One of the first big decisions in any wedding is also one of the most consequential: do you host your day at an existing venue, or do you build your own from scratch with a marquee? I get asked this question a lot, and my honest answer is always the same it depends entirely on what matters most to you. Here's how I help couples think it through.

The case for a venue

A venue, whether that's a country house, a barn, or somewhere like Kew Gardens or Cornwell Manor, gives you infrastructure, character and often a built-in "wow factor" before you've even started decorating. You're working within existing architecture, grounds and (often) an in-house team who know the space intimately.

Venues tend to suit couples who want a more streamlined planning process, who are drawn to a specific building or landscape, or who want fewer moving logistical parts to manage on the day itself.

The case for a marquee

A marquee, by contrast, is a blank canvas. If you have access to a private garden, family land, or somewhere personally meaningful, a marquee lets you design a space entirely around your own vision rather than adapting to someone else's. There's something wonderfully personal about getting married in a field you grew up playing in, or a garden that's been in the family for generations.

Marquees typically involve more logistical planning, power, flooring, catering facilities, toilets, weatherproofing, but they also offer the most creative freedom of any wedding format I work with.

A few honest questions to ask yourselves

Do you already have a location that means something to you? Family land, a garden, somewhere with history or are you starting from a blank slate?

How much do you want to design versus how much do you want provided? Marquees mean designing everything; venues mean working within (and often elevating) an existing style.

What's your appetite for logistics? A marquee wedding has more practical elements to coordinate this is where a planner's experience is really worth its weight in gold.

What does your budget need to stretch across? Marquees can be more cost-effective in some ways (no venue hire fee) but the build-out costs flooring, structure, styling need to be budgeted for properly from day one.

There's no wrong answer

I've planned exceptional weddings both ways, and the "right" choice has never come down to which is objectively better — it comes down to which format lets your vision come through most authentically. What I always tell couples is: don't choose based on what you've seen on Pinterest. Choose based on what actually feels like you.

If you're torn between the two, that's a conversation I love having early on because it shapes almost every other decision that follows.