If you google, “blank space venue” in any major city in Australia, you’re going to find a plethora of spaces that are perfect canvases to let your creativity run free. White walls, convenient and stylish furniture that comes with the space, good lighting. But here in our nation’s capital there isn’t much in the vein of blank space venue for our event planning minds, and one has to wonder why. Does the average Canberran prefer to have the ideas and decor handed to them on a platter for their day? Or does it just feel daunting to know where to start?

For those who want a venue to walk them through how things are going to go on the day, you-do-you, because that is one way to do it and it can be a great way. But for those of you out there who are searching for a wedding space that caters to everything you’ve got swirling around in that wedding brain of yours, a blank space venue can be the perfect kind of wedding joint for you.

It doesn’t have to be a strict way, it can be your way. And after all, we’ve met a Mrs Fray or two along the way who want it to be exactly that.

The brain behind the operation of just such a venue in Kingston, ACT - Renée Douros ofThe Social Club - sits down with us today to chat what goes into having an event inside a blank space venue and how it’s really not that daunting at all. Renée is no stranger to the wedding industry of Australia, being the editor of a fave publication of ours in the wedding world, but she also founded this blank space venue out of good old fashioned need in the market, elbow grease, and ingenuity. And that’s exactly the kind of woman we like to clink glasses with.

How long have you been in the Canberra wedding industry?

I have been involved in the wider Australian wedding industry for 6 years. I was Publisher and Editor of the independent wedding magazine, ‘Hitched’ (later rebranded by me to its current incarnation, HOORAY!). The knowledge and contacts I accumulated whilst running this business formed a solid foundation for me to launch The Social Club with my husband in November 2017.

What have you seen change about the industry in the last few years?

We are seeing a far more relaxed approach to how couples celebrate their nuptials. Our space provides a relaxed, informal environment and our clients are embracing this vibe, opting for far more casual events with lots of stand-up mingling, dancing and non-traditional approaches to catering like woodfired pizza stations, burger bars and even sushi towers!

What’s the structure of your business now vs when you started?

Our business structure has remained the same since the day we opened. Our offering is quite simple; we’re a blank space venue for hire. We provide our clients with a fully-equipped canvas to come in and make their own. Our core ethos is to offer total flexibility in beautiful surrounds.

As your venues are awesome blank canvas environments, how do you help your couples put their own unique spin in their day?

A lot of our clients come into the space and don’t decorate them at all. Our spaces hold their own when it comes to styling - with expansive ceilings, high-end finishes, eclectic furniture, feature lighting and an abundance of greenery. If couples want to go further with putting their own unique touch on the space, we have a little black book filled to the brim with amazing local and interstate vendors who can all be called on to add some extra pizzazz.

What’s the first thing couples should do once they’ve locked in their dream space?

Lock in your dream vendors. A lot of the popular suppliers in Canberra are booked at least 12 months in advance, so it’s essential to get your dream team lined up.

Favourite attribute to find in a client in the lead up to a wedding?

We love working with couples who are relaxed. We understand that a wedding is one of the most important occasions in your life and we’re here to make sure it all goes smoothly. So relax and have fun!

Couples most often worry too much about:

Sticking to a strict run sheet. Don’t get me wrong, a schedule of timings is imperative to ensure that all of your suppliers understand how the evening should run, but being able to relax and enjoy yourself is so important.

You wish couples would care more about:

Relaxing and having the time of their lives!

What do you love about living and working Canberra?

There’s a tight-knit community of amazingly talented suppliers in Canberra. We can call on our contacts super last minute sometimes and rest easy knowing they’re going to do an amazing job for us and our clients.

What are you eager to see change in for the Canberra wedding market?

There’s a huge, gaping hole in the local market for a furniture hire business in Canberra that stocks amazing pieces. You look at businesses like Dann Event Hire in Melbourne or Valiant Hire in Sydney and I wish someone would do something like that right here in Canberra.

Favourite thing about a wedding day?

When the couple enter the venue as Mr + Mrs/Mrs + Mrs/Mr + Mr and their guests erupt into cheers and applause! It’s so fun (and rewarding) to watch from a venue point-of-view.

Are you married? If so, tell us about your own wedding day.

I am! The Social Club was actually born from our frustration with not being able to find a venue that suited us and our style. So, we launched The Social Club in November 2017 and got married in our space on Saturday 14 April, 2018.

If you could do it all over again, you’d be sure to:

I was 4 months pregnant with our second child when we got married and suffering from all-day morning sickness, so if I could do it all again, I would prefer not to be pregnant so that I was able to enjoy a glass of bubbly with my guests!

So for all you planning beauties out there wondering how you might be able to make a personal mark on your wedding day, somewhere like The Social Club might be the perfect space for you to gather your nearest and dearest for one hell of a party. You can see TSC in all it’s glory in Kingston, see more photos and garner more delightful information about the range of services they offer on their website.

The Social Club has already seen it’s share of some amazing, creative parties within it’s walls but we’re absolutely confident that that’s only the beginning of the on-brand celebrations Canberra brides are about to bring to this space.

FRIEND OF THE FRAY: The Social Club