5 Important Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue
Now that I’m deep into the process of planning my own wedding, I most definitely have been finding certain things harder than expected. There are many layers to a wedding day that I naturally know a lot about, because of my job, of course! With that being said, I don’t know everything. I found booking the venue to be one of the most stressful, time-consuming and just generally challenging things to book.
Jake and I are not a complicated couple but did have a couple of things on our priority list that we were hoping to find in a venue. Through many emails, phone calls, conversations, reading of blogs and all kinds of research we made it. I wanted to share some of the new skills I’ve acquired by giving you a quick 5 questions to ask your venue before booking them.
Cancellation/Reschedule Policy
With COVID19 having been around as long as it has we’re no stranger to things getting pushed back and re-scheduled. It sucks, but what doesn’t suck is having a plan well in advance of this. Discuss what you would like to do with your partner in different COVID situations so you have a rough idea of what choice you would make (i.e move forward, downsize, reschedule, cancel, elope…). Don’t forget to ask your venue for that policy though so that you understand what they will expect of you and you can plan and budget for a plan b.
Better to have a plan and not need it, than not plan and need it.
What’s included in the cost?
You may have thought of this already but things like servers, bartenders, liquor licensing, kitchen supplies, set-up/tear down and more are all things some venues include. To get a real sense of what your costs are going to be and how that venue functions be sure to ask what’s included with all the costs and what do you have to seek out elsewhere.
What decor do you include and do you have limitations with what we can do?
This is a two-part question for a reason. You want to first be very clear on what they already supply. Most venues will supply chairs, tables and table linens, but some will even have arbours, signs, different linen colours and styles. This is important to know for the same reason as the above question. Get your costs straight first so you know if this venue is in your budget.
Secondly, you’ll want to know if there’s anything you can’t do. This is going to be helpful later on in your planning once you actually start pulling things together. With that being said, it can still be useful to know upfront to set the president and so you know if the venue is a perfect fit.
Is there a noise curfew?
This one is particularly important if you’re getting married outside. Many different regions, particularly country-side areas will often have these noise curfews. For example, Jake and I are getting married in the GTA and the noise curfew where we are is 1:00 am, but when looking at other venues in Prince Edward County we found out that the noise curfew there is 11:00 pm. Maybe you don’t care so much about this but it will still be useful to know when planning out your timeline, particularly dinner start and finish time!
Is there anything you’d recommend we do or is important to know specifically relating to your venue?
Give them a chance to explain how a typical wedding day flows, what works with them and what hasn’t worked in the past. Let them divulge all that information so you know if this venue is going to fit for you!
Bonus advice
- Always do a walk through in full with the main co-ordinator person. You will naturally see things and think of questions and they, too, will think of things to tell you as you walk through together.
- Be sure to inquire with a few (start with 3 and don’t inquire with too many at once). Do this so that you can compare. You’ll get a really good sense for what’s standard and/or which venues offer unique experiences for you and your guests.
I still have a select few 2022 dates open to weddings and elopements! I have started taking bookings for 2023 as well and am booking fast. Inquire HERE
Check out this blog post of a gorgeous couple strolling through Downtown!
Check out my new Instagram for my boudoir work!
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