Any number of hotels, restaurants and pubs will soon be capable of staging weddings following an overhaul of marriage legislation that has now been officially announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond.
He has called for the somewhat archaic rules on wedding venues – pretty much the same rules as were set down in the early 1800s – to be modernised. However, he has also been clear in his desire to ensure that the 'dignity' of marriage ceremonies needs to retained, meaning not every venue will be able to attain a licence.
A much-needed review
Mr Hammond's wedding venue review will assess both how and where marriages should be able to take place - with a focus on outdoor weddings, which are already legally allowed in Scotland - and comes in the wake of calls from the Law Commission asking for the institution of marriage to be modernised.
Currently, there are numerous hurdles and stumbling blocks that get in the way of many venues being able to attain a licence to host weddings. For example, this includes the venue having to identify a specific room where the ceremony will occur, while also ensuring that the venue is part of a stable building, meaning open air or marquee weddings have not been possible for a legally binding ceremony.
There are also other unusual rules currently in place, such as a regulation stating that weddings are only legally allowed to happen if there is no food or alcohol served in the marriage room either before, or during, the ceremony itself.
With more and more people having humanist weddings, and far fewer people wanting religious ceremonies that take place in churches, such a move certainly makes sense.
Setting up a weddings business takes hard work, creativity and commitment – but get it right and this type of business can be highly profitable and rewarding.
WHERE TO START
Firstly you need to assess your assets – can you accommodate up to 150 people in large rooms within your house, barns or converted outbuildings? These days 72% of all weddings involve a civil ceremony, therefore those venues that can provide the complete package, including facilities for civil weddings, receptions and overnight accommodation, are particularly successful.
You will also need a kitchen area, bar, guest WCs, storage, on-site office, service areas, parking and attractive gardens for drinks receptions, outdoor ceremonies & photographs of course. Providing guest accommodation, often as part of the wedding package, is another lucrative option and will help attract couples from further afield.
Serious consideration should be given to whether you have the skills and appetite to run a successful trading business. Running a weddings business in-house means recruiting staff to market, sell, administrate and deliver events. Some landowners chose to outsource the operation and management to a third party, with an easier arm's length agreement.
WHAT LICENCES ARE NEEDED?
To operate any venue for weddings and events successfully you will need to obtained the correct licences. An Approved Premises Wedding Licence is required for civil wedding ceremonies and partnerships and a Premises Licence for the sale of alcohol and the provision of ‘regulated entertainment’ (for example, live or recorded music and performances).
You will also be responsible for carrying out a general Risk Assessment of the entire site and a Fire Risk Assessment for the all areas covered by the Wedding Licence and Premises Licence by a qualified independent consultant. You will need Public Liability Insurance in case of injury and accidents.
MARKETING IS KEY
The emphasis for marketing and promotion should be on digital channels. An excellent website, containing informative concise text and good quality images and videos that showcase the venue will help to attract more high quality enquiries.
An effective Search Engine Optimisation (S.E.O) service is essential to improve the visibility of the website and ensure it is well positioned in Google. It is also important to use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube accounts and keep them regularly updated. Expensive print advertising should be kept to a minimum.
OUT OF SEASON BOOKINGS
Demand for weddings is less seasonal than it used to be and therefore offering permanent facilities that can be used throughout the year is preferable. Furthermore, many couples are getting married mid-week or in low season to save cost and promoting the venue for midweek corporate events, helps to generate useful additional income.
And with glamping becoming ever more popular in the UK - for the first three months of 2018, bookings of glamping accommodation doubled year-on-year - this is something that is likely to become a more common site for UK weddings in the years to come.
So, if you're looking to take advantage of these wedding location revisions, get in touch with us today to find your perfect wedding accommodation.
Sources:
https://www.savills.co.uk/blog/article/219577/rural-property/how-to-set-up-a-successful-wedding-and-events-venue.aspx
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/united-kingdom/articles/the-rise-of-glamping/
