Essential Wedding Venue Questions: Capacity, Corkage, and Logistics

TLDR

When choosing a wedding venue, it is important to consider capacity, exclusive hire, corkage charges, minimum covers for catering, end-of-evening logistics, late-night extensions, distance from the car park, and setup and checkout times.

Key Insights

💒 Capacity is crucial when choosing a wedding venue, as you don’t want it to feel sparse or have to cut your guest list.

💒 “Definitely investigate if you will have exclusive hire of the venue, as it may not be the case if it’s a hotel open to other guests.”

🍾 It’s important to check whether the venue charges corkage and what supplies you can bring in.

🍽️ Always double check the minimum covers required by the in-house catering team at the venue to avoid unnecessary charges.

🍾 It’s important to know when carriages will be at the end of the evening, when the lights need to be off, when the bar needs to be closed, and when everyone needs to be off site.

🌙 “They have any late night sort of extensions where you can pay an extra fee to have everybody on site till 1am.”

🚗 Suppliers will need to know about the distance from the car park to the venue for delivery and unloading, so it’s a crucial question to ask.

⏰ Knowing the cutoff time for setting up the day before and the checkout time the next day is crucial for planning a smooth wedding day.

Q&A

What should I consider when choosing a wedding venue?

—Consider the venue’s capacity, exclusive hire options, corkage charges, catering minimum covers, end-of-evening logistics, late-night extensions, distance from the car park, and setup and checkout times.

What questions should I ask about the venue’s pricing and availability?

—Ask about pricing for different days of the week, if they are licensed for weddings, and if they allow for a civil ceremony.

Should I inquire about the venue’s catering options?

—Yes, ask if they have in-house catering, minimum cover requirements, and if they allow outside vendors with any additional charges.

What restrictions or policies should I ask the venue about?

—Inquire about noise limitations, timing restrictions for the ceremony, late-night extensions, children policies, and confetti restrictions.

What should I ask about the venue’s amenities and setup options?

—Ask about in-house caterers, furniture and sound system availability, bridal suite access, setup timings, and cutoff times for setup and checkout.

Timestamped Summary

👰 00:00 Know the 26 important questions to ask your wedding venue before booking.

💍 01:30 Research availability, capacity, and pricing before booking, inquire about pricing for different days and wedding licensing.

💍 03:36 Make sure to ask if the venue allows for a civil ceremony, offers exclusive hire, and if it is a dry hire venue, as well as inquiring about alcohol options and corkage fees.

💍 06:05 Ask about in-house catering, hire options, supplier flexibility, and charges for outside vendors.

👰 08:05 Ask about noise restrictions and timing limitations for your ceremony before booking your wedding venue.

💍 09:35 Ask your wedding venue about late night extensions, on-site accommodation, parking availability, time restrictions, children policies, and confetti restrictions.

💍 12:07 Ensure furniture, sound system, and microphone are included, inquire about access to bridal suite and setup timings.

👰 14:17 Ask these 26 important questions when choosing your wedding venue to avoid disappointment later on in your planning.