10 Questions You Need to Ask Your Venue
Choosing a venue is one of the first things to consider when you're hosting any event, big or small. It's ALWAYS suggested to tour your venue before booking. As we're still faced with this different way of life being in a pandemic AND currently a province-wide lockdown, seeing your venue in person may not be an option right now.
However, many venues are now offering virtual tours to make the process easier for you and giving you that opportunity to see the space before making a final decision.
To help you find the perfect venue for your wedding or event, here are 𝟭𝟬 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲.
1.) Do you host more than one event in a day?
This is very important for some as they would like to have the entire venue for their special own celebration. If venues host more than one event a day, ask them to give you an idea of what your event would look like when sharing the venue. Are there separate entrances? Do they use the same staff for both events?
2.) Is parking available on-site?
If there's parking onsite, how much space is available? Will guests be charged or is it included in the venue fee? Sometimes you may be able to add valet parking to make it a seamless experience for guests, whether you cover the costs for everyone or guests can have the option to go with valet parking.
3.) Are clients required to use certain vendors from your list?
Most venues, if not all, will have a preferred vendors list. Some venues make you use these vendors when you book, or give you the option of bringing in your own vendors. Just confirm these details before booking, as some vendors on the list may not work with your style and budget in the end.
4.) What's included in the price?
When you book the venue, make sure to find out everything that's included from the tables, chairs, linens to security. It's good to know everything that is included so you have a better idea of the overall venue cost and how to move forward with allocating costs for the other areas of your wedding like floral, photography and decor.
5.) What is the backup plan for rain or inclement weather?
This is something to always consider as the weather can change by the hour and you need to ALWAYS have a backup plan in place. If you're having an outdoor wedding, venues will book an indoor room as well to ensure they can accommodate you and your guests if it starts to rain. Just make sure to view the other space to make sure you like it as well. Also a good thing to ask how far in advance do you have to make the call to move everything indoors.
6.) What is the capacity?
Room capacity is very important to know as this will help determine how large or small your wedding will be. You need to also keep in mind that the capacity of the room may or may not include dance floor, so be sure to ask about the different layouts. Another thing to note, is just because a venue has a max capacity of 150 may mean that your tables need to be at max capacity and you won't have much room between them. I always suggest to my clients to go lower than the max capacity of venues so tables can be spread apart and guests aren't sitting elbow to elbow.
7.) How much is the deposit?
When booking any venue, a deposit will always be needed to secure the date, so be sure to find out how much it is and if it is refundable. Most likely any deposit is non-refundable and it will be stated in the agreement. However, maybe you could use that deposit towards another event if something comes up and you can't move forward with the original date you had booked with the venue. Ask about the payment plan as well, so you're aware of any upcoming payments as you move closer to your event or wedding.
8.) Do you provide in-house catering?
This is a very important question to ask because if they provide on-site catering, that is one less vendor you need to find. However, sometimes they may offer on-site catering and you have the choice to bring in an outside caterer. Do keep in mind that fees to bring in outside caterers will probably apply. Venues may also have specific outside caterers they use, so you may not be able to bring in any caterer.
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9.) Is there a food & beverage minimum?
This is good to know because if you are having a smaller wedding or event, you may still have to meet the food & beverage minimum. Which ultimately means the price per person would be more than if you had a larger guest count.
10.) What other fees can you expect? (service, landmark, security, etc.)
All their fees should be stated on the agreement, but it's always good to ask up front so you are aware of everything before booking. Other fees could include service, venue, landmark, security and so on. These would all be on top of the per person price or not even included in the food & beverage minimum. Just make sure you know all fees included so you have a good idea of the overall venue cost, as this will be the biggest expense of your wedding.
When you tour a venue there are SOOO many details to consider which is why it's such a big decision to make. Hiring a wedding planner will help make this decision much easier. Wedding planners know all the questions to ask and can suggest venues based on your style, budget and guest count which will ultimately save you time and money in the end. And that's always a plus right?
My full wedding planning package includes venue selection, along with many other services that will help make your wedding planning journey a fun and exciting one. 𝙄 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙖 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚.
If you're thinking of hiring a wedding planner, get in touch with me today and we will setup a time to chat to make sure we’re a great fit for each other 💗
XO Claudia