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5 pictures show the outside of the conference centre and the main hotel, as well as the staircase and main function room set up for a reception

Venue Views: Villiers Hotel, Buckingham

Hotels will always be a popular choice for an easier wedding planning journey, everything can be done in one place, you have plenty of staff to help you and all the amenities you could need. So, how do you choose between hotel venues? You take a look at reviews like this. This week we're looking at the stunning Villiers Hotel in Buckingham...

The Villiers Hotel proper, is on an adjacent street but the function suite space is in a building that used to be the old town hall. There are additional smaller meeting rooms and other hotel facilities housed in the same building but we're here to focus on wedding facilities.

In terms of guests staying at the hotel, and your own preparations, you need to be aware that you will need to cross the street to get to the venue, but we're talking 10ft from one side of the street to the other. Some couples choose to hire a car or carriage anyway so that they can go off elsewhere for the photographs; this isn't a venue that offers beautiful gardens or grounds but there are plenty of areas within or at the front of the building to accommodate some really interesting shots. Buckingham isn't a massive town though so if gardens and nature are important to you, there are places a short drive away, that you can head to.

Quirky older buildings come with their own challenges, one of them being accessibility. Villiers has a lift up to their function suite, but it is off to the side of the building and up a fairly steep ramp/slope - my recommendation is to offer a hand to any less mobile guests, as once they're in the event space, they will be well looked after.

Working with a team of preferred suppliers, Villiers offer a range of packages to suit a middling budget; with lots of included items in your package it takes a lot of pressure off your planning. A range of menus are also available, as you'd expect, and the reception room has a linked but separate bar right next to the room. They are licensed for ceremonies and will often divide the space in order to accommodate both a ceremony and reception.

It has a large entrance hall and staircase, which look fab for the arrival photos and if it were me I'd use the back smaller staircase for photos too as it is gorgeous and more intimate. The main room has lovely high ceilings and colour adaptive lighting, so you can match it to your theme. The grey tones of the décor mean that every colour scheme will match, and they have a cleverly hidden dance floor in the middle of the room.

Being right in the centre of town makes Villiers a very handy venue should you need anything last minute. Buckingham is beautiful and historic, and this landmark hotel has lots to offer visitors should you want to make a weekend of your wedding. They hold regular open days and wedding fairs at which you will meet their regular suppliers, so check out their website (link below) for the next event.

More venue reviews will appear on the blog every Saturday so watch this space or look back at previous reviews via the link below.

Happy Planning X