Recently Engaged? Tips From One Of Devon’s Most Popular Wedding Venues

From now until the big day it will be a whirlwind of excitement, planning, celebrations and fun, and as one of Devon's most popular wedding venues, we hope to give you a steer in the right direction as to where to start on your journey to becoming a married couple.

Photo credit Nova Wedding Photography

Celebrate And Share The News!



Once the question has been ‘popped’ you’ll no doubt be dying to tell your parents, friends and family. Visit those that you can, get on the phone, or arrange a Face Time chat, and spread the amazing news! Don’t be too quick to announce it on social media though – whilst it will seem tempting, it’s always best to make sure that you have told all of your nearest and dearest first, rather than them finding out about your wedding on the grapevine!

Photo credit Farwood photography 

This is also the perfect time to start giving some thought to who you may ask to be your Best Man, Ushers and Bridesmaids. Relish in the moment and take it all in (and enjoy drinking lots of celebration bubbly!!).

Photo credit Nova Wedding Photography

Daydream



Perhaps you have been planning this day for years, and who knows, you may even have some Pinterest boards at the ready, but either way just enjoy the initial weeks and months of the engagement.

Photo credit Lee Hatherall Wedding Photography



It’s always nice to spend these moments with your partner; go out for long walks, chat ‘weddings’ over dinner somewhere special and explore each other’s ideas and vision for how the day might be. Nothing needs to be set in stone straight away so relax and have fun with it.

Photo credit Liberty Pearl Photography



A key subject to think about is the date and time of year for your wedding…do you see yourself having an romantic winter affair with open fires and candlelight, or would you prefer an outdoorsy wedding with Pimms, Prosecco and good food flowing?

It’s going to be hard not to get carried away, dreaming big, and thinking about all the possible things that you could incorporate into the day (we’ve all done it!!) – and there is no harm in doing so in these early ‘daydreaming days’.

Think About Who You'd Like To Share Your Special Day With



Dare we say it…. It’s one of the things that will be at the root of many a wedding planning discussion and does have the potential to trigger some debate, but your guest list is an important thing to consider all the same.

Photo credit Farwood photography 

The number of guests that you choose to share your wedding day with will having a bearing on many other things further down the line such as the venue (as you need to make sure that it is big enough!), what you choose for the wedding breakfast and what style of catering that you go for, and it will also affect overall costs too of course.

Some key questions to ask yourselves at this stage…

• Are we inviting immediate family only, or extended family too?
• Will children be welcome to the wedding as well?
• Should we invite certain people to the evening reception only? (This is an easy way to reduce numbers for the main part of the wedding if needed)
• Are our parents expecting to invite some of their friends or relations?

Photo credit Nova Wedding Photography

The first guest list that you write will probably be as long as your arm, but it’s best to put everyone’s name on it and then, if necessary, you can whittle it down from there. If you are finding it hard to narrow the list down, think about the last time that you saw that person, and how important they are to you both. If them being there will make the wedding day more special for you, then their name should probably stay.

The Million Dollar Question



How much is the wedding going to cost? Having a realistic budget is essential and so it’s definitely worth giving it some thought. Hopefully you will have some idea of whether or not parents or family members are contributing to your wedding day, and of course you must think about how much you are prepared to spend too.

Cake by Edible Essence

Opening a wedding savings account is a great way to put money aside each month. Most wedding suppliers will only ask for a small deposit on booking, and so you won’t ever be expected to pay for everything upfront. If you are worried that the financial commitment will put too much pressure on you both, perhaps think about planning the wedding a year or two ahead to give you more time to save. 

Pick The Venue

So now you know roughly how many people are attending your wedding, you have an idea of potential month and year, and you have also given budget some thought – now it’s the fun part! Go out there and look for a potential venue for your big celebration.

Décor by Unique Designs by Tina. Floral Arch by All Floral. 

You can do a lot of the leg-work online and you are likely to get a feel for the venue just by browsing their website, as it should tell you all the key information that you are looking for and give you a really good selection of gallery images to scroll though as well.



There is no harm in requesting brochures from a wide variety of wedding venues. How responsive they are to your enquiry and the quality of the brochure that they send through are all clues as to how they will look after you if you book their wedding venue.

Photo credit Nova Wedding Photography



The best wedding venues get booked up months or years in advance, all the more reason to make choosing a venue your priority. And if you find your perfect wedding venue, but your ideal date isn’t available, don’t be afraid to consider other options such as Sundays or even a weekday. It is very much ‘the norm’ these days for weddings to be on any day of the week!

Photo credit Nova Wedding Photography

Our wedding venue in Devon is always exclusive use for you and your wedding guests, and as our beautiful Ballroom seats between 50 and 160 guests we can host either an intimate or large scale affair! Our grade I listed Regency Manor house is brimming with period features, it has unbelievably breathtaking views across the Devon countryside, beyond Exeter, up to Dartmoor and beyond. The setting is just perfect for weddings and so if you are looking for wedding venues in Devon we’d love to hear from you.

Photo credit Nova Wedding Photography

To book an appointment to see our lovely Devon wedding venue, please call us on 01392 797444 and we’d love to talk about everything weddings with you!