Photo by: Carina Finn Photography
First of all, congratulations on your engagement!
The wedding planning process can be one of the most fun and exciting chapters of your life. As you begin the exciting journey of planning your dream wedding, one of the most crucial decisions you’ll make is choosing the perfect venue to host this momentous occasion. The venue sets the tone for your entire event, so it’s essential to ask the right questions to ensure it meets your needs and expectations. To help you navigate this process, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of questions that every newly engaged couple should ask a wedding venue before booking (and some even before touring the venue).
Photo By: Eyeronic Love Photography
Venue Capacity
Before scheduling a venue tour, inquire about its capacity. Knowing if a venue can accommodate your guest count saves time and effort. If you're planning a grand event with 300 guests but the venue can only hold 150, you can swiftly eliminate it from consideration. This goes hand in hand on date availability as well.
Photo By: Otto Focused Photography
Pricing and Packages
Once you’ve ensured a venue you’re interested in can accommodate the guest count you’re expecting, this is the next big question to ask before touring. The last thing you want is to tour a venue that you fall in love with and find out it is out of your price range. Understanding the rental rates and fees before hand can help minimize disappointment in your search for a venue. When inquiring about pricing, make sure you know what is included within that cost. Is it just for the venue rental, or does it include tables and chairs, overnight accommodations, decor, etc?
Photo By: Kari Creative Photography
Vendor Policies
This is a big one to make sure you ask during your tour or inquiry process. Every venue is different with their requirements for vendors. Some require booking from a specific list, or have rules such as only allowing full service catering, or that all vendors must be insured with the venue listed as an additional insured. For example, The Chandelier of Gruene requires selecting vendors off of their preferred vendor list for catering, coordination, and bartending, but offers flexibility with other vendors. Understanding the flexibility they offer and what the requirements are with vendor selection can help save a lot of time and trouble in the planning process.
Photo By: Lauren Crumpler Photography
Bar & Alcohol
Unless you plan on having a dry wedding, asking a venue about their bar and alcohol policies is a big one. Some venues may offer in house bartending services with various packages available, while others may allow outside vendors to provide this. Make sure you’re aware of who you can hire. As a bare minimum, most venues will require a licensed and insured vendor who provides TABC certified bartenders. In addition, make sure you know other rules with alcohol such as how long the bar can be open, outside alcohol policies, if they allow shots/straight liquor to be served, and security requirements. For example, The Preserve at Canyon Lake does not allow outside alcohol on the property whatsoever (including while getting ready) as they offer in-house bartending and can provide the drinks for you.
Photo By: Renee Nunez Photography
Amenities
It’s super helpful to have a good understanding of all the amenities a venue may offer. Do they have getting ready areas for both partners during the morning? Is there a space for vendors to store their extra gear and equipment? Do they have a built in or portable bar or will you need to rent/provide one? Do they offer tables and chairs? Are there dedicated spaces for ceremony/cocktail/reception? All of these questions can impact the logistics of your wedding day so make sure you have clear expectations of what the venue does and doesn’t offer.
Photo By: Cori Brooke Photography
Plan B
While we would love for everyday to go exactly the way it is supposed to, sometimes weather has other plans. Ask what their rain plan is if any of the event would take place outside. Whether it be ceremony doubling inside of the reception space, or they offer an indoor ceremony space it is helpful to understand what the process would look like if worse comes to worse.
Photo By: Lauren Crumpler Photography
Cancellation & Refund
Covid really changed the game when it came to navigating cancellation and refunds. Life happens and sometimes things don’t always go according to plan. Whether you’re needing to reschedule the date, or cancel, make sure you ask what the cancellation process and policies would look like so you’re prepared if it came to that.
Decor
While the venue is the backdrop of the wedding day, the decorations are what makes it personal to you. Understanding what a venue offers/allows in terms of decorations from the beginning will set you up for success as you plan the design for your big day. Some venues may offer in-house decor such as The Chapel at Gruene, or have it available as an add-on such as The Allen Farmhaus. Additionally, some may have built in options for statement pieces such as the suspended floral boxes at The Chandelier of Gruene, or the beautiful staircase that you can add florals/greenery to at The Preserve.
Photo By: Chandra's Collection
By asking these essential questions, you'll gain valuable insights into whether a wedding venue aligns with your vision and needs. Remember to take notes during your venue visits and trust your instincts when making the final decision. And if you need assistance hunting down the perfect venue (or wedding planning in general), The Perfect Day offers planning packages and would be happy to help! Head over to our contact page to inquire or give us a call at 830-632-5162!