A Checklist of Essential Questions to Ask Your Venue
17th December 2019
It’s so easy to fall in love with what looks like the perfect venue, but remember that there are some important details that need to be discussed and agreed before you decide that this is the venue for your special day.
Is the venue ours for the day?
Lots of venues offer their guests exclusive use for the duration of their wedding booking, giving you the peace of mind that the venue is all yours for the day. However, there are other venues who have a fairly full calendar. There might be another wedding taking place in another area of the same venue. You may have a morning wedding booking, and there may be another couple waiting to in the wings to get married that afternoon.
How many guests can we invite?
A venue looks incredibly beautiful and you desperately want to get married there, but the capacity of the space could mean that you can’t invite half your friends and family. At the beginning of your wedding venue search, always ask about the capacity of the venue – do bear in mind that capacity can change depending on different seating arrangement options. A venue may also have a minimum number of guests which is always worth checking.
Will there be any venue restrictions?
There will be some requests you assume will be fine, but your chosen venue could have a somewhat different opinion. All your special occasions so far may have been celebrated with fireworks, so a firework display at the end of your wedding day could be essential. There is always a chance, however, that your chosen venue may not be able to allow fireworks due to disturbing neighbours. You will have to weigh up what is most important to you!
Restrictions may also apply to wearing stiletto heels, which could damage old wooden floors, or to the use of candles and tea lights that may carry too much fire hazard. It is always best to discuss any restrictions before booking your venue, so you can plan accordingly.
Who will provide the Food and Drink?
Many venues have their own in-house catering team or a list of preferred caterers. There are advantages to these suppliers as they will have worked at the venue on many occasions and they know how everything works. However, this may restrict your ambitions to have a garden full of street food stalls or catering provided by your favourite festival food van. Again with alcohol, there may be a corkage fee if you’re allowed to bring your own bottles, so don’t forget to allow for these charges in your budget.
Can we dance into the small hours?
It’s not unusual for there to be some restrictions on when your happy day has to end and guests have to leave. The band may have to finish by 10 o’clock, so the neighbour’s children can get some sleep. A midnight finish may be a positive thing allowing friends and family to head home while still buzzing with the joy of your special day.
