Many golf clubs are now designed to accommodate weddings and come equipped with lush function suites, on site catering, and complete wedding packages for you to choose from, as well as beautiful countryside views. Some golf club wedding venues are licensed to hold civil ceremonies and many even have their own wedding co-ordinator who will ensure your big day goes with off a swing.
Golf club weddings are becoming increasingly popular, due to the combination of great facilities and stunning locations, so include your local clubs on your list of venues to visit. If any of your close family are long standing members of a nearby club, find out whether they do weddings; you may even get a discounted rate.
Beautiful views
When many of us think of golf courses, we tend to think of, well, people playing golf. Not a lot else springs to mind if you don’t know anyone that plays it or you don’t play it yourself. So a golf club is probably not the first type of venue that will spring to mind when you think about your wedding. But they should definitely be on your radar.
The main reason why you should consider a golf club for your wedding is the views. Again, many of us wouldn’t think that a golf club would have great views but they always have incredible views. One of the most famous golf clubs in the UK, St Andrew’s in Fife, Scotland has glorious views over the Scottish countryside and the sea. It’s remarkable and something like would be nicer than many other wedding venues available at the same cost.
If views are your thing but you’re not a golf nut, don’t be dissuaded. Take a look at a few golf clubs near you and see what you think. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Cost effective
In the UK, we love our grandiose manor house, country estate and fancy hotel weddings. These weddings are delightful, but they all have the same issue. They’re expensive. This obviously varies from venue to venue but if you’re after a luxurious venue with perfect, unspoiled views then you’re looking to be paying a lot for your wedding venue. This is all well and good if your budget allows for it. If it doesn’t, then you’ll probably be disappointed with what you can find.
This is why you should consider a golf club. Many golf clubs around the UK haven’t become trendy wedding venues yet and so generally their prices aren’t as expensive as other more typical wedding venues. Which is crazy, right? I mean they have amazing views and potentially beautiful function rooms to boot. They’re definitely worth a look in if you’re concerned about budget yet want something great.
Amazing photo opportunities
A golf club should provide a perfect setting for wedding photos. Golf clubs tend to be set in extremely gorgeous countryside, making for some lovely views as well as backdrops to your wedding photography.
The golf course itself might also provide your photographer with a few ideas. A dreamy shot of the two of you teeing off together with a sunset in the background could be magical. For something more tongue in cheek, have the groom bent double under two hefty bags of golf clubs as the bride completely oblivious, takes her shot.
Your guests can get in on the golf photo fun too. Have clubs and golfing paraphernalia ready for them to use as props and set up an area where they can have their photos taken, either with a digital camera that can be used to create a slide show, or a Polaroid camera so the photos can be pinned to a display board.
It’s quiet
As golf clubs are used as places to escape the outside world, they tend to be very quiet and serene. This is a hugely beneficial side to marrying in a golf club as it’s not often that you find a wedding venue that is truly peaceful. Unless you go way out into the countryside, that is. Marrying in a venue like this will certainly make you feel as though you’re the only people on the earth.
Good facilities
Marrying in a golf club, while being stunningly beautiful is also hugely convenient. There are so many facilities that a golf club has that you’ll love. Things like easily accessible bathrooms are an obvious one. A not so obvious one is parking. A lot of couples tend to forget about parking when they pick their wedding venue, but you don’t need to. At a golf club, the parking is often very good. This is because the people that golf tend to drive as they’re transporting their golf clubs with them each time. Good parking is a great luxury that many other wedding venues aren’t able to have. Take advantage of it when you book your golf club wedding.
It’s a blank canvas
For couples who are on the creative side of the spectrum, you’ll find that a golf club is the ideal wedding venue for you. This is because many golf clubs don’t tend to have rigid wedding packages. Which for you means that you can get creative with the decorations. Some couples might not want this and might hire people in to set up the room, yet others might thrive in this environment.
Make your own decorations like the table settings and the wedding favours. Buy in your own chair covers and table cloths. Many golf clubs will give you the flexibility that you desire, that other venues like hotels may not give you if you go with them. We’re thinking this is because people having only been getting married at golf clubs more and more in recent years, so they seem to have a less rigid structure on their weddings.
Hugely variable styles
We said before that golf clubs are blank canvases and you can really put your mark on them. If you’re not someone who likes to decorate but you still feel as though you want a style that suits your wedding theme, then fear not, you are guaranteed to find something to suit you.
There are so many different styles of golf clubs around the UK so you’ll definitely be able to find one that suits your theme to a tee. There are vintage ones and modern and everything in between. You’ll find sleek and modern function rooms and ones oozing with old-world charm. All you need to do is search around to find your ideal golf club wedding venue.
Opportunity to Incorporate a golfing theme
Using a golf club wedding venue is particularly appropriate if you and your fiancé are passionate about golf, and you can include the sport in your wedding theme. We’re not expecting the groom to arrive at the wedding in plus fours, but your invitations could have a simple golfing motif such as crossed clubs, and you could send save the date fridge magnets in the shape of golf balls.
If you’re holding your ceremony and reception at the golf club venue and don’t see the need for a fancy wedding car, you could ask to borrow a golf buggy to transport the two of you around the course. As well as some great photo opportunities, this adds a bit of fun to the wedding, and may also save you a few pounds.
Your seating cards could be attached to tiny flags similar to the ones used to mark the location of the hole, and your seating plan could be presented to look like a golf course. Your wedding favours could be tiny golfing bags with chocolate clubs, or simply five chocolate golf balls in a small box or bag. Perhaps you could use golfing terms to name the tables such as ‘the fairway’ and ‘the fringe’.
You could even get yourselves a golf themed cake to really bring everything together. Have something fondant covered like tiered golf course greens with modelled golf flags. Or you could have a traditional cake with a golf quirk, like having the models of the two of you dressed in golf gear and holding golf sticks. Either option would be adorable if you’re planning on going all out with a golf theme.
It’s unique
One last great thing about a golf club wedding venue is that they’re unique. Many people in the UK still long to marry in country estates or hotels, which are lovely but they are very common for weddings. If you’re a bit more atypical and you want your venue to reflect that side to you, then a golf club might just be the perfect fit. You’ll find that dates are more easily available too just because they’re a little less popular so it means you won’t need to compromise to have your idyllic and unique wedding.
