Choosing your perfect wedding venue can be a very confusing and stressful time if you’re stuck on where to start. In my last blog post Choosing the Perfect Wedding Venue I went through how to make the process a bit easier and also mentioned I made a list of question I asked each venue. I thought I would show you my list of questions I asked each venue and why they are important.
Is the venue exclusion to us on the day?
This is a good question to ask if you are looking for a venue where you and your wedding guests take over the venue for the day. There are definitely benefits to taking over the whole venue: you won’t have strangers walking in on your special day, you have more control over the format of the day and decorations. Our venue is exclusive to us on the day and that’s one of the reasons we chose it.
What is the standard format for the day?
When going round a venue its good to get an idea of what your wedding day might look like at that place. Each venue will run the day differently but there is normally room to change things around if you want. We are having our whole wedding day at one venue as they have a chapel on site so finding out the standard format of the day was very important to us. It allowed us to have an idea how our day will look and also understand the timing of the day.
How many people does it seat? (church & Reception)
There are two ways of choosing how many guest you have: firstly is to write your wedding guest list and find a venue to fit you all or choose the venue and then choose your guests. There is no right or wrong way of doing it, it is just down to how many guest you want and the venues you are looking at. If you have guests that you want on your wedding day but don’t have enough seats from them then you can always invite them in the evening, that way they can still be included in the celebrations. We are choosing to have a smaller wedding, due to the chapel seating restriction, and make it more of an intimate day with close family and friends.
Is catering included and do we have to us them?
Some wedding venues will have caterers on site, but normally won’t be included in the price for the venue. Some venues, like ours, have caterers on site and will say you have to use them on your wedding day. If this is the case then make sure they provide you with food menus, wine list and the drink menu before you go with them. You need to make sure the food is good before saying yes. Some venues will also hold food tasting events, once you have chosen them and paid the deposit, so you can try out their food and drink. We had a food tasting event, which was such good fun as you get to meet other couple getting married and have a feel of what the food and drink will be like on your wedding day.
How far in advance do we need to book?
Booking your wedding date and how far in advance to book it will all be dependant on the date you want. If you are choosing to get married in the summer, bank holiday weekends, new years or other popular wedding dates then these will get booked up a lot quicker. Another thing to think about is which day you want to get married. Fridays and Saturdays are the two most popular day to get married, as you can make a weekend out of it, where as Sundays will usually be cheaper and less popular. Something to think about.
If you are planning on getting married around those time of the year then be prepared to book about two years ahead of yourself. We went in having an idea of two weekends we wanted and our wedding was two years away. One of the weekends we wanted was all booked up so we choose the other. I can’t believe how quickly the summer months go, but in England I suppose it the best chance of a warm sunny wedding day. If the date you wanted is free but you need some time to think about the venue then ask if you can reserve the date. We did this and it allowed us to properly consider the different venues and work out which was best for us.
What is the price (for the year you are getting married) ?
Every year the prices will go up for wedding venues so it’s a good idea to ask what the prices are for the year you are looking at getting married. We found that the prices were higher for different months, depending on how popular they were. For example June, July, August were the highest prices because of them being in the summer. The venue should have a calendar for at least two years in advance and they should be able to advise you how quickly certain months get booked up.
What is included in the price? Table clothes, crockery, cutlery?
Depending on the type of venue you are looking some, different thing may be included in the price. To give you an example when we asked our wedding venue this question they explained the table, chairs were all included and they have different sizes and shaped tables available. Crockery and standard white table clothes were also included. They also have a number of different props that can be used; mirrors for table plans, cake stand and knife and lot of other smaller props.
How much is the deposit? When is the final amount paid?
Once you have chosen your wedding venue you then need to book it and with this comes paying the deposit. The deposit will change depending on the venue and how much they are wanting up front. One thing to keep in mine is this deposit is non-returnable so make sure you’re 100% happy with the venue before paying for the deposit. The venue will give you a set date by which the deposit has to be paid by. You then will have the final amount due a lot closer to your wedding day. I think it’s usually 6 week – 2 months before the wedding the final amount will be due also with all your other wedding suppliers.
Ask if they have a recommended vendor list ? (Florist, Photographer, Wedding Dress, Hairdresser)
When we went to look at our wedding venue we were given a pack of information about the venue and catering along with a whole list of supplier they recommend for your wedding. This list covered most areas of the wedding where suppliers will be needed. The most important ones on the list were photographer and florist. These two were important because it’s good to have a florist and photographer who is trusted and knows the venue well. Regarding the photographer you want someone who knows where the best photographs can be taken in and around your venue. If they don’t have a physical list they might be able to tell you a few that they know of or they might have a few on their website too.
So there is my list of questions that I think should be asked at ever wedding venue you visit. If you ask every venue these questions then when it comes to deciding where to get married you have something to compare them on. If you want to ask any questions about choosing a venue or on what I have written about today then comment them down bellow. Hopefully this helps you is you are looking for a wedding venue and make sure you follow me for more wedding help and advice.
Steph x
