Venues · · 6 min read
Questions to ask before booking a venue
The venue shapes almost every other decision. These are the questions we ask on every site visit — and the answers worth getting in writing.
A venue is usually the first big booking, and it quietly decides a lot of what follows: your guest count, your date, your catering options and often your budget. It's worth visiting with a list. Here is ours.
Capacity and layout
- What is the comfortable capacity for a seated dinner — not the maximum?
- Where would the ceremony, drinks, dinner and dancing happen, and how do guests move between them?
- Is there a turnaround between ceremony and dinner in the same room? How long does it take, and where do guests wait?
- What is the wet-weather plan for any outdoor space, and when does that decision need to be made?
What's included — and what isn't
Two venues with similar hire fees can end up very differently priced once you add everything they don't include. Ask for a written list of what the hire covers: furniture, linen, staffing, cleaning, security and any service charges.
- Is catering in-house, from an approved list, or open to any caterer?
- Are there corkage charges or restrictions on drinks suppliers?
- Which suppliers must be approved, and is there a fee for using your own?
- Is there a minimum spend, and what counts towards it?
Timings and practicalities
- When can suppliers arrive to set up, and when must everything be cleared?
- Is there a music curfew or a noise limit?
- Are candles, confetti or open flames permitted?
- What is the access like for guests with limited mobility, and for supplier vehicles?
- Is there accommodation on site or nearby, and is any held for your guests?
Ask what usually goes wrong at this venue. A good venue manager will tell you — and how they fix it.
Contract and payment
Before signing, read the cancellation and postponement terms carefully, understand the payment schedule, and check what insurance the venue requires from you and your suppliers. If anything said on the visit matters to you, ask for it to be added to the contract.
Most of all, notice how the venue team treats you before you've booked. It is usually a good indication of how they will treat you on the day.
