Over the last 12 years in the wedding industry I have heard a few horrible stories about vendors and venues. Being the devils advocate I ask well did you ask about that beforehand or was it in a contract? Communication and getting all the information you need is so crucial when you are investing in your venue and any wedding vendor because you want a stress free process and heck you deserve that!

Here are some key questions I would ask either when you visit the site with the planner or ahead of time via email. If it is in person be sure to take notes in a notebook, get a pamphlet or put it in your phone. Have it so when you narrow down your choices you can easily reference it. A lot of well known venues will answer a lot of these questions before you ask but it is better to be over prepared and not get stuck with unexpected costs.

1. What dates do you have open?
2. Do you offer discounts on weekday weddings?
3. What are the capacity limits for ceremony and reception?
4. Is outside catering allowed?
5. Are there any other events here or nearby on my wedding date? This is an important one if parking will be limited *
6. How big is the dance floor space?
7. What payment schedules do you have?
8. How much is a retainer?
9. When is the final balance due?
10. What forms of payment are accepted?
11. What is the cancellation policy?
12. Do you charge overtime fees if our guests stay later than planned?
13. What are your reception hours? How late can we stay?
14. Do I need to purchase any insurance or permits?
15. What is the liquor policy and licensing arrangements?
16. Do you charge a cake cutting fee? If so how much?
17. Are there any parking rules for where guests need to park?
18. Is there a getting ready space? If so is there an additional fee?
19. How long do we have possession? Can we set up the day before?
20. Are there any additional cleaning fees? What cleaning is required of us?
21. Is it child or pet friendly?
22. Do you provide any decorations, linens, chairs, tables, dinnerware? What is the additional cost?
23. What are the table and chair options?
24. What are the layout options for ceremony and reception?
25. Can we have candles or sparkler exit?
26. Any decorating restrictions?
27. Do we need to bring a signing table for our ceremony?
28. Do you have a microphone and speaker system? Additional costs?
29. Is there a screen for our slideshow? What is required for us to bring to make that work? Additional costs?
30. What are the food options? Is there a minimum? Do we get to have left overs packaged up?
31. Can you accommodate specific dietary restrictions?
32. What are the alcohol choices? Do we supply it? Costs for bartenders?
33. Are there any accommodation discounts?
34. If the venue doesn’t have rooms ask if they have partnered with anyone that may offer a discount for you and your guests.
35. Do they have a preferred vendor list or restrictions on specific vendors?