Village Hall Weddings

With the average cost of a UK wedding being somewhere around £17000, is a Village Hall Wedding a good option for creating a fun wedding at a fraction of the cost of an established wedding venue?

Me and Claire had our wedding reception (14 years ago now)  in a hall we hired and we had an amazing time so for me the answer is an emphatic yes! 

A Village Hall Wedding provides a blank canvas for you to have a party and when all is said and done, the party and having fun with the people you love is what it’s really all about.

So what are the pro’s and con’s of a village hall wedding venue and what are some of the things to consider when planning a village hall wedding? Let’s take a look!

Will it work out cheaper?

The short answer is yes. Hiring a village hall for your wedding is going to be significantly cheaper then an established, dedicated wedding venue. 

For example, you can hire Stalisfield Village Hall in Kent for £325 if you are a local resident or £850 if not. That gives you access the day before and after the wedding to decorate and pack up. When you consider that the average cost of a wedding venue in 2022 (according to Hitched survey of 2400 couples) was £8400 then it’s clear that a village hall wedding could mean a massive potential saving!

Another BIG potential saving for you and your guests is that unlike most wedding venues you’ll likely be able to supply your own drink or get guests to bring their own. Just check with the hall first.

How to decorate a village hall for a wedding

So, once you’ve found your hall, what can you do to decorate it and make it your own? This is the time to get your pinterest on and dive head first into all those design ideas and put your own personal stamp on the hall.

Some halls are prettier than others and quite often these types of halls may have notice boards, posters on the wall for example, can they be removed? If not, are you able to hang up some drapes to cover them up? 

Also, think about lighting. Village Halls are unlikely to have particularly soft, flattering lighting and if you are getting married at a time of year where it’ll be dark early then you may need to think about that. Candles, festoon lights are 2 possible options for creating a warm, cosy atmosphere!

Where will you actually get married?

Bear in mind, most village halls won’t be licensed for a wedding ceremony so you’ll have to find somewhere for the legal bit. In Kent, Chilham Village Hall is licensed. You can find a list of every licensed wedding venue in Kent  here.

The Big Advantage of a Village Hall as your wedding venue!

So for me, the big advantage of a village hall as your wedding venue is that the money you save on the actual space can be used elsewhere on those other vendors, florist, photographer (cough!) meaning you can stretch to a better photographer say, or splash out on the flowers or wedding dress of your dreams, elevating the whole wedding. 

You also have the chance to add your own stamp and break from the norm! Rather than a traditional meal, how about booking some street food, a pizza van or hog roast. I’ve seen Paella, Thai, all sorts of glorious food at weddings!

Things to consider when booking a Village Hall Wedding!

This is so important! There are lots of things to consider and each hall will have their own rules  but here are just a few things to bear in mind and double check before committing!

• Is your venue allowed to sell alcohol? 
• Are there any restrictions on music?
• Will you need to apply for a temporary events licence?
• Will you need to take out some type of public liability insurance for the event? 
• Are there kitchen facilities and will they be suitable for your caterer?
• Are there enough loos? If not, factor in the cost of hiring in extra.
• What time do you have to end the evening?
• Is there car parking?
• When can you access the hall to decorate?
• When can you access the hall to tidy up?
• Are you able to put up decorations in the hall?
• Who is your point of contact in the run up to the day?

Village Hall Weddings - The Down Side

A village hall wedding obviously does involve an element of compromise however and it’s important to keep that in mind.

Firstly, dedicated wedding venues know their stuff! They have handled hundreds of weddings and that experience is probably not going to be available for you at a village hall. You have to ask yourself how important that is to you. And I don’t just mean on the day. In the run up to the day most wedding venues will have a coordinator who will help you plan out and organise your day. That being said, there are wedding caterers such as Home Gurrown or wedding planners who can provide wedding coordination for your day so that could be a good alternative.

Secondly, make sure you are aware of the hidden costs that might not be immediately apparent when organising a village hall wedding vs a dedicated wedding venue. For example will you need to source a mobile bar, PA system, tables chairs and what about catering? Can you be bothered with the hassle of sourcing those suppliers or would you really rather just pay a one off fee and have the venue sort it all for you? All these things need to  be taken into consideration when working out whether a DIY type wedding is for you.

A village hall wedding certainly has its pros and cons. The price is a huge bonus and if you’re on a tight budget it’s a really attractive option but in general it will mean you being a lot more hands on in the planning of the day and potentially in the actual running of the day itself.