Venues & Locations - Sarah Tolmie

Location, location, location!

Your ceremony location is an important element in the creation of your ceremony. It says a lot about what sort of experience you are trying to create and what is the style & personality of your event. It will determine many aspects of your event logistics and design.

I have personally been to hundreds of locations and venues, and listed below are some of my favourites grouped by some basic categories…..beach, garden, bush, city, function centres, harbour & city locations, to the very special and unusual.

Please remember too – for funeral and memorial services you are not restricted to a church or funeral chapel. You can conduct a funeral service in any location (just like a wedding) as long you procure the relevant approvals from either the private or public (council) location provider.

Whatever ceremony location you choose, some essential things to consider are:

The comfort and safety of you and your guests (including children near cliffs and water hazards).
Is there sun/shade protection? If not, consider parasols or marquees.
What is your wet weather/bad weather back-up (umbrella’s aren’t good enough, you must have an alternative venue and be prepared to use it)
Do you need a council permit? What are the parking options? Do they have sound/time restrictions?
Are you decorating the site? What is your theme?
Provide your guests a map & be specific about what time the ceremony will start.

Beach Weddings

I love a beach wedding. The trick is to transform the vast and public space of a beach into your own intimate space. This can be achieved by claiming your space with flags or a circle of shells and stones. Have everyone nice and close and within a defined perimeter. Don’t be afraid to head close the the waters edge (especially if you have low tide and a rocky outcrop). If you have a shady spot for your guests to gather as they arrive, or a shade tent – with some water & parasols – all the better! You definitely will need my battery powered P.A for music and microphones. Make sure on your invite you let your guests know they will be on the sand and so they can bring some ‘ceremonial thongs’ and change their footwear later.

Central Coast & surrounds