Questions

What is your cancellation policy?

What about a postponement policy?

What's included in your rental fee?

Are there different packages?

Is there a service charge?

Do you have a minimum spend?

Capacity?

Is gratuity included?

What are the terms of payment/when do we need to pay?

How many hours do we have access to the venue for? From what time to what time?

Can we have our rehearsal here? On what day?

Can we drop decor off or set up the day/night before our wedding?

Do you have a list of preferred vendors? Are we required to use them?

Can we supply our own alcohol?

Do you allow open flames?

Who is responsible for tear down and clean up?

What is the backup plan in case of bad weather? (if having an outdoor event)

Google "Here comes the guide." On the website, under the "Ideas and Lists" tab, the "questions to ask" option provides all kinds of lists of questions, including this one related to the venue (https://www.herecomestheguide.com/wedding-ideas/coronavirus-questions-to-ask-your-wedding-venue). Daughter had a hardcopy of the Here Comes the Guide book for our location and found the lists super helpful! Have fun on your venue visits!

Defiantly what is included! Our venue includes bar services, catering (which I was looking for) but, they also mentioned things I didn't even think about (tables, chairs, mics, speakers, flatware, dishes, napkins, tablecloths, etc.). Sometimes you don't think of the little things when looking at a venue.

Also, ask if they have a coordinator. They will be very helpful throughout the process and day of.

And ask if there is a bridal/groom suite. It is very nice to get ready onsite compared to a salon IMO. That way your timeline can be more streamlined because you don't have to take travel between salon and venue into account (except for the stylist of course).

Definetly ask about the cancellation policy especially if something is out of your control & you're forced to cancel. Ask about the payments & whether you can continue to make them or you need to be on a specific plan. As someone else said, ask if they have a day of coordinator to work with you, this is very important.

Ask if there's a site fee, what minimum needs to be met in order for you to reserve your space. Ours was $6k and at least 60 people to book, but no site fee. When touring their facilities, ask about the set up process, what's included in packages when it comes to tables/chairs/dinnerware/etc and if you can bring in your own decorations, ask what you can/can't do (we can't hang anything on the walls at ours). They should be able to show you whether there's a bridal/groom suite, but as Molly said, be sure to ask because this can determine your entire wedding day timeline. If they do have one, ask about whether it's first come first serve if there's typically multiple events that can happen in one day.

If you're not 100% familiar with the area, inquire about the hotels nearby.

What’s included in the packages (do they offer any all inclusive ones), what’s their policy on rescheduling and how have they handled Covid with current brides, is there a minimum number of guest required, do they charge a service fee that isn’t included in the price, how many people does the venue home, are there any restrictions on your end as to what you cannot do etc

The questions above are great advice!

We also asked about any restrictions -- such as limits on decorations (e.g., no confetti, nothing taped to the wall), noise ordinances (these are common in park venues), etc. Our venue is a country club, so there are a few "rules" we have to follow with respect to the club's members.

Some venues also require security, so I'd check on that too.