Venue viewing is an extremely exciting start to your wedding planning journey, however there are so many beautiful venues out there, it can be difficult to choose and narrow the selection down! That’s why we’ve put together a list of the Top 10 Questions to ask your Wedding Venue, arming you with all the answers you need before making that all-important decision. So, today in part one, we’re talking you through the first five questions you ought to be asking those wedding venues…
ONE: What is the payment schedule?
There is no set rule on how venues take payments and they do differ, so we would advise that you ask about the deposit and payment schedule. It’s all very well knowing how much in total, but how are they expecting you to pay for it and is there any flexibility within that schedule to make it suit you? When is the final balance due and could you pay in installments or one lump sum - it’s really useful to know when it comes to planning your finances and managing that wedding budget!
TWO: What is the venue capacity?
And does it differ for ceremonies, receptions and evening receptions? You might find some venues can’t cater for the amount of guests you’re planning to have and in that case, it will help narrow down the search. With this in mind, it’s excellent practice to have a rough idea of how many guests you’ll have on your guest list before you go for a viewing.
THREE: Can they hold a date for you?
If you have a preferred date in mind - perhaps an anniversary or date that’s special to you that would be the perfect wedding date - then you want to check if the venue has that date available ASAP! More than that though, you want to establish whether or not the venue can hold a provisional date for you, and how long for! This will give you time to contact all your preferred suppliers, in particular the registrar or church and caterers, and see if they are all available on that date before you secure it with your dream venue. (P.S here at Woolverstone Hall we’re more than happy to pencil a date while you check in with those all important suppliers!)
FOUR: Can you legally marry at the venue?
It’s worth knowing what your options are in terms of having the whole wedding - ceremony and reception - at the venue. For this, you’ll need to know if you can legally marry on site. If you are after a civil ceremony, it is important to find out if the venue is licenced for civil ceremonies and discuss your civil ceremony options with them. Find out which room or rooms are licensed and if they don’t have a license, find out where you can hold a celebrant-led ceremony as a non-legal option. It’s also worth asking if a church ceremony is possible, either on site or locally. Here at Woolverstone Hall we can host civil ceremonies for up to 120 guests, or Church ceremonies in the beautiful church within our grounds.
five: Are you limited to their suppliers?
Most venues have a list of recommended trusted suppliers that they work with and you have the option of choosing from. However, some have in-house services, such as catering or floristry, limiting you to work with their suppliers only. So it’s always best to check with the venue if they do or not, that way you can explore the options available early on in the planning process.
There’s our first five top questions, we’ll be bringing you more in Part Two! Until then, happy planning!