These questions are crucial to ask your wedding venue as you prepare your awesome wedding day.
11 Important Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue
A wedding is the most auspicious and special moment of life for the bride and groom. Hence, everything associated with your wedding should be remarkable.
This includes your wedding dresses, your appearance, menu, and the wedding venue. Even your wedding decorations within the venue! The small details are very important.
Talking about the wedding venue, searching for an appropriate location seems to be a daunting task. In fact, there might be different options to choose from. You may tie the knot at an overwater chapel or go for setting up a stage at your hometown.
Making such a decision requires considering various elements such as weather conditions, how many guests you are inviting, logistics, and other viability factors. To start with, you must think about visiting a number of venues before booking.
This would allow you to experience the place, analyze it with reference to various aspects and ask some important questions. You must try to know each and everything prior to finalizing a specific wedding venue.
For this purpose, you need to know the questions to ask your wedding venue. To assist you, we have compiled a list of such questions. Just keep in mind these essential elements while giving final touches to your wedding preparation.
List of Important Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue
Let's get into some of the most important questions to ask your wedding venue as you begin to prepare your wedding day.
How Much Does Everything Cost
When visiting a wedding venue, make sure to know the overall cost of staging a wedding ceremony at that specific place. This is important, as if you don’t discuss the total cost, you may end up paying a hefty amount.
To keep your expenses under control, ask your wedding venue about everything that is going to charge you. Ask about the service charges and tax affecting the overall cost. Whether they serve food and if they do, what different categories they offer depending on the items.
The best option here is to get an estimate or quote. This will give you an opportunity to calculate the average cost per person. The estimate must include miscellaneous expenses such as bartender charges, valet parking, overtime, and power charges.
In fact, you must try to be in full command by getting all the budget information. This will help you reach a decision that fits your requirements, preferences, and overall budget.
What is the Maximum Time Duration?
Usually, wedding ceremonies exceed the time duration allowed by the wedding venue. If this happens to your wedding, you will have to pay the overtime charges. To avoid paying the additional charges, make sure to know the time duration that a wedding venue offers.
By discussing such matters prior to the wedding day, you can plan your wedding in a hassle-free manner. So ask the venue about the contracted amount of time from the start of the ceremony until the end of a reception.
If the time is too short and you have to vacate the venue before throwing a reception party, you shouldn’t think about booking such a venue.
Know the time required for the setup and provision of other accessories at the venue. If there is more than one wedding on that particular day, ask about the exact time you will get. This will allow you to plan things ahead of time and in a proper manner.
Moreover, you will be in a position to build a timeline for your wedding. It will help you a lot when staging the ceremony at an outdoor venue. You will be able to take amazing pictures in the broad sunlight and enjoy evening drinks with the guests, without any hurry of closing down the ceremony.
What Type of Food and Beverages Can You Serve?
Depending on the cost you can bear, wedding venues offer a variety of food and beverages. If you have a specific budget, ask them what options you can get under such a budget. What types of cuisine options are available if you want to spend more?
You are the one who decides about the food and beverages. However, your wedding planner should be in a position to serve such items. So ask them whether they can provide the food or beverages of your choice or you have to contact a third party vendor for this purpose.
Is It Possible to Bring in Outside Vendors?
This is one of the most important questions to ask about wedding venues. If you have plans to bring in third-party vendors, make sure to discuss this with the wedding venue. This will relieve you from the stress of managing things at the final stage.
By engaging outdoor vendors, you will be in complete control of the menu, seating/flower arrangements and similar other aspects. You can create customized menus depending on your preference.
On the contrary, if you can’t bring in the third party vendors, make sure to ask your venue what they offer in terms of food and beverages. Ask about the quality of their services such as what type of tables, chairs, linens, glassware, centerpieces, and flatware they offer for the venue setting.
If they have pictures of previous events, take a good look at the level of arrangements they are capable of providing.
Do You Have Weather Backup Plans?
Since most of the wedding venues utilize outdoor settings, it is essential to ask them whether they have a weather backup plan. This is important, as you can’t ruin your wedding just because of the weather.
So, make sure to ask about what will happen if it starts to rain in the middle of the ceremony. There should be a building close by that they can utilize for the event. Among other questions to ask your wedding venue, you also need to know about the wedding planner. If the venue will provide such a service, ask them how they are going to manage the things on the wedding day.
Ask them whether they will charge an additional fee while serving as the wedding planner or the service will be included in the overall cost. While discussing these factors, don’t forget to mention what you want or what type of services you are expecting from such a service provider.
What Floor Plan Do You Offer
Taking suggestion regarding the floor plan is a great idea. Ask the wedding venue what plans they suggest for the number of guests you are expecting.
Just listen carefully and analyze how good they are at planning. By doing so, you will be able to book a venue where your guests will get the best treatment. If you know the floor plan you can design to the right aisle runners for your grand entrance.
How Accommodating is the Venue?
If you have planned for an outdoor wedding, ask the venue that how accommodating the place is. Keep in mind the number of guests you are expecting.
You need to book a venue, which isn’t only beautiful but also provides a comfortable and spacious space for the guests.
If you have plans to host the reception and ceremony at the same venue, discuss it with the wedding venue. In case they offer a place that is spacious enough to manage both the events to take place simultaneously, you can book the venue.
On the contrary, if the venue is too small, try to look for another one. Make sure to go for a venue, which offers enough space that allows you to expand its accommodation even at the last moment. Moreover, ask whether there is a specific place to relax for the bride and groom, especially when preparations for a cocktail party are going on!
If the weather is going to be hot or too cold, what type of arrangements they can make. Does the venue offer special arrangements for the disabled? By inquiring about these aspects, you can actually plan things and try to make your wedding day a memorable one.
Whether the Venue is Available for Exclusive Hire
If you are looking to hire a venue exclusively for your wedding, ask this question to make things clear.
If the venue allows you to use the space exclusively, ask them how much they will charge you.
Is There a Specific Place for the Bridal Parties to Get Ready?
Normally, when you are getting married outside your hometown, you get ready at the wedding venue. If this is the case, then ask the venue what type of arrangements they offer for the bride or groom to get themselves ready.
If they have sufficient place for you and your wedding party to get ready, it is a great option. On the contrary, if the venue is not suitable for your pre-wedding preparation, think about looking for another venue.
Another important question associated with the above-mentioned query is whether the venue would charge an additional fee for an on-site area for getting ready or it is part of the deal. If they ask for extra charges, negotiate with them and try to include the fee for such services into the overall cost.
How Many Event Do You Manage in a Day?
If you are considering a specific venue, ask them how many events they cover in a day. This is of great importance, as when a wedding venue hosts more than one wedding a day, the things should go smoothly.
Moreover, if you have specific preferences, the venue needs to be customized for that purpose. If there is another wedding on the same day, you can’t ask for special treatment. In this case, you need to look for another venue that can meet your needs.
How Can the Guests Arrive at the Venue?
This is one of the most essential questions to ask about wedding venues. Your guests are coming to your wedding to celebrate the event. Hence, it should be your top priority to facilitate and entertain them.
The first thing in this context is the fact that how your guests will arrive at the venue. Ask your wedding venue for the public transport facilities available in the area. Moreover, ask them about the parking space and how many vehicles you can park there.
If you are thinking about renting a bus to transport the guests from a specific spot, calculate the distance and overall cost. It is necessary to book a venue that facilitates you in almost every aspect. Therefore, think first and act wisely to keep things going on smoothly at the wedding day.
Top Collections for Your Wedding Venue
We have all the right wedding product collections to make your wedding planning (and wedding day) successful.
1. Classic Wedding Collections
Our classic wedding collection will help you find the right decor and products to help you plan your wedding. Our collection includes white and classic aisle runners, centerpieces and more.
2. Modern Wedding Collections
Want to plan a modern wedding? Use our modern wedding collection to have a simple, progressive look to your modern wedding venue.
3. Rustic Wedding Collections
Thinking of having a barn wedding? Check out the full rustic wedding packages to help give your wedding a rustic-chic look.
4. Vintage Wedding Collections
If your wedding venue has a vintage or historical look, check out our vintage collection to plan a wedding like a Gatsby party.
Conclusion on Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue
Your wedding venue serves as a crucial element of your wedding day. You must try to take advantage of everything that the venue has to offer and make your wedding an unforgettable one.
By taking into account all the questions to ask the wedding venue, you will be in a position to control each and every aspect of your wedding.
What questions will you ask your wedding venue? Let us know in the comments below. We'd love to hear from you.