Oh, the all-important wedding venue search. This can be a source of so much stress for couples, (some of which is justified) because the reception venue influences so many aspects of the wedding. It’s hard to know if you’ve found “the one” if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Or you may not know what to ask when you get there. I’ve met couples that researched wedding venues for months before they chose one. That’s a lot of research (and time!!!). Most of the time it’s because couples were afraid to pull the trigger because they didn’t feel confident that they’d asked all the right wedding venue questions.
In today’s post, I’m giving you my top 10 overlooked wedding venue questions to ask your potential wedding venue.
There are obvious wedding venue questions, like
- Are you available on my preferred dates?
- What should a wedding venue include?
- How much should I spend on a wedding venue?
- Do I book the church or venue first?
- What should I ask at my final venue walkthrough?
But there are some MUST ASK wedding venue questions that all couples should make sure to ask!
(Psst! If you're looking for more help, grab my Wedding Vendor Email Templates and Interview Questions bundle in the Resource Shop! If you feel like you're forgetting to ask important questions but never know what to say, I wrote these email templates to save you so much time!)
Looking for a complete list of 20 wedding venue questions? Make sure to sign up for my FREE guide, The Top 20 Overlooked Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue!
Get your FREE guide here!
Additional Charges
These charges aren’t hidden, but if you don’t know to ask about them, they can add up quickly! Make sure to ask your wedding venue these questions about additional charges they might have!
- Service Charge – What is it and what is it applied to? Some venues charge 15-22% (maybe more) on what couples spend on food and beverage. Some add it to the venue rental. Others don’t. Some add it to other costs like cake cutting and champagne toasts.
- Valet – Do they charge for this or is it included? Or would you need to hire a separate valet service?
Planning a wedding in New York? Make sure to check out my guide, 10 Most Intriguing Wedding Venues in Upstate New York for 2020!
Logistics
The logistics of your wedding day are huge – and really heavily on the venue! Many items on your wedding planning checklist will require you to know the logistics of your venue.
- May we store items at the venue prior to our wedding day? And is there a storage fee?
- When are my vendors allowed to access the space to begin setup?
- How many other events could be happening simultaneously with ours?
- Is it possible for guests from other parts of the venue (public spaces or other private events) will mix with ours? If you want an exclusive feeling event, you’ll want to avoid this. You also want to make sure the property isn’t spread too thin while you’re having your wedding there.
Enjoy access to a list of ALL of the initial emails I recommend for wedding vendors so that you never miss an important question you didn't know you should ask, grab my WEDDING VENDOR EMAIL TEMPLATES AND INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Floorplans & Layouts
Another huge part of your wedding venue is the layout! When picking a venue, it’s not just about how many people the space can fit – but the layout! Some venues might be able to fit 100+ people, but guests are put in separate rooms. Others might hold more guests, but with a different table layout than you are hoping for. For example, farm tables can take up a lot of space, and leave less seating vs. round tables.
- Do you have a floorplan that’s to scale of our event spaces?
- How many can you comfortably fit in the space with a dance floor? Can we see a floorplan of this (ask this if your expected guest count is near their limit.)
Looking for help on your floorplan and seating chart? Check out Social Tables in my Resources Directory. This is the platform my couples and I use and it makes seating and floorplans a breeze!
Vendors & Rentals
Another list of important wedding venue questions is around the vendors and rentals. The price of the venue might adjust depending on rentals. For example, you might find an inexpensive rental, but discover they don’t provide any table or table wear rentals. That will mean you have an additional vendor and expense!
- What tables, chairs, linens, glassware, china come with the venue rental? May we see them?
- Do you have any exclusive or required vendors?
In case you scrolled to the bottom…
Finding the perfect wedding venue can be hard! There are so many questions to ask a potential wedding venue, and it’s easy to forget them! That is why I created this FREE guide, Top 20 Overlooked Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue! Find out the remaining 10 questions every couple needs to know the answers to. This guide will walk you through the questions step by step and has space for you to fill out the answers. This way you can easily compare venues!
Are you feeling overwhelmed by wedding planning? Or maybe you are newly engaged, and have no idea where to start? Subscribe to the podcast Ask the Planner wherever you get your favorite podcasts and hear wedding planning secrets from industry experts!
Photography by: Alexandra Meseke Photography
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