5 Questions to ask your venue before saying “I Do”:

Have you been dreaming about your perfect wedding venue for years?  Or maybe you just got engaged and haven’t really considered your wedding venue, other than your ideal location.  Either way, the venue search can be daunting and finding the right venue for your wedding is about more than just the right location and the perfect aesthetic.  There are many things you need to consider before saying yes to the venue.

Standard questions you will ask are; do they have your preferred date available, what is the venue capacity and how many hours are included in the rental?  But you aren’t just finding any venue, you are finding THE venue.  We want to help you find the venue that will ensure you and your guests have the best wedding experience and sometimes that requires digging a little deeper.  Below are our top 5 questions we recommend you ask your venue BEFORE you book.

Will I be the only event this day?

Yay, this venue checks all your boxes and they have your preferred date available!  You are constantly hearing that venues book fast, so usually this is enough to make you want to book right now.  But wait, are you going to be their only wedding or event this day or will there be multiple events happening?  If there are multiple events that day, be sure to ask how this will work the day of.  For instance, do they provide signage to direct guests to the correct location, how far apart will the events be, and is there dedicated staff for each event?

How many hours do we get for setup and tear down?

When you book a venue, you are typically booking it for a certain number of hours, such as 12pm-midnight.  It is important to ask your venue if your rental time includes set-up and break down time.  If not, at what time can vendors arrive and what time do they need to be broken down?  Are there additional charges for the set-up and breakdown time?  Depending on how extensive your set-up is, vendors will typically need to arrive 2-4 hours prior to your actual event start time.  If your ceremony is at 4:00 pm, vendors may need to arrive as early as noon for set-up.  In addition, vendors will typically need 1-2 hours for breakdown, but again this depends on how extensive your decor and set-up are.

Am I required to use certain or approved vendors or can I bring my own?

Venues typically fall into one of three categories; a venue that requires you to use vendors from their approved list, a venue that requires you to you use certain vendors (such as a caterer), or a venue that allows you to bring in all of your own vendors.  It is important to understand what vendors are required vendors for a venue and what vendors you are allowed to bring in.  If you are allowed to bring in your own vendors, are there limitations or guidelines you need to meet, such as that they must be insured vendors or be professional vendors (operate as a business providing professional services) not friendors.

Will you put together a full proposal to include all costs associated with the venue, including tax, service charge and gratuity?

It is incredibly important to understand your all in cost at a venue to ensure it fits within your budget.  Remember that your venue’s rental fee and catering should not be more than 50% of your overall wedding budget.  If the entire venue cost (not just the food and beverage minimum) doesn’t fit within your budget, you may have to move on, unless you’re open to cutting something else or increasing your budget.  Read more about how to set your wedding budget on our blog here.

Are there any decor restrictions?

Maybe you have your heart set on elegant taper candles in gold candlesticks, but your venue only allows LED candles and no real flames.  While there are LED taper candles, they are significantly more expensive and may increase your decor budget.  You need to know this prior to booking your venue.  This is just one example.  Other examples may include extra fees for bringing in different tables and chairs or restrictions on lighting and fabric draping.

Bonus Question: What is the backup plan for rain or inclement weather?

If you are planning an outdoor ceremony, does the venue have a weather backup plan?  If so, is it a backup plan that you can live with and would be truly okay with?.  Many of our Colorado couples assume they will never have to use the backup plan, so they don’t give it much thought.  However, it is not uncommon for weather to make hosting an outdoor event impossible or very difficult on your guests.  If you feel it would ruin your wedding day to have to have your wedding in the indoor location due to weather, consider looking at other venues that may have a backup location that is more in line with your wedding dreams.

Need help finding or booking your venue? Let our professional staff help you find the Colorado wedding venue of your dreams! Contact us today!