Finding a Unique Wedding Venue Continued

While searching for a beautifully different backdrop for my upcoming wedding, I noticed something that I walk past almost every day, and decided to take a closer look.  Set in the stunning surroundings of Sefton Park, the Victorian structure of The Palm House is definitely unusual.  The thing that appealed to me was it's similarity to an antique birdcage - perfect for a vintage wedding!  Due to the amount of light allowed in, and the exotic plants inside the Palm House, your photographs would look amazing, even on rainy days. (The weather wasn't the greatest when I visited, but the building and surroundings are so pretty, it the photos still look good.)  And if good weather conditions are kind enough to RSVP on your big day, there are plenty of photo opportunities around the park, including statues, boating lakes, and of course, views of the park itself.  Due to it's age, the building has lovely original features, which were carefully restored in order to return it to it's former glory.  This venue seems pretty flexible when it comes to planning your wedding, and a full price list is even available online.

http://www.bluecoatoccasions.co.uk/1.html

 Not too far down the road, just past the iconic Penny Lane, is The Blue Coat School.  The building had caught my eye a while before, but from the outside, just looks like a school really... a nice school, but a school nontheless.  However, upon entering the Grade II listed building, an entirely new perspective is gained.  The chapel is breathtaking, with coloumns, an organ, and domed ceilings.  As I'm opting for a non-religious ceremony, the room that I was escorted to was very blandly named "The Boardroom."  The events organiser explained to me that it is an actual boardroom, but it is used for civil ceremonies.  I was ready to fake excitement when the door was opened, but found that my acting skills weren't required.  The room has a very classic look, chic and grand, without being flashy or tacky.  An amazing fireplace is situated at the end of the room where vows are taken, and floor to celing length wndows are dressed with dramatic drapes.  It's not hard to picture how lovely the wedding photos could be in these amazing surroundings, but the events team are keen to show me anyway! The team were really friendly, and keen to show me photographs of all of the different types of weddings that they have catered for, pointing out that they are very flexible, and will be on hand to help with all of the aspects of your wedding day.  I would reccommend arranging an appointment to view this amazing building, as I really think it's a hidden gem.  Pricing information is available here.

http://www.ainscoughs.co.uk/Racquet-Club

http://www.ainscoughs.co.uk/Racquet-Club

Another hidden gem that I discovered on my journey is The Racquet Club.  Situated near to the business district in Liverpool City Centre, the exterior looks just like that of many offices, apartments and bars in the same area.  Although it does seem grand, I think I have been somewhat desensitised to the buildings in this area, as they are all similarly beautiful.  That being said, it does have some pretty distinctive doors (I'm a bit of a sucker for a good looking door!).  Once inside, the most beautiful red carpeted staircase came into view, forcing me to stifle a squeal of delight (imagine coming down those stairs in a wedding dress!).  There is a real mix of classical and modern features, but this has been orchestrated so delicatley, that it works really well.  I particularly loved the mounted moose head (despite being a vegetarian) and it gave me some ideas for fun wedding photo props.  I was told that some brides try to hide them in their wedding photographs, as they consider them ugly - each to their own I suppose.  I really liked the flexibility that this venue offered, as there are a variety of rooms available to choose from, each with different surroundings in order to cater for different parts of the day.  There are a limited amount of hotel rooms available upstairs, and children are not only allowed, but activley welcomed (if that is what you want!) which takes the pressure off when planning the guest list.

Finding a Unique Wedding Venue

photo from http://liverpool.gov.uk

Living in Liverpool, I was extremely excited to hear that the local registry office has moved from the Cotton Exchange building, to the historic St George's Hall.  This means that even on the tightest of budgets, it is possible to have your wedding in a beautiful building, with amazing potential for photographs.  Upon visiting the venue, I'm told that on the day, the bride enters through the dramatic St George's Plateau, if that's not a classy entrance, then I don't know what is!  Although most of the building is run separately to the registry office, it is still usually possible to wander around the building to find the perfect wedding shot.  Considering there are many features including a ballroom, columns, gardens and even a court room complete with cells, I think that most photographers would have no trouble coming up with inspiration for a photo shoot.  The ballroom is available to hire for wedding receptions, although it does cost a pretty penny.

http://www.aboutliverpool.com

Another beautiful building in Liverpool available for weddings is the Town Hall.  The seemingly dark exterior is forgotten as soon as the amazing staircase is in view.  I can imagine that walking up the stairs in a white dress, contrasting against the plush red carpet would make for amazing photographs.  Once upstairs, a classic piano can be played for you, while your guests wait to be seated.  Alternatively, there is an option of holding the ceremony in a court room style setting, which is almost half the price of the traditional room.  If you are looking for a unique setting, this could be the perfect option for you.  A ballroom is also available to hire for receptions here, which is lovely.  However, it would appear that I don't have a ballroom permitting budget, so while it would be a fantastic venue, I am required to continue searching.

http://www.blackburnehouse.co.uk/

Of course, there is the option of having the ceremony in a traditional venue, such as a church or registry office, and then finding an eclectic venue for the reception.  While researching reception venues, I came across Blackburne House on Hope Street, and was keen to explore this option.  The building was originally Liverpool's first school, and is now a Women's Education Centre, which houses many services including a nursery and a cafe.  The building itself is stunning, located in the Georgian Quarter of Liverpool.  I feel that this would make for majestic photography.  As Blackburne House is charity orientated, weddings held there are referred to as "weddings with a conscience", so even if you do spend a fortune, at least you know that it's going towards a good cause.

http://www.theblack-e.co.uk

Possibly the most unusual venue that I have stumbled across so far is The Black-E.  Although it's not specifically advertised as a wedding reception venue, I found that the space would be almost perfect for what I had planned.  A huge floor space, with a stage area and various balconies would be perfect to house a band, or any other kind of entertainment hat you might have in mind, plus as many guests as you like!  The wooden floors and large windows give a classic yet modern feel, which could be altered with any decor that you might choose, and upon enquiring, I was told that the venue can also provide chair and table hire.  This is yet another charity run space, which basically allows flexibility to do whatever you like with your wedding celebrations.  There is also a dressing room available, with shower and disabled toilet access, which  sounds perfect for pre-celebration preparations, and also, an answer to possibly embarrassing "wedding dress in toilet cubical" problems!

Wedding Venue Dilemma

Photo from culturepool.com

http://www.contemporaryurbancentre.org/

     When originally planning my wedding, I knew that a church would not be suitable for the ceremony.  Aside from my desire to have a unique wedding, there was the issue of religion.  My fiance is Catholic, and I'm Church of England, so steering clear of churches altogether meant that neither family would be offended or made to feel uncomfortable.  Aside from that, I wanted the opportunity to choose my own music, vows, decor etc, and a lot of these things are more difficult to achieve in churches.  Many couples now choose to have a civil ceremony in registry offices or other public buildings, but I wanted something a little bit different,
  It all seemed too easy, and I found the perfect venue straightaway.  My fiance and I had visited the Contemporary Urban Centre (CUC) to see various art exhibitions and gigs.  I knew the area well, and I liked the fact that it was close to the city centre, but far away enough for it to have a cool, laid back atmosphere.  However, upon discovering that the CUC was available for both wedding ceremonies and receptions, I just had to view the space.  The exterior of the building looked very underwhelming - similar to the other warehouses in the area.  This made the wedding space even more exciting.  When my guests arrived at the venue, they would expect a plain, modern, clinical space, and would be amazed to discover what was actually there...
...
a room with beautiful wooden floors, a spiral staircase,

http://www.contemporaryurbancentre.org/

traditional wooden beams, plush red carpets,  chandeliers, fireplaces...need I go on? It was the perfect venue for a modern city wedding!  And possibly the best part, is that the money spent on weddings went to a good cause, the "People Can" charity.  Because of this, the price seemed extremely low, and I'm assuming that this is because there is no profit to be made, just funds raised to be passed on to the charity, 

You may have noticed that while discussing The CUC, I have been writing  about it in the past tense.  That is because in December 2011, The CUC sadly announced that it would be closing.  I had been engaged for a year, and thought that I had the main parts of the day - the ceremony and reception venue - all planned out, but this announcement changed everything.  How will I ever find another venue in which the two events can be held with the same amazing location, classically beautiful features, and most importantly, will I still be able to afford it?  I will keep you informed as I undertake this seemingly impossible task, fingers crossed!

Unusual Wedding Favours

The tradition of handing out tiny boxes or bags filled with sugared almonds at weddings was to represent; "fertility, longevity, wealth, health and happiness. The bitterness of the almond and the sweetness of the coated candy exemplify the bitter sweetness of a marriage."  Which is a very nice sentiment.  However, modern couples will often want favours which are more useful, quirky, or reflective of themselves and their own personalities.  After all, wedding favours can actually cost a pretty penny, wouldn't you rather they were admired, taken home and used, instead of being left behind, put into a drawer, or even thrown away after your big day?

At a wedding fair recently, I was given a promotional organza bag with a tiny individual heart shaped soap inside, made by local business Sutton Soap.  This seemed like an excellent idea for a wedding favour.  The soaps are handmade, and can come in a variety of colours, textures and fragrances, they would be easy to tie in with your colour scheme and express your own personality.  Just add matching organza bags and a typed or handwritten message, and you're good to go.

As there has been a little bit of a retro revival, why not go all out with retro sweets? A small packet of love hearts like these ones from Sticky Fingers Retro Sweets will go down a treat with both old and young guests alike, and since they are arguably the most romantic type of confectionery, they're very appropriate for weddings.  And why stop there? Sticky fingers retro sweets offer a huge array of sweets from your childhood, so a pretty paper bag filled with a selection would be like a grown up pick'n'mix.

While searching Etsy (my new favourite website since I stared planning my wedding) I came across these button badges, which I think would make excellent favour for a music themed wedding.  Some guests may choose to wear them afterwards on their bags, jackets, ties etc, or some could attach them to a pin board at home, but either way, then could be kept as a lasting memory.  These particular badges are from buttonempire on Etsy, but you could even find a seller who will customise buttons to your own design, or using the names of your partner and yourself, and the date of your wedding.

Because I'm such a sucker for anything vintage, pretty and handmade, I have to mention my favourite wedding favour at the moment is teacup candles.  Using mismatched retro teacups and turning them into beautiful candles will give the tables at your wedding a classic look with a modern twist, and your guests will love to take them home and adore them forever - well, they will if they are anything like me.  These are readily available in most vintage and craft fairs that I visit, but you can also order them from Etsy, or have a go at making your own.  Here is an easy to follow tutorial that I have found.  If you choose this option, ensure you leave enough time to actually make them before the wedding.  You should probably volunteer your maid of honour and bridesmaids to help you too!

So there is now more variety than ever when choosing wedding favours, and the only limit is that of your imagination - or your wedding budget!  Why not opt for a more creative alternative, to help add a bit more personality to your big day?