The Ultimate Venue Tour Checklist
Venues are one of our favorite parts of the planning process. We love helping couples identify the backdrop and setting for their marriage celebration. Part of this is identifying what questions they need to ask venue owners to make sure they are fully prepared to host your celebration. Whether you are planning a 100+ person shindig or an intimate dinner for your closest family and friends, we are her to help identify all the little details that you might forget to pay attention to. We have the logistical know-how to make sure that your emotional connection with your perfect venue is well informed.
START WITH YOUR BUDGET.
For most celebrations, at least a quarter of your event budget is spent on your venue. Before you fall in love with that beautiful estate garden, make sure that you understand the investment that you want to make into your venue. A great place to start this is with our blogs on “The Engaged Couple’s Roadmap” and “Selecting Your Venue: Why "Where" Feels Like Such A Big Question.” These will help you decide the quality of your event and the type of vibe you are going for in your venue, including how it will be incorporated into the larger timeline of your day.
After you have a basic outline of how your venue will play into your celebration, look at other costs that can possibly be included or not included in a venue. This includes rentals, a/v equipment, catering staff, bar-tending services, power outlets, tents, generators, and lighting. If you know that you want a venue that is going to accommodate external vendors for some of these items or you want a venue that will supply them, do a little filtering in your research.
You may be reading this and say, “But what if I’ve already fallen in love with my venue?” No worries, we have totally been there! If your heart is set on a specific place, then use the checklists below to inform what logistical problems may need to be addressed.
BEFORE THE TOUR OF THE VENUE.
If you have selected certain filters for the type of venue you want to visit, review those before booking your tour. Visiting a place that doesn’t have every little thing you want is okay! There is always an opportunity to add in small elements that meet your creative dreams (such as bringing nature into an indoor venue). We believe that all logistical problems can be solved with a little creativity, but that doesn’t mean that it will fit into your budget. Often, choosing a venue with your prerequisites will end up saving you money from bringing in outside resources.
The questionnaire below is a must-read and must-discuss before scheduling a tour for a venue. These decisions will make sure that you and the venue owner are communicating about your event effectively and that everyone is on the same page for the vision of your celebration.
The Before The Tour Questionnaire
How many people do you plan to have at your wedding?
What is your total budget for the venue and related rentals (e.g. chairs, tables, displays, etc.)?
Do you want to have your ceremony and reception in the same or a different location?
Are you set on a particular date, season, or year?
If so, call the venue in advance and check for availability.
Are you looking for a particular style of venue?
If so, do some advance online research to narrow down your visits to those that match your style.
Learn more about the surrounding area for guest accommodation, amenities, and travel
THE ULTIMATE VENUE TOUR CHECKLIST
Now that you understand what you want out of your wedding venue, you can better identify what type of venues are going to fit your needs. When going on your tour, make sure that all of these questions are asked and clarified, even if they have the information on their website. Sometimes things change, and you want to make sure that there aren’t going to be any unexpected surprises.
Something we also recommend looking out for is the communication style of the venue coordinator/owner. The communication that you receive from your first contact sets a standard for how it will continue if the relationship furthers. If the communication style does not reflect what you’ll want the month before your wedding, make sure you note that and consider if the added stress of having dissimilar vibes or friction is worth the venue setting.
What follows is a long list, but we promise that it is thorough and full of all the questions you’ll need to ask your venue. You may not need to ask all of these questions; some only apply to particular venues (e.g. ones that include in-house catering or rentals, or ones that have accommodations on site). Print this list (we have a PDF download of all the checklist items we’ve included in the blog below!) and cross out the questions that do not apply in advance of your venue tour to help stay organized. Take notes of some of the answers offered on their website or in their welcome packet to show that you've done your homework and that you'll be a good client. You may only cover a portion of these questions in order to know if the venue is the right fit for your. We recommend covering as many as possible, whether you ask them on the tour or later, because it's information you will need to have in order to plan your other hires successfully and strategically.
Ready to get into your venue and start designing your DIY elevated wedding? Create like a professional planner with our Wedding Design Guide + Mood Board Template!
What dates are still available?
What is their policy on holding a date for you?
How many hours is the standard venue rental?
How much is each additional hour?
Does venue rental include an engagement shoot and/or rehearsal dinner?
By what time does the venue have to be cleaned out following the event?
How many weddings do you allow in one day and in one weekend?
Would the space be private or open to the public during the wedding?
What is the total capacity of the whole venue?
If the ceremony and reception spaces are in different areas, what is the capacity for each of these areas? Ceremony: Reception:
What is the walking/driving distance between the two sites?
Confirm: are the event spaces accessible for your guests?
Is catering handled in house?
What are the staff costs for our meal (not including alcohol)?
Do you provide a banquet manager/coordinator to coordinate the meal service?
For plated meal service: Ratio of staff to guests:
For buffet meal service: Ratio of staff to guests:
For appetizers and/or cocktail hour (if requested):
What are your additional food-related charges?
Do you accommodate dietary restrictions? (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, kosher, gluten-free)
Do you offer package upgrades? (e.g. desserts, sculptures, coffee service, or specialty displays)
Do you modify any of your dishes?
How much do you charge for children's meals?
How much do you charge for vendor/event staff meals?
What is included in the cost of the rental?
Ceremony space
Reception space
Chair rentals for people
Table rentals to feed people ( tables total)
Other dinnerware rentals: linens, plates, silverware, glassware (may have to rent yourself or get through your caterer)
Ask about the red, white, and champagne glass count
Toilets or toilet trailers ( toilets included)
Tents or a weather contingency plan (summer weddings):
Coat check (winter weddings)
Parking
Getting ready spaces for the wedding party
On-site hotel rooms (if needed)
Trash removal
Additional rentals included:
Staff in charge of...
Parking cars
Moving chairs (from ceremony to reception)
Setting tables
Setting displays and decor
Ceremony sound and/or lighting
Rental coordination
On-site coordination
Childcare
Clean-up
Planning meeting(s) with the venue owner/coordinator ( meetings total)
Notice the surroundings:
Would there be shade or full sun during any outdoor events throughout the day?
Would there be anything you would need to prepare for such as strong wind, rain, or noise?
Does the season of the wedding affect the venue’s capabilities? (winter weddings)
What kinds of restrictions do you have?
Alcohol restrictions or permits?
Décor restrictions? (e.g. glitter, bubbles, sparklers/fireworks, candles, confetti, etc.)
Vendor restrictions? (e.g. drop-off and pick-up times)
Noise restrictions? If so, after what time?
Voltage for running power?
Do you require that we use any of your preferred vendors? If so, for which services?
Catering
DJ/MC
Floral design
Portable toilets/toilet trailers
What are your policies?
Deposit:
Cancellation:
Refund:
Insurance:
Permits:
THE POST-VENUE TOUR DOWNLOAD.
After visiting each venue, find time to chat with your partner about how you felt in the venue, what you liked, and what you didn’t like. Make sure to review any logistical red flags that you collected in the checklist and communicate if you think they are going to be a problem for your celebration and budget. Take the time to hear one another and understand any concerns or specific enthusiasms.
Next, it’s time to do research on the venue’s preferred vendors to see if they fit your values and budget. You should research the likely cost of using their preferred vendors, the likely cost of any rentals from the venue or from external vendors, and the likely cost of hiring any additional staff for your event to make sure it all runs smoothly. After you have those notes, you will literally have EVERYTHING you need to make an informed and soulful decision about your future wedding venue! Time to get in contact with the no-gos to thank them for their time, and reach out ASAP to lock in your date with the winner!
— The Tapestry Team
Here is a list of some of our favorite venues: