What To Ask When Touring A Wedding Venue

What Are Our Bad Weather Options

This is only really relevant if youre planning an outdoor wedding but if so, it absolutely is! Find out what inside spaces will be available to use as a back-up and make sure to view them so you can give at least a little thought to how you might use them. If there arent any suitable inside spaces, youll need to hire a marquee instead and this can cost a pretty penny.

What Isnt Allowed Inside The Venue

This is one of the most important questions to ask during your wedding venue tour.

Many couples have had their heart set on somethingwhether its their flower girl tossing rose petals down the aisle, or having their dog be the ring bearer, or having sparklers for a send-offonly to discover that the venue doesnt allow it.

Make sure you ask what isnt allowed so that you know up front if anything is a deal breaker. This can include rules about hanging décor , tossing real flower petals, alcohol, glitter, confetti, pets, bubbles, sparklersyou name it, it may be forbidden. This is why its good to ask.

Is A Cash Bar An Option

You might not want to provide alcohol at all, instead asking your guests to pay for their own drinks. If thats the case, youll want to know whether this is an option and if it is, make sure to find out if theres a minimum spend. Otherwise, you might find yourself facing unexpected costs at the end of the day!

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Questions To Ask Your Venue

We got engaged!! But now what? is something we at VENYU hear a lot.

Ok yes, the wedding planning process can be daunting not everyone is an event planner. So what else do you need to know about your potential venue ? Dont worry, weve got you covered.

The answer is: Questions, questions, and more questions! Seriously, in this industry no question is a stupid one. Knowledge really is power.

Of course there is the obvious #1 question that you should ask when researching the venue hire fee and/or indicative costings. Everyone has a budget and you will need to know price to judge whether it is the right venue or not.

But what else? We have put together our top 25 questions to ask the venue to help decide if its the one for you.

GENERAL

Questions To Ask When Touring A Wedding Venue

When researching options for your perfect wedding venue, here are ultimate wedding spot, here are questions to ask when touring a wedding venue to help narrow down your choices.

The internet is a great starting point when searching for wedding event inspiration, but eventually youll want to visit the potential venue in person. A property tour allows you to get a true feel for the space and see if you click with the coordinator. This part is important, since this person will ultimately be in charge of ensuring your wedding day goes off without a hitch.

Each wedding venue you visit is set up to woo you, which means its their job to give you as much information and insight, so youll choose their space for your big day. Go prepared with a list of questions to ask when touring a wedding venue, and take notes.

General topics you’ll want to cover are event space, services, and pricing. Of course, chances are you’ll have spur-of-the-moment questions as well, but having a wedding venue checklist with some talking points mapped out will help ensure you cover all of your bases.

If youre looking for some ideas, here are a few common questions to ask when touring a wedding venue:

• When Is Payment Due?

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What Will The Wedding Venue Want To Know At A Final Walkthrough Or Tour

• Your final headcount

• If you dont know yet, thats completely, totally, 100 percent fine. Your venue is asking because they want to know how many tables and chairs to include on the final floor plan that theyre making for you.

• What you can tell them instead:

• A rough estimate of how many guests will attend

• How many people per table youre thinking

If Youre Planning A Wedding In An Untraditional Space Ask Logistical Questions For Your Vendors

Ive planned weddings in forests, studio backlots, empty warehouses, estate venues, and desert boulder coves with no power or running water. If you are considering a raw space or non-traditional venue, youll have a long list of logistical questions youll want to ask the site manager. Most of the questions will fall under the categories of noise restrictions, rental requirements, parking/ transportation, power, load-in/load-out timing, and vendor rules. Jessica Carrillo, Owner of Art & Soul Events®

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Wedding Venue Questions About Food & Alcohol

• Do you have an in-house caterer? If not, is there a list of approved caterers?
• Is there a food or beverage minimum?
• If using an off-site caterer, is there a kitchen available for them to use?
• Is a wedding cake included in the package? If not, is there a list of preferred bakeries?
• Do you provide alcohol service in-house? If not, is there a list of approved alcohol service providers?
• Do you offer a menu tasting or bar tasting if those services are provided in-house?

Tip: The Treasury on the Plaza has a full liquor license, so all beverage services will be provided by our team. Please see our Bar Packages. We look forward to customizing your selections during your complimentary private bar tasting!

How Many Hours Does The Rental Include Is There An Additional Fee If We Stay Longer

Most wedding venues let the party go on until eleven or laterbut its important to ask when the wedding party and the family can show up the day of. A lot of wedding venues dont let the wedding party set up or get ready until noon or later, so if you are a person who likes to take their time getting ready before the big day, look for a venue that is more flexible with time. At all three Main Street Events spaces, the party is allowed to be at the venue as early as 9 am and go until 11:30 PM with no additional fee. Sixteen hours family and friends have space to get ready, party, and send-off. As far as additional fees go, many venues will provide an extra hourly rate if attendees or the bride and groom want to stay longer, so make sure to ask the exact rate of a couple of extra hours.

A Mission Theatre ceremony captured by Cassandra Marie Photography

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Questions To Ask If Youre Bringing In An Off

As an off-premise caterer, there are always certain questions we want to ask the venue! These are some of the basics we always ask to make sure we are prepared! Michelle DAnna, Michelles Catering

• What kitchen equipment is provided?
• What insurance is needed?
• Is there a manager on-site for the day of the event to take care of water and electrical issues?
• Is there a fee?
• Is there an early set up fee for tents or rentals?
• What is parking like?

Is Parking Available And Included

Oh hey there, another fee. Parking on premises isnt always included, but when it is, you can guarantee it comes with a fee. There are often different levels to this parking fee. Typically, couples can choose to play a lot flat fee which allows their guests to park for free, but park themselves. Theres also the option to have the guests pay for parking, which feels really reasonable to some and really jarring to others. But, if youre feeling fancy, theres also the option to have a valet service for all guests driving in, and this is where it gets pricy. Worth it? Only you reading this can be the judge of that.

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Does The Venue Include Linens And Table Dcor For Guest Tables

Similar to the tables and chairs, this is an extra cost if not included through the venue or your caterer, so make sure to ask if linens and table décor will be provided.It is also a good idea to ask who will be setting up said decor and taking it down afterwards. This can be a huge job for yourself/family members if there wont be anyone to set it up for you and take it down at the end of the event.

Does The Venue Provide Tables And Chairs

If the venue does not provide tables and chairs, you will have to rent them separately from an outside rental company. These types of costs can add up fast, so we recommend asking if tables and chairs are included and if so, how many.

TIP: To know if they provide enough tables for your guest count, you can assume around 8-10 people will fit at each table. So if your guest count is 130 youll need 13-17 tables!

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Questions To Ask A Wedding Venue During A Venue Tour

If you read our recent blog post that outlines 6 Things to Do Once You Get Engaged, you know that one of the most important steps to start the wedding planning process is to select your wedding venue. Once you narrow down your list of potential venues, typically the next step is to schedule a wedding venue tour to see the venue in person and decide which venue is the best fit.

Weve previously put together a wedding venue checklist featuring the 5 most important questions to ask a wedding venue. But there are many important questions to ask before you decide which venue is right for your wedding! From date availability and guest capacity to bathrooms and parking, were sharing our list of what questions to ask a wedding venue before and during a tour.

Treasury on the Plaza wedding venue tour | First Sight Films

Whats Your Weather Contingency Plan For Outdoor Spaces And How Much Does It Cost

Mother Nature can put a damper on your big day, especially if youre planning to host part or all of your wedding outdoors. This is where a contingency plan can save the dayso be sure to ask each venue about theirs. Just keep in mind that a Plan B isnt always free! It may cost a pretty penny to reserve that extra just in case event space, those outdoor heat lamps, or that gorgeous sailcloth tent. You want to make sure that if a contingency plan does need to be activated, it wont bust your budget. Jenna Miller, Creative Director of Here Comes The Guide

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Can We Book A Rehearsal Dinner At Your Venue

Going into venue tours, the rehearsal dinner slips the mind of a lot of couples, or they assume the rehearsal dinner is included in the wedding package. Its so important to ask the venue what their rehearsal dinner policy is because a lot of wedding venues cant offer this to couples because they are already booked out for weddings, or they charge a large fee for couples to use the space for an additional night. Main Street Events just charges an hourly rate for dinner and rehearsals that can be customized to any length of time.

The Barn at Riverbend reception area

What To Ask When Touring A Wedding Venue

Picking a wedding venue isnt easy. There are a lot of details to consider and its a lot of money on the line. While its easy to get caught up in how a venue looks, theres definitely some important details and fine print to consider before making a final decision. As youre deciding on a wedding venue, be sure to ask the following questions before signing on the dotted line.

Is the venue available during the day or month Im considering?

If your heart is set on a specific date, this should be the first question you ask. Theres no point moving ahead with additional questions or a tour if the wedding venue is already booked on the date/month you want. If youre flexible with the date, you may want to consider booking an off-season event or a weekday wedding for potentially lower rates.

What is the capacity?

Again, this is another one of those make it or break it questions. If the venue cant accommodate your guest list, it may not be the right fit for your big day.

What is the cost and when are payments due?

Youll want to discuss pricing early on in the process to be sure the venue fits within your wedding budget. Youll want to know exactly what is due and when so you can work payments into your planning timeline accordingly.

Whats provided/included with the venue?

What are the room specs?

Are there changing areas for the bride, groom, and member of the wedding party?

Is there adequate parking?

How many bathrooms are there?

Can I host my ceremony here as well?

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What Amenities/extras Do You Offer

At some wedding venues, you’re just renting the space and will need to bring in everything from tables and chairs to glassware, while others offer a variety of services with their packages. An all-inclusive venue typically offers catering, but may also include the wedding cake, rentals, music pros, florist, even an officiant!

Questions About The Event

16. Is the venue licensed for civil ceremonies? Sometimes venues are only licensed in certain spaces for civil ceremonies, so if youve got your heart set on a specific room, you should ask.

17. Can we use pets in our ceremony? Make sure its OK for your dog ring bearer to walk down the aisle before you buy that super cute outfit.

18. Do you have recommended suppliers? Are we required to use them? Even if the venue recommends suppliers, they may be flexible about whether you use them.

19. Do you provide catering services? Is a tasting of the menu included? Not all venues include the wedding tasting in their package price, but its worth doing to give you an idea of the food on your special day.

20. Is there a food and beverage minimum? Some venues will require a minimum purchase of food and beverage, which is helpful to know ahead of time for budget planning.

21. If we hire our own caterer, will they have access to a kitchen? Caterers will often charge extra if they need to bring their own grills, refrigerators, or other large equipment. If theres a kitchen on-site and you dont have to use the venues catering team, make sure the team you hire will have access to it.

22. What are the menu options and how flexible are they? You may have your heart set on a particular dish or style of food. Make sure your venue is flexible enough to accommodate it!

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