Wedding Workbook

Wedding Venue Questions Checklist Bride & Groom:_________________________ Wedding Date:___________________________

Venue Availability • •

Is the venue available for our selected wedding date? Will we have exclusive use of the venue on our wedding day? Will another event be booked in the room or church before or after ours?

Note: Venues that host multiple weddings may place a limitation the amount of time available per ceremony or reception. •

Will other events be occurring in nearby venues? If so, will the sound carry from the other venues?

cost. Be sure to enquire about additional costs should the cost of booking the venue not include the special extras that you need. • •

Venue Size/ Capacity









How many guests can the venue accommodate with and without a dance floor and wedding band or DJ? What are the available seating arrangement options for the venue?

Booking Confirmation • • •

How far in advance would we need to confirm our booking? How long is a preliminary booking valid for the venue? Is the cost of booking the venue discounted on certain days of the week or times of the day?

Note: Venues often have discounted rates on certain days and times of the week. •

How soon after our wedding event is the balance due?

Venue Costs •

What are the various options and costs for the use of the venue?

Note: It is essential to find out what is included in the venue



• •

What is the cost of booking the venue and does this amount include a limited number of hours? If so, how many hours are included in the venue cost? Are we allowed to use the venue for longer than arranged? If overtime use is allowed, would an additional overtime cost be incurred and if so, what is the extra cost? Does the total cost for booking the venue include tax or VAT? Is gratuity included in the venue booking cost or are we required to pay this separately? Is the cost of booking the venue based on a per person or per head fee structure or is there a standard booking cost for the venue? When will the final balance be due and is this amount tax or VAT inclusive? What additional fees are there? For example: Extra power outlets for large wedding bands and additional lighting, delivery costs for guest wedding favour bags, etc.

Venue Deposit • • •

Is a deposit required to book the venue? If so, how much is the deposit to secure the venue for our wedding date and when is the deposit due? Is the deposit refundable if we change our mind? Is any portion of the deposit refundable, and if so, how soon after our wedding event will it be refunded?

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Wedding Workbook

Wedding Venue Questions Checklist For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul. - Judy Garland

Venue Cancellation or Postponement Policy •

Is there a cancellation or postponement policy? And if so, what is the venues cancellation/postponement policy?

Venue Insurance & Liabilities • • •

Is the venue insured with public liability insurance (and liquor liability insurance) or will we need to take out insurance? Is public liability insurance (and liquor liability insurance) included in the venue cost or are we responsible for providing our own insurance policy? Are we required to notify the surrounding neighbours, police or security companies of the details of our wedding event? If so, will the venue be able to take care of that?

Note: If wedding events are held at a private home or venue, then neighbours, police, or security companies may need to be informed of the details of the event. • •

Is the venue associated with a private home? If so, is the venue being operated with a conditional use permit? Note: Venues operating without a permit will not be able to guarantee a secure venue booking.

Venue Location and Distance • • • •

Is the venue easy for our wedding guests to find and travel to? Is the venue well sign-posted? Does the venue offer shuttle services to the venue from a central location? Is the reception venue within a reasonable distance of the ceremony venue? Does the reception venue have a church or chapel on site or nearby?



Where are the entrances and exits for our guests and ourselves?

Venue Personnel Services • • • •

On-site venue wedding co-ordinator Does the venue have an in-house wedding coordinator? Is the venue co-ordinators services charged as an additional fee or is it included in the total venue booking cost? Will there be any mandatory meetings prior to the wedding? Can we meet with the in-house wedding co-ordinator before our wedding event to go over details?

Venue Staff • • • •

Does the venue offer staff to assist with our wedding event? Are there additional costs for this? Are there additional costs for using the venues bartender or chefs at a food station or serving table at our wedding event? What is the dressing attire of the venues staff members? Should our event run after hours, will we be expected to pay overtime to the venues staff members who are assisting during our wedding event?

Venue Security Services •

Does the venue offer security services? If so, is there an additional cost for security?

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Wedding Workbook

Wedding Venue Questions Checklist The best thing to hold onto in life is each other. - Audrey Hepburn

Venue Concierge Services • • •

Does the venue offer concierge services and if so, is there an additional cost? What concierge services does the venue offer? Are there delivery fees for wedding guest gift/ favour bags?

Venue Ceremony Services • • • • • • • • •

Is the venue licensed to carry out civil ceremonies? If so, what authority does the venue come under and can the venue supply names and contact details for the registrar? Does the venue have a ceremony official? Can we bring our own ceremony official? Venue set-up and clean-up services and costs Venue set-up services Who is responsible for the set-up of the venue, will the venue see to this or will we need to arrange it? Are there additional venue set-up costs? Does the venue have a delivery area for our use prior to the wedding event? If so, where is the delivery area located? Does the venue have specific set-up and breakdown areas? If so, where are these areas located?

Venue Clean-up Services • • •

Who will clean up the wedding venue? Will we be responsible for arranging our own cleaning or will the venue take care of this? Is the clean-up of the venue included in the total venue booking cost or is there an additional cost or deposit required for cleaning the venue? If so, what is the cost or deposit required? If a cleaning

deposit is charged, what cleaning services does the deposit cover?

Venue Facilities and Services •

Does the venue cater for less mobile guests or guests with a disability?

Cloakrooms, Dressing Rooms & Other Areas • • •

Are there special dressing rooms available for our bridal party? If so, will be able to use them and will there be an additional cost? Can these rooms be locked when not in use? Are there suitable and sufficient cloakrooms and dressing rooms available for our wedding guests to use? Does the venue offer handicapped restroom facilities? Are there lounging facilities at the venue and if so, what lounging facilities are available for the use of our wedding guests?

Note: It is useful for a venue to have a quieter seating area for older wedding guests to use as it becomes noisier later into the event. • •

Does the venue have an area that can be used for our guest’s children? If so, will there be an additional cost? Does the venue offer child-minding services? If so, what will the additional cost be?

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Wedding Workbook

Wedding Venue Questions Checklist Love is when the other person’s happiness is more important than your own. - H. Jackson Brown, Jr

Venue Storage Facilities •

• •

Can the venue assist with receiving and storing our wedding guest’s coats, personal belongings and wedding gifts that they have brought along? If so, are there additional costs for having coat and wedding gift attendants at the venue? Does the venue offer a safe storage area for our wedding gifts? If so, is there an additional fee for this service? Will we be insured for any loss or damage to our wedding gifts? If the venue does not store coats and personal belongings, does the venue have a coat rack available in a secure area? If not, can the venue provide a coat rack inside the venue?

Parking Facilities and Shuttle Services • • •

Are on-site parking facilities are available for our wedding guests to use? Where are these parking facilities located? Are they within short walking distance from the venue? If they aren’t, does the venue offer a shuttle service for our guests to use? If so, does the venue charge an additional fee for this service?

Venue Style •

What venues are available for us to use on site? Does the site have different venues for us to choose from for different aspects of our wedding?

Note: A wedding venue site may be able to offer several venues for different aspects of a wedding, such as a venue for the arrival drinks, pre-ceremony drinks and canapés, wedding ceremony and the wedding reception.

• •

• • •

How many people can the venue accommodate seated and standing? Can the venue be used for both a wedding ceremony and reception? If there are a few venues on site (indoor and/ or outdoor), can the venue host our wedding ceremony and reception using different venues, or can we make use of only one venue on site for both events? How wide is the aisle of the venue? Does the venue suit our wedding theme? What colours comprise the existing décor of the venue and its surrounds?

Indoor Facillities • • •

What indoor venues are available for us to use? What are their size and capacity? Are they included in the venue price? If not, what is the additional cost to book?

Outdoor Facillities • • • • •

What outdoor areas are available for us to use? What are their size, capacity and cost to book? If the weather is unsuitable for an outdoor wedding, does the venue allow for a tent or marquee to be pitched using stakes that are driven into the ground? What outdoor and indoor back-up venues that can accommodate our wedding date and guest capacity are available should the weather be unsuitable for an outdoor wedding? Is there an additional fee to reserve the back-up wedding venue should the weather be unfavourable? If there is, how much is the additional fee? What insects are likely to pose a problem and what can be done to lessen or eliminate it?

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Wedding Workbook

Wedding Venue Questions Checklist Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies. - Aristotle



How far in advance will the lawn be mowed and watered (with sprinkler systems)? Will it be too wet or muddy on the day of our wedding event?

Grand Entrance and/ or Exit •

What facilities does the venue have to accommodate a grand entrance or exist such as a speed Boat or Helicopter entrance, Horse and Carriage, Hot Air Balloon and so on?

Photo Opportunities • • •

Does the venue have any restrictions on photography or videotaping? What areas are available for photography opportunities? Can the venue suggest a few locations on site that we can use to take photos? Venue Décor, Sound & Lighting (On-site or Outsource)

Venue Décor •



• •

Does the venue offer décor and furniture items such as ceremony arches, aisle carpet, tables, chairs, linens, china, cutlery, glassware and tableware? If so, what items does the venue offer that we can use for our wedding ceremony and/ or reception? Are the venues décor and furniture items included in the venue booking cost? If so, what items are included for our use? If these items are not included, does the venue hire them and what is the additional cost? Are the venues décor and furniture items suitable for our wedding? Does the venue have photographs of set ups from previous weddings? What are the different options for layout of chairs and tables at the venue?

• •

What décor suitable for an outdoor event does the venue offer? Does the venue have a wedding arch, canopy, big tree, tents, marquees, flooring, dance floor, lighting, tables, chairs, sound and lighting, etc? For an outdoor event, what décor would we need to outsource should the venue not be able to provide?

Note: Consider tents, marquees, flooring, dance floor, lighting, tables, chairs, sound and lighting, etc. • •

If we’re outsourcing the décor, when can we have access to the venue in order to have it decorated? (Day before wedding day, morning of wedding, etc?). Does the venue have any recommendations of suppliers to use? Does the venue have restrictions on the type of decorations that can be used, how they can be hung or attached and where they can be displayed?

Note: Many venues do not allow tape, staples, wire, or tacks to be used.

Venue Floral Decor •

Does the venue allow for confetti to be thrown?



Does the venue provide floral decor? If yes, what are the additional costs and flower arrangements available? Can we outsource our own floral décor and arrangements? Does the venue have any recommendations of suppliers to use? Can the venue move our flowers to the reception venue after the ceremony?

Note: If the venue does not allow paper confetti, there are many great alternatives such as dried flower petals.

• •

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Wedding Workbook

Wedding Venue Questions Checklist Everything is clearer when you’re in love. - John Lennon

Venue Sound and Lighting • •

Does the venue allow entertainment? If so, are there any restrictions regarding the noise level, type of music that can be played, or the length of time it may be played that must be adhered to? Are there any bedrooms situated above or near to our venue? Does the venue have sufficient electrical outlets available for our use? Where are these located? Are these power outlets suitable for heavy use such as large bands and additional lighting?

Note: Electrical outlets that are located nearby or that can be arranged is especially important to consider for an outdoor wedding event. • • • • •

Does the venue have an entertainment/ sound or public address system available for our use? If so, is there an additional cost to use them? Does the venue have a (cordless or a lapel) microphone available for our use or will we have to hire them and if so, what is the additional cost? Does the venue have a piano or an organ available for our use? If so, what is the additional cost? Are we allowed to outsource our own organist or pianist or are we required to hire the person recommended by the church or venue? How soon before our wedding event will the venue



allow for our DJ or Band to set-up their equipment? Does the venue have suitable and sufficient lighting for our wedding event?

Note: Visiting the venue at a similar time of day as that of the event will help to determine if the venue has suitable lighting. Especially if the event is to be held at an outdoor venue in the evening, adequate lighting will be required. • •

Does the venue allow candles such as décor candles or unity candles? If so, are there any restrictions to how the candle flame should be covered? Does the venue allow professional firework displays? If so, where at the venue is it allowed?

Venue Accommodation: • • • •

Does the venue have a room available for our use for the day of our wedding event? Does the venue have on-site rooms available for overnight accommodation? If so, how many rooms are available at what cost and is breakfast included? Is there a discount available for our wedding guests? What is the checkout time for the following day? If the venue does not offer on-site accommodation, what nearby accommodation options are available for our guests and us?

www.confettidaydreams.com Sources of inspriration: hitched.co.za | confetti.co.uk | visual.ly | venuesafari.com | whimsicalwonderlandweddings.com | bridalnet.com.au