The venue is undoubtedly the most important aspect of your wedding day, from setting the vibe to establishing how many guests you’re able to invite. But one of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make it where to opt for a dry hire wedding or a fully catered venue?
Many Nottingham wedding venues offer both, so you can establish which is best for your needs. We’ll explore the pros and cons of each as well as how to make your decisions.
While areas like The Cotswolds are overwhelmed with newlyweds, by looking beyond the obvious destinations, you can discover hidden gem locations for your special day.
Nottinghamshire is one such hidden gem. Boasting excellent road and rail links to the rest of the country, beautiful countryside, and better value for money than similar venues down south, Nottingham wedding venues are vastly underrated.
Nottinghamshire is home to both fully catered and dry hire venue hire options, so you can curate your special day in a way that works for you.
Dry venue hire Nottingham means you pay to hire the venue space alone – other aspects of the wedding, such as flowers, catering, entertainment, and drinks, are sourced and paid for independently by you. You don’t have to work with the venue’s on-site team or partnered suppliers.
With a fully catered option/traditional wedding package, you’ll work with the venue’s on-site caterers, and the venue may provide other in-house options such as drinks packages, decor, and entertainment.
Still stuck between dry hire or a traditional wedding package? We’ll explore the pros and cons of each.
Probably the biggest upside of a dry hire venue is the flexibility. You’re not limited by in-house catering; you have a wide range of choices available to you, allowing maximum flexibility.
Dry venue hire isn’t always cheaper, but it can be. Since you can choose your own suppliers and what aspects of the day you do and don’t want, you can adjust things more easily to fit your budget.
You can personalise your day exactly how you want it. Whether you want an entirely vegan menu or online homemade decorations, dry hire allows you to tailor every aspect of the event.
More time-consuming. If planning isn’t your forte or you simply don’t have the time, dry hire can be overwhelming.
When you opt for a traditional wedding package, you can lean on venue staff for support. With dry hire, the planning process is all on you.
Dry hire can be more affordable when done correctly, but there is the potential for hidden costs. While all-in-one packages provide an upfront cost, it’s easy to forget about additional expenses, which can include providing your own cutlery and crockery, bar hire, entertainment costs, and more.
Planning a wedding is already time-consuming and stressful. By opting for a fully catered package, you leave most of the planning to the pros.
Wedding venues will provide on-site staff who are expects in running an event at that particular venue.
Upfront costs. With a package, you can see how much you’ll pay in one upfront quote.
Less flexibility. You’ll likely have fewer choices than a dry hire wedding allows for. Many venues have fixed venues or supplier lists, so you can’t customise everything entirely.
Expensive packages. Some packages may come with things you don’t want, which can be restrictive for budgeting.
Ultimately, neither option is objectively better than the other; the right answer depends on your preferences. If you’re willing to put in the work to ensure your day is exactly how you pictured it, dry hire is the better option. If you want to minimise planning stress and you’re open to having fewer options, a traditional wedding package will suit you well.
While dry venue hire Nottingham allows you the flexibility to hire your own suppliers, which can be cheaper, the risk of hidden costs is higher. Ultimately, dry hire and self-catered weddings don’t tend to vary hugely in price, so the biggest factor in your decision should be how much you want to personalise the day.
Many Nottingham wedding venues offer both dry hire and fully catered options, but the best one for the job is Goosedale in Nottinghamshire. With both the option for dry hire or to select a pre-curated package, you’ll enjoy the benefit of the experienced team as well as the beauty of the venue itself.
Boasting 100 acres of land, a photo backdrop of landscaped gardens, and multiple spaces to choose from depending on party size, Goosedale offers a wedding venue that suits all couples. Book a venue today and get started making the wedding of your dreams a reality.
