Wherefore Art Thou Romeo? The place in which you get married will be a memory you hold forever – so this is something that you should put some serious thought into. It might be easy – if you have a regular church that you attend or a place that is particularly special to you and your partner (the beach etc) then it makes sense to formalize your union there. If nothing jumps right out of you as an obvious choice, it's time to get thinking! A good rule of thumb is not avoid being married in places that don't reflect your beliefs, regardless of how pretty they are! For example, Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches are particularly impressive for weddings. Think marble floors, red velvet and gold everywhere. But unless you plan a religious conversion for yourself and your partner, it's not a good idea to pretend to be of that faith in case they find it offensive. If you have never been a regular church goer but love the idea of being married in a church, look for religions that are more open to such things. A quick Internet search should be able to point you in the right direction. If a church wedding isn't quite what you are looking for, focus more on a special location or memorable setting and backdrop. Is there a local park or garden available? A beach wedding is among the romantic settings in existence, as is a wedding by the lakes or at scenic lookouts with stunning scenery behind. There are many companies that offer wedding packages including a ceremony location. I'm not a huge fan of them due to 'generic' nature of a one-stop shop wedding center. If the location does appeal – check out the deal very thoroughly. Quite often you are paying for things that you otherwise wouldn't have considered and small fees for just about everything! Many of these places are making their money in these 'extras' and are therefore unlikely to cut many of these things – but it always worth questioning. You will find that the location that you choose has a vast impact on the cost of your wedding – but not the appeal. By choosing to be married in a grand church, not only is the fee for using the location going to be higher, but you, your partner and your attendants will need to dress accordingly. That means a full formal wedding dress, long dresses for bridesmaids and a full suit for all men. In contrast, choosing a more natural setting such as a garden will cost you less. Not only will the fees for the location be reduced but as the rigid formality of the ceremony is diminished, you are granted more freedom to wear what you'd like. If you do choose an outdoor ceremony, make sure you check with the local authorities for any rules that you will need to abide by. Some will make you apply for special permission to be granted, especially if you will be having a band or drinking alcohol at the site. Also keep in mind that if you are going to need to hire chairs this will be an added expense. Budget for this when making decisions based on costs. My top ten hints for ceremony locations are;
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