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. 

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.

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

Again, many people have bought sky lanterns to release during the evening.  They are not cheap but they are stunning....but only if the weather allows them to be launched.  More often than not it is too windy, too wet or people are just too busy dancing to break off and launch them. The last time these were on the schedule the newly wed couple spent their first hours of married life trying to launch them before heading off on honeymoon....with just a handful of guests left to enjoy them.  They were pretty, but probably not worth the expense and hassle.

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.

Flowers

If you have a civil ceremony at Priory Hall you may want  flower arrangements in the hall. You probably won't want these in the hall for the party, so arrange with the florist and caterer that these should be moved to the marquee for the wedding breakfast.  You could do the same thing if you have a church ceremony.  There simply is no need to double up on flowers.

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.