About this guide: it's run by [Fine Entertainments Ltd](/about/), an entertainment agency based in Corby. So when we talk about magicians, photo booths or a fun casino, the links go to our own brands. We'd rather say that up front than pretend to be neutral.
What's in the guide
The biggest part is the Northamptonshire wedding venue guide. Each venue page sticks to what the venue itself says about where it is, what sort of place it is and whether it's licensed for ceremonies. We don't guess capacities or prices, and if a detail isn't on the venue's own website, it isn't on ours. There are also shorter guides to wedding venues in Northampton and wedding venues in Kettering.
Then there's the practical stuff. A month by month wedding planning checklist, a sample wedding day timeline for a 1pm and a 3pm ceremony, and a plain English guide to setting a wedding budget. The blog covers the smaller questions, like what to do if it rains or how to keep the kids happy during the speeches.
Planning a Northamptonshire wedding
Northamptonshire is a handy county to get married in. It sits close to the M1 and the A14, so guests coming from London, the Midlands or the North don't usually face a marathon drive. And there's a real mix of places to marry, from country houses and converted barns to hotels and golf clubs, plus the register offices run by North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire councils.
Our advice is boring but it works. Settle on a rough guest number and budget before you fall in love with a venue, book the venue and the registrar or officiant first, then build everything else around that date. If you're marrying in England or Wales, you'll both need to give notice of marriage at your local register office at least 29 days before the wedding (unless you're marrying in a Church of England or Church in Wales church, where it usually works differently). Our checklist walks through the rest.
Wedding entertainment
This is the bit we know best. We've spent years booking magicians, illusionists, photo booths and casino tables for weddings, so the wedding entertainment ideas page goes through each part of the day and what tends to work: a close-up magician during the drinks reception, something to keep the tables chatting during the wedding breakfast, and a proper show or a few casino tables once the evening guests arrive.
We run Magician For Hire, UK Photo Booth Hire and UK Casino Hire, among others, so yes, we're biased. But the advice on timings and what works where is the same advice we'd give you on the phone, whoever you end up booking.
Wedding planning checklist
Setting a wedding budget