What Questions to Ask Wedding Venues Before You Choose The Perfect One

What Questions to Ask Wedding Venues Before You Choose The Perfect One

After the bliss of getting engaged wears off and it’s time to get down to business, it is super overwhelming to know where to start.

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Planning your wedding should be a fun experience, and part of what makes it so fun is searching for the perfect space to get married! Want to know how to find wedding venues but aren’t sure where to start?

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When you know what questions to ask wedding venues, it’s easier to narrow down your list to the venues you’re really interested in. 

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So where should you start when it comes to finding the perfect wedding venue? Start with these suggestions! 

What questions to ask wedding venues you’re considering 

It’s important to be prepared when you begin venue searching. If you know what you’re looking for, narrowing down venues becomes much easier.  

Before you reach out to venues, there are a few things you should figure out first. These include: 

• Location 
• Guest count
• Budget 
• Preferred Date 

Wedding venue location 

For many couples, location is everything. For you, the search for the perfect venue might begin with your wedding venue location. If you aren’t certain about location, here are a few questions to ask yourself. 

• Do you want an indoor or outdoor wedding venue (or both)?
• What general style are you looking for in your venue (natural, architectural, modern, etc.)? 
• Do you want to have your wedding close to your home or your family? Do you want a destination wedding? 

Guest count 

How many people do you want at your wedding? To figure this out, you may want to make a rough list of the people you want to invite. If you have a tight budget or are eloping, you may have a strict number of guests you can invite.

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Either way, it’s important to know your guest count before you begin searching for a wedding venue, because this is one of the first questions you will be asked. 

Consider live-streaming your event for guests who cannot attend your wedding. Or if you’re eloping, this is a great way to involve your family and friends without having them attend in person! 

Budget 

There’s no one way to budget for your wedding. You know what you’re willing to spend and what details are most important to you. As a general rule of thumb, your venue, catering, and rentals should make up about 50% of your total budget. 

If you’re hiring an outside caterer, decide how you want to split the cost before you begin venue shopping. If your venue includes catering, you can combine these expenses and you’ll have a larger budget for your venue!  

Preferred Date

You may not care what date you get married on, but if you have a preferred date in mind, it’s important to begin venue shopping as soon as possible. Some venues may list their availability on their website, but many venues require you to contact them before they’ll give their availability. 

It’s a good idea to have more than one date in mind, so you aren’t scrambling if your venue doesn’t have your preferred date. Keep in mind that Friday and Saturday nights are typically more expensive than other days of the week. 

After you have the answers to these questions, you can use them to begin searching for venues! Once you begin your search, there are many questions to ask your venue so you can make that final decision. Here’s a list of questions we think are most important. You may want to add to this list depending on your specific needs. 

Before you book your venue tour

These are the questions to ask in your initial communications with a venue, before you schedule a venue tour. This way, you can rule out the venues that aren’t for you before having to commit the time and energy to touring a venue. 

Make sure you look for the answers to these questions on the venue’s website before you contact them! 

Is our date available? 

If you’re hard set on a date, this question will narrow down your venue option quickly. If you don’t care about getting married on a specific date, you might want to ask something like “what does your availability look like in June of 2023?” 

How many guests can you accommodate?

The answer to this question may vary depending on the style of your wedding. Sit down dinners with room for dancing may be able to accommodate fewer guests than a buffet or standing reception. 

What are the associated fees? 

These might include ceremony space rental, extra time or staff, furniture rentals, and extras like photo booths and lighting. Many venues have brochures that list all of the extra expenses. 

What is the timeline for payments? 

Knowing the timeline for your venue payment is very important for budgeting, because it is most likely the largest payment you’ll make for your wedding. 

How long do we have the space for? 

Not only how long your event will be, but how much time you’ll have before your event. Will you be able to get ready at your venue if you want to? Will you have access to your venue for your wedding rehearsal? 

Do you have room blocks for guests? 

If your venue is a hotel, they will likely have hotel blocks available for your guests. If not, you may need to look for accommodations close by. If you plan to livestream your wedding, you may not need to worry about this! 

During your venue tour

After you’ve answered the questions above for each of your venues, you’ll have a narrowed list of venues to tour. Make sure you write down these questions to ask while you’re touring! 

Will you have a venue coordinator or planner to oversee details? 

Some venues have a designated venue coordinator or require you to have a wedding planner. Venue coordinators and wedding planners are not the same! Your venue coordinator is your primary contact for the venue and oversees your event. Your wedding planner is in charge of designing, coordinating your vendors, and making sure your wedding day goes smoothly. 

What décor is provided by your venue?

This might include tables and chairs, centerpieces or table numbers, and things like lighting. Some venues are just an open space for you to fill with your own rentals. You may also want to ask if you can move things like furniture around or if everything needs to stay as is. 

Is there space to get ready?

Depending on your timeline, you may want to get ready partially or completely at your venue. Make sure your venue has a designated space for both parties to do so if this is something you want. 

Do you have live streaming capabilities? 

This one is super important if you plan to livestream your event. If they don’t have live-streaming capabilities included, ask about the strength of the internet connection. As long as you have a good connection, you can livestream easily with Lovecast – no fancy equipment is necessary. 

Can we hire our own vendors?

Many venues have a preferred vendor list they will provide you with. These are vendors the venue has worked with previously. Be mindful that this is a partnership, and doesn’t necessarily mean that the vendors on each list will match your style, budget, or standards. Still do your research on these! In some cases, you are required to use specific vendors. 

Do you have a soundsystem and mics for ceremonies and speeches?

And subsequently – are they free or an extra fee? Mics are important if you’re live-streaming your wedding. With Lovecast, you can stream easily with just a phone, but we’ve also put together a handy tech list if you’d like a more professional setup.

You know what questions to ask wedding venues...now what? 

Once you have your questions for a wedding venue, ask away! Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you need to – this is an important decision! 

Take note that the time it takes a venue to respond is an important factor (obviously giving the venue plenty of time). Narrow down your list after you’ve scheduled tours and spoken to a rep by what you like and don’t like about each venue. Eliminate the ones that don’t stand out. 

And if you’re even considering adding a virtual element to your wedding, make sure your wedding venue can accommodate you! Lovecast is here to help you bring your celebration to all of your guests. Visit our website for more information!