought to act as a witness in the Hindu ceremony. Therefore, please check with the venue about their open fire policy.
Entertainment
If you are planning on having any entertainment like a DJ, dhol players, nadaswaram or even if you require a Hindu priest with a microphone, please check whether the venue has any sound limitations. This is usually the case if the venue is close to housing and is part of their legal requirement.
Photographers
Although the inside of the venue is where most of the ceremony will take place, also consider the surroundings too. Taking those amazing shots outside the venue may be something you really want, then consider a venue with a big lawn outside or a great view. You may also want to think about other places nearby which you know will be great for the photos! Having a beautiful surrounding area may not be on the top of your list, particularly if the inside of the venue allows a lot of natural light, which photographers would love!
Parking
Check with the venue if they have a car park and if so the capacity of this. Even if the capacity of the car park is smaller than you had in mind, ask whether guests can park on the nearby roads around the venue.
Booking a venue
Our advice to those couples getting married is to call the venue first. Ensure you cover all the points mentioned above and ask any additional questions you may have as a couple. Make sure you take loads of videos and photos of the venue too as you may want to collectively decide as a family or even to just jog your memory. We don’t advise going to see all wedding venues on your list as they may not fit all the criteria you want anyway and can also be energy draining! If the venue does seem like it could fit the bill for you both, book a viewing of the venue ASAP! This gives you a real feel for things. Ask yourself this. Can we see ourselves married here? If yes, well then there’s your answer…
Check out the KP Center in West London to host your Hindu wedding ceremony.