Wedding Venue question Checklist

If you’re newly angaged (congratulations BTW!), a lot of your time is probably being spent seeking out the perfect wedding venue. We’ve got a guide to how to choose what kind of venue you want, but once you’ve made a shortlist, started to contact venues, and maybe even organised to go along for a visit, it’s time to work out which place is ‘The One’. Which is where our handy checklist of wedding venue questions comes in (you can download it at the bottom of the page!).

Any of you who have started the big venue search will know, that while you do have lots of time with the owner, sales person or venue coordinator while there, typically you walk away thinking of a gazillion questions that you should have asked.

So our advice is, when you going to view a venue, bring along a list of questions and jot down the answers as you go. That way you’ll have a) all the information you need and b) consistent answers to compare between venue options. This will make sorting the pros and cons thing so much easier when you’re trying to make your final decision.

The Initial Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue

To get you started we’ve compiled a general list of wedding venue questions that cover all the various aspects. There are two primary questions you need to find out before talking to any venue you’re interested in:

1. Does the venue have enough seated capacity to accommodate your guest list?
2. Is your desired date free?

Beyond those basic questions, there are a lot of big and small issues that need to be ironed out with your potential venue. This list is designed to give you a broad overview of the kinds of things you should ask in order to minimise any surprises later down the line. Some will apply to you, others may not, so you can simply skip over them when you’re chatting with the venue.

Remember, when visiting multiple venues, keep a note of the answers at each, for easy comparison later on.

First Things First

• Who will actually be there on the day? Is there an in-house wedding coordinator? If there is a coordinator, will they be there for the duration of the reception?
• Do you have a one wedding per day policy?
• Is the venue available for exclusive use?
• If so, is there a minimum amount of guests that have to book accommodation for exclusivity?
• How flexible are your packages?
• Are there any changes planned to the building before the wedding (renovations, painting etc)?

Ceremony

• Which rooms are licensed for ceremonies?
• Is the ceremony to take place in the same room as the reception?
• What is the changeover plan for converting from ceremony to reception?
• Are there any alternative (or outdoor) locations for non-legal ceremonies?
• Are we allowed to have confetti?

Food & Wine

• Is a complimentary menu and wine tasting included? How many people can attend?
• How much wine/champagne/tea & coffee is included per person?
• Wine choices – what are the wine choices and what are the upgrade costs?
• Do you charge a corkage fee?
• Is the champagne toast complimentary?
• Are there any additional charges for bar staff or waiting staff?
• What time is the meal served?
• Do you cater for special dietary requirements? Coeliacs? Vegetarians?
• Is there an option for dinner the night before or a BBQ the day after?
• Is there a late night food option, what time is it served?
• Where is the cocktail hour or drinks reception held?
• Can we serve signature cocktails?

The Reception: Décor & Styling

• What crockery/linen/cutlery is provided as part of the package?
• What type of tables do you have (shape, size, top table)? Are there different options?
• Is any décor/stationery provided (menus, centrepieces, red carpet, flowers, cake stand)? Are there alternatives available?
• Can I move things around and decorate to suit my purposes, or do I have to leave everything as is?
• If you want to set up and decorate the venue the day before the wedding, can we gain access, what time?
• Can we hang things on the wall or from the ceilings?
• Do we need to bring in a contractor to hang decor or lights?

The Wedding Party

• Where does the band set up? Where is the dancefloor/how big is it/does anything have to be moved to create the dancefloor?
• Does the wedding venue already own a sound system with adequate speakers or will that need to be rented?
• Will the band be able to set up beforehand or does it have to be during changeover?
• Will the band have to go through the reception to set up or is there separate access?
• Do you have microphones in the venue for the speeches?
• Can I hook an iPod or laptop up to your sound system?
• Is there a late bar? How late will the bar be open?
• Is there a charge for a bar extension?
• What time do guests have to leave the venue?
• What is the capacity for evening/afters guests?

Accommodation

• Is the bridal suite included in the price? Are complimentary rooms provided for the parents or any of the wedding party?
• What accommodation does the venue offer, will there be discounted rates for guests at the wedding?
• Are there B&Bs and other hotels in the area for guests? Can you provide a list?
• Are there reliable taxi companies in the area?
• When is the check out time?
• Can we block book rooms for guests? If so, how long can they be held for?

Private Venues

• Can I have a marquee in the grounds? What capacity can be accommodated?
• Do you have a preferred marquee provider or can we organise our own choice?
• Are there any preferences for suppliers/is there an in-house caterer?
• Are kitchen facilities available for use?
• Do we need to supply a generator or bathroom facilities?

Facilities

• Can the bridal party get ready at the venue?
• Is the venue child friendly? What facilities are available for entertaining children?
• Is there a lift/facilities/access for elderly guests or those with a disability ?
• Is there enough parking for my guests and is it free?
• Is there a heated outdoor space for smoking or where my guests can mingle?
• How many toilets are there?
• Is there somewhere secure to store wedding gifts?
• Does the venue have public liability insurance?

 Financial

• Is there a payment schedule? What kind of deposits are required?
• What’s the cancellation policy? What costs are incurred if the numbers on the day differ to the final numbers?
• Are discounts/packages dependent on certain numbers of guests booking accommodation?
• Are there special reductions for off-peak (e.g. Monday – Thursday or January to March?)
• Is there a service fee included?
• Are there any additional fees or charges we need to be aware of?

One last nugget of advice: if you think a particular venue might be ‘The One’, follow up after the visit with an email confirming all their answers; some venues say yes to everything in the initial visit and are then less flexible in reality, so having everything you’ve discussed in writing will help things to run smoother down the line.

Download this list of questions here
in a handy free printable you can take with you to different venues…