*Collaborative post 

When you think of a wedding, immediately thoughts turn to stately manor house in the middle of rural bliss or perhaps a secluded beach somewhere, but a city wedding can provide a stylish and beautiful occasion with a real sense of sophistication.

Logistically speaking, city weddings are amazing for guests, with an array of hotels to stay at and built-in entertainment to make their stay really memorable, especially if they’re coming from overseas. There’s a huge choice of venue from historic town halls to chic hotels and the intimacy of a favourite restaurant. Here are some great things to think about when planning a city wedding.

Source Your Entertainment

A city wedding generally has a much more adult feel, so go heavy on the evening entertainment for a memorable time. You’ll be able to invite many more evening guests who will find it far easier to arrange transport for a metropolitan wedding than at a venue in the middle of nowhere. Find local entertainment who can really raise the roof, but make plans in advance, especially if you don’t live in your destination city. Hire a London wedding band, find a magician in Manchester or source a DJ in Edinburgh – the sky’s the limit when it comes to your entertainment options for a city venue.

Plan Your Photographs

Don’t think for one second that the lack of garden space most city centre venues have means that you can’t take the most beautiful wedding photos. Think outside the box and look into venue with a rooftop terrace where you might be able to get shots in front of a stunning skyline view. There may also be local parks where you could look to go for a bit of peace and quiet from the rush of the city, or choose somewhere with stunning architecture such as a dramatic sweeping staircase or gothic arched windows to provide a beautiful backdrop. Doing a scouting trip before your big day can be extremely useful. Indoor shooting locations also have the great advantage of being suitable whatever the weather but you can’t do without referring to a photo editing service to remove all blemishes and imperfections!

Allow Enough Time

With all the traffic most cities have, it’s important to allow a little more travel time than you may normally have, especially if you’re getting ready at a different location from the ceremony. Pre-book taxis for the wedding party and make sure your own transport is well briefed on timings. Remember to allow time for a pre-ceremony talk with your celebrant as well, who will usually want to check through the details with you before the crucial moment. Parking can be an issue with city centre venues, so encourage your guests to leave their cars at home and use public transport or taxis by providing details of local companies with your wedding invitations. Bear in mind that traffic constraints may also mean that your wedding car is unable to wait outside the venue, so you may need to arrange to be dropped off and collected again after the ceremony.

With all the details covered, you can focus on having an amazing day!