Questions to Ask Venue on Second Visit

kornuck1

We have viewed a venue already and like it but are inviting his out of state parents to view the hall because I figured it would be a nice gesture.  We are doing the second viewing this weekend.  I had 3 pages of questions to ask the venue when we first went, because I did not want any surprises.

My question is: What are questions that you wish you had asked the venue before booking? This is an all-inclusive venue (food, ceremony, linens, staff, they even contract out to a bakery and pay them out of our bill).  I have asked all of the usual ones I found from online blogs, but would like some obscure ones that didn't occur to you at first.

Thank you!

AprilH81

I would ask to see a copy of their standard contract that you can take home and review.  After reviewing the contract I would then have follow up questions "What happens if..." and I would want to alter the contract to make sure that any special arrangements, pricing or set-up was noted in the contract.

The contact should be very specific about what is included in the price, what the venue is responsible for, fees, add-ons, deadlines and due dates.  Example you should make sure the contract states "Final headcount is due on Monday, April 7, 2014" not "Final headcount is due one week prior to event"  Does one week mean the Saturday before?  One business week before?  The Monday before?  The more specific the contract the more it protects everyone involved.

If you had three pages at the first visit I'm sure you have the basics covered. 

theartistformerlyknownas

My venue is all-inclusive with the linens as well, but I'm bringing in my own colored overlays and DIY centerpieces, so it was important to ask how far in advance we could set those things up and how soon we had to remove them. A lot of venues make you strip your own tables before you leave. Thankfully mine will let me store everything there the night before and the night of so it's a little less of a transportation nightmare.

Other things were options/prices for kids, cake-cutting/serving fee, overage/underage costs, and ensuring they had enough room for our entertainers to set up.

[Deleted User]

• What is smoking policy? Do you have a designated area for that
• Do you have a bridal bathroom?
• If you plan on inviting any new moms & they would be brining baby, is there an area where mom can go nurse if needed?
• Are table numbers provided or do I need to provide
• Centerpieces?
• How do you handle uninvited guests or drunk/out of control guests
• Do you have a coat check
• Is the staff tip included in the final price or do I need to budget a seperate amount for that
• By when do you need the final head count
• Can you do special dietary meals (vegetarian, gluten free, etc) and what is the cost for that
• Will your staff deal with cutting & packing up the cake? Do i need to provide napkins/boxes for that?
• How are my gifts & card box kept secure
• How do payments need to be made & what forms of payment do you accept (mine only took checks, money orders & cash
• If you plan on having small kids on your guest list-do they have high chairs or booster seats available
• Do you have a template for how the tables will be set up based on how many tables we will need (you won't need this until later, but good to know if it's available0

You may have already asked some of these questions but those are odd things that I came across

Jen4948

In addition to things listed in PPs, I'd also ask:

• If it's an outdoor venue, what's the Plan B for inclement weather?
• Do they contemplate renovations at the time of your wedding?  How would your wedding be affected?
• Do they have insurance?  Do you need to get insurance coverage for anything?
• Are gratuities for the bartenders and waitstaff part of the contract?  If not, I'd make sure they're included, and that no tip jars are put out for guests.
• If small children are invited, does the venue provide space/sitters/special meals/activities for them?  What restrictions, if any, does the venue have regarding children?
• What restrictions, if any, does the venue have regarding entertainment and vendors? (For example: volume restrictions, flash photography)