I'm totally new to this forum, but you all seem so helpful I thought you might be able to reassure me. I'm at the stage of booking my venue, I have a favourite and a date held for me for 2 weeks while we decide. It's a gorgeous garden venue I have wanted since I went to a wedding there a while back. But it's so ridiculously popular my choices are majorly limited. I either wait 3 years, which forgive me but I don't have the patience for. Or I take a Wednesday date in the month I wanted (September), or we can have a Friday in February. I had never wanted a Winter Wedding but am coming round the idea, my fiancée is dead keen because of the savings and because it's the perfect time of year for our dream honeymoon, which I admit I'm keen on.
I suppose my worry is this, the venue has two large rooms in one building in the gardens, one for the ceremony and one for the breakfast/disco. They are more than big enough, but without a range of photo opportunities. Do you think people will be happy going outside at the end of February? I will want guests in outdoor photos. Plus if the weather is dreadful I'm not going to have much indoor space for photos.
Am I stressing too much about weather? Should I just book it and trust it will be ok? Or should I try find another venue with more indoor space, that I might like less? I hoping people who have been there can advise because I worry far too much!
CommentAuthorbarbie86
Personally I think it's a bad idea to rely on weather being good at any time of the year in the UK; we're getting married in August, and have still opted for a venue that gives great indoor photo opportunities as we just don't trust the weather to be good given what the past few summers have been like. So, I'd be concerned about relying on the weather even for a September, and I think that if the weather could really 'make or break' the photos, this is something you need to think about carefully. I also think Wednesday is a very awkward day for a wedding, as any guests who need to travel will possibly have to take three days off work.
As far as photos outside in February go, as a guest I would be OK with this provided that a) it wasn't raining and b) I was allowed to wrap up warm in a coat and scarf. I wouldn't be impressed if I had to stand around shivering in a dress.
If I were you, I would probably keep looking; I looked at literally 100 venues online, did further research on about 50, and viewed over a dozen before booking. The venue was really important to us and had to tick all our essential criteria.
CommentAuthornic86
Its a tricky one but it sounds as if you fell in love with the venue to to its beautiful gardens. I completely agree with barbie you cannot guarantee any weather in the uk. I have opted for a winter weeding because of a number of things, 1) we saved ourselves a hell of a lot of money, quite a few of a favourite venues added an additional £2000 to the price in the summer months!!! 2) you cannot guarantee the weather, we thought well lets prepare for the worst and anything else is a bonus, (would love a sunny frosty day!).3) I felt happy choosing the venue as it has beautiful photo opportunities inside and out so we have gone through a plan A and B with our photographer! 4) and finally we are heading to new zealand on honeymoon and its summer there in Jan/Feb!
The wedding party know that if its freezing cold but not raining I would love some photos outside in their dresses./suits but I wouldn't expect my guests to stand outside if the weather was horrible! It really does depend on what means more to you. Some of the lovely ladies on here are waiting three years for their dream day so it can be done!
Are there no other dates at all? Wow must be a popular venue! Good luck choosing, just remember those photos will be a memory of your day forever xx
CommentAuthorShazk
Like Barbie I dont think u can count on the weather at any time of the year
i think although it maybe ur favourite if it has u having concerns with things you are unable to change or do anything about I would be looking at other options.
Photos are so important and if you wouldnt be happy with the indorrs photos then why settle for that xx
I would be willing to go outside (we having a september wedding and wont botehr me if guests wrapped in coats etc if weather bad) but I would choose my venue on the idoor and out door space for photos as that is a HUGE thing for me xx
Away with the flutterbys xxx
CommentAuthorMrsWright290912
We got married on 29 September this year. The same day on 2011 was scorching hot - the day we got married was bright sunshine but very cold and windy.
Don't worry about the weather because it's one thing you cannot buy or control. Lots of photographers will also tell you that it's actually better to be slightly cloudy/overcast as it gives better photos than a clear sky.
Perhaps just to be extra sure, make sure that in the event its peeing down that either your venue has plenty of inside space for photos or your photographer has plenty of brollies!
I really did marry my Mr Wright and we had a nice day for a
Wright wedding!
Mexico for our first anniversary
We always wanted to get married in September and realized how expensive it was! We now are getting married in Janaury and i must admit it has saved us a fortune, suppliers and venues offered us huge discounts as was out of season xx
---Winter 2013 Bride ---
CommentAuthorJackieFC
I wanted a Christmas wedding but hubby wanted summer so we compromised on April hoping the weather would be nice, judging by this years it won't be, so we just made sure we loved the inside of the venue as well as the grounds :)
CommentAuthorGlitterfairy
My friend got married this year in February and had a glorious day for it. She told me she was going for a winter wedding as you cannot predict the weather so chances are it would be raining or not pleasant anyway. Relying on the weather is such a bad move, you could book one in the middle of summer and still end up with rain!
Our wedding day - 6 October 2012
CommentAuthorJoanna
I pretty much agree with all of barbie's post. Try not to worry about the weather as you can't do anything about it at any time of year. Talk it through with the venue's wedding co-ordinator, they might have some suggestions? Xxx
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
is just to love and be loved in return
CommentAuthorMrs-Mouse-2-be
If you love the place go for it. February can actually be a nice month, you may even have the added effect of a snowy garden/ landscape in your pictures! Do your pictures need to be posed, or can't you have your photographer take on the spot reportage style pictures? Reportage style means your guests don't have to stand around in the freezing cold, they can be taken while they are walking in, stepping out of their cars, dancing, and who knows maybe you will get good weather for outdoors posed pictures! Also I can just imagine a bridal party being photographed while holding decorative umbrellas :-)
CommentAuthorTori
I think you could really regret not going for the venue you want. I went to a wedding this year in feb and whilst cold it was dry. They had all their pics outside x
CommentAuthorbeanies girl
I think that as long as you prepare if the weather to be rubbish you will be fine. I have seen pictures of weddings where it was pooring down with rain and the couple bought lots of multi coloured umberellas amd it looked great.
However i do think that a wedding on a wednesday will be quite difficult for guests but if they really want to be there they will make the effort
CommentAuthorTori
As the rhyme goes best day to get married is a Wednesday though Monday for health, Tuesday for wealth, Wednesday best day of all, Thursday for losses, Friday for crosses and Saturday for no luck at all!
CommentAuthorStaceyP91
I am too panicking about the weather haha but our venue has great photo opportunities inside, I'm getting arrived 30th November next year. But like others have said, we cannot predict the weather throughout the year. It may be raining on summer weddings. I don't mind it being cold as long there is sun :)
Xxx
30-11-13 my life becomes complete
Mrs Solomon to be
CommentAuthorDawnK21
OK so i just had a hell of a time trying to respond to this thread. Couldn't find a post box for about 10 minutes until i realised it was because i wasn't logged in! haha.
The comments you've all made have confirmed what i think i was thinking. I'm pretty convinced by the February idea, but i the venue i adore has little to no good indoor photo opportunities. I think i would be so disappointed if it rained hard (and yes i'd be up for going out anyway, but in Februrary the rain is also going to be cold and possibiliy windy and its too much to ask others to do the same) so i will just keep looking. There are plenty more venues i haven't seen yet, i think playing it safe and having more indoor space is a very sensible idea. I can still look for somewhere with pretty outdoor areas for photos (because i think outdoor photos are the prettiest!).
On with the venue search!
CommentAuthorEleanorR
We're getting married in Feb because it's our anniversary. We were thinking about doing it on a half anniversary, but then it would be another 18 months and we didn't want to wait that long! The way I see it if it's in Feb we're not expecting the weather to be nice so we won't be disappointed. But if we had it in summer and the weather was awful I'd be gutted and have a freakout about my wedding being ruined! I've got some big white wedding umbrellas and shrugs for the little ones, so we can get some outside shots if we want x
