Wedding venue hire can be a confusing decision. There are so many different types and services to offer, ranging from ‘dry-hire’ where you are only getting the venue itself but no staff or suppliers (often on the lower end of the hire costs), through to those that can include all of these things and even help you plan your whole event from start to finish.

Typically, the more services a venue offers the more expensive they will be to hire. For example, if you want to have an outside caterer or bar, a lot of these venues will charge you extra for their service as they are taking on more staff and paying them commission in addition to the fees you would have to pay to your chosen catering or alcohol supplier.

A great way to get a better feel for the cost of a venue is to ask a couple that has recently held their wedding there, how much they paid for their wedding. This will give you a good idea of what you can expect for your own wedding and how much to budget for.

Exclusive hire is when a venue is exclusively yours on the day of your wedding, which means that there will be no tourists or non-wedding guests on site and you and your family will be the only ones using the space. This is a really fun option, as it gives you a lot more flexibility and creates a more intimate setting for your special day.

The only downside to an exclusive hire is that it can be a little more difficult to book. This is because many weddings take place at the same time as other events that are also taking place at the same venue, so it can be hard to make sure that you can get your ideal date and times available for an exclusive hire.

Another important consideration is that there will probably be a fee to use the venue for your ceremony and reception. This will vary depending on the size of the spaces and how many people you have attending. This can range from a small charge for the use of the ceremony and reception areas to a large amount of money for both.

You may be able to save on some of these fees by booking your ceremony and reception at the same location. This can be a big money-saver if you’re having a larger wedding or have lots of out-of-town guests attending your wedding.

There are also a number of other wedding-related celebrations that take place during the months leading up to your wedding, and you’ll probably have to pay for these. The most popular of these are engagement parties, bridal showers and bachelorette parties.

These can add up quickly and it’s important to consider whether or not you can afford these extras. If you can, ask if the fee for these events will be deducted from your venue hire price.