10 questions to ask when visiting wedding venues

The first thing that anyone will tell you about planning a wedding is to start with the venue. After you have your date booked with your perfect wedding venue, everything else will start to fall into place. I totally understand that starting at the beginning can be really daunting – especially when you don’t know what to expect. So if you’re heading out on wedding venue visits, here are 10 questions to ask when visiting wedding venues.

  • Which spaces are registered for civil ceremonies?If you’re having a religious service, this doesn’t apply; but if you want to host your day in one place, then your venue must have specific registered spaces or rooms to host civil ceremonies.
  • Will we have exclusive use of the venue?While some couples are happy to share their venue in order to cut costs, others might be horrified at the idea of bumping into another bride.
  • How long will we have the venue for?This is particularly important if there’s going to be a lot of setting up and taking down.
  • Is there a corkage fee?This is an extra charge per bottle for providing your own alcohol. Some venues charge nothing while others can charge quite significant amounts.
  • May we bring our own caterers / suppliers?Some venues have exclusive quality-control lists of suppliers you may use, or in-house caterers, so if this is a dealbreaker for you, find out early.
  • Can we afford the in-house suppliers?If the answer to the above is no, then make sure you do the sums before committing to a venue’s preferred supplier list and make sure everything is in budget.
  • Are there any restrictions?If you want the party to last all night, or end with a bang like a fireworks display, check with your venue. Many have noise restrictions, end times and ecological or safety restrictions, such as a ban on confetti or lit candles.
  • Will we have help on the day?Some blank canvas venues offer dry hire only, while other regular venues have teams of in-house staff or a planner on site to help keep things running smoothly.
  • Is there affordable accommodation on-site or nearby?Make sure your guests have somewhere to stay when the party is over.
  • Is the venue available on our desired dates?Make sure to ask before you visit to avoid the disappointment of falling in love with a venue that’s booked up on your dream date.

Need a little extra help finding a dream venue? Or just planning your wedding in general? Get in touch for a friendly chat to see if I could be the right wedding planner for you. images Guy Collier Jez Dickson Jasmine Jade

 

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