Questions to ask when going to see a venue

Kara_P

Hi folks. My partner and I got engaged last week and we are heading to see our first venue tomorrow. We are our a very tight budget and wonder what questions are a must when looking at any venue and also some questions that people with smaller budgets need to ask e.g. discount for getting married on a Thursday etc. Any help would be great as we are new to this

Also congrats to all of those recently and engaged and best wishes to those already married!

TuttiFruiti_2

Congratulations to you both!

I didn't want to read and run - I have no advice, unfortunately - but am also interested in any tips people have (sorry if it feels like I'm hijacking your post)

Good luck tomorrow

Kara_P wrote: »

Hi folks. My partner and I got engaged last week and we are heading to see our first venue tomorrow. We are our a very tight budget and wonder what questions are a must when looking at any venue and also some questions that people with smaller budgets need to ask e.g. discount for getting married on a Thursday etc. Any help would be great as we are new to this

Also congrats to all of those recently and engaged and best wishes to those already married!

NoAngel

Hi and congratulations! Although some of this is just general venue advice, some of it is also budget related.

When looking at our venue I was interested in knowing exactly what rooms were available for our wedding. So which was for the ceremony, where we could have the wedding breakfast, how far the bar was from our room. I liked the fact that our guests could use the foyer with the log fire for drinks and canapes.

Will there be another wedding/function on at the same time (this was important at my venue, as the bar is only small and we wanted full use of it!).

What outdoor space is available?

Do they have any discounts for hotel rooms for guests (if it's a hotel of course).

If you're having children there then try and negotiate a price for them. I managed to ensure that I would only pay half price for them and that there would either be the option of specific meals for them or half portions of our menu.

Again -if children are there, what facilities if any are there for them? Our venue will set aside a room for them to be used as a play room, with a Wii in it and some toys.

Do they have a DJ? are they included in the price?

Do they have a wedding package? This often works out much cheaper.

Think about what extras you'll need to buy - eg are the chairs ok to use as they are or would you really need to hire chair covers?

Hope some of this is helpful. Enjoy looking at your venues!

Hollie84

Hi congrats

questions to ask....
can you do it cheaper:rotfl:
if u plan on decorating the place yourself can u do this the night before,can u bring the cake the day before? my venue dont allow this

write down a list makes it easier

White_Sapphire

Hi Kara,

This is my list:

Is your venue available on the required date?

What are the various options and costs for the use of your venue?

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?

How many people can you accommodate?

How many car parking spaces are available?

Do you allow confetti to be thrown at the venue?

Do you allow candles to be lit in the reception room?

When can we have access to begin setting up the room in terms of decorating it with balloons, flowers, banners, etc? (Morning of wedding, day before, etc?)

Is there an area that could be used as a crèche if needed?

Is there a quieter area for older guests to get away from the noise of a band/DJ?

If rooms are available for overnight accommodation, how many?

What are the costs for overnight accommodation?

Is breakfast included?

What is the checkout time the following day?

If no accommodation at venue, can you recommend hotels/B&Bs?

Do you have a room where you are able to store wedding presents until you are able to collect them and are you insured for any loss or damage to these presents?

Do you insist on doing all the catering? Or who are your preferred caterers and do you have a sample menu(s)?

Can you supply examples of suggested menus along with prices?

Do you include a cake stand and knife if required?

What time do you offer an alcohol license until?

What time do you insist the reception finishes by?

Do you insist on supplying the wine and champagne?

If we are able to supply the wine, what do you charge for corkage?


That's a fairly general list, and some questions won't apply to certain venues or to yourselves depending on the sort of wedding you're having. Other things to consider are wheelchair access if needed. Re budget, on your first visit try to gauge how flexible they are - if they insist on using 'their' florist and 'their' dj for example, they are less likely to bend any rules or throw in extras. You can get down to the nitty gritty of negotiating when you have seen a few venues and narrowed down to the ones you really like.

clairus

A few from me:
Can guests leave their vehicles over night?
Do they have any photos of the room set up?
Where can photos be taken?
What is the payment schedule?


Also think about how friendly their point of contact is. You will need to deal with them lots once you book.
Sneak a look at the toilets, are they clean?

split_second

good luck, we go and look at one we have our eye on in just over a week

40 day guests (breakfast), buffet for 80, dj, decoration, half bottle of wine for the day guests, £2800 on a saturday, any good?