The questions below find the differences that don’t show in photos: the fees left out of the quote, the hours you actually get, and what happens when plans change. They’re grouped by when to ask, so you can email the first set before you drive anywhere.
The Word file has all 40 questions with a box to tick and space to write each venue’s answer. It opens in Word, Google Docs and Pages.
40 questions to ask a wedding venue
The right-hand column is what a clear answer includes. If a venue can’t answer one, ask them to put it in writing later. Ask for the room’s measurements too: with them, the free floor plan maker shows whether your tables and dance floor fit before you sign.
Date, capacity and price (ask by email before you book a tour)
| Ask | Listen for |
|---|---|
| 1. Is our date available, and is anyone else holding it? | Yes or no, and if it’s held, until when. |
| 2. How many guests fit seated for dinner, and how many standing? | Both numbers, plus the legal limit for the room. |
| 3. What does it cost for our date and guest count? | A total, not a “starting at” price. |
| 4. Is the price different on a Friday, a Sunday or in the off-season? | The actual tiers. Most venues have them. |
| 5. Is there a minimum guest count or a food and beverage minimum? | The number, and what happens if you fall short. |
| 6. How far ahead do couples usually book you? | A straight answer, not pressure to sign today. |
| 7. Do you host more than one event on the same day? | If yes, how guests and noise are kept apart. |
What’s included and what costs extra (ask on the tour)
| Ask | Listen for |
|---|---|
| 8. What does the rental fee include: tables, chairs, linens, setup, cleanup? | A written list you can compare with other venues. |
| 9. What isn’t included in the quote? | Service charge, tax, overtime and rentals named out loud. |
| 10. Is there a service charge or admin fee, and is it a tip for the staff? | The percent, and where the money goes. |
| 11. How many hours do we get, and what does an extra hour cost? | The hours in the contract and the overtime rate. |
| 12. Do you charge a cake-cutting or corkage fee? | Per-person or per-bottle amounts, if any. |
| 13. Is a coordinator included, and what do they do on the day? | Day-of tasks spelled out. A venue manager isn’t a planner. |
| 14. Can we bring our own decor, and is there anything we can’t use? | Rules on candles, confetti, sparklers and nails in walls. |
The day itself (ask while you walk the space)
| Ask | Listen for |
|---|---|
| 15. What time can we and our vendors get in, and when must everyone be out? | An access window, a last-guest time and a load-out time. |
| 16. Can the ceremony be here too, and where? | The spot, and how long the flip to reception takes. |
| 17. What’s the rain plan, and who decides when to use it? | A real indoor space you can see, and a decision hour. |
| 18. Is there a room for getting ready, and from what time? | Show it. Ask about mirrors, outlets and a restroom. |
| 19. When does the music have to stop? | The cutoff and the reason: a noise ordinance, neighbors or the license. |
| 20. Can we do a rehearsal here, and does it cost extra? | A time slot and a fee, or a clear no. |
| 21. Where will photos happen, and where does the light fall at our ceremony time? | Spots they’ve seen work, not just the brochure view. |
Food, drink and vendors (ask on the tour)
| Ask | Listen for |
|---|---|
| 22. Do we have to use your caterer, or can we bring our own? | Exclusive, a preferred list, or open. |
| 23. If we bring a caterer, what do they need: a license, insurance, a kitchen walk-through? | Requirements in writing. |
| 24. Can we bring our own alcohol? Who has to serve it? | Whether licensed bartenders are required. |
| 25. Is there a vendor list we must choose from? | Whether it’s required or a suggestion. |
| 26. Can we do a tasting, and is it included? | When it happens and for how many people. |
| 27. Can you handle allergies and dietary needs? | How they label and track them through service. |
| 28. What power, sound and lighting can a band or DJ plug into? | Outlets, circuits and any house sound system. |
| 29. Who is our contact on the day, and how do vendors reach them? | One name and a phone number. |
Guests, access and rules (ask on the tour)
| Ask | Listen for |
|---|---|
| 30. How much parking is there, and is it free? | A number of spaces, and a plan for overflow or shuttles. |
| 31. Is every space step-free, with accessible restrooms? | Ramps, an elevator, and the route from parking. |
| 32. How many restrooms are there for our guest count? | A count. Trailers if the space is outdoors. |
| 33. Is the space heated and air-conditioned? | Every room you’ll use, including the tent if there is one. |
| 34. Are there hotels nearby you work with? | Names and whether there’s a room-block rate. |
| 35. Is there anywhere to store gifts and cards safely? | A lockable room or a named person. |
Deposit, contract and changes (ask before you sign)
| Ask | Listen for |
|---|---|
| 36. How much is the deposit, and when is the rest due? | Exact dates and amounts, not just percentages. |
| 37. Is any of the deposit refundable? | What you lose at each stage if you cancel. |
| 38. What happens if we need to change the date or the guest count? | The fee, the deadline for the final count, and how the bill moves. |
| 39. Do we need event liability insurance? | The coverage amount and when proof is due. |
| 40. What happens if you can’t host us? | A refund or reschedule rule in the contract. |
Three of these save the most money: what isn’t in the quote, whether there’s a minimum spend or service charge, and what the deposit buys you if you cancel. Compare venues on the total for your date and guest count. Our wedding venue pricing guide shows what venues typically cost and the five ways they charge.
Questions for the final walkthrough
A few weeks before the wedding, you’ll walk the space again with your planner or the venue manager. This visit is for logistics.
- Where does every table, the bar, the cake and the DJ go? Bring the floor plan.
- What time does each vendor arrive, and where do they unload?
- Who sets up and takes down our decor, and when?
- What must leave the building that night, and what can be picked up the next day?
- Who is our contact on the day, and what’s their number?
Bring a drawn layout (the six sample reception layouts are a start). The free event floor plan maker places tables to scale, and the free wedding timeline template gives every vendor the same times.
Ask which table sizes the venue owns, then check them against the banquet table sizes chart to see how many guests each one seats.
Red flags on a tour
- No written price. A verbal number you can’t compare isn’t a quote.
- “We’ll figure out the rain plan later.” Ask to see the backup space today.
- Pressure to sign on the spot. A short hold on a popular date is normal. A deposit today or the date is gone usually isn’t.
- Fees that only appear in the contract. Service charges, cleaning fees and overtime belong in the quote.
If you run the venue
These are the questions your couples arrive with, so write your answers once and send them before the tour. Walk the space in the order of the day (arrival, ceremony, reception, dancing) and put price last. By the time you sit down, they’ve pictured their guests in the room.
Send a proposal the same afternoon, with the date held for a set window and the price itemised. A couple who tours three venues in a weekend reads the first clear one first. Keep what they told you (the count, the date, the question they asked twice) with the inquiry: in MyVenueHQ the inquiry becomes the booking with its notes, so each wedding keeps its history.
Free event floor plan maker 
Free wedding guest list template 
Free seating chart maker 
Free event planning checklist