Welcome to our first Blog post!
Written by me, Becci Picketts, Wedding Co-ordinator at Old Rectory House.
I know that choosing your wedding venue is one of, if not the biggest decision you both will make during your wedding planning. Hours of internet searches, comparing venue wedding brochures and scouring the frequently asked questions. All the research is absolutely necessary, but nothing beats visiting your potential wedding venue in person to get THAT feeling.
Let me give you a taste of what to expect when you come for a showround at Old Rectory House.
I can’t wait to show you around!
BOOKING YOUR SHOWROUND
Booking your showround is easy and can be booked directly via my Calendly appointment calendar at a time suitable for you both.
When booking I love to ask the following important questions that help me to get to know your wedding preferences and details before we meet.
Question 1 - When do you want to celebrate your wedding?
The day of the week, the month and the year. This information is especially important if you have a specific date in mind, such as an anniversary or key date that means a lot to you both. This information allows me to check availability before the showround to let you know if we have that date.
If you don’t have an exact date that’s also great! You have more freedom to be flexible with dates and we can discuss availability of the venue depending on your vision for your big day.
Question 2 - How many guests will be attending your celebrations?
A rough number is absolutely fine, it helps for me to know that we can accommodate your guests based on our maximum capacities which are 80 guests for Wedding Ceremony and Wedding Breakfast Meal, with a maximum capacity of 150 guests for your evening reception.
Question 3 – Whether you wish to host your wedding ceremony on site, or a Church ceremony local to the venue.
With this information we can discuss location of ceremony either outside in the gardens or inside the venue depending on the time of year you want, or to discuss timings with you for your Church wedding.
The showround itself will give you lots of information about the venue and your wedding day, but I would always suggest to bring with you questions you have about your specific day, or questions generated when visiting other wedding venues.
YOUR SHOWROUND
On arrival to the venue, I will greet you at our iconic front door and give you an in-depth guided tour of the venue.
During your showround, we will explore the whole venue, grounds and accommodation, whilst I share with you the locations, both inside and outside where you can hold your wedding ceremony and show your images to help you visualise the Orangery for your wedding breakfast and evening reception celebrations.
It is the perfect opportunity for you both to see and experience the venue and spaces for yourselves.
As we walk around it is also the perfect time to ask as many questions as you like. No question is a silly question.
DISCUSSING YOUR WEDDING PLANS
Once we have toured the venue we will head back into the bar where we can sit down and chat through your initial wedding plans over a hot or cold drink, or maybe something sparkling. You will also get to taste our Head Chefs homemade brownie, which I can assure you, you will love!
During this time, I will talk through our wedding packages and we can discuss your ideas on guest numbers, timings, food, drinks and budget, so I can put together a bespoke quotation for you both.
I will also offer you help and advice to help take the stress out of wedding planning for you both whilst allowing you to envisage our house becoming your house and imagining how your wedding day will look hosted at Old Rectory House.
There is no time limit to our showrounds, however generally they take around an hour.
WHAT YOU’LL TAKE HOME
Falling in love with your wedding venue is an important first step but your wedding is about so much more than just the building. You need to get a feel for the team and an understanding of how we can support you through your planning process in the lead up to your big day.
I look forward to welcoming you to Old Rectory House very soon.
Becci