Venue Tours

I'm a "scorch the earth" type of person when it comes to research so I sent out inquiries to about 45 (through WW so it made it easy instead of retyping the same message), seriously considered about 20, and physically toured 11. Some things that I considered were whether I could use my own vendors or had to use theirs, menu and bar choices (I wanted plated and an open bar all night), how accommodating they were in general to special requests (like having a firepit with chairs set up on the patio), the overall flow of the space, and whether I "clicked" with the venue's coordinator.

We went on three tours. Though I pretty much knew it was the one before we started the tours. Luckily when we toured it was set up for a wedding but I would ask about where place cards, cake, guest book, etc would all be set up so you can visualize things.

We went on 4 tours. We loved the 3rd venue the most but wanted to at least check out the 4th option before deciding. I'd say you really have to have a vision for your decor and such when your touring. I made sure to ask of could hang things from the outdoor trees and what their policies were with rented vintage furniture and such. Some won't allow things like that. Good luck on your tours!

I only saw one in person, but I did SOOO much research beforehand. I probably messaged 50-100 easily in a couple different locations, then we pinpointed the location that we really wanted, and that limited us from that original list of contacts. I had it narrowed down to 5-6 just based on size and budget, but the one we picked kept standing out. I visited it when my mom and I were in Virginia, and then my fiance and I went the day after Thanksgiving. We didn't have to ask too mane questions because they basically say we can do what we want and are super chill, but the contract is detailed and outlines all the do's and don'ts. For us, there wasn't a reason to see more because it had what we wanted in the perfect location!

We have looked at 6 so far and plan on looking at 5 more in the new year.

1. Ask, and I actually got this advice from the lovely ladies and gentlemen of WW, if you are not able to meet the minimum and you really like the venue ask if they will allow you to do enhancements or food upgrades to match the people minimum of that night.

2. If they allow outside decor, and what is their policy on candles and open flames (if that applies)

3. Cancellation Policy

I can't think of anything else right now.

I probably researched about a dozen options online. There were three that we really loved, but one was WAY more expensive than the other two, so we tabled that one and toured the remaining two. Of those, we fell in love with the first (though the second I'm sure would've been wonderful too) and ended up booking that one two days later! It was pretty easy since we knew what we wanted and found one venue in particular that was an absolute perfect match and, shockingly, within budget.

I pretty much emailed close to 20 or so venues within 3 states, physically toured 4. The last one was the one we booked. I asked about backup rain plan and officiant laws (before I knew that hiring a professional is definitely the way to go, either way Virginia has strict rules). I was pretty much at a loss for questions but the lady we talked to basically touched on everything we could possibly ask.

When we first started touring, I honestly thought I'd be leading the conversation but the people who give you a tour *usually* touch on everything if not most of it. So think of anything that you couldn't live without and specifically ask about those.

Three. Make sure they don't charge service/gratuity on your rental fee-- it should be food and beverage only!

We visited two in person. One was an all inclusive golf club, the other was just the rustic building on acres of land on the intracoastal overlooking the water but came with nothing included except tables and chairs. We picked the rustic building and I couldn't be more in love. I like getting to pick my own vendors. Definitely have a backup/weather plan and make sure there are no hidden fees if you go all inclusive.

Inquired about like 20-30. Physically visited maybe 10.

Questions varied based on what they did and did not offer vs what we did and did not want

We went on about 8-10 tours I would say. We knew our venue when we left.

I did A LOT of research online before we even ventured out to tour the venue. I didn't need to reach out to the venues I was researching because they pretty much had everything laid out online which was great, importantly pricing and catering offerings. We had toured one venue and we already knew that's where we wanted it because they had everything we were looking for in a venue.

We toured five but I contacted probably 12-15. What was important to us was how far our guests had to travel and proximity to hotels. My dream venue was in a small town in the Adirondacks that didn't offer a whole lot for lodging, and it would be a 2+ hour drive for almost all guests. We picked a country club that's in town, so easy to get to/get an uber/cab, plenty of hotels to choose from for out of towners, and the most affordable. Not the most glamorous room but that's okay!

We went to about 5 different venues before picking the one

We only saw 2 and the second one we left before we even took the tour. I did tons of research online and there just wasn't anything we liked besides the venue we chose.

We toured about 8, but it was the first in budget venue we saw. Once we got that venue to a price we were more comfortable with (for some wiggle room) it was a no brainer.

We toured about 10 and inquired about 20. We just kept looking until we found one that we loved.

We toured 13, which is probably too many. We initially were looking in an area about 2 hours away and then decided to look closer to home.

1. How long do you have the venue? How early can you get in, how late can you stay, is there a local noise ordinance?

2. What is the cost breakdown and how flexible is it once you’ve signed? What is the payment schedule?

3. What is included and what are you expected to bring in?

4. What is the parking situation?

5. Can we leave cars overnight if someone is too drunk to drive home?

6. What is the Uber/Lyft situation? How long does it take for cars to arrive?

7. Is everything accessible for people who are handicapped/have mobility issues?

8. Will there be any major changes to the venue over the next year?

9. Will there be any other events scheduled on that day, including venue tours?

10. Do they have a bride’s room, a groom’s room and do they have bathrooms?

11. Vendor access – where can they park, how do they load in, is extra power readily available?

12. What’s the plan in case of rain?

13. Check the Yelp reviews and ask about any negative feedback.

Like others, I did a TON of research and sent out many inquiries. By the time we got around to touring our 1 venue, we were 9O% sure we were going with it.