The questions to ask a wedding venue on your tour

Venue tours are lovely, and that is exactly the problem. Someone walks you through a bright room, shows you where the head table could sit, and tells you how the light falls at golden hour. Twenty minutes later you are picturing your first dance and you have completely forgotten the boring questions to ask a wedding venue before you sign anything.

So bring a list. Print it, keep it in your notes app, or hand half of it to whoever came along with you. My mom Debi and I have seen a lot of weddings come together, and the couples who felt calm about their venue were almost always the ones who asked the unglamorous things early.

Here are the questions worth asking, grouped the way a tour usually goes.

01

Start with the date

Before anything else, find out if your date is actually open. It sounds obvious, but so many couples fall in love with a space and only then hear it was booked months ago.

• ✦Is our date available, and is it being held for anyone else right now?
• ✦If it is taken, what dates nearby are open?
• ✦How long will you hold a date for us without a deposit?
• ✦Is there more than one event here that day? If so, where is the other one and when does it start and end?

This is the part of planning that eats the most time, and it is exactly why we built OpenDates. You search by your wedding date and see which venues are still free, so a tour becomes a yes or no conversation instead of a maybe.

Ask these early in the tour, not on your way out the door. Prices are much easier to talk about before you have imagined your first dance in the room.

• ✦What is included in the rental fee, and what is extra?
• ✦Is there a food and beverage minimum? Does it change by season or day of the week?
• ✦How are taxes, gratuities and service charges applied, and what is the all in number?
• ✦What is the deposit, and when are the remaining payments due?
• ✦What happens to our deposit if we cancel or move the date?
• ✦Are there overtime charges, and what are they per hour?
• ✦Is there a fee for bringing in our own vendors?

One more thing: ask for a sample invoice from a wedding close to your guest count. A real invoice will tell you more than any price list.

03

Capacity, layout and flow

This is the heart of any good wedding venue tour checklist. You are trying to picture a full day in the space, not just a pretty empty room.

• ✦How many guests can you seat comfortably with a dance floor and a head table?
• ✦Where does cocktail hour happen? What is the rain plan?
• ✦How long does it take you to flip the room between the ceremony and the reception, and where do guests go while that happens?
• ✦Is the space accessible? Think step free entrances, accessible washrooms, and seating for guests who use mobility aids.
• ✦Where can we get ready, and what time can we arrive?
• ✦Is there parking, and is it free? Is there space for a shuttle to pull in?

If you are touring a barn, a tent site or anywhere rural, add a few more: where does the power come from, where are the washrooms, and what is the lighting like after dark? Those answers shape a lot, including what your decor and rental list needs to cover and whether you want to arrange transportation for guests.

• ✦Do you handle catering in house, or do we bring in our own?
• ✦If it is in house, can we taste the menu before we sign? Is the tasting free?
• ✦How do you handle allergies, dietary needs and kids' meals?
• ✦Can we bring our own wine or spirits, and is there a corkage fee?
• ✦Who holds the liquor licence, and what time does bar service end?
• ✦Is there a cake cutting fee?

If the venue lets you choose, you can compare caterers once you know the kitchen setup and any rules about outside food.

05

Vendors, rules and timing

Every venue has a list of rules. It is far better to hear them now than three weeks before the wedding.

• ✦Do we have to use vendors from your list, or can we choose our own?
• ✦What time can our vendors arrive to set up, and when does everything need to be out?
• ✦Are there noise restrictions or a hard end time?
• ✦Any rules on candles, sparklers, confetti or fireworks?
• ✦Can we hang anything on the walls or ceiling?
• ✦What furniture is included: tables, chairs, linens, plates, glassware?

A hard end time matters more than people expect, because it shapes your whole timeline and what you book your DJ or band for.

• ✦Who will be here on our wedding day, and will we meet them before?
• ✦Is there a venue coordinator included, and what exactly do they do? It is often not the same thing as a wedding planner.
• ✦What insurance do you require from us or from our vendors?
• ✦What is your weather or emergency policy, and has it ever been used?
• ✦Can we see the contract today and take it home to read?

07

Before you leave

Take photos of the spaces nobody shows off: the entrance guests will actually walk through, the washrooms, the parking lot, the corner where the bar goes. Note the time of day you toured and where the sun was sitting. Your photographer will love you for it later.

Then ask one last question, and ask it kindly: what do couples usually wish they had known about this venue sooner? Good venue teams will tell you honestly, and the answer is often the most useful thing you take home.

How many venues should we tour?

There is no magic number. Most couples find that touring a few in the same week makes comparing them much easier, because the details blur together after a while. Take notes right after each one while it is fresh.

What should we bring to a venue tour?

Your guest count, your rough budget, your must have dates, your list of wedding venue questions, and someone whose opinion you trust. A phone for photos and voice notes helps too.

When should we book our venue?

As soon as you are sure, because the venue sets your date, your guest count and a big part of your budget. Everything else gets easier once it is locked in.

Is a venue coordinator the same as a wedding planner?

Usually not. A venue coordinator looks after the venue and its staff on the day, while a planner looks after you and all of your vendors. Ask exactly what is included so you know whether you still want a planner.

Choosing a wedding venue is so much simpler when you start with the dates that are actually open. When I was planning my own wedding, that was the hardest part by far, which is why OpenDates works the way it does. You enter your wedding date and see the venues near you that are still available, then book tours with a shortlist that already works.

You can do the same for photographers, florists, hair and makeup and everyone else on your list. It is free for couples, always.

Happy planning! Kristina

Photos from Pexels.