Questions to Ask The Wedding Venue BEFORE You Book

Venue hunting can be one of the most fun and the most frustrating experiences of wedding planning. If you’re reading this, you might be at the stage where you’re starting to visit some of your shortlisted favourites for your big day. Right now it’s really important to start a list of questions you need to remember to ask the venue manager now to avoid costly venue pitfalls and surprises later. It will also make it much easier to choose the right venue for you.

Planning

• Do you allow more than one wedding to take place at the venue each day?
• Who will be coordinating on the day? How long will they be here for and what will they do/not do? (Head over to our ‘Why Hire a Wedding Planner’? post to see why this is such an important question!)
• Are there any building works or renovations or changes to the decor planned before the wedding date?
• What is your wet weather contingency? (if the venue is or has an outdoor space)
• Do you have a preferred list of suppliers we have to work with?

Ceremony

• Which rooms/spaces are licensed for the ceremony?
• Will the ceremony and reception be held in the same room/space? If so, what is the plan for changeover and how much time needs to be allowed for this?

Food and Drink

• Do we have to pay for a food and wine tasting? How many people can come?
• Do we have to use your in-house wines? If we're allowed to supply our own wine, do you charge a fee for corkage?
• How much wine, champagne and soft drinks are you allowing per head in your packages?
• Are linens, cutlery and glassware included in the packages? Do you have options available?

Decoration

• What options do we have in terms of layout and table sizes?
• What options do we have in terms of chairs? Are we able to hire in alternatives?
• What other decor is provided in the package? Can we bring in our own?
• How much freedom do we have to decorate the space and move things around?
• Can we decorate the day before? If so, what time can we gain access?
• Will you hold any remaining decor overnight for pick up the following day? If so, do you have a secure place to store these items?

The Reception

• Where can we set up the band?
• Do they need to use your sound system or should they bring their own?
• Do you have a sound limiter? (This is a device which either shuts off the power to the room if noise levels go over a certain limit or automatically turns the volume down)
• Do you have microphones available in house for speeches?
• What time is the sound curfew?
• What time does the bar close? (if they have one in-house)

Accommodation

• Does the package come with a room or suite for the wedding couple?
• Do you have a block booking discount for guests and are there any conditions/restrictions attached?

Facilities

• Do you have a separate room for children if we set up a space for them?
• Do you have disabled access?
• What parking do you have available on site? How close is off-site parking?
• How many toilets do you have?
• Does the venue hold public liability insurance?

Costs

• What is included in the venue fee?
• What is the deposit, and when are other payments due?
• What is your cancellation policy?
• How does it affect the price or the package if we have fewer guests RSVP than we expected when booking?

Obviously, every venue is different and there will be more specific questions you’ll need to ask about each space. But this is a great starting point for coming up with those answers you need - just save this list and take it to any venue show-rounds. You’ll have all the information you need to make a good decision and avoid any nasty surprises or added costs! If you would like us to send it to you as a handy pdf just drop us an email to events@benessamy.co.uk.

And, of course, if it all gets to be a little bit much, get in touch! We offer a comprehensive venue finding service for our clients.

Val x

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Image credit: Photo of Norwood Park by Eleri Tunstall Photography