16 Questions To Ask Your Wedding Venue
What’s your capacity?
“This is the very first question anyone should ask a venue,” says Adamantia Leonidopoulou, senior social events and weddings manager at The Ned. “Creating your guest list is one of the trickiest parts of planning a wedding, and the size of the wedding party really informs the rest of the day.”
Chrissie Rose, director and head of creative at The West Mill agrees: “The capacity of a venue is hugely important to couples who have larger families and friendship groups and want everyone to share their special day with them. It also helps determine whether you need to split your day-time and evening guests.”
Do you have a weddings manager or planner?
Honor Houlding, events manager at Wilderness Reserve says: “It really depends on what you want from your wedding, but it’s good to know from the outset if you’ll have a planner or manager to hold your hand. Some venues will have a wedding planner in-house, while some couples book a planner separately. Having someone who knows the venue inside out is of huge benefit to you – plus, they have a wealth of loyal contacts and local suppliers to help design your dream day.”
“This is one of the questions to ask at the very beginning of your venue search,” says Adamantia. “It’s important to know if the venue has a weddings manager that can guide you through the planning process. Some properties will have a dedicated weddings team who will be able to recommend what works best in terms of timings and the set-up, too.”
Where & when can we have our ceremony?
“Venues often only have one room licensed for you to get married in legally,” advises Honor. “That can be the leading factor when it comes to working out how your day will flow from start to finish. It’s worth knowing the capacities of this room to ensure it will work for you. Checking availability and timings with the local registrars should also be high up on your priority list. Ask if there are any other options available to you; there may also be other locations or rooms, beautiful outdoor areas and stunning local churches to consider.”
Is the venue exclusive use?
“This is one of the most important questions to ask if you don’t want to be bumping into other brides or wedding parties on your big day,” says Chrissie. “It was an absolute must when we launched The West Mill because we found so many couples were looking for a private wedding where they can enjoy a venue, grounds and staff exclusively for the day.” Adamantia adds: “Some venues can only host weddings if you take over the whole property, including all the bedrooms. This is a lovely thing to do, but it can bump up the cost significantly, so make sure to ask this question the minute you decide to visit.”
Do couples have to take exclusivity for a number of nights?
“This is a big consideration for couples as it could really affect the budget,” says Chrissie. “You need to know if you can have the wedding venue exclusively for the night but that you’re not committed to hiring it for a whole weekend or the night before.”
JOHN NASSARI
Do you offer on-site accommodation?
“This is a really important question to ask your venue,” advises Chrissie. “We launched our accommodation in 2017 and it’s been essential for those couples who are marrying in a location not local to their family and friends. It’s so lovely, too, that the morning after the wedding newlyweds can catch up with their guests and reminisce about their day. It’s also worth finding out about the check-in and check-out times. Ask if there’s parking as well – it’s a must if you’re choosing a city venue.”
“You may have booked your venue based on the fact that you can have guests stay overnight, but don’t let this limit you to how many people you can invite,” advises Honor. “Knowing the maximum capacity across each part of the venue is very important. Such basic things from what chair you use, to whether you would like round or long tables can vary, so make sure to get to know your venue right from the start with the help of their event planners and coordinators.”
“It’s also important to check whether the venue offers discounted rates for your guests,” says Adamantia. “This is helpful if you have guests coming in from out of town, or if people want to make a weekend out of it. Even if a property doesn’t have bedrooms, it’s likely they will partner with a nearby hotel and be able to get you a good rate. At The Ned, we offer a wedding code to be included in the invites, so your guests can book directly with the hotel at the best rate possible.”
Do couples have to be out by a certain time the next day?
“Finding this out is important as it can impact your set-up,” says Adamantia. “Often it will depend on whether the venue has another event booked in for the next day, or, sometimes venues can be flexible and allow suppliers to pick up production the following morning.”
Is there space at the venue for both couples to get ready separately?
“Find out if the venue has separate spaces for both of you to get ready, without risking the chance of bumping into each other pre-ceremony,” says Adamantia. “It may be the case there’s a bedroom conveniently located next to the ceremony room that will give the bride the best chance of making an entrance, without being seen beforehand.”
What are the menu options?
“Ask this question early on,” says Adamantia. “As the wedding food is very important to most couples, you’ll find it’s often possible to create your own menu alongside a chef. At The Ned, couples can collaborate with our executive chef to create a bespoke menu for their guests.”
“Don’t forget to ask if the venue offers a complimentary tasting, too,” adds Chrissie. “It's very common that couples will want to try out the wedding breakfast menu and accompanying wines before the actual day. We invite all our couples to a tasting day ahead of time. They can also invite up to four guests to come with them for a small extra cost, so they can garner more feedback.”
Do you charge a corkage fee?
“Couples can sometimes be shocked by the corkage fees (which is a fee charged for every bottle of wine opened that’s supplied by you and not the venue),” says Chrissie. “We don’t charge corkage, which not only makes it cheaper for our couples, but it also makes their drinks selection easier as they’re not limited to an in-house drinks package. If you're not planning on having an open bar, it might be worth checking what bar prices your venue will charge, too.”
ROSIE KELLY PHOTOGRAPHY
Which suppliers would you recommend?
“The venue should be able to recommend the right third parties to fit your brief, but still make your wedding unique,” says Adamantia. “Ask them to share their suppliers list to help you add that personal touch to the big day – from florists, décor and entertainment to photographers and stationery – they will have a great list of trusted experts to hand.”
Do you have any great locations for wedding photographs?
“Most venues will know where the real ‘money shots’ are and will be happy to arrange for you to use them with your photographer. It might be a stunning view or just a special room that photographs well due to the light,” says Adamantia.
“It’s such an important question,” agrees Chrissie. “At our venue, not only do we have some stunning interior settings, there’s also a wonderful riverside spot, plus the gardens and a gazebo. We also have a list of top wedding photographers who have shot at our venue on numerous occasions in case couples are looking for a recommendation.”
Is there space to have dinner and dancing all in one room?
“Some venues will be able to transform a room for you so you can have dinner and then dancing in the same space. Others will advise moving into a separate room for the post-dinner party for a more seamless experience. It really depends on the property, so be sure to find this out in advance if you’ve got your heart set on a particular space,” advises Adamantia.
“It’s an important question,” agrees Chrissie again. “For example, we offer different floors for different parts of a wedding, which is a huge plus, as it means the flow of the day is continuous and there’s no hanging around waiting for chairs and tables to be moved around.”
Can we pay for our wedding in instalments?
“It’s worth checking how the venue expects to accept payment,” says Adamantia. “You’ll tend to find most will be receptive to paying in instalments. You can work out a payment plan together, which is really important for the planning of your big day.” Chrissie agrees: “You might think the venue you want is out of your league financially, but with just a deposit to pay first, and final payments later on, you might find that it’s doable. Work with your venue. Remember as well, the day of the week you choose, and the month, has a huge impact on prices.”
What are your music restrictions?
“All venues will have restrictions on when and where you can play music inside and outside on your wedding day,” says Honor. “Please rest assured this is only because we are aware of the restrictions and want to help you plan your day from start to finish.”
How do can you ensure a wedding will feel unique?
“Most venues will try to make sure every couples’ day is really special and personal,” says Honor. “The priority is getting to know you, what’s inspired your wedding, your history together as a couple, and your individual likes and dislikes. They will endeavour to make every wedding different. It’s your wedding – your way.”
Visit TheNed.com, TheWestMillVenue.com and WildernessReserve.com for more information on finding your ideal wedding venue.
CREDITS: ISTOCK/GABRIEL PEVIDE
DISCLAIMER: We endeavour to always credit the correct original source of every image we use. If you think a credit may be incorrect, please contact us at info@sheerluxe.com.
