Location plays a large part in fantasies of a dream wedding. Who wouldn't consider marrying on a windswept beach at sunset to be a romantic ideal? But a host of complications may arise when you try to turn the dream into reality, warns wedding planner Andy Chan Chuen-kam. Sudden bad weather can ruin the whole experience, and simply getting the wedding party to a remote location can be a logistical nightmare. 'Couples tend to have wild visions of what their wedding venues will be like. However, to turn the dream into the real thing, practical considerations are needed,' says Mr Chan, chief planner of wedding planning company Pink Wedding. More than four-fifths of couples host a ceremony together with a banquet. When preparing an event such as this, there are two general approaches to finding the perfect venue. One is to find a place that fits the couple's theme or style of choice. For example, couples wanting a grand wedding should look for a venue with a high ceiling that has a good reputation for fine dining, says Mr Chan. For a casual and cosy wedding, match an outdoor venue with a cocktail reception. There are considerations there too, warns Julia Lee Shan-shan, banquet and event sales manager for The Repulse Bay, a popular wedding venue. 'If they want a band, can the venue provide a stage for them? Or if they want to arrive in a convertible, does the venue allow it?' Alternatively, what most people actually do is simply abandon the idealism and start with the practical considerations, such as the number of guests, the budget and the location. 'Some couples want to invite everyone they know so that more people can share their happiness. Some want to keep it a small group so that there will be more personal interaction,' Mr Chan says. The first practical consideration for the location should be whether it is convenient for most of the guests, he suggests. On weekdays, venues that are close to an MTR station are ideal, so that people can get there easily after work. If the wedding is on a weekend, the location can be more flexible. Be prepared to provide transport for your guests if you do end up choosing a remote location. 'Except for those who have a very memorable place where they want to get married, I don't think outdoors is a good idea,' Mr Chan adds. Rain is a big possibility in June or July, and even in the relatively cooler month of November many people will not want to be in the sun for hours and hours. Also, he says, most outdoor venues in Hong Kong are inconveniently located far from the city centre. The advantage of an outdoor wedding, however, is that outdoor venues allow more flexibility in decoration style, says Ms Lee. Outdoor weddings can have a more relaxed and casual atmosphere. When to have the ceremony is the next question. Ms Lee says the two most popular times are at lunchtime or in the early evening to catch the sunset. Daytime is great for taking pictures, while the sunset is the most romantic time of the day, she says. Mr Chan says he finds that most couples do not see food as the main consideration when planning a wedding. Couples rarely taste the food before deciding on the caterer, and rely on experience or word of mouth to judge the quality. Some, however, do get more creative. Ms Lee recalls helping to organise a pink-themed wedding complete with pink cocktails and pink finger food. The Repulse Bay also offers tailor-made wedding cakes. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, there is the cost to consider. Mr Chan says venues rarely give discounts, but couples can bargain for more services or additional features. 'For example, you can ask for a free wedding cake, or a room upgrade. Sometimes you can also get corkage free. Corkage can cost from HK$200 up to HK$800 per bottle, so if you have 30 tables and each table drinks two bottles of wine, the corkage is a lot of money.' Ms Lee adds that couples are more likely to get benefits on weekday bookings, and says couples should ensure that they have a full written agreement to avoid misunderstandings. Despite the dreams of exotic weddings, at the end of the day most people host their wedding ceremonies and banquets at one of Hong Kong's many hotels, says Mr Chan. Some of the biggest hotel venues in Hong Kong are the InterContinental Hong Kong, the Four Seasons Hotel, and the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Mr Chan highly recommends the InterContinental: 'It has a huge range of packages. In my opinion, it has the best overall performance.' The InterContinental is renowned as one of the most prestigious wedding venues in Hong Kong. It is also the first hotel in Hong Kong to launch a wedding ceremony together with a banquet service. It's large ballroom and sweeping white marble staircase is one of the biggest attractions for couples. Its quality of food and services are widely acclaimed. The cost per table ranges from HK$11,988 to HK$26,888. Mr Chan says the Four Seasons is also a popular choice, especially for the couple who wants their banquet to be more modern. The ballroom can hold up to 38 tables and has wall-to-wall views of Victoria Harbour. The cost per table is HK$9,588 and up. The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre provides the most number of big venues. It offers a variety of room sizes and decorations. Chinese banquets cost from HK$6,388 to HK$7,688 per table. 'For couples who fancy a winding marble staircase in front of a sea view for the march-in and pictures, the Harbour Plaza Hong Kong is a more affordable alternative to the InterContinental,' says Mr Chan The Harbour Plaza Hong Kong's grand ballroom has a maximum capacity of 30 tables. An outdoor terrace boasts a seating capacity of 150 people and breathtaking views. Prices are from HK$5,980 to HK$8,880 per table. Renowned for its colonial beauty and sea view, The Repulse Bay is a very popular choice for outdoor weddings. Ms Lee says: 'What's better than to have the wedding in front of a sea view on fine grassland under a blue sky?' The Repulse Bay offers an outdoor wedding reception at The Front Lawn or The Garden. It provides western buffet lunch and dinner, barbecue buffet lunch and dinner and cocktail menus at HK$478 to HK$598 per person. Couples who want an outdoor wedding with a sea view in the New Territories should consider the Hong Kong Gold Coast Hotel. It provides an outdoor wedding lunch or dinner buffet at HK$295 to HK$475 per person. For those who want something a bit different at their wedding, Ocean Park provides five unique weddings plans, including 'A Wedding Chorus', where a dolphin sings with the couple, 'Commitment California-Style', which comes with a special sea lion show, 'Love for Life' with a pair of macaws to deliver wedding gifts, and 'Tie a Reef Knot', in which the couple can have the ceremony underwater in the Atoll Reef with more than 2,000 fish as their witness. All packages include Chinese banquets of 10 tables of 12 people at Parkview and costs HK$68,888 to HK$109,999. For a wedding on the move, Hong Kong Star Ferry and Hong Kong Tramways provide hiring services. Ferry hire costs HK$3,200 per hour on weekdays and HK$4,000 on Saturdays and Sundays with a minimum hire of two hours. The maximum capacity is 300 people. The cruise can start at any Star Ferry pier. Catering services can be provided at cost. Open top tram and normal tram hire costs HK$900 and HK$570 per hour respectively for a minimum two-hour hire. Six government venues are available for weddings. These include the assembly hall at Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village, Six Arts Terrace of Kowloon Walled City Park, Bauhinia Garden of Kowloon Tsai Park, the Amphitheatre of Tai Po Waterfront Park, Repulse Bay Beach, and Sai Kung Waterfront Park. The rental fee for the first four hours at these venues is HK$2,500 with HK$170 charged for each additional hour. The Lei Yue Mun Park and Holiday Village is slightly more expensive at HK$2,900 for four hours and HK$260 for each subsequent hour. They offer excellent value for your special day.