30 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Ceremony Venue!

I’m looking to get my venues booked by the end of the year, so that I can take advantage of 2010 prices for my 2011 wedding. I wanted to be prepared and to make sure I had everything handled, since I’m getting married two hours away. I put together this list of questions to ask the venue/sales/event/wedding coordinator, so that I wouldn’t waste any time. I thought it could help you guys out too, so here’s a list:

1. What dates are available in the season that you want to get married in? 
 If you already have the date, find out the availability for the date and hours.
For a more flexible wedding date, it is still important to ask the venue about their availability. That will give you an idea of their busy season.
Knowing a venue’s busy season can clue you into how many other weddings will be taking place the same weekend, and the same day as your own.

2. Ask about the wedding season for the location of your venue. 
Planning a wedding off season can save you literally thousands of dollars. Off season for most weddings are November-mid-May. On that note, think about a Friday or Sunday wedding and ask the venue for their prices for those days as well. I’m saving $18K just by doing these two things (Sunday wedding in the off season).

3. What hours are weddings held – from how early in the morning, until how late at night?
 Brunch weddings are cheaper than evening weddings, as well. 

4. How many events will be held during my wedding? 
The facility may do more than weddings, and it is important to know what kind of service you will be receiving on your big day. Ask if there are other events or weddings during yours, before or after yours. This will dramatically affect your set-up, breakdown and rehearsal times. Some venues book back-to-back events and you and your guests may feel rushed if this is the case.

5. Is your venue easy to find?
 

6. Is your venue licensed to carry out civil weddings?

7. If you do hold a license for civil ceremonies, what authority do you come under and can you supply names and contact details for the registrar?

8. Do you have a list of local officiants and some references for them?

9. Who do I contact if there is a problem? 
Because you want your big day to go off without a hitch, it is important to know who the contact person is at the event in case of a question or a problem. Is the manager going to be on site? Who would you talk to and where would you find the venue’s trouble shooting person?

10. On that note, do you offer day-of coordinators?
It’d be cheaper and more helpful to have someone on site that has established relationships with local vendors as well as know the ins-and-outs of your location and how to troubleshoot effectively. 

11. Does the wedding venue offer any Wedding Package Plans? 
A reception facility sometimes offers a wedding package plan. What the package includes varies from reception hall to reception hall. It is important to ask exactly what the packages offer, and if not, which services will cost you extra. Is the ceremony included? Or what is the extra fee for a ceremony? 
Money Saving Tip: Compare the price of a package plan to a customized plan to get the services that you need on that day, that also fit your budget.

12. What is the rental fee for the Wedding Venue?  
Typically reception halls will quote couples a per-person fee. Not all venues are up-front about the fact that in addition to the per-person fee, there may also be added tax (some venues include it in the per-person fee), and an added gratituity. On top of that, there could also be an actual rental fee for the venue itself. Ask how much the venue rental fee is, and ask how many hours it covers. 

13. Ask the venue how much their deposit is to hold the facility for a specific date. Ask when the deposit is due, and in what form (check, money order, credit card).  
Find out when the facility needs a secondary or final payment.

14. Is there a payment schedule? What deposits are required? 

15. What’s the cancellation policy?

16. Are there any hidden costs? (Before you sign the contract, read it carefully!!)

17. What’s the decor like? Does it fit your style and wedding colors? Will you have to spend a lot of money on flowers and decorations to make it beautiful?

18. Is the wedding venue wheelchair accessible? If not, are there many stairs to climb? How close is the parking to the ceremony? 

19. Is there room in the wedding venue for a band, wedding musicians, or DJ to play your processional? 
Ask about power strips/supply for the band or DJ. They will need one close by to set up their equipment…more members of a band=more power needed. Also, ask about acoustics. Your band director or DJ should know about this but, it’ll save you time and money to have this answered for them before you meet.

20. Does the wedding venue already own a sound system with adequate speakers or will that need to be rented? Or will your band/DJ have to supply it? 
If you’re hiring a DJ, they’ll have speakers and an amp without charging you extra or making it another thing for you to worry about!

21. Is there a space for the bride and groom to change and/or relax? Will there be separate rooms- bridal suite, etc? 
You’ll want to calculate the closeness of these rooms to the ceremony and work out how to get to the ceremony without too much time/hassle(brides).

22. Where will you take photographs? Is there a park nearby, or do the coordinators have recommended spots on the grounds? Is there a way to control high traffic areas that you may want to take your photos?

23. Where can your guests park? Are there extra fees for parking? Do they have valet parking? Will there need to be shuttles to bring your guests to the venue?

24. Is the wedding venue convenient to public transportation, especially in big cities? How long will it take your guests to get there? 

25. Are candles or other open flames allowed?

26. If its an outdoor location, do they have any backup plans for rain or other inclement weather? If not, is there a place that you can put up a tent? 

27. Do they own enough chairs for the ceremony, or will they need to be rented?

28. What is the capacity of the Wedding Venue?
One of the earliest and hardest decisions that the couple has to make is how many people to invite. Find out if the venue can hold the amount of guests you intend to invite.

29. Will the Venue Provide Wedding Supplies and Accessories? Chairs, any decorations, aisle runners, huppahs, altars, etc….

30. Do you allow confetti, birdseed, bubbles, flower petals, etc to be thrown at the venue?

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