Important Questions to Ask Before Picking Your Wedding Venue
Choosing your wedding venue sets the stage of the entire event, and it’s important to do your proper diligence when deciding on a location. We’ve put together some categories of questions that you should consider asking when narrowing down the location for your special day.
Initial Questions
These will help rule out certain venues immediately, even without a tour.
- Is my ideal date available?
- How far in advance must we reserve the date?
- Are there any other events at this venue on the same day?
- How many hours can I rent the venue for?
- What’s the maximum number of guests your venue can accommodate?
- Is there any outdoor space?
- What do your different wedding packages entail?
Decorations
You want to make sure the venue can accommodate your style by asking these questions both before and during your tour.
- What are your policies, including restrictions, on decorations?
- Do you provide any decorations? Are these included or for rent?
- Does the venue provide place cards, table numbers, and seating charts?
- How early can we start decorating?
- Can we go in the day before to store items?
- Does the venue provide signage to direct guests?
- Can we customize the facility's decor?
- What is your policy on sparklers and confetti?
Entertainment
Make sure to ask your venue about their policies for entertainment.
- How many people can fit on the dance floor?
- What times are we allowed to play music from? Are there noise restrictions?
- Does your venue have a high-quality sound system?
- What is the typical sound setup?
- Can we bring a DJ or live band? When can they start setting up?
- Can entertainment be set up anywhere in the venue?
Set Up and Break Down
You do not want to be worrying on your wedding day about whether things will be setup on time, and you especially don’t want to waste effort on breaking things down. Make sure these questions are answered before you commit to a venue.
- Does the venue provide these services?
- Are there fees associated with this process?
- Do you have examples you can show me from past events?
- Who is in charge of the setup and breakdown process?
- How long does these processes take?
- What time do vendors begin setting up? When do they begin breaking down?
- Who will be our main contact on the day of the wedding?
Staff and Vendors
You want to make sure you have the proper staff to service your event, and these are questions that should be handled before you start hiring florists, designers, or caterers.
- Do you provide an on-site coordinator?
- Do you offer security for the event?
- Do you offer valet services?
- Do you provide a coat-check service?
- Do you provide bartender services?
- What is the service charge for any provided staff?
- Is there a tipping policy for staff?
- Do you have a list of preferred vendors? Must we work with this list?
Payment and Insurance
Payment should be among the earlier conversations with your potential vendor, and is something that can make or break a venue. It is also important at this time to cover your bases by asking about cancellation policies as well as any offered insurance.
- Is there a contract I need to sign? Can I see a sample?
- What’s the total cost for your venue?
- Do you offer payment plans?
- What’s included in the total venue fee?
- What’s not included that we should plan on paying for?
- Are rates different depending on what day of the week our wedding is on?
- Do I need to pay a deposit? When is a deposit due?
- Is my deposit refundable?
- What’s your cancellation policy look like?
- Do you have liability insurance? What are the insurance requirements for me and my vendors?
General Questions
There are a variety of other questions that will be important to consider before choosing a venue. You want to make sure you and your guests are going to be comfortable and accommodated, and these questions will ensure that everything operates smoothly for the duration of the wedding.
- How does parking work? How many vehicles can the venue accommodate?
- Are services like Uber and Lyft easily accessible from the venue?
- What are the nearest hotels to the venue? Are shuttle services available?
- Is there a backup plan if it rains?
- Are children allowed?
- Are there changing tables for babies?
- How many restrooms does the venue have?
- Are there any outdoor restrictions?
- How many electricity outlets are there?
- Will we be able to control the air conditioning or heating?
- Is there a secure space for gifts?
- Are there separate spades for the ceremony and reception?
- Is there a specific room for the bride to change?