Hints and tips
Making the right choice
Bear two things in mind......there are many really lovely places but not all will fit your idea of your wedding. Shortlist your favourite venues and then sit down away from them all and work out which ones best suit your plans. Most decent venues will allow you to pencil in a date and decide without pressure.
Second, don't go wildly over budget. You will go slightly over, but be tough and don't go mad. It will cause major stress, many rows and spoil your day. Try and get the basics you want and only add extras if your budget allows it.
Timing
It's costly enough feeding people once, so avoid a double whammy. Set your ceremony no earlier that 2.30; the wedding breakfast at about 5pm, with a few canapes during the afternoon. This way the meal finishes 7 to 7.30 just in time for the evening party and late enough not to need a second meal, apart from a cheeseboard or bacon butties etc which can be served in the hall area.
If your ceremony is much before 2pm then people won't have time for lunch before they arrive and you run the risk of a late afternoon what-do-we-do-now period which destroys the flow of the day.
A further acceptable and increasingly popular move is to have your wedding cake as pudding. If you cut it after a three course meal people are too full to enjoy it and most of the cake will be wasted. The alternative is to make it a feature during the evening party.
Also, a couple who couldn't get the registrars at a sensible time dedicded to have the legal ceremony first at midday with just close family and then a blessing later with all their guests. This worked really well. It was a special moment for the close family and did not affect the public occasion. Worth thinking about if you can't get registrars at your chosen time.
Doves
Priory Hall is a great place for the dove releasing ceremony....but the doves don't always want to hang around to enjoy it. The last time we had them here the bride and groom held them long enough to risk a whoopsie down the dress and then, when they let them go there was no gentle and romantic circling side by side but a supersonic dash for Norwich and home. It was sweet, but it may not turn out as expected.
Sky lanterns
They may look pretty but last time there were sky lanterns at Priory Hall three trees were burned and the grass scorched. They are hard enough to do when you're sober but a dangerous nightmare at the end of an evening's drinking. Anyway, why would you want to drag people from the dancing to risk life, limb and expensive dresses (not to mention hired tuxes) to send a few burning contraptions skywards. Plus of course it has to be dark, dry and virtually wind free and you have to let the local police etc know. I felt a collective sense of relief when we decided to ban them.
Reception lines
Just leave enough time. 100 guests will take about 30 minutes to get through, which means you may be leaving aged people or young families standing in line for an uncomfortably long time, possibly in the heat of a summer's day. And remember, you do need to be announced into the wedding breakfast...this can be done by your best man, caterer or someone from Priory Hall.
Flowers
If you have a civil ceremony at Priory Hall you may want flowers in the hall. You won't want these in the hall for the party, so ask the florist and/or caterer to move them to the marquee for the wedding breakfast. You could do the same thing if you have a church ceremony though do check that you are allowed to remove church flowers. One local vicar this year claimed they were a gift from God (all £500 worth) and refused to let the bride take them, even though she promised to bring them back for Sunday services. A very Christian sentiment.......But this aside, there simply is no need to double up on flowers. And simplicity is the key in the marquee; very lavish (and expensive) arrangements do not suit it as well as simple arrangements, even pots of herbs!
Photography
It's really tempting to do without the official photographs and get friends to snap. Everyone I know who has done this has wished they hadn't. Perhaps let friends take informal photos but the formal groups, romantic couple shots are definitely best done by a professional. You could cut costs by dispensing with the professional once the formalities are over but just remember; you can't repeat the day.
Fiddly bits
Be wise....don't get sucked into doing lots of fiddly bits which need last minute attention. You do not want to be faffing around Priory Hall for hours the day before your wedding. And you certainly don't want to be finishing things off on the morning itself. If you have last minute things, delegate. Even better, don't have last minute things that you have to do...they cause so many tetchy arguments and make very little difference to the day, if at all.