Questions to ask a Venue

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Glad to help!

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Such a good point, I did notice that about a few places I browsed through online. I do like the idea of candles because of their symbolism I think they would be a nice touch.

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You’re so awesome! I’m just gonna print this off!!

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Perfect, I never would have thought to ask for the preferred vendors, because I think we have everything. But I’m trying to be thorough! So thank you for this!!

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That’s a really good idea, they have photos online but they aren’t the same as when you take them yourself!

Thank you so much for these!! I wrote them all down in my notebook, I’m excited to see it on Monday but it’s more expensive than my first choice so far, this is my FH first choice venue so I wanna make sure we know what we’re getting into if we go with these guys, I don’t wanna added fees on top of what I already saw

Ask about the reservation process. Some places will do what I think is called a first right, where they'll hold it until someone else wants it and then give you x number of days to pay the deposit to secure it for good.

Try doing a quick search for "venue questions" in the community message board to see what other have to say about their experiences! It seem overwhelming, but I'm sure you'll find some good info.

I found the most important question I asked was the venues rules! I toured a few venues where they had extensive rules covering all kinds of things, others were as simple as no candles or no confetti. Its best to know at the time so if they outlaw candles but you've always wanted candles as part of your centrepieces then you'd have to consider that.

These were some of the main ones I asked:

1. How many Guests can the Ceremony/Reception Location hold?

2. How long will a ceremony last (on average)?

3. Is there a place for the Bride to get ready (i.e. Dressed)?

4. Is there a place for the Groom to get ready (i.e. Dressed)?

5. Is Cocktail hour an option for guests while photos are being taken? Where would it be (if venue is for both ceremony and reception)?

6. Is There a room block available for Guests? (hotel venue)

7. Do you have a list of Recommended Vendors?

8. Do you supply table linens, chairs, chair covers, plates, utensils, glassware, etc? (for reception)

9. What is the Length of Receptions? (set up, breakdown)?

10. What table sizes are offered?

11. Are there any signage options?

12. What is your Deposit/Cancellation Policy?

13. What Photo Ops are available?

14. Is there a back-up option in case weather is poor? (For outdoor venues)

15. Costs and hidden fees that might be associated with the venue


Hope this helps!

Here are a couple links that may be of some help:

6 hidden costs you should ask your venue about

5 Things Every Couple Should Know Before Booking Their Venue

My biggest questions were,

How many can I fit?

How much does the venue cost?

How long do I get it for?

Do you do set up/ tear down?

Can I bring outside catering in or do I have to use you?

What are the prices for food?

What types of bar services are there? (full, open, cash etc.)

What dates are available?

Do you provide a day of/ month of coordinator?

Nearby hotels?

Where can I have my pictures taken?

Can I book my own DJ or will there be a set up fee?

What is included when booking with them. Chairs, plates, glasses, linens, etc. Some places charge rental fees for things like that.

If there is a bridal room for the day of to keep stuff.

Ask if they have any preferred vendors. Sometimes venues have this and the vendors will give discounts. Our venue does this and we got a great deal on photographer and DJ.

I found every venue we went to covered the basics fairly well. I found this super useful link www.herecomestheguide.com
The most important things for us were having our own caterer (if that was an option), accessibility, we have a few guests with wheel chairs or walkers, if it was available our date and how many people it could hold.

Make sure you take a lot of pictures of it as well! That way you can always look back in case you forget some details/etc

Capacity, extra fee's associated with the venue, example if need use of kitchen or if they require you to use their catering company, rules regarding decor or if they provide mandatory decor (this happened to me and no where in the contract did it stat this), how long you have it example want to set up day before or if they have coordinators who set up and the fees with that, if they have bartenders you have to choose from and their rate or if you can provide your own, this meaning you would have to get the licencing for it too, local accommodations, if time limit of when you can or can't be in there- i have my place three days and can get in starting 9am but can't be in there after 1am. I also rented wine glasses and water glasses from them, what is included with venue example if they have chairs and tables or if you have to rent those, sometimes kitchens include the dishwear. This is a start for questions anyway!