Questions to Ask on a Wedding Venue Tour

Before the Tour: Have These Answers Ready

The venue will ask you questions too, and your answers shape the quote. Know these before you walk in:

• Your guest count: a realistic range.

• Your dates: one preferred date and two or three you would accept.

• Your priorities: the three things that matter most, whether that is the view, the food or keeping everyone in one place.

Availability and Capacity Questions

1. Is our date available, and what else do you have in our preferred month?

2. How long can you hold a date for us before we sign?

3. How many guests can you seat for dinner, and how many for a standing reception?

4. Is there a minimum guest number or minimum spend for our date?

5. Will ours be the only wedding on site that day?

6. Will hotel guests or the public be near our spaces during the wedding?

7. Which spaces are ours, and for how long?

8. Can we hold the ceremony and the reception here?

Pricing and Payment Questions

1. What exactly does the venue hire fee include: tables, chairs, linen, staff, set-up?

2. Can we see an itemised quote for our date and guest count?

3. Are there service charges, administration fees or mandatory gratuities on top?

4. How much is the deposit, when is it due, and is it refundable?

5. What is the payment schedule after the deposit?

6. What is the overtime rate if we run past the finish time?

7. Is there a cake-cutting, corkage or vendor fee?

8. Are prices fixed once we sign, or can they change before the date?

9. Is security, cleaning or a site fee charged separately?

Ceremony Questions

1. Where would the ceremony take place, and where do guests sit?

2. What is the wet-weather plan, and can we see that space set up?

3. How long before the ceremony can we access the space to decorate?

4. Is there a sound system and microphone for the celebrant?

5. Are there rules on confetti, petals, candles or sparklers?

6. Is there somewhere private for us to wait before the ceremony?

7. How do guests move from the ceremony to the reception?

Food and Drink Questions

1. Is catering in-house, or can we bring our own caterer?

2. Can we arrange a menu tasting, and is it included?

3. How do you handle dietary requirements and allergies?

4. Can you cater to cultural or religious food requirements?

5. What drinks packages do you offer, and how are they charged?

6. Can we supply our own wine or champagne?

7. Do you provide a wedding cake, or can we bring one in?

8. How many waiting staff will work on the night?

9. Are meals provided for our photographer, band and other vendors?

Timings, Set-Up and Logistics Questions

1. What hours are included in the hire?

2. What time can vendors arrive to set up, and when must everything be packed down?

3. Is there a noise limit or a hard finish time for music?

4. Can we deliver items the day before and collect them the day after?

5. Is there a dedicated coordinator or on-site manager on the day?

6. Do you have a sample run sheet from a past wedding?

7. Where is parking, and how many cars does it hold?

8. Can coaches or shuttles drop guests at the entrance?

9. Is there a getting-ready room for the wedding party?

Vendor and Styling Questions

1. Do you have a preferred vendor list, and do we have to use it?

2. Can we bring in our own florist, stylist, band or DJ?

3. Do outside vendors need insurance or approval from you?

4. Are there restrictions on decor, open flames or hanging items from the ceiling?

5. What furniture and styling items do you already have that we can use?

6. Can we change the lighting, and are there power limits for a band?

7. Where can the band or DJ set up, and is there a green room?

8. Can we see photos of the space styled for a real wedding?

Guest Comfort and Accommodation Questions

1. Is the venue fully accessible for guests with limited mobility?

2. How many bathrooms are there for our guest count?

3. Is the space heated or air-conditioned?

4. Do you have rooms on site, and can you hold a block for our guests?

5. What accommodation nearby do you recommend for guests?

6. What is your policy on children at the reception?

7. Is there a quiet space for older guests or guests with young children?

Contract and Cancellation Questions

1. What is the cancellation policy, and what do we lose at each stage?

2. Can we move our date, and is there a fee to do so?

3. What happens if the venue has to cancel?

4. Do you require us to hold public liability or event insurance?

5. Who is our contact from signing through to the day?

6. What happens to the booking if the venue changes hands?

What to Check With Your Own Eyes

Some answers only come from standing in the room. While you are there:

• Visit at your ceremony time. The light, heat and noise at 4pm differ from what you see at 10am.

• Walk the guest route. Go from the car park to the ceremony, then to the reception and the bathrooms, the way a guest in heels would.

• See the wet-weather space set up. A photo of an empty room tells you little about how it looks with your guest count in it.

• Listen for noise. Traffic, kitchen noise and neighbouring events can reach the ceremony space.

• Check the phone signal. Your vendors and guests will rely on it on the day.

• Ask to see the kitchen and back-of-house areas. This is where your food is prepared and where staff work on the day.

Touring a Venue Abroad or From Home

When you are planning a wedding overseas, you may book a venue you have only seen on a screen. Ask for these before you commit:

• A live video walk-through at the time of day your ceremony would take place.

• Photos from real weddings held in your season, not only styled shoots.

• The name of the on-site coordinator who will manage your day.

• The local legal requirements for a ceremony in that country. Our guide to legal wedding requirements by destination is a starting point.

For more on booking from another country, read our tips for booking a wedding venue abroad, or browse destination wedding venues for a shortlist to tour.

If you would rather hand the questions to someone else, Wedded Concierge sources and secures venues from a vetted global network and negotiates with them for you.

Take This List on the Tour

Print these questions or save them to your phone, and tick off each answer as you walk the venue. Ask for a written quote and the contract before you leave, and compare every venue on your shortlist against the same list.

FAQs