Today on the blog, we’re welcoming the lovely Julianne Young from Julianne Young Weddings to talk about the things you NEED to know when choosing your wedding venue!
Finding the perfect venue is one of the first steps you’ll take as you begin to plan your perfect wedding, and one of the scariest steps too! The venue choice often dictates the formality of the wedding, and will help you begin to visualize the look & feel of your day. When you book a venue, there are a lot of questions you should ask in order to make sure you are prepared for what you have coming and are able to compare one venue to the next.
Here are a few helpful tips & good questions to ask the venue coordinator before you sign on the dotted line, from the Calgary wedding planning experts at Julianne Young Weddings.
- Make sure you know the rental rate and/or minimum spend, and what that includes. Many venues have a minimum food & beverage requirement, and some venues only include food in the minimum, so make sure that’s clear beforehand!
- What is their gratuity rate? Most venues have a 15-20% automatic gratuity rate included on top of the food & beverage minimum. Normally GST is calculated on top of the minimum plus gratuity – which is good to know when you make your budget.
- What time will you have access to the venue, and what time is the party over? All venues have different requirements for access time or last call, so check to see this works for your wedding. If you didn’t plan on shutting down early, it may be important to seek out a venue that lets you stay late.
- Does the music have to be turned down at a certain point in the night? Some halls require the music to be off or turned down to accommodate a noise bylaw in the area. Always be sure to check this out, since shutting down the music will often shut down the party.
- How many guests fit in the venue, and better yet – What is the optimum number of guests in that room? You should never fill a room to its max capacity; instead, opt for something more comfortable, with enough space for a dance floor without having to move tables.
- If you’re planning on getting married outside, make sure there is a backup plan for rain or snow at the venue – No matter what time of the year it is! You always need a plan B to give you peace of mind leading up to the wedding. Unfortunately we cannot control the weather, but we can certainly plan around it!
- There might be a few little fees that you might not be aware of, which are common to most venues. Some include a cake cutting fee, bartender fee, or a fee for the use of AV equipment, speakers, easels and even a podium. It’s always good to ask whether or not these items are included in the contract or not.
- Are there any plans for construction or renovations? This can be good to ask in case there are major plans you’re not aware of that may effect your wedding. Perhaps the ballroom beside your ceremony room is being renovated at the same time as your wedding… That’s something you’re going to want to know in advance.
- Is there a restriction on candles or do you have to use LEDs? This can be important for couples that pictured a candlelit reception dinner in a heritage style building. Often the use of flameless candles is required, or at least a contained candle, which means it has to be in a vase with the flame at least 1″ below the top of the container.
Asking the right questions to the venue coordinator is so important in order to compare one venue to the next and make your decision much easier. Once you know all the in’s & out’s, you’ll be able to find the perfect venue without unnecessary surprises along the way.
