During these difficult ‘lockdown’ times, if you’re planning your wedding or on the hunt for a new wedding venue we are recommending that all couples:

#staywell, #stayathome and #keepsafe.

However, whilst doing the above, there are a number of #wedmin tasks that you can do right now, to help keep your wedding plans on track or,if just engaged, help start ticking off on your to-do list, with the biggest one being how do you find a wedding venue during lock down?

Looking for a wedding venue in Kent during lockdown?

If you are recently engaged and if looking for a wedding venue in Kent, that is light and bright and airy, surrounded with beautiful countryside and gardens, how are you going to view a venue, build up trust and rapport with the team, and ask questions without even visiting or meeting the wedding co-ordinators?

At Hayne House we don’t want anything to slow down your wedding celebrations.
With the effects of social distancing leaving many of us going a little stir-crazy and desperate to start planning, we have come up with the following plan to help you to find THE perfect Kent wedding venue from anywhere in the world:

1. From your mobile, tablet, or desktop take time out to watch our home-made virtual tour of Hayne House
2. To save the environment and whilst keeping you safe, (planning your unique day doesn’t have to start by actually visiting wedding venues this is one way you can make a positive out of the situation and reduce your carbon footprint), why not book an appointment to speak to one of the team to ‘walk you through’ the venue and our services, we are offering virtual tours Monday to Sunday between 9:30 and 12:00
3. Following your conversation with one of the team ask for a bespoke quote
4. Sign up to watch our professional tour when we release the video (it is currently in the making)
5. Read our helpful blogs 
6. Follow us on Facebook where we post handy tips and shared stories
7. Follow us on Instagram for inspiration where we share images from our real weddings and styled shoots.

Is there anything more rewarding than ticking something off your to-do list now?

If you’re a recently engaged couple, or a couple who have had to postpone your wedding due to COVID19, here’s a few things we think work well to keep motivation high and momentum going:

1. Pinterest

• Booked couples: revisiting your Pinterest boards can be a welcome distraction and start to rebuild the excitement around your big day. If you want to make any tweaks now is the time to get back in touch with your dream team of suppliers who also need the moral support
• Recently engaged couples: use your smaller mega stash of Pinterest boards to make one ‘Wedding Inspiration’ board. For example, if you love chair dressing on this board add your favourite look, if you find something you love more, don’t add it, replace the previous one!

2. Wedding Website

Using a website as a central hub for information is becoming more and more popular. It can provide the perfect platform to share updates with your guests, link to honeymoon funds etc.

• Booked couples: even if your plans may be up in the air having a website allows you to update ALL of your guests as soon as changes are made, which has to be reassuring for you It also enables you to let everyone know without digging out that antiquated address book.
• Recently engaged couples: now is the time to start building your new website, take a look at The Knot or Wix to help you build it.

3. Wedding Day Playlist

Don’t forget that your choice of music plays such an important part of your wedding day.

For instance, it needs to start with your Getting Ready Music – did you know we’ve installed a Bluetooth speaker in the new Pamper Cottage so that when you pop your bubbles your favourite tunes can be playing in the background!

• Booked couples: perhaps you’ve finalised your playlist, but have you thought about a “do notplay” list, it’s just as important and a really fun thing to put together!
• Recently engaged couples: it’s a good idea to get started on your reception playlist as it can take longer to brainstorm all of the tunes you want. Better still give our handpicked DJ’s The Wedding Chaps, a call and see if they have any specific suggestions.

4. Indulge in some online wedding mags

With more time on your hands during lockdown, the magazine companies such as Your Kent Wedding https://www.yourkent.wedding have made their latest issues available online as digital copies or they are being sent out by post.  

• Both booked and recently engaged couples we have spotted a brand new magazine entitled Wedding Style weddingstyle.co.ukwhich is all about things like ‘dreamy details for your perfect BIG DAY’ we love it!

5. Gift List

• Booked couples: having spent the last couple of weeks together you might have spotted one or two items that would make a massive difference to your household chores, or perhaps the toaster has seen better days, now is the time to make a couple of amends that might include a few pieces of equipment for your garden.
• Recently engaged couples: you might not have even considered a Registry List until you spent two weeks together on lockdown, when perhaps you are now looking at things differently?

6. Book a tentative appointment with your Barbers or Hairdressers

Why do we add this in? Because we just know you are going to get tempted to get out the scissors, over the next couple of weeks and it could be a mistake for booked couples who might end up undermining everything you’ve agreed with your Barber, Hair and MU artists!

7. Speeches

• Booked couples: Now is the time to think about who you would like to do speeches, and if they want to do one. You also might want to think about if you want to stick to tradition and do these after the wedding breakfast, or do them before. You might even find some speeches you love as inspiration for those doing them. Also if one of you is planning on doing a speech, start making notes now you wouldn’t believe the amount of brides/grooms who we find writing their speech the morning of the wedding!
• Recently engaged couples: it is never too soon to start to write your speech. We love Evernotes to write down those quirky moments so that when it comes to finalising you have done all of the hard work.

8. Check out the amazing handpicked and recommended suppliers we love working with.

• Booked couples: Don’t forget to check in with your dream team as they might have thought of a new idea during the downtime that works perfectly for you, you might also now be thinking about adding a little extra entertainment for your day if you have moved wedding month.
• Recently engaged couples: now is the time to do your research and look at our Handpicked and Hayne House recommended suppliers.

9. Think Green

• Booked couples: you might have been considering buying in lots of things but now with budgets perhaps a little tighter, one way of staying in budget is to now consider hiring from one of our amazing recommended suppliers
• Recently engaged couples: if like us you are eco-chic then now is the time to read our Eco-Chic blog and to actively look for more sustainable products and services

10. Write a love letter or two.

At Hayne House, we are massive believers in writing letters of love to give to our nearest and dearest on the night before or on the day of your wedding.

• Booked couples: during lockdown there might be those understandable moments when your emotions ride high and you needed an extra-long conversation on the phone with someone or perhaps the quarantine has got to you both and the stress and emotional distress might have impacted on your behaviour, or perhaps only seeing each other in jogging pants all day can mean it’s more difficult to keep the romance going? well now is the time to write special notes of thank you to your besties, filled with love.
• Recently engaged couples: during this time together look carefully at why you can’t wait to marry and write the most beautiful of love letters – if you need some inspiration here is a link to our love letters styled shoot video

Let’s remember the situation is ultimately temporary and ensure you’re finding a daily dose of ‘good news’ in amongst it all. By doing some of the above tips, you’ll be able to give yourselves a big pat on the back for using your time wisely to make some progress towards planning your wedding during lockdown.

Stay in touch so that as soon as we open our doors you can be the first to site to attend one of our VIP open days where you can finally see one of the most beautiful wedding venues in Kent.

In the meantime, you are not on your own, the Hayne House team are always here you for you.