Although it can be easier and less expensive to purchase your Wedding as an entire package with the one supplier organising everything for you, the sacrifice you have to make is that you won’t get the ability to personalise every aspect of your Big Day.
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So, before you sign on the dotted line with your venue, we spoke with the General Manager of Spicers Sangoma Retreat about the seven must-ask questions to make sure you don’t get locked into a ‘cookie-cutter’ Wedding.
1. Can I Use My Own Suppliers?
Oftentimes, a venue will recommend a number of suppliers that it has collaborated with in the past, which is great if you’re needing some guidance. However, some venues include a clause in the contract that states you MUST use their suppliers, meaning you might not be able to bring in that incredible stylist or décor business that you wanted.
2. Can I Choose my Own Menu and Wine List?
If you want to personalise your Wedding, the first thing you should check with the venue is whether you can create your own menu and wine list for the Big Day. That way, you can incorporate all of your favourite dishes and guarantee your guests will have a feast to remember.
3. Can I Bring My Own Cake and Will You Charge Me for Plating It?
Another sneaky clause in the venue contract may be a fee for ‘cutting’ your Wedding cake. This can be from $2-$10 per guest and is charged for the venue staff to cut and plate up your Wedding cake. So, if you’re hoping to bring your own Wedding cake (and not have the venue’s caterers bake it), check before you sign the contract!
Spicers Sangoma Retreat
4. What Time Can We Access the Venue From?
Knowing how long you have for bump-in is essential for getting a grasp of exactly what level of styling you can have in your event space. If you can only access the venue a few hours before the reception, you may need to rethink any major installations like chandeliers, flower walls and alternate flooring.
5. Are We Able to Move Furniture?
Some venues can be quite pedantic about moving their furniture around for the event, so make sure you know whether you can remove couches, tables and chairs from the space (and whether the venue has a storage area for you to put them)!
6. Can I Accessorise?
So many venues won’t allow candles at the Wedding because or building insurances of fire hazards; save yourself the disappointment by clarifying this before you pay a deposit.
Spicers Sangoma Retreat is located just 60-minutes from Sydney’s CBD and combines the look and feel of a destination Wedding without the hours of travel for guests. Newly renovated and with eight luxury villas onsite, Spicers Sangoma Retreat can cater for up to forty Wedding guests and has an onsite catering team that sources fresh local produce to create your own bespoke menu.
Wedding images photographed by Studio Impressions.
