Wedding planning takes a lot of time and thought, especially if you’re arranging a spectacular Asian wedding. Famed for their grandeur, luxury, and sheer scale, there’s certainly a lot to consider!
The National Conference Centre at the National Motorcycle Museum, near Birmingham, is a much-loved Asian wedding venue. We’ve hosted countless successful celebrations over the years. During this time, we’ve picked up lots of tips on how to orchestrate the best Asian wedding. So read on to discover 10 insider tips that will help you create your perfect day.
1. Start Planning Early
On average, industry professionals advise at least 12 months of planning. This allows you to have your pick of dates, give everyone advance notice, and prepare everything you need to make your day perfect. Of course, it can be done with less time, but generally the golden rule for wedding planning is the more time, the better!
2. Decide on a Budget
People often wonder, ‘how much does any Asian wedding cost?’ In the UK, on average couples spend up to £30k on a wedding. However, due to the length of the ceremony, and the number of guests, the event often costs upwards of £50k. This is partly because guest lists tend to be large, with an average of 350-500 guests, sometimes up to 700 guests! Often, parents are involved in paying for your wedding so it’s always a good idea to have this discussion early on in the process.
3. Location, Location, Location
Choose a venue in a spot with good transport links, especially if you have family coming from abroad, ideally one that’s close to an airport. Easy access to the venue is just as important as everything else when your guests have had a long journey. Make sure there’s an adequate sized car park so driving guests don’t have the stress of finding a space. It also helps if the car parking is free so your family and friends don’t have another additional expense.
We’re just off the M42 near Solihull, and it’s only a five-minute drive from Birmingham International Airport. And believe us, once the logistics are sorted, everything else becomes much easier.
4. Select your Perfect Venue
Unlike some marriage ceremonies that can be fairly static, the different aspects of Asian weddings require plenty of flexible space. At the National Conference Centre and the National Motorcycle Museum, we have lots of interconnecting suites, so our couples can easily plan the separate spaces. After the ceremony, it’s time to feast and party – and things could be about to get lavish…
We offer two incredible suites to choose from, including the Imperial Suite that is a spectacular ballroom. This connects to the neighbouring suite for an impressively large room. We also have an outdoor courtyard garden that can be used for excellent photographic opportunities.
Need Smaller Spaces?
Think about any other spaces you may need, such as kids’ playrooms, prayer rooms and changing rooms. A large Asian wedding venue should be able to cater for all of these needs.
While Asian weddings definitely have a reputation for being the biggest, brightest and best, some couples prefer a more intimate ceremony, where the traditions are observed in a calm and lower-key way. We love these smaller weddings just as much and have a lovely choice of suitable rooms. If you’re interested, you can take a tour on our room finder.
5. Work with an Asian Wedding Coordinator
In keeping with the theme of making life easier, you may wish to hire a wedding coordinator to take away a lot of the stress around the day. Or better yet, book a venue that comes with one included! An Asian wedding venue that comes with a dedicated events team ensures that everything runs smoothly. You’ll also have your own wedding event planner, who’ll be there to discuss all your requirements in the lead up to the big day. If you dream big, it’s definitely worth having some professional assistance to help those dreams come true.
Your wedding team will know the best photographers, DJs and musicians, and can recommend everything from flowers to fireworks, ice sculptures to photo booths. This is an essential service for today’s busy couples, especially if you don’t live near the venue yourself. Our team at the National Conference Centre at the National Motorcycle Museum are true magicians, who have brought so many spectacular ideas to life. Our experienced operations team will deliver your perfect day with us.
6. Food and Drink (Catering)
At an Asian wedding, excellent food is a must. The wedding banquet is a big part of the celebration, and frankly, your guests will expect a lavish spread. Have some fun planning the food. Work with the catering team to create a menu that feels right for you. As well as the main banquet or buffet, think about extras like masala chai, Indian snacks, mithai, cocktails and mocktails: after all, no one wants to party on an empty stomach.
Find a caterer that specialises in food from your heritage. Most large venues will work with approved caterers to choose from. Ours includes a list of 10 Asian wedding catering specialists to choose from, all of whom deliver authentic cuisine and a personalised service. The types of cuisine on offer include:
- Pakistani
- Punjabi
- Gujarati
- Indo-Chinese
- Sri-Lankan
7. Asian Wedding Venues with Accommodation
It’s important to find room for all the family. Of course, ‘all’ is relative, as we’ve hosted some pretty big Asian weddings in our time! With friends and families travelling from all over the country – and indeed, the world – accommodation has become a must for many of today’s weddings. Make life easier for yourself when planning your wedding by finding a venue that has accommodation. It cuts down on a lot of the pre-wedding organisation and makes the big day itself run far more smoothly. Plus, it’s more fun for the guests to get together in one place.
The National Conference Centre has two sister hotels, the Manor Hotel Meriden and the Windmill Village Hotel, have over 100 guest rooms each, which if booked well in advance should accommodate even the biggest guest lists. Our wedding packages also come with a complimentary room for the bride and groom!
8. Civil Partnerships
Some couples choose to include ‘the legal bit’ of the wedding on the day. To do this, you need to ensure that your chosen venue is an approved premise so that the registrar can perform the wedding or civil partnership on the day. For example, the National Conference Centre at the National Motorcycle has licensed rooms. However, in our experience, the majority of the time couples choose to have a traditional religious ceremony on the big day and then register the marriage on a different day at a local registry office.
Something else that is potentially overlooked is wedding insurance. If you are planning a big celebration, then it can be worth having this for ultimate peace of mind should anything happen. There are special policies on offer specifically designed for Asian weddings that can cover up to 6 events, including celebrations, ceremonies and receptions.
9. Outfits
Birmingham has a wide range of bespoke bridal and groom wear boutiques so there’s plenty to choose from. The most popular destinations that brides travel to is Soho Road in Handsworth, Birmingham and Ladypool Road in Sparkbrook, Birmingham. Some choose to take it one step further and embrace their heritage by travelling to India to find their wedding outfits. If you favour paying a bit less for your bespoke traditional garments and have the time, then this can be a great option. However, you do need to factor in the cost of travel and that it will likely take much longer to receive them!
10. Wedding Favours
We’ve seen our fair share of incredible wedding favours, from chocolates and sweets to silk thread bags or jewellery. Really, they’re just a little something to say thank you for attending your special day so there’s no need to go overboard. Etsy can be a great place for ideas but some common small wedding favours include:
- Matki boxes
- Bangles
- Mithai confectionery
- Candles
Looking for the Best Asian Wedding Venues Birmingham?
We hope this handy blog will help you when planning your perfect Asian wedding. For more tips, read our guide on Everything You Need To Know About Planning an Asian Wedding.
If you’d like to know more about booking an Asian wedding venue in Birmingham, please get in touch with our wedding events team.
View our wedding page