The excitement and butterflies that hit when you first see your venue and decide it is ‘The One’ is a moment you’ll never forget in your wedding journey.
Then, comes the business, money and organisation – being prepared and knowing what to ask both yourself and the venue can make a huge difference in the cost of your wedding.
Here are 9 things to think about before signing on the dotted line:
- How many guests are we inviting to the ceremony?
Sounds pretty basic but many venues have multiple rooms that can be booked for weddings depending on the number of guests, for example up to 50 guests you might book ‘The White Room’ and over 50 guests will be ‘The Victoriana Room.’ This can change the price by possibly hundreds of pounds. Â
Make your list, then make it again. Then again. Don’t confirm with your venue until you are absolutely sure where your numbers lie. Don’t forget, depending on your budget, the price of the rooms could determine your guest list.
- How many guests are we inviting to the evening event?
The evening event invite is great for inviting those people you aren’t massively close to but still you still feel you need to invite. Again, like the ceremony, if you go from 50 guests in ‘The White Room’ for the ceremony to 90 guests for the evening event, some venues may put on a charge to move you rooms. Many don’t but you need to clarify to avoid any unexpected expenses.
- Does the venue cater to special dietary requirements?
Think about everything from coeliac, egg, gluten, dairy, peanut, halal, vegetarian, vegan…what will your guests want, what do you want?
And don’t think about just the adults – what can they provide for the kids?
- Is there a room available to get ready in?
Some venues supply a room for the bride to get ready in on the morning of the wedding, some don’t. If you are having to travel quite a distance it might be a good idea to enquire so you can arrive early and get ready at your own pace.
- Can we supply our own wine?
Always a good question to ask. Wine per glass per guest can be pretty pricey, especially for a house wine that you may not be a) fussed on, or b) have the budget to stretch to 2 or 3 glasses per guest at the meal. If they do, you can save a small fortune on picking up some fizz for each table and keep it flowing.
- Is our honeymoon suite included in the price?
Usually standard but it’s always best to check!
- Do you allow dogs?
You want your pooch there as a ring bearer more than anything… but does your venue allow it? Â
With more and more pets being involved in weddings, venues are becoming more relaxed with rules regarding animals but if is something you must verify.
- How long do we have to pay off our wedding?
Weddings are expensive and the last payment date should be one of the first questions you ask. It may feel a bit tight but once the excitement of seeing your dream venue calms down, it comes down to cold, hard cash. Some have six months before, some are a month, some are 1 week. Check, then check again, then start saving.
- Can we pay off our deposit?
Another awkward question but if you don’t ask, you don’t get. Deposits are a hefty lump, probably the biggest lump you’ll pay out to your venue in one go. See if you can spread it over 3 or 4 months. Many are happy to oblige, it means they get the business.