Venue Tour Guide

This is one of the most important elements in the planning process to get right. Each venue has different features, different rules, costs, and different ways of operating. Your choice in venue effects the budget, logistics and feel of your celebration significantly. In an ideal world, when planning a wedding (or big party), you'd have a planner to guide you through the process of venue selection from the get-go. They would know which venues would be more likely to be in alignment with your needs and desires, and they would know what questions to ask the venues to prevent any hiccups or unexpected costs. Now, if you are planning a wedding or big event and have not yet hired a planner or if you have only hired one for design and/or coordination and you're taking on the planning yourself, do not fret. Below you'll find a few helpful things to consider when searching for your perfect venue! 

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SEARCHING FOR YOUR PERFECT VENUE:

• What all is included in the venue site fee?

• Which of the following rental items are provided (write down numbers for each):

• Tables:

• Chairs:

• Tent (includes walls/draping?):

• Outdoor heaters:

• Sound equipment:

• Lighting:

• Other:

• How much is the deposit, when is it due, and is it refundable?

• What’s the cancellation policy?

• How long will I have use of the event space(s) I reserve?

• Is there an overtime fee if I stay longer?

• Is there a noise ordinance?

• What time can my vendors start setting up on the day of the wedding?

• How early can deliveries be made? Where is the load in and staging area?

• How much time will I have for setup and teardown?

• How much time is allocated for the rehearsal and when are rehearsals done?

• Can I move things around and decorate to suit my purposes, or do I have to leave everything as is?

• Are there decoration guidelines/restrictions?

• Can I use real candles?

• What’s your weather contingency plan for outdoor spaces?

• Do you have an in-house caterer or a list of “preferred” caterers, or do I need to provide my own?

• Do you allow food trucks on site?

• For in-house catering, what is the food and beverage cost per person? Is there an overall minimum?

• What is the service charge?

• Can I bring in a cake/dessert from an outside baker, or must I use a dessert made in-house?

• Can I bring my own wine, beer or champagne? Can I bring in other alcohol?

• What is the music required to end?

• Can the venue accommodate a DJ or live band? How much voltage/amps are the hook ups?

• Is there parking on site? Is is complimentary?

• How many restrooms are there?

• Does the venue have liability insurance or am I required to get my own?

• Can I hire my own vendors or must I select from a preferred vendor list?

• What are we responsible for at the end of the night?

• Does anything we’ve seen today cost extra?

• Do you have a digital or hard copy floor plan that we can use?

If you'd like to see more from this Malibu wedding photographed by Brandon Kidd Photography, see our post from last August. Happy scouting!

XO - the GATHER girls