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25 questions to ask a wedding venue before you book

VenuesBy Dominika19 August 20263 min read

A venue viewing is lovely and a venue contract is not. The gap between the two is where weddings go over budget, so bring questions that pin down the money, the logistics and the fine print before you fall any further in love.

Here are the 25 we would ask, grouped so you can take them with you.

Money

  1. What exactly does the price include, and is VAT in it?
  2. What is the minimum spend, and what counts toward it?
  3. How does the price change by season and day of the week?
  4. What is the corkage charge if we bring our own wine?
  5. Which deposits are due when, and are they refundable?
  6. Can the price rise between booking and our date, and is any rise capped in the contract?
  7. What charges sit outside the brochure: service charge, cleaning, security, cake cutting?

Logistics

  1. What is the true capacity seated with a dance floor, not standing?
  2. Do we have exclusive use, or could another event run the same day?
  3. What time can suppliers get in to set up, and when must everything be out?
  4. What is the music curfew, and when is last orders at the bar?
  5. Is there accommodation on site or nearby, and is any held for us?
  6. What is the wet weather plan, shown to us in person rather than described?

Suppliers

  1. Are we tied to an approved supplier list, and what does it cost to go outside it?
  2. Can we choose our own caterer, and is there a kitchen they can actually use?
  3. Do supplier meals and staffing cost extra?
  4. Who is our point of contact between booking and the wedding?

On the day

  1. Is there a coordinator on the day, and until what time?
  2. Where do guests park, and how do the last ones get home?
  3. Are candles, confetti, fireworks or dogs allowed?
  4. When do decorations and presents need collecting afterwards?

The fine print

  1. What happens if we postpone, and what do we lose if we cancel?
  2. What happens if the venue cancels, closes or changes hands before our date?
  3. What insurance do you require from us and from our suppliers?
  4. How much is the damage deposit, and when does it come back?

How to use these

Ask the money questions by email before you visit, so the prices exist in writing and you never view a venue you cannot afford. Save the rest for the viewing, where the wet weather plan and the coordinator are real things you can look at. And treat a vague answer as an answer: a venue that goes quiet on corkage before the deposit will not get chattier after it.

Quick answers

How many venues should we view?

Enquire with eight to twelve, view three to five. Fewer and you have no comparison; more and they blur into one long corridor of exposed beams.

How far ahead should we book a wedding venue?

Popular UK venues sell their peak Saturdays 12 to 24 months out. With a flexible date, 9 to 12 months is workable; a specific summer Saturday needs the long runway.

What does dry hire mean?

You rent the space alone and bring everything else in: caterer, bar, furniture, sometimes even the loos. The hire fee looks cheap, and the total depends entirely on what the empty building forces you to add.

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