Top 10 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Venue
Choosing your venue will be one of the first (and most likely the biggest!) decision you make during the planning of your wedding. You may have looked online and narrowed your search down to just a few of your favourites - now it’s time to quiz them and make sure you know what you’re letting yourself in for before you sign on the dotted line!
Asking the right questions helps when comparing to other similar venues you are interested in and if you’re visiting the venue, it will help you get the best out of your visit.
What is the availability in our chosen month?
This should be one of the first things you ask the venue, to avoid any disappointment and of course to avoid wasting any crucial wedding planning time! Be mindful that dates often book up 12-18 months in advance (especially Summer weekends!) so try to be as flexible as you can.
2. What is the capacity of the venue?
You may prefer to find your venue first and then work around their capacity before working our how many guests you are going to have, or you’ll already have your guest list nailed and need to find a venue to work to that. Either way, it’s important to know what your limits are. When viewing a venue, it’s also worthwhile asking how many it is currently set up for that day so you can also find out what works well in each room because you don’t want to find out that their maximum capacity actually leaves guests squashed and uncomfortable!
3. Is there accommodation on-site?
This is important if you have friends and family that will be travelling, as you don’t want people having to leave the party early to get taxis elsewhere. If the venue doesn’t have much (or any) accommodation on-site, ask them if they have a list of local accommodation they can send you.
4. What time will we have access to the venue from and until?
Access times vary from venue to venue so find out if you’re able to access the day before or early on the morning of the wedding to set up, what time you can keep the party going until on the night, and what time you will need to leave by the next morning. If you are able to access the day before to set up and the venue has accommodation, you might want to ask if you are able to stay there the night before too!
5. Is there an additional charge for the ceremony?
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If the venue is licensed to hold civil ceremonies, some venues charge an additional fee to hold the ceremony on-site. Be mindful that the ceremony fee at a venue will not include the registrar fee as this will be a separate cost which you can find out by speaking to the local registry office of that area.
6. Do you have in-house catering or can we provide our own?
A lot of venues have their own caterers or a list of caterers you need to choose from, whereas the more DIY venues such as marquees and some barns allow you to outsource whoever you like. If having your own catering is an important factor for you, make sure you ask this one early to avoid disappointment.
7. What’s included and what will we need to hire separately?
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From table cloths and napkins to easels and tea lights - it’s good to know what is included so you can factor any additional items in your budget. Most venues will provide furniture, cutlery, glassware and table linen as standard.
8. Can we supply our own alcohol?
If you are planning to provide your own alcohol there may be a corkage fee and certain restrictions. Some venues will only allow you to bring your own wine and bubbly and you may need to purchase other drinks through them so make sure you are aware of all options before booking your venue.
9. What is the payment schedule?
Most venues will require a deposit to secure the date, and will then have require the balance to be paid by certain dates. It’s good to know when these dates are and how much will be required at each date to help you plan your finances. Many venues will be happy for you to pay regular instalments so you can ask about this too if it’s something you think would help.
10. What are the next steps if we want to go ahead?
So you think you may have found ‘the one’? Ask them what happens next and how you get the ball rolling to get your date secured. I would recommend provisionally holding a date with your venue whilst you check the church or registrar is available on your date before you confirm the venue with a deposit.