You’ve asked and we’ve answered! Welcome to your weekly column ‘Planning Your Happily Ever After’ with wedding consultant Shikima Hinds.

Your budget is one of the first things to discuss when planning your wedding, and can cause the most stress during the planning process.

Did you know for example that the venue you choose may affect your wedding budget?

We answer the most obvious questions asked and share a few tips that will make the process a little bit easier:

1. Some wedding venues offer venue rental only, while others offer a variety of packages. The policies of the venue are important factors that you’ll need to consider, especially if it’s at a hotel or villa. Read your contract carefully. Pay attention to venue packages — will this vendor provide space, food, and drink?

2. Some venues may require you to use their preferred or exclusive vendors. Be aware that the vendor may not fit in with your budget or wedding style.

3. Consider travel costs — for example, a wedding venue in the middle of nowhere may not be somewhere you or your guests can get to easily without incurring huge travel costs. Choose a wedding venue that’s near to your hometown or where hotels nearby may be an option for those travelling from afar.

4. Weddings in remote destinations can cause you to incur greater costs. If vendors such as your florists, caterer and furniture rentals have to come from far, this will be an additional cost for the transportation for your suppliers.

5. Is the overall capacity of the venue more than you require? Are you wasting money on space you don’t need?

6. Décor and floral design will also drive the cost up; you, therefore, need to ask yourself some important questions. Will it take a lot to enhance the venue? Is there a lot of space that will need décor? Approximately how much will your design cost to execute?

7. Catering — There are many lovely wedding venues across the island that do not have a kitchen for the caterer to use. If your wedding location does not, you will have to add the cost of the set-up of a temporary food-prep tented area with access to water for your caterer.

8. If your venue does not have sufficient bathroom facilities for your guests, you will also need to add the cost of a portable bathroom area rental.

NB: Most of the nicer units require power and water.

Choosing your perfect wedding venue can seem like a daunting task and “stressful” might be the word that comes to mind when you think of your wedding budget, but after going over the major details above, they don’t have to be.

It all comes down to your personal preference, and that preference should also fit into your wedding budget.