peterson house circa 1876 redleaf wollombi krinklewood estate
One of the first steps in the wedding planning process should be selecting your wedding venue. No matter which city you say “I do!” in, it will likely have a large number of potential venues to choose from. Once you’ve narrowed this list down to your favourites, the next step is to schedule a wedding venue tour to see venues in person (or virtually) and decide which one is the best fit for you.
There are many important questions to ask and information to consider before you can decide which venue is right for your wedding day. From date availability and guest capacity to bathroom facilities and parking, we’re sharing our list of some important questions to ask a wedding venue before you say ‘Yes’ to the perfect wedding venue.
We offer a complimentary site visit for all our wedding bookings. We’ll meet in person at your venue and walk through both your ceremony & reception spaces to ensure the best placement of your styling and florals.
Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue Before You Visit
While we know that this is a really exciting time and that you can’t wait to visit potential venues, there are a few important questions to ask before you book that appointment to go and see them. After all, you don’t want to fall in love with a venue that doesn’t fit your vision or budget for the big day!
While it’s common for wedding venues to have some information on their website, make sure you answer these essential questions about your potential venues before you book a venue site visit.
Is My Chosen Date Available?
Wedding venues can book up for popular dates years in advance. Although this can sound like a crazy notion, it’s not uncommon to have limited dates available at popular times of the year. Try to get an idea of the date options before you book in at your chosen venue. It’s okay if you don’t have a date in mind, availability can be a lot easier when you can be flexible about when you’d like to get married.
What is Your Capacity?
Before you start to visit venues, it’s a good idea to have an idea of the number of guests you’ll likely be inviting to the wedding. Whilst you don’t need to have an exact number, knowing a rough idea will allow the venue to show you spaces that are most suitable for your needs and you’ll also know whether they can accommodate your wedding numbers too. You don’t want to fall in love with a space to find out it’s too big or too small for your needs. Having a rough idea of how many guests will be coming to the day and evening parts of your wedding will also enable the venue staff to come up with ideas on how to utilise the space to make it work for your guest numbers too.
If young children are going to be a large part of the day, remember to ask how child friendly the space is and if you have guests with other considerations such as mobility challenges, factor in how easily your guests will be able to move around on the day. It’s best to plan early for these things than be left disappointed visiting a space that doesn’t work for all of your guests needs.
Can I see a Brochure with Pricing?
Your wedding venue is going to account for a significant part of your budget. When comparing venues you’ll usually see that the services included and pricing differentiates between each venue quite significantly. Some venues offer all-inclusive packages whilst others offer can offer a venue-hire service, leaving you to outsource other areas of your day such as the catering and bar services. Other venues can just be a total blank canvas, giving you total free reign on creating your perfect wedding vision but meaning you may need to factor in costs elsewhere, such as lighting, seating and dancefloors.
In addition to the cost of your wedding options, it’s also a good idea to ask whether the venue offers any payment plans too.
Can We Make The Space Our Own?
You’ve already got an idea in your mind of the vision for your wedding, whether that’s colours, a theme or a particular style you’d like for your big day. Check out your venues Instagram account and past wedding galleries to see how other couples have styled their wedding. Can you see your style of wedding fitting in here? Does your venue allow for you to personalise the day completely or could there be restrictions. This is something you can delve into on a venue tour but you’ll be able to get a good idea from their online galleries and Instagram grid whether its going to fit with your style or not.
You may even want to check out the wedding venue’s Pinterest account, TikTok and Instagram tags too for additional inspiration before seeing the venue in person.
Questions to Ask Your Wedding Venue At The Tour
Visiting wedding venues is an exciting time, it’s the start of truly imagining what the day will look and ‘feel’ like but it’s also a great opportunity to ask any questions too.
Service and Logistics Questions:
"What's included with the venue rental? Tell me about the services and amenities."
"How many hours come with the package or venue rental?"
"Are there private rooms or suites available for getting ready before the wedding?"
"When can our wedding suppliers and the wedding party access the different spaces?"
"Do you host multiple events on the same day?"
"Can you give me an idea of what a typical wedding day schedule looks like?"
"Is on-site parking available, and is there an extra cost for it?"
"Which parts of the venue are accessible for elderly or disabled guests?"
"Are there any noise restrictions we should be aware of?"
"How many bathrooms are there for our guests' convenience?"
"What's the backup plan for outdoor spaces in case of rain or bad weather?"
"Who's responsible for setting up and cleaning up wedding decor? Is post-wedding venue cleaning included in the cost?"
Catering Questions:
"Do you have an in-house caterer, or is there a list of approved caterers?"
“Do you have a minimum spend on the bar or for your catering?”
"If we choose an off-site caterer, is there a kitchen available for them to use?"
"Are there any cake-cutting fees we should be aware of?"
"Do you provide in-house alcohol service, or is there a list of approved alcohol service providers?"
"Can we bring our own alcohol, and are there any corkage fees if we do?"
"If you offer in-house catering or a bar, do you provide menu or bar tastings?"
Wedding Extras Questions:
"Are there any furniture or rentals included?”
“Are tablecloths and linen included in our hire?”
“Are there any decor restrictions?”
“Is there a preferred supplier list?”
“Who is my contact and what is their role up until the wedding and then on the day?”
“Which other venue staff will be on site on the day?”
“Is there a dance-floor included?”
“Are there any noise restrictions we need to be aware of? How have other couples managed this?”
“What are your vendor bump in backdown times?”
Booking and Pricing Questions
“Are there any additional service charges and are these included in the quote?”
“Are you able to place a hold on our wedding date? How long are you able to do this for?”
“How do you structure the payment schedule?”
“Is the initial deposit refundable?”
“Can I see a copy of the terms and conditions and contract?
“Is wedding insurance required? If so, what type?”
We hope this list of questions makes your search for the perfect wedding venue easier. Armed with the right questions and answers you can ensure that you can enjoy informative venue tours that equip you with booking that perfect space for your wedding.
Until next time
JANE xx
