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.