60 Questions to ask your Wedding Venue
After setting a date for our wedding, choosing and booking a wedding venue was the very first thing we did. As wedding venues typically get booked very quickly and far in advanced it’s important to start looking and get an idea of what you want right away. Your wedding venue is arguably the biggest decision you make and the options are endless so it can be very overwhelming. Being organised and having a list of questions to ask your wedding venue prepared will make the whole process of choosing the perfect venue easier.
I didn’t know where I wanted my wedding to take place. We looked at venues in Somerset, where I live, Winchester, where we’ve spent a lot of our time together while I was at uni, or Essex, where Jaz lives. We looked at barns, hotels, golf clubs, stately homes and while they were all so beautiful I couldn’t picture us getting married them.
Then we found Hedingham Castle in Essex and it was more than I could’ve dreamed of! It was perfect and I had that overly excited feeling that told me it was the one. We booked our wedding venue in October and still, 6 months later, I get that excited feeling and tear up whenever I see the pictures.
We asked a LOT of questions when we went to view our venue which obviously helped massively when it came to deciding if it was right for us. So, to help those of you who are currently searching for the perfect venue I’ve put together a comprehensive list of questions to ask your wedding venue that will help you make a decision, before putting down the deposit.
General
1. Is the venue available on my date?
2. What wedding packages do you offer?
3. Will there be other events of the day or do we have exclusive access?
4. What is the venue capacity?
5. What are the terms of payment/what are your payment plans?
6. Do you have liability insurance?
7. What is your cancellation policy?
8. Is it accessable for disabled guests?
9. How long can we have the venue for?
10. Can I have my ceremony here?
11. Will the ceremony and reception be held in different rooms?
12. Can you run through what will happen on the day? (Timings, order etc.)
13. Are we able to have a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner at the venue?
14. What other rooms are included? (bathrooms, rooms for the bride and groom to change, coatroom etc.)
15. Is there baby changing facilities?
Food and Drink
16. Do you have a liquor license?
17. Do you provide in-house catering? If not what caterers do you recommend?
18. Can you cater to those with special requirements?
19. Are tables, chairs, linens, cutlery included or do we need to rent them ourselves?
20. What are the ways you serve food?
21. Can we bring in our own alcohol
22. Is there a corkage fee?
23. Do you offer tastings?
24. What time does the bar close?
25. Can we see a food and drinks menu?
26. Are there options for a cash bar and an open bar?
Accommodation
27. Do you offer accommodation?
28. Is a bridal suite included?
29. How much extra will accommodation cost?
30. What nearby hotels would you recommend?
31. Can we block book rooms for guests?
32. Can we stay the night before?
Parking
33. Where will guests park?
34. How many car parking spots are available?
35. Is there a charge for guests to park?
Decorations
36. Can we bring in our own decorations?
37. Do you provide signs to direct guests?
38. Are there any decorating restrictions?
39. Do you provide decorations?
40. Will you set up the decorations?
41. How many people can sit at one table?
42. Can we move things around?
43. Can we bring our own tables and chairs?
44. Are there any local vendors you recommend?
45. Can we get in the day before or early in the morning to set up?
46. Is there a secure area for gifts?
47. Who clears up after the wedding?
Cake
48. Do you provide a place for the cake?
49. Do you provide a cake cutting knife?
Music and Dancing
50. Is there a noise restriction?
51. What time can we play music until?
52. Can we bring in a band or a DJ?
53. What do you have for a sound system?
54. How many people can the dance floor accommodate?
55. Is there a microphone available for speeches?
Staffing
56. Do you provide staff? (Chefs, waiters, bar staff)
57. Is there a wedding coordinator?
58. What security services do you offer?
59. Who will be running things on the day?
60. What time can my vendors start setting up?
I hope you liked this post and found it useful. Make sure you print out these questions to ask your wedding venue to take with you, make plenty of notes while you’re there and take as many pictures of the venue as you like. When it comes to making the final decision you don’t want to forget a single detail.
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