6 things to consider when booking a wedding venue

So you’ve got your shortlist of dream wedding venues and are ready to go ahead with booking a wedding venue. You have ideas of how you want your big day to be so make sure that your vision becomes reality by getting as much information from the wedding venues as possible before deciding on your final venue. fairytale-wedding-venues

To help you we have put together a list of important things to think about. There are hundreds more questions you might want to ask depending on your needs but hopefully this list will get you thinking about what you need when booking a wedding venue!

1. Availability

Is the venue available for your preferred dates, is it available the day before or day after for you use if you need to prepare in any way?
Are there any other weddings taking place at the same time? Do you have exclusivity for your wedding day?
Does the cost differ if you have it on a weekday as opposed to a weekend or at a different time of year? You could save £1000’s by being a bit flexible with your dates.

2. Cost

What do quoted prices include? Check if prices include room hire charges and that any food or drinks included in the package cover what is required for the day. Are there any hidden costs?
What would happen if you need to cancel? Make sure when booking a wedding venue that you check the venue’s cancellation policy and get a suitable insurance policy.

3. Catering

Does the venue provide on-site catering or use a preferred outside caterer. Are you able to provide your own catering options?
Do you want a full sit down meal or a buffet style meal or something more informal such as a hog roast, BBQ or stone baked pizza? Which of these does the venue offer?
How will the venue provide for special dietary requirements or vegan/vegetarian guests?
Is there a special rate for children’s meals or are these priced the same as adult meals?
Will you need to provide additional food in the evening for guests? Are there long gaps between meals and if so can canapes or snacks be served to keep your guest going?
Is the venue licensed for alcohol? If so how much do drinks costs? is there a cash bar for guests and if so are the prices affordable for your guests? Can you bring your alcohol if you wanted to? Is there a corkage charge?

4. Accommodation

Is there accommodation on site and if so how many rooms? Will there be a special rate for guests and does the cost of your wedding include use of the bridal suite (is this complimentary?)
If there is no accommodation available on-site, where is the nearest available, affordable accommodation for your guests? Is there enough available accommodation for guests without requiring long journeys to reach accommodation?

5. Entertainment

Do you want live music or a DJ or something else entirely? Can the venue provide entertainment or allow you to provide your own entertainment?
Does the venue have PA system for live music or will bands need to bring their own equipment? What time can the band play until? Can they play outside in a marquee?
Are you allowed you to have a candles, fireworks, bonfires, confetti etc.
What time are you able to have music played until?

6. Planning and Logistics

Is there a wedding planning service at the venue? Will there be a schedule for the day? who will make sure that everything runs to time and everyone is in the right place?
Will you have a coordinator at the venue who will be your point of contact for your wedding preparations?
Does your venue provide a master ceremonies or do you need to allocate this role?
If there is no bridal suite will there be somewhere for the bridal ceremony to get ready prior to/use during the day?
Is their car parking and if so for how many vehicles?