Questions to ask a wedding venue before booking

Is our date available, and how does a venue hold work?

A date shown as open on a tour may already be on hold for someone else, and a hold you are offered may expire on a set day or end early if another couple asks for the date. Ask what secures the date, because a conversation, a signature and a deposit can each mean something different. A clear answer names a deadline and a trigger, for example: "Your hold lasts until 5:00 p.m. on March 3; if another request comes in, we will contact you and you have 48 hours to sign."

• Is the date open, or already on hold for someone else?
• Can we place a hold, for how long, and is there a charge?
• What happens if another couple asks for the date during our hold?
• What secures the date: a signature, a deposit, or both?
• Is another event booked here the same day or the night before?
• Can the date move later, and what would a change cost?
• Will you confirm the date, spaces and times in writing before we pay?

How many guests fit, and which spaces are ours?

A capacity figure can describe a standing reception, theater-style rows or dinner at round tables, and each gives a different number. Ask for the seated capacity with the layout you want, including a dance floor, the band or DJ, a head table, the bar and any buffet. A clear answer is a floor plan drawn for your guest count, plus a plain statement of which spaces are yours alone and which are shared with the public or another event.

• What is the seated capacity with a dance floor and our band or DJ?
• Can you send a floor plan drawn for our guest count?
• Which spaces are ours alone, and which are shared?
• Where do the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception each happen?
• If a room is turned over after the ceremony, how long does it take and where do guests wait?
• Is there a getting-ready room, and from what time?
• Is there step-free access to each space and the restrooms?
• How much parking is there, and is there a charge?

What does a wedding venue rental include?

Inclusions decide what you still need to rent, hire or buy, so ask for them itemized with quantities and styles rather than "tables and chairs included." A clear answer reads like an inventory: the number and size of tables, the number and style of chairs, what linens and tableware come with the room, and who sets them up and puts them away. Compare that list with your rental and catering quotes so you do not pay twice for the same item.

• Which tables and chairs are included, how many, and in what style?
• Are linens, napkins, tableware and glassware included?
• Who sets up and breaks down tables, chairs and decor?
• Is a dance floor, stage, sound system or microphone included?
• What power, lighting and Wi-Fi can vendors use?
• Is a coordinator included, and what do they handle?
• Is rehearsal time included, and when can it be scheduled?

Do wedding venues charge sales tax, minimums and fees?

The rental fee can be one line among several. Ask whether there is a food and beverage minimum, a service charge or administrative fee, and sales tax, and ask what base each percentage is calculated on. A clear answer is an itemized estimate for your guest count that shows each percentage, the lines it applies to and the result.

For example, take a hypothetical quote with a $4,000 rental, $9,000 of food and beverage, a 20% service charge on food and beverage ($9,000 x 0.20 = $1,800) and 8% tax on food, beverage and the service charge (($9,000 + $1,800) x 0.08 = $864). The total is $4,000 + $9,000 + $1,800 + $864 = $15,664. If tax also applied to the rental, add $4,000 x 0.08 = $320, for $15,984. Which lines are taxed depends on the contract and state rules, so ask the venue to show it on the estimate.

• Is there a food and beverage minimum, and what counts toward it?
• What do we owe if we spend less than the minimum?
• Is there a service charge or administrative fee, and on what base?
• Is any portion of the service charge paid to staff?
• Which lines is sales tax added to?
• Are there fees for the ceremony, setup, cleanup, security, parking or cake cutting?
• Can the price rise between signing and the wedding, and by how much?

Which vendors can we use, and what rules apply to them?

Vendor rules can change your budget as much as the rental fee. Ask whether any service is exclusive to the venue, whether a vendor list is required or only suggested, and whether an outside vendor or outside caterer fee applies. Then ask for the written rules on insurance, alcohol, decor and music. A clear answer is a document you can send to your other vendors, not a summary from the tour.

• Is any service exclusive to the venue or a named company?
• Is there a preferred vendor list, and can we hire someone who is not on it?
• Is there a fee for outside vendors or an outside caterer?
• What insurance or licenses must outside vendors provide, and by when?
• Can we supply our own alcohol, and who must serve it?
• Are there rules on candles, confetti, petals, sparklers, nails or tape?
• Are there limits on amplified music or sound levels?

What time can we get in, and when must everyone be out?

Rental hours may or may not include setup and load-out, and the difference decides whether your florist, rentals and band fit inside the window. For example, with hypothetical rental hours of 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. that include setup, a 5:00 p.m. ceremony leaves one hour for everything to go in. If load-out must also finish by 11:00 p.m., the music has to stop earlier. A clear answer gives start and end times for access, vendor arrival, music and departure.

• What are our exact access start and end times?
• Do setup and load-out count inside those hours?
• When can vendors arrive and deliver, and when must they leave?
• When must music stop, and is there an outdoor cutoff?
• Can we add time, at what rate, and who approves it on the day?
• Can items be dropped off the day before or collected the day after?

What is the rain plan, and who makes the weather call?

If any part of the day is outdoors, the backup plan is part of what you are booking. Ask where the event moves, whether that space is held for you or could be in use by another event, and whether it fits your guest count and layout. A clear answer names the backup space, its seated capacity, any added cost such as a tent, who makes the call and by what time.

• Where does each outdoor part of the day move in bad weather?
• Is that space held for us, or could another event be using it?
• Is a tent required or offered, and at what cost?
• Who makes the weather call, and how many hours ahead?
• Does moving indoors add a fee or change the timeline?
• What is the plan for heat, wind or smoke, not only rain?

Do wedding venues offer payment plans, and what if you cancel?

Before you pay anything, ask for the payment schedule and the cancellation terms in the contract itself. Note what the first payment is called, since "deposit," "retainer" and "booking fee" can carry different terms in different contracts. A clear answer is a dated schedule with amounts, plus a written statement of what you would owe if you cancelled or postponed at different points. Whether any amount comes back depends on the contract and on state law.

• How much is due at signing, and what does the contract call it?
• Is there a payment plan or schedule, with dates and amounts?
• Which payment methods do you accept, and is there a card fee?
• What do we owe if we cancel at different points before the date?
• Can we postpone, and does money paid move to the new date?
• What happens if the venue cancels, closes or changes ownership?
• Is there a security or damage deposit, and when is it returned?
• Must we carry event liability insurance, and with what limits?

Who will be in charge at the venue on the wedding day?

The person who shows you the venue may not be the person on site at your wedding. Ask who your contact will be on the day, what hours they work and what they do. A clear answer names a role, the hours, and a list of tasks, so you can see what a planner or a trusted friend still needs to cover.

• Who is our on-site contact on the day, and what hours do they work?
• What does the venue coordinator do, and what should a planner handle?
• Does anyone from the venue run the rehearsal or cue the ceremony?
• How many venue staff will work our event, and in which roles?
• Is security staff required, and who pays for it?
• Who sets out and packs up place cards, favors and personal items?
• Who do vendors call if something breaks or someone is hurt?

Venue question log

Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.

On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.

A message you can make your own

Add your document reference and the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.

Thank you for showing us the venue. Before we decide, could you confirm a few points in writing? How long can you hold our date, and what secures it? What is the seated capacity with a dance floor for about [number] guests, and could you send a floor plan? Could you send an itemized estimate showing the rental, any minimum, the service charge and tax with the base each is calculated on, and any other fees? We would also like the vendor and decor rules, our access and end times, the rain plan, the payment schedule and the cancellation terms.

Common questions

The next decisions

• What is a date hold at a wedding venue? How holds work
• What to look for in a wedding venue contract: a checklist
• How to compare wedding venues and quotes side by side