The venue management software market splits into two camps: tools built for weddings, and tools built for events in general. Neither camp serves multi-use venues well. Sonas handles the couple's journey brilliantly but cannot manage corporate bookings. iVvy handles multiple event types but lacks wedding-specific depth. This comparison covers the five platforms UK venues are most likely to evaluate, with honest assessments of what each one can and cannot do.
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The first decision any venue makes is whether to choose a wedding-specific platform or a broader venue/event platform. The choice matters because the two categories are built around fundamentally different assumptions.
Wedding-specific platforms (Sonas, Hostology) are built around the couple's journey: enquiry, show-round, tasting, guest list, seating plan, dietary requirements, menu choices, supplier coordination, and payment schedule spread over 12-18 months. These platforms understand that a wedding booking is a relationship, not a transaction.
General venue platforms (iVvy, BriteBiz, Event Boss) are built around the venue's operations: space management, availability, proposals, contracts, invoicing, and (sometimes) accommodation. They handle multiple event types but treat each booking as fundamentally similar in structure.
The problem arises when a venue does both. A country house that hosts weddings on Saturdays and corporate events midweek needs the depth of a wedding platform for its Saturday couples and the flexibility of a general platform for its corporate clients. No single tool delivers both.
Sonas is the most established wedding-specific venue platform in the UK and Ireland. Built by people who understand the wedding venue business, it covers the full journey from enquiry to final invoice. Guest list and seating plan management, menu selection with dietary requirement tracking per guest, supplier management, and day-of timelines are all included. Xero integration for invoicing. Stripe for online card payments.
Pricing: From £99 per month plus a per-event fee. Unlimited users and venues included.
Strengths: The best wedding-specific workflow in the market. Guest dietary tracking that connects menu choices to individual requirements. Supplier coordination with timeline management. Outstanding support quality (consistently praised in reviews). UK/Ireland company that understands the local market.
Weaknesses: Wedding-specific only. Cannot manage corporate events, conferences, or accommodation alongside weddings. If your venue does more than weddings, you need a second system for everything else. The per-event fee means your costs increase with booking volume.
Hostology is a newer UK platform targeting exclusive-use and wedding venues. It goes further than Sonas in two areas: AI-powered enquiry routing that prioritises and categorises incoming leads automatically, and accommodation management with room allocation tools. A branded customer portal lets couples manage guest lists, submit RSVPs, choose menus, and handle room bookings for their guests.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
Strengths: The most complete UK wedding venue platform. Accommodation management is a genuine differentiator for venues with guest rooms. AI enquiry routing is a useful feature for venues handling high enquiry volumes. The branded customer portal reduces back-and-forth email with couples.
Weaknesses: Newer platform with a smaller installed base than Sonas. Less proven in the market. Primarily designed for exclusive-use wedding venues, which means corporate event management may not be as robust. Pricing not publicly available, so comparison is difficult.
BriteBiz is a CRM and event management platform that captures leads from wedding directories (The Knot, WeddingWire), manages the sales pipeline, and handles proposals, contracts, and invoicing. Multi-venue support is built in. Floor planning tools help visualise event layouts. Integration with Xero and QuickBooks.
Pricing: Tiered plans available. Contact for pricing. Free trial with no credit card required.
Strengths: Best lead capture and CRM pipeline management. Multi-venue support for operators running several locations. Strong on the sales and conversion side of venue management. Direct integration with wedding directory lead sources.
Weaknesses: More of a CRM/sales tool than an event-day coordination platform. Guest management, dietary tracking, and day-of timeline features are less developed than Sonas or Hostology. Accommodation management is not documented.
Event Boss covers timelines, tasks, seating, menus, budgets, bookings, and vendor tools in one platform. Designed for event halls, wedding venues, and caterers. UK-built.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
Strengths: Broad feature set covering both booking management and event-day coordination. Task management and timeline features are useful for venues coordinating complex events. Covers catering operations alongside venue management, making it a good fit for venues with in-house catering.
Weaknesses: Smaller market presence than Sonas or Hostology. Less depth in wedding-specific features (guest dietary tracking, couple portal). No accommodation management documented.
iVvy is the broadest platform in this comparison, with 13,000+ users globally. It covers function space management, catering, equipment, and accommodation booking. Online quoting allows clients to compare spaces and book online. Built for hotels and larger venues.
Pricing: Contact for pricing.
Strengths: The only platform that genuinely handles function space, accommodation, and multiple event types in one system. Good for hotels and conference venues that also host weddings. Online booking and quoting portal.
Weaknesses: Australian-built with no UK-specific features (payment integrations, VAT handling, UK timezone support). Not wedding-specific: it handles weddings as one of many event types rather than building the workflow around the couple's journey. Seating plans, guest dietary tracking, and couple portals are either absent or basic compared to Sonas or Hostology.
| Platform | Origin | Pricing | Wedding Depth | Corporate Events | Accommodation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonas | UK/Ireland | From £99/mo + per event | Best | No | No |
| Hostology | UK | Contact | Strong | Limited | Yes |
| BriteBiz | International | Contact | CRM-focused | Yes | No |
| Event Boss | UK | Contact | Moderate | Yes | No |
| iVvy | Australia | Contact | Basic | Yes | Yes |
Speak to us about venue management · +44 7494 618 651 · Mon to Fri, 9am to 6pm