Tying the knot in an ancient grand castle or impressive country house might give you plenty of picture-perfect photo opportunities, but just how do you bring your own wedding style to such a big space?

We’ve asked events expert Daniel Gill for his top tips to make even the most imposing of venues feel more intimate. Through Dine, an events management company, Daniel works with some of the most prestigious venues in the north of England including Rise Hall, the Georgian stately home belonging to property expert Sarah Beeny and which she completely renovated for Channel 4’s Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare.

Daniel's venue how-to tips

1. Dizzy heights
Although period venues are awe inspiring, once the initial impact fades the space can seem large and imposing. To make rooms more intimate, introduce tall table centres attached with helium-filled balloons, or decadently decorated tree branches that trick the eye into thinking the ceiling is lower.

2. Trim with trees
Take a leaf out of Kate and William’s wedding album and bring the outdoors in by surrounding the edge of the room with mini-trees and pretty potted plants. Not only will this create a lush green haven, a woodland border will frame the room and make the space appear smaller.

3. Feel the heat
When choosing your venue, make sure you think carefully about the logistics of heating it. Whilst an 18th century castle makes the perfect fairytale setting, it might not be the easiest place to keep warm! Make sure to check with your wedding planner that the venue already has heating installed, or if you need a boost of warmth, ask them to provide extra heaters or to light fireplaces where possible, for a great atmosphere.

4. Make the divide
One of the simplest ways to get more out of a large space is to divide the room into sections. Use decorative screens or satin curtains to separate areas for dining, dancing and drinking; which can be revealed at key points throughout the reception.

5. Go the distance
Large venues may be beautiful but bear in mind the distance from the kitchen to the tables or the bar to the dancefloor, as this will have an impact on timing. Perform a trial food and drinks run to check the timings and if necessary pay for extra staff to make the day run smoother.

6. Let there be light
Lighting is a great way to create the illusion of warmth in a large room. Use uplighters to flood the walls with coloured light and cast a glow on your reception. Also, select lights with a colour changing function to help set different moods throughout the day.

7. Sound settings
Think about the acoustics in a large venue; who wants to get married in an amphitheatre? From the DJ booth to microphones for the best man speech, make sure that you test the volume levels before the big day.

8. Centre of attention
With a standard table plan, the bride and groom are usually placed at the top of the reception room, but in a large space this may be almost 50 feet away from some guests. Break from the norm and place the top table in the centre of the room with the other tables in a surrounding circle. This will make everyone feel part of the big day and close to the happy couple. Remember, nobody puts baby in the corner!

9. At your service
Although we're in Britian, nobody really likes queuing. In a large venue avoid guests from congregating at the bar by having an at-seat-service, with staff walking around with food and drinks. This saves your guests from standing about, so they can rest their legs for dancing.

10. Show the way
From the outside, large venues may look a little bewildering, so make the entrance known by lighting welcoming lanterns to show your guests the way. Also, why not do it the old fashioned way and have staff posted at the reception to greet guests when they arrive? There’s nothing like getting into the party sprit than being handed a glass of champagne with a smile.

Watch videos of some of Dine's other venues, The Mansion in West Yorkshire and Allerton Castle in North Yorkshire on our dedicated Y&YW video channel