We've decided on a spring wedding. And given that this spring either hasn't arrived yet or is over already, we're opting for next year. And so the venue hunt has begun.
We already knew we weren't going for a church wedding. Neither of us attends church, nor have we been christened, so it seemed a bit hypocritical if we were to do that. And, to save a few pennies, we also knew we wanted the service and reception to be in the same place.
So we started to look for places with licences for civil services. However, I wasn't quite prepared for the cost.
We were looking in leafy Surrey as that's where our families live, but it's also the rather rich commuter belt.
Some places were looking for £5,000-plus just to hire the venue, not including the catering and all the rest of it. However, we managed to find a bit of a bargain...Clandon Park.
So we called up to visit it and were guided around by a very enthusiastic member of staff. A palladian mansion, it has quite a grand entrance with a huge marble hall for arriving guests to gather.
Of course, as it's pale marble, we'll probably stop people taking drinks in there. I'm not sure red wine and pale marble mix.
The service would be in a small room with antique tapestries adorning the walls - best not to have any lit candles in there, for safety reasons as well as to stop it looking like a Westlife video.
And then we were led downstairs to the room where the reception would be; in the basement. Thankfully there's a lift for those of us who may have had too much champagne by that point. And for older relatives, of course. Not sure who would get priority there.
And for a basement, it's surprisingly bright. Unfortunately the dance floor isn't huge even after the tables are pulled out of the way, but it really is a beautiful venue.
What swayed it for me was the daffodil field outside (obviously). For a spring wedding, it makes a beautiful backdrop. All we need now is for the weather to hold out...
