Planning 101 · 5 min read

12 Questions to Ask Every Venue on a Tour

From rain plans to corkage fees, ask these before you fall in love.

Venues are designed to be falling-in-love machines: golden hour on the terrace, a coordinator who remembers your names. Take a notes app and ask the unsexy questions before the champagne toast in your head gets too loud.

Start with the constraints. What is the hard end time, and is there a noise ordinance after it? What is the rain plan, in writing, and does it cost extra? How many other events share the property that day? Who is the day-of contact, and are they on site or on a radio from another wedding?

Then money. What is included in the rental versus the catering minimum? Corkage, cake-cutting, and service charge — get the percentages. Overtime for staff and for the venue itself are different line items. If the lighting looks perfect at 6 p.m. in October, ask what the space looks like at 4 p.m. in February.

Logistics decide whether the day feels calm. Where do vendors load in, and when? Is there a bridal suite that is not also a storage closet? How many restrooms for 150 people? What is the backup if the generator (there is always a generator conversation) fails?

The last two questions are cultural: Have you hosted a ceremony and reception for our guest count in this exact layout? And can we speak to a couple who got married here in the last year? A venue that hesitates on either is telling you something. Write the answers down before you tour the next place, while the lighting is still in your eyes.