Booking a wedding (or any event) venue

[Dulcee]

Question...

Fiance and I think we found our wedding venue but before putting any money down or signing anything I was curious what should I be looking for in the preliminary proposal document? Our date isn't until October 2012 but we want to nail down the date so as not to loose it but I also want to be sure we're protected should anything happen to the venue between now and then.

[White Rose]

I have to admit, I don't have a ton of experience in renting venues for weddings, but I did have to pay attention when I was looking at venues for my parents' surprise 25th wedding anniversary back in October.

One of the first things you want to look at it is if they will allow an outside caterer, if this is something you plan on using. The first place I was about to book had an "exclusive" catering service and it was going to cost me well over $1000 to feed only 50 people! :confused: Granted, I wasn't planning a wedding event and I was paying for it all on my own from my measly two job part time income, but still, it's something to consider.

The other thing to look into is what sort of deposit they do require--they should supply you with a drawn up contract that lists EVERYTHING in writing--rules for the venue, outside vendors, etc. It should also list the exact numbers and payments of when everything should be paid in full. Per usual common sense (which I'm quite certain you have), just make sure you read through everything and understand it all before you sign anything or put down some type of deposit. It's also worth investigating if it is a refundable security deposit, when you can expect to get that back from the venue after the event has been held.

Also, if you DO have questions regarding certain aspects of the contract, I would also look to see if the venue is friendly enough. I did encounter one scenario with a potential venue who was not willing to answer some of my questions and because of that, I dropped the deal and found another place that was willing to.

I have no idea if any of this experience will help you, as it is quite different from planning a wedding, but I hope it gave you a rough idea of what to expect! :thumbsup:

Congrats on your wedding!! :party:

ETA: Sorry, one more thing! I'm not sure what you plan on using catering wise, but another thing to check into is if the venue will allow you to use an attached kitchen. When I finally booked the place for my parents' anniversary party, it outlined in the contract what I could use the kitchen for. I didn't plan on using it, but it ended up being such a blessing as it had a fridge, warmers for trays of food, etc. And it was all included in the initial contract I was sent. So, look not only in the contract for the rules of the specific venue, but look at the expectations, etc for attached parts of the venue, like rooms or gardens? Does that make sense?

ETA 2: Sorry again! LOL I keep thinking of things to add! Regarding making sure you're protected, make sure the contract outlines what would happen if you lose the venue or if you don't pay in full or what terms are in if you decide to cancel! The initial contract, again, should contain this information before you put down the deposit. Phew!

[Janmac]

Basically, what Rose said. I have been coordinating family reunions for several years, in various parts of the country, and have seen lots of different contracts, from word of mouth to some unbelievably stringent ones.

Generally speaking, each place has their own that they follow. As Rose said, read it carefully. If your questions aren't answered in a timely or friendly manner, that's a flag.

One place in Ohio wanted me to guarantee their losses if any of our extended family skipped out on room charges. This may be standard in the East but I never ran across it anywhere west of the Mississippi. We used a different venue.

Obviously you're new to this, as it's a wedding you're planning. If the person you're dealing with at the venue is not friendly, informative, and accessible, you may be happier looking around for a less stressful place.

What you can do is get a copy of the contract, and post here if there are some things you're wondering about.

Good luck! :thumbsup:

Jan

[BelleBeauty]

Everything everyone has said is correct. The best thing about shopping early is that you can sign a contract and lock in this year's rates, not 2012 when they will probably go up a bit.

As far as something happening to the venue between now and then, ask your sales contact. I would think that it would reasonable to include a clause stating that in the event that something happened to the venue and you deemed it unusable for your wedding you will receive your full deposit back (within a certain time frame) or help you book another venue with your deposit to the best of their ability. This may be difficult to do since most contracts have a force majuere clause that will say they are not responsible for acts of God.

I completely agree about liking the person you are working with. We saw 16 venues and chose the one we liked. The woman we were working with made me want to poke my eyes out. We eventually chose another wedding venue site-unseen simply because I liked the sales person so much. And it makes a huge difference in the process!

[brivers222]

Check over their timelines for payments and when final head counts are due to make sure they work for you... Pay attention to a Cancellation "fee" or if they even have a policy. Definitely would stay away from a venue that won't refund if some act of god happened on our day.

Our date is November 11 and we have had our venue booked since October of 2010. we got it written into contract that regardless of price increases over the year (and there will always be some) we will still pay the prices that we signed the contract for.

Really, just get everything in writing all the time. Don't accept a verbal confirmation.