What Questions Do I ask a Wedding Venue?

So you just got engaged! Congratulations!!

One of the first things you will want to secure is your wedding venue. Weddings venues book up pretty quickly. So you will want to secure a venue first thing! And once you have your venue everything else falls in to place….You will have your place, your date and your vibe! So where do you start?

Ask your friends for recommendations, and start looking up places online. Are you looking for a more relaxed outdoors location? A Farm is a great option. An urban Industrial vibe? Look for a downtown location. Do you want a location that you can have ceremony & reception? Get together an initial list of those you want to visit and form some questions. If you don’t know what you want- visit a few kinds and see what feels right for you. You should decide what year and what season you want to get married in. It’s best not to lock down an exact date until you do some initial research. The dates that tend to book up the quickest are May, June, October and September. A lot of it depends on when you get engaged. If you get engaged over the holidays we get a lot of requests for the next Fall (October) or the following year Spring (May) So those dates book up the quickest!

A lot of our couples are just starting their venue search and don’t know what to even ask. So we will help you with a list of questions to get you started!

What dates are available? Unless you really have a specific date in your mind, it’s best to be a little flexible with your date. You may pass up on your perfect venue when they may have a week or two before or after available. Or once you visit you may find out the the prettiest season is Summer and you were thinking Spring…. We have beautiful weddings here all 4 seasons!

How many guests can you accommodate? You should have an idea of how many guests you want to invite. The larger your guest list- the bigger your budget needs to be (more food, drink, more staff, etc!). Make sure the guest list is who you want. There are a lot of sources to help you weed down your guest list to the perfect size of guests that are there for you! We will do a post on that soon! We are a boutique venue and we like to keep our weddings at about 110. After doing weddings for 16 years we have found that in most cases this is a pretty good number for a wedding for your closest friends and family.

What is the rental fee and what is included? This is a big one. What is included? Just the space? Tables & chairs? Linens? Food? Props? (all our props are included - a big savings for our couples!). Can I have my ceremony and reception here? Or is there an additional cost? Does the space need to be flipped? Are there changing areas for the bridal party? Can I have my rehearsal dinner there? Is that an additional cost? How much time is allocated for rehearsal? Do I get the weekend or just a day and how many hours? Are there any additional fees that we should be aware of? Don’t make you decision based on just price unless you know what is included - there is a lot of value in things included both from a cost perspective and a stress perspective! For instance - we give you the weekend (Friday, Saturday & Sunday morning) All tables, chairs, linens and ALL of our props (including our photobooth) are all included! We do the set up and tear down. You get our in house design service. No additional fees!

How much is the deposit? Is it refundable? When is it due? Does it apply towards the rental fee? What is the payment plan? What type of payment do you take?

What’s the cancellation policy?

Whats your backup plan for weather?

Do you require liability insurance? Do my vendors need to be insured? (We highly recommend hiring vendors with insurance - it means they are professionals and they are taking your day seriously!)

Can I choose my own vendors? Do you have a list of preferred vendors? Do I have to use your preferred vendors? Do you have a kitchen? Is there a service fee ? Are there restrictions on vendors? When can my vendors set up?

Can we bring in our own alcohol? Do you have a bartender? Are there any restrictions, no shot policy, etc?

Are we allowed to bring in our own decorations? Will someone help us?

Are you climate controlled? Heat? Air?

Can we have candles/ sparklers/ fireworks/ food trucks/ confetti/ fog machines/pets/ bouncehouse/ firepit…?

Do you have staff on site? Security? Coordinator? Do I pay for these services?

Is there a sound system?

How many bathrooms?

Are you handicap accessible? ( if needed)

Noise restrictions? What time do we need to shut down? Is there a curfew? What time do we need to be out?

Are there accommodations nearby? Hotels nearby? On premise? Shuttle services?

Is there a parking on site? Can my guests leave cars overnight? Is Uber available? Shuttles?

Can my pet be a part of my ceremony? What are the rules?

Hopefully these are helpful in your search for the perfect venue!

Good luck!