Wedding planning can be a stressful experience. Getting caught up in the details is easy, but keeping things in perspective is essential. You’ve probably heard about brides-to-be who try to plan every last wedding party down to the smallest detail. These women often find themselves overwhelmed and stressed out because they’re trying to take on too much at once—and it’s not worth it!
In this post, we’ll walk you through 14 questions you should ask your wedding venue before booking them for your special day. We’ll also talk about ensuring that your venue is right for you so you can have peace of mind when deciding where your big day will take place!
What kinds of events is the venue best suited for?
Before you get too far into the planning process, you must know what kind of event you’re hosting. Is it going to be a small affair with only 50 people? Or is it going to be a massive blowout with 500? If your wedding is smaller, indoor wedding venues may work better than outdoor ones. If your guest list is large (or even just medium-sized), an outdoor space might be more suitable because it can accommodate more people and provide more room for dancing and festivities.
When is the latest that your wedding can finish?
Ask the venue’s wedding planner if there are any restrictions and if other events are happening after yours. If there is another event in the venue after yours, it may be worth considering having two receptions instead of one big one!
Is there an additional charge if we go over the time limit?
If you go over your allotted time, there is a chance that the venue will charge an additional fee. You should ask the venue what this fee is and if it can be negotiated.
If they say no to negotiating, you can still try to work out a deal with them. For example, they might waive their additional fee if you book another event at their venue or buy some food or drinks from them after your wedding (this works better if it’s a short time after). Or maybe they’ll give you a free cake-cutting service because it’s part of their contract with caterers who have booked their venue for other events in exchange for getting first dibs on using those services when needed later down the line (this works best with smaller businesses).
Will the decorations you bring in need to be removed after the wedding?
Your wedding venue will likely have a policy about decorations that you bring in. Some venues will remove them after the event, while others require you to store them for a small fee. If you’d like your venue’s staff to help with the storage and removal of your decorations, make sure to ask about their policies well in advance so that you can plan accordingly.
If your wedding planner doesn’t offer this service or is too expensive for your budget, consider hiring an independent decorator who can help with setup and tear-down and even take care of some other details like table seating arrangements and floral arrangements!
Is there a way to rent extra furniture or decorative items such as mirrors, vases and candles, amongst other things?
It is a great question to ask if you want to add additional decor to your venue. While not all venues can accommodate this request, it’s worth asking about as some venues allow their clients to rent different furniture or decorative items such as mirrors, vases and candles, amongst other things.
The extra furniture that can be rented varies from venue to venue, but it’s always best to check before committing yourself (and your budget!). It is also worth knowing how much damage deposit needs to be paid upfront so that if anything gets broken during your event – which is unlikely but still possible – there will be no surprises come invoice time!
Is there an on-site coordinator who will be there during set up, the ceremony and the reception?
If not, who will help me with my setup and takedown? How much time do I need to plan for that person or vendor to arrive on-site and get everything ready before your guests arrive?
Do they have any recommendations or suggestions for local vendors (florists, caterers) that they trust with their events? If we choose not to use your caterer, can we bring our food?
There are usually some restrictions if you want to bring your food. The venue may not allow anything frozen, for example, or only certain foods can be brought in. It’s also important to ask how much time you’ll have before the event starts so that you don’t show up with a bunch of raw chicken and have to throw it away because it needs to be thawed more. What restrictions does the venue have around event catering services? Asking about the venue’s rules around catering is another good way to get an idea of what you can and cannot do. The best questions will help you determine if there are any restrictions on what kind of food or drinks you can bring into the venue (or even how much).
Does the venue provide staff for setup and cleanup? If yes, is there an additional fee for this service?
If you plan on having a wedding at a venue that provides staff for setup and cleanup, ask them how much they charge for this service. The fee usually ranges between $1,000 and $5,000–but it can be more if you need extra labour or have a huge event. In addition to setting up tables and chairs, the staff will also take down decorations at the end of the night so that no one has to do it themselves. It is an essential part of your overall budget because it ensures that everything gets taken care of on time so everyone can enjoy their evening without worrying about cleaning up afterwards!
Is there somewhere to store decorations before and after the wedding day?
It is essential to ask if you’re planning an outdoor wedding. It’s a good idea to discuss storage options with your venue before they book your date so that they can be sure there will be space available for all the decorations and food that will arrive on your wedding day.
It may include:
A designated area where deliveries can be made (and where guests can put their cars)
An indoor or outdoor space where items can be stored before being used during the ceremony and reception (if there’s no room inside, consider renting an offsite storage unit)
The availability of refrigerators or coolers in case you need them
Can you use your vendors, or do I have to choose from a list of preferred vendors only offered by you?
You’ll want to ask your venue about their preferred vendor list. What is it? Why are they preferred? If you want to use your vendors, what happens? Are there fees involved? How do you know if the vendors are good enough for your wedding? You may not have time or energy to research every single one of them ahead of time, so knowing the answers can help relieve some stress later in planning when everything else feels overwhelming.
What’s your guest capacity, and is it flexible if we add more people or want to reduce the number of guests initially invited?
One of the most critical aspects of your wedding venue is how many people it can fit. If you’re planning on having an extensive guest list, it’s essential to know if there is a minimum number of people that need to RSVP before your event can take place. Additionally, if you find yourself with too many guests or decide later on in the process that you want to cut down on the number of people invited, make sure that this is possible at your chosen location (and also find out what kind of fees might be associated with doing so).
If there are any restrictions regarding capacity–or even if there aren’t–it’s always good practice to keep an eye on how much space each person will take up when sitting down at tables or standing around during cocktail hour and dancing time!
What are the alcohol rules and regulations at your venue regarding purchasing drinks for guests, selling alcohol tickets and BYOB policies?
If your venue allows it, you can sell alcohol tickets to guests. It is an excellent option if you want to provide an open bar but want to avoid paying for the cost of providing unlimited drinks.
Another option is BYOB (bring your booze). It means guests can bring their alcohol into the venue and drink it there. If this interests you, make sure there are no restrictions on what type of bottles/cans/etc. Or how much they can bring in with them!
Finally, some venues allow both selling alcohol at the bar and allowing BYOB–and others don’t let either!
How many cars does your parking lot accommodate? Is offsite parking available if needed?
When you’re planning your wedding, it’s essential to make sure that there will be enough parking available. The number of cars that can fit in a venue’s parking lot can vary widely depending on the size and shape of said lot, so ask whether they have offsite parking available. And don’t forget about disabled guests! Make sure their needs are accommodated by asking whether there are designated spaces for them or if they’ll need assistance getting into the venue.
Fraser’s: Your dream wedding venue
Wedding planning can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. By asking these questions and getting answers upfront from your wedding venue, you’ll avoid any last-minute surprises on your big day. Venues like Fraser’s events offer excellent wedding venues and event catering in Perth. They are well-equipped with all kinds of wedding services, and their professionally trained wedding planner in Perth will help you with every detail and preparation of your wedding. So, if you have some surprises (minor changes in the end), don’t panic! You’ve meticulously planned every other aspect of your wedding; a few last-minute changes shouldn’t throw off your entire plan. If anything requires more than a simple fix, try to make it work with what’s already on the schedule rather than adding additional stressors to an already stressful day.
