Updated on: Dec 13, 2024
Choosing the perfect wedding venue for your big day is a crucial step in the planning process. It plays a huge factor in making your wedding day a dream come true. Wondering what questions to ask a wedding venue? There are a lot of different things to consider and a lot of information you need to know. To make your planning process a breeze, we have created a list of questions, which have been divided into different categories. It's always helpful to ask questions when choosing the perfect venue for your wedding.
Wedding Venue Booking
The most important question that we want to cover before diving into the small details is pricing and booking. Keep in mind, the pricing for wedding venues may vary depending on the time of the year. Some venues are cheaper on the weekdays than weekends, or cheaper during certain seasons of the year. make sure to find out how much your choice date totals up to be. Here are some great questions to get you started:
- Is my choice of date available?
- How far in advance am I allowed to reserve my date? (Some venues allow reservations extremely far in advance. make sure to reserve your date as early as possible before someone else takes it.)
- What are the price rates for my specific date? Are the prices different on days of the week versus on weekends?
- How many hours are included in my rental date? Are there overtime fees? (This information you will need very early on as you plan your wedding so you can include the schedule on guest’s invitations. Guests will surely want to know when they can show up and when they can leave)
- Is there a maximum guest count?
- Is there a deposit? If so, how much is it? (It is important to know all of the expenses before you continue considering a venue. If the entire venue cost doesn’t fit within your budget, you may have to continue looking for other options)
- What is your payment and cancellation policy?
Wedding Venue Decorations and Amenities
Oftentimes, you may find that many wedding venues have similar looks, styles, or structures, and you may want something more unique. Decorations are a great addition to making your vision/theme come to life. You deserve your wedding day to look and feel exactly as you envision. You want to find out all available amenities and if there are any restrictions when it comes to decorating the venue. Here are some questions to ask a wedding venue on decorations:
- Are there decorations already available for me to use? Are they included in the venue cost, or do they cost extra to set up?
- Are tables and chairs available?
- What rental equipment do you recommend that's available to me?
- Can I outsource a wedding decorator?
- If so, when can my decorator start to set up?
- Are any fixtures removable (ex. - artwork that you may not particularly like)?
- Can I light candles?
- Is there a lounging area for guests to sit and relax?
- Is there parking available for guests?
Wedding Venue Food Catering Services
Oftentimes, wedding venues offer their own food and catering services. You want to know what kinds of service the venue offers. some venues offer all-inclusive packages for food, rentals, and more. In any case, some couples may choose to hire outside vendors along with entertainment. keep in mind that some venues may have strict rules and may have a list of vendors that they will allow on their property. If you are already looking into certain catering or entertainment companies, make sure not to miss these questions.
- Do you have on-site catering available?
- Can I bring in my own caterer? If so, do you have a list of allowed caterers?
- Do you have on-site catering available?
- Do you specialize in any types of cuisine?
- Do you specialize in any types of serving styles?
- Can you accommodate special dietary requests (kosher, gluten-free, sugar-free, etc.)?
- Do you use both fresh and frozen food and produce?
- Can family recipes be prepared?
- Is there a discount on children’s meals?
- Do you charge for cake cutting?
- Do you offer free food samples?
- Can I taste all of the dishes you’re going to recommend for my event?
- How many people can I bring to the tasting?
- Can I see the kitchen where the food will be prepared?
- Can you design menu boards for food stations?
- What will the guest-to-server ratio be? (You want at least one server for every 30-50 guests for a buffet and one for every 10-15 for a plated dinner)
- What do you do with leftover food? Can we take it home or donate it?
- Do you have a chocolate fountain? What is the cost of renting that equipment?
Wedding Venue Bar Services
If you are on a budget, bringing your own alcohol is a great way to save money. however, certain venues simply don't allow you to bring outside alcoholic beverages or they don't have any at all! Make sure to clarify this before booking the venue. Here are bar services questions to ask a wedding venue:
- Do you provide bar service?
- How many bartenders will be available at the event?
- How many bars can you set up?
- What liquor brands/types are included in your rail prices? Which wineries’ wine and styles do you carry?
- Do you offer consumption bar pricing?
- Can I bring in my own alcohol? Are you able to provide bartenders if I do? Are there corkage fees?
- Are the beverages served by the wait staff or served only at the bar?
Staff-Related Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue
It is important that you form a relationship or at least get to know who your main contact will be. This person will be your go-to for any venue-related questions and the person you keep up-to-date throughout the wedding planning process. Communication is Key! You may also be curious to know more about the people working the day of your wedding and the experience that they have.
- Who is my main contact for the event?
- Are you the one who will manage my event? If not, if and when can I meet the event staff? Can I have their contact information and experience?
- During the event planning process, how quickly can I expect a response from an email or voicemail?
- In the event of an emergency the day of my event, who would my back-up contact be? What experience do they have?
- Can I have the cell phone for that contact (and a back-up)? Is he/she able to receive emails on his/her phone?
- Can you tell me about the experience of your serving staff? How long have they worked for you?
- Can you tell me about the experience of your bartenders? How long have they worked for you?
- Do you have a certified event/wedding planner on staff? What is that person’s particular experience?
- Will there be an event planner on-site throughout the entire event?
- What will the servers and bartenders be wearing? (You want to make sure it’s following your event's theme and not too flashy from the guests)
General Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue
These are general questions that you might want to ask If you are curious to know more about the staff and their experience. Don't hesitate or feel like you are asking too much! After all, it's a once-in-a-lifetime moment and you deserve to have the most spectacular wedding day.
- Do you have a portfolio that I can review?
- Do you have a website?
- Do you do table displays or decorations?
- When do you need a final guest count?
- Are there noise restrictions?
- What would happen in the event of a flood, fire, disaster at the venue?
- How many concurrent events can you host at once?
- Do you specialize in hosting any particular type of event?
- What made you choose this field?
- Tell me a little about your experience/training/education.
- How long have you worked at this venue?
- Where did you work before here?
- What’s the largest event you’ve ever personally managed?
- Have you had any dissatisfied clients in the last 6 months? What happened?
Questions to ask A Wedding Venue: Conclusion
Of course, there may be other questions not on this list that you may want to ask your venue coordinator that relate to your personal situation. Still, this comprehensive list of questions to ask a wedding venue have you covered for major categories that need to be answered when planning a wedding. Feel free to ask as many questions from this list as you’d like to secure your venue!
For more content relating to venues, check out our Garden Wedding Venues, Hawaiian Wedding Venues, Popular Reception Venues, Best US Cities for Brewery Weddings, Venue Ideas, Baby Shower Venues, Bridal Shower Location Ideas, and Girls' Birthday Venues.
Written by Brittany Schmidt and Shannyn Apolaro; Contributor: Becky Smith