Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue Before You Sign
Before you sign with a wedding venue, ask exactly what the per-person price includes, what taxes, service charges and vendor meals will add, how many other events they host that day, what the rain plan is (in writing), who your contact will be, and what's included versus DIY. Then ask the one almost nobody asks: who breaks everything down at the end of the night, and when does it all have to be gone?
That last one is fresh on my mind.
Recently I went to help a vendor friend break down a wedding about an hour from home. What should have taken an hour took three. The venue staff had cleared the tables by sweeping the centerpieces onto side tables in piles. The planner on that wedding didn't handle setup or breakdown, and there weren't enough people there to do the work.
Maybe the family planned to help and changed their mind. Maybe the budget didn't cover more hands. I honestly don't know. What I do know is that nobody had answered one simple question before the wedding: who is responsible for this, and by what time?
That's what this post is for. Here are the questions I'd want you to ask on every venue tour, and the ones couples forget until it's too late.
Barn venues are beautiful. Just ask who’s hanging all that fabric, and who’s taking it down at the end of the night. Photo by Abby Savage on Unsplash+
What's actually included in the per-person price?
The per-plate number on the brochure is a starting point, not your total. Ask them to walk you through what that price covers, line by line.
Is the ceremony included, or is there a separate ceremony fee?
How long is the cocktail hour, and how many hours is the bar package?
Are chairs, tables, linens, place settings and the cake cutting included?
Is there a fee for the getting-ready suite, coat check, valet or security?
If it's not written on the proposal, assume it costs extra until they tell you otherwise.
What will our real total be after tax, service charge and gratuity?
This is where budgets quietly fall apart. Ask for a sample final invoice for a wedding your size, with every charge on it.
What is the service charge, and does any of it go to the staff?
Is gratuity included, or are we expected to tip on top of the service charge?
Is tax charged on the service charge too?
A service charge and a tip are not always the same thing. If you don't ask, you may end up paying both without meaning to.
How much are vendor meals, and who counts as a vendor?
Your photographer, DJ, coordinator and other vendors working a full day need to eat. Most contracts expect you to feed them.
What is the vendor meal price, and what's served?
When is the vendor count due?
Where will vendors eat, and can they eat at the same time as your guests?
That last one matters. If your photographer eats while you're giving toasts, you miss the photos.
How many other events will be here that day?
On a busy Saturday, some venues host two, three or more events. That's not automatically a dealbreaker, but you need to know.
Will we share any spaces, like the lobby, bathrooms, bridal suite hallway or parking lot?
Are the staff working our event also working another one?
Will another wedding be using the same photo spots at the same time?
Do our cocktail hours overlap with anyone else's?
Ask them to show you exactly where the other events will be on the property.
What's the rain plan, and can we get it in writing?
Every outdoor ceremony needs a plan B. "We'll figure it out" is not a plan.
Where exactly does the ceremony move if it rains?
Who makes the call, and how far ahead?
Is there an extra cost for a tent or the indoor space?
Is the backup space held for us, or could another event be using it?
Then get the answers added to your contract or in an email from the venue. Plans made on a tour have a way of being forgotten by wedding day.
Will we have one contact or a team, and how do you keep everything straight?
Many venues hand you off from the salesperson who toured you to an event manager later. That's normal. What you want to know is how they keep your details from getting lost in the handoff.
Who is our main contact while we plan, and who is our contact on the wedding day?
Will that person be there for our whole event, or leave after dinner?
Where do our notes and changes live, so the whole team sees them?
What's included for decor and linens, and what's DIY?
Some venues are close to all-inclusive. Others give you an empty room and a list of rules.
Are linens, napkins, chargers, candles or centerpieces included? In what colors?
Are open-flame candles allowed? *VERIFY with each venue
Will your staff set out our personal items, like signs, favors and the guest book, or do we need someone else to do it?
What time can we or our vendors get in to set up?
Who breaks everything down, and when does it have to be out?
This is the question from my three-hour night. Ask it in plain words.
What does your staff clear at the end of the night, and what is our responsibility?
What time does everything need to be off the property?
Can anything be stored overnight and picked up the next day?
Is there a fee for items left behind?
Then put a name next to every item. Not "family will handle it." An actual person, who has said yes.
The questions couples forget to ask
These rarely come up on a tour, and they're usually the ones that cause the most stress later.
Is there a food and beverage minimum on our date? What happens if our guest count drops?
Do we have to use your vendors? Is there a required list or a fee for bringing in outside vendors?
Can we bring in outside catering, cake or desserts? Is there a cake-cutting or plating fee per guest?
Can we bring our own wine or alcohol? If so, what's the corkage fee per bottle, and who has to serve it?
What insurance do you require? From us, and from each of our vendors. (More on that in Wedding Insurance 101.)
What time does the music have to stop? For outdoor events, ask about the town's noise or sound rules too, and whether amplified music is allowed outside. And what does overtime cost, per hour?
Where are the bathrooms, and are there enough? This one matters most at barns, farms and other rustic spots. If restroom trailers are needed, who rents them, who pays, and are they lit after dark?
Where will guests park, and is valet required? If valet is required, what does it cost, and is it priced per car or per attendant? If parking is tight, do we need shuttles? (Our wedding transportation guide can help.)
How accessible is the space? Ramps, elevators, restroom access, and how far it is from parking to the ceremony. Think about your grandparents and any guest who uses a wheelchair or walker. Check out ADA Design Standards.
What's your emergency plan? What happens if the power goes out, someone gets hurt, or there's severe weather mid-event? Is there a first aid kit or AED on site, and who on staff is in charge?
What's the payment schedule, and what's your refund and cancellation policy? What's refundable, what isn't, and what happens if we need to postpone? Read it before you pay the deposit, not after.
Have you hosted couples like us? If you're LGBTQIA+, interfaith, or planning something nontraditional, you deserve a venue that's excited about it, not just okay with it.
What happens if our event manager leaves before our wedding? Ask how your file gets passed on.
Quick answers
When should we ask these questions? Before you pay a deposit. Once the contract is signed, you have a lot less room to ask for changes.
Is a service charge the same as a tip? Not always. Ask the venue directly whether any of the service charge goes to the staff working your wedding.
Should we get the rain plan in writing? Yes. Ask for it in your contract or in an email from the venue, with the backup location named.
Do we still need a coordinator if the venue has one? That's a whole post of its own, and it's coming soon. The short version: your venue's coordinator works for the venue. Ask what they will and won't do for you on the wedding day.
You don't have to remember all of this alone
A venue tour is exciting, and it's easy to forget half your questions once you see the ballroom. Screenshot this list and bring it with you.
And if you'd rather have someone in your corner who asks these questions for a living, that's what I do. Reading contracts, keeping track of vendor meals, planning the breakdown so nobody is stuck stacking centerpieces at the end of the night. My question for every couple is the same: what can we take off your plate?
Take a look at my coordination services, or book a Vibe Check and let's talk about your venue.
