Venue

Might seem silly, but check the bathrooms! Obviously you want them to be clean, if they're not that says a lot about the venue. Also you want them to be accommodating for your guests. One venue we looked at only had 2 single stall bathrooms located on a different floor separate from the dancing area. This wasnt the deciding factor for choosing a different venue but it was an important note we made when searching!

Another thing we found with one venue that we loved was that it wasnt air conditioned! We wanted a Fall wedding and when the venue was only available in the summer, we were ready to change our date to August. It wasnt until I thought about my hair and it not liking the humidity we get in Southern Ontario that I asked about air conditioning. The venue's solution was to have giant industrial fans which I worried would distract from the speeches/ dancing.

Good luck finding your venue! Trust your gut, you really have to picture yourself on your wedding day in the space to see if it fits your vibe.

Lots of great questions, but also ask what will happen if...
a) there’s some kind of storm/issue and the venue loses power - what happens if day of, the venue has no power, do they have a back up plan/do you get refunded
b) the venue loses their liquor licence - will you be fully refunded any deposits/payments made - etc. The first venue we looked at was Whistle Bear in Cambridge. I knew a few people getting married there, and one of them told me that Whistle Bear lost their liquor licence for 30 days but that it wasn’t going to be enforced until April 2019. When we went to Whistle Bear in June 2018, every Friday and Saturday in April was already booked. We were thankful that we didn’t go ahead and book them. We never did find out how they handled this situation.

Check out the size of the hall to get an idea of the layout visually to see if it will work for you both.

Inquire about inclusive deals with bar, and food (cocktails and late night buffet instead of sweet table) dinner cost per person (sit down service vs. buffet) and cake service (cut into portions for serving or self service).

Find out the venue cost of the meals for adults and if kids are invited, lower for them overall for the evening.

Wedding at the same venue and location and if there is an extra cost. Cocktail hour in a different area rather than reception.

I agree with others re preparing questions ahead of time, and maybe even see if you can answer some of the questions yourself from their website!

Break up the questions into "must know", and "secondary", and maybe even "follow up". The person giving the tour will provide you with a wealth of info, and possibly even material. Go with a folder or bag to hold that material and go with a notepad...and a pen!

Allow moments to just take in the feel. Don't start with questions right away, just listen to what they're telling you, and notice how you feel when they communicate with you. But don't be afraid to ask your questions!

My FH took pictures while we walked around our venues, so we could review our notes/photos/feels afterwards so that was helpful!

Make sure that you ask all of the questions! It may add up really fast but in the long run you may regret not asking some of them.

Here are a couple links that may be of some help for what to ask about:

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?

Side note: Don't get discouraged if it takes a month or more before you find "the one", you'll find it!

Even if you really like this venue, don't book it right away - go home and reflect on your visit/see if there's anything else out there.

Also take lots of pictures so you'll easily remember what you love/hate about certain aspects.

Another thing is to ask about your non-negotiables or must-haves: If you really need something and the venue can't/won't provide it, don't be afraid to pass on them.

I have a discussion of other tips that can also come in handy for other vendors, here:

Tips for Interacting with Venues/Vendors

One thing I do regret sometimes is that I felt like my parents influenced the decision a little, even though our venue does have everything we want lol. It's harder for us to simply go and visit things since we live 18 hours away but honestly, I wish we did look around more and explored different options. So like Janaya said, I would visit multiple venues and ask them all the same questions.

View quoted message Lol, my fiance and I did that too. But I was so glad to be done the process after one venue. I put a lot of stress on myself about the venue and hated the entire initial inquiry process.


Different strokes though right?

Don't pick the first one right away just because its cute - look at all of your options before you make a decision I picked the first one we saw because I thought it looked cute and fit our budget and we signed the papers right there - but i wish we would have looked around a little more to see what else is out there

If you go through the wedding wire discussions, there are a ton on venue questions. I went through as many discussions on here as I could before meeting our venue, made a list of questions and went it.

Also take someone who has gone through wedding planning before. I took my Dad and Step mom with us, and they had a lot of questions I didn't even think of!

Like others have said ask a lot of questions! Write them down so you don't forget anything.

Also take a lot of pictures! These come in handy especially if you look at a bunch of venues- that way when it comes to decision time you can look back and remember all of the details of each place

I would prepare a list of questions to ask them, and if the venue isnt what you expected and don't like it, don't be afraid to say you pass on it to them. I hope all the best with this venue though!

Google "Questions to ask your wedding venue" I found a bunch of sites with really helpful questions to ask your venue! Make a list of ones you want to ask and bring it with you! Don't be afraid of asking a million questions, you are about to drop some money on these guys so you want to make sure you're happy with everything!