Questions to ask on a wedding venue viewing

A wedding venue viewing is easy to spend admiring the view. The view matters, but the viewing is also your best chance to understand how a venue works on the day itself. Take this list with you, and write the answers down: after three or four viewings they start to blur.

Dates and availability

• Is our preferred date available, and how long can you hold it while we decide?
• What deposit secures the date, and is it refundable?
• How do prices change by day of the week and by season?
• Will ours be the only wedding at the venue that day?

What the venue hire includes

• Which spaces are included: ceremony, pre-drinks, reception, and any getting-ready rooms?
• What furniture comes with the hire: chairs, tables, linen, a podium, a dance floor?
• What time can our suppliers set up, and when must everything be cleared?
• What time does the music have to end, and what does it cost to stay later?

Guests

• What are the minimum and maximum guest numbers for the ceremony and for a seated dinner?
• Is there on-site accommodation for us or our guests? If not, what is nearby?
• Where do guests park, and is there space for a shuttle to drop off?
• Is the venue accessible for guests with limited mobility?

Food and drink

• Is catering in-house, or can we bring our own caterer?
• Can we arrange a tasting before we confirm the menu, and is there a cost?
• How are dietary requirements and allergies handled?
• What are the bar options, and is there a corkage fee if we supply our own wine?

Suppliers

• Do you have a list of preferred or required suppliers?
• Are any suppliers not permitted, or do outside suppliers pay a fee?
• Is there a coordinator on the day, and what exactly does their role cover?

Weather and backup plans

• If the ceremony is outdoors, what is the wet-weather alternative, and when is that decision made?
• On the Highveld, summer afternoons can bring thunderstorms; ask how the venue plans around them.
• Is there heating or cover for cooler evenings in winter?

Power, sound and light

• Is there backup power if the electricity goes off during the wedding?
• Are there restrictions on sound levels, candles, confetti or fireworks?
• What lighting is already in the reception space after dark?

Costs and contracts

• What is included in the quoted price, and is VAT included?
• What is the payment schedule?
• What is the cancellation and postponement policy?
• Is a damage deposit required, and when is it returned?

Before you leave

Ask to see the spaces at the time of day your ceremony and dinner will happen, or for photographs taken at that hour. Light changes a room completely. And ask for everything you have discussed in writing, so that the quote you compare is the one you were given.

Planning a smaller celebration? Read how to plan an intimate wedding.