Big Questions for Wedding Venues

Published 23 January 2026

Visiting wedding venues is exciting! You can envisage your plans coming to life and it makes your wedding seem more “real”. As you narrow down to your favourite ones, what do you need to know to make your final decision? Cost is the obvious point, but what else can you ask to ensure you make the best decision for your big day? Here are my top five questions that every couple should ask potential wedding venues:

1. How are your preferred suppliers chosen?

How a venue selects its preferred suppliers will change from one venue to the next. I always think it’s best to find out if suppliers are recommended because of their work, and if so, can they show examples? If a venue is upfront enough to tell you that their suppliers pay to be on a list, then that’s pretty fair. However, when a venue recommends someone they have never worked with or they are unfamiliar with their work … proceed with caution. It’s likely that the supplier has paid to be on the venue’s list. A preferred supplier might pay to be on a list and be really great at what they do. Or they could just be trying to bump out their competitors. Do your research to make sure each supplier is “legit”.

2. How exclusive is your use of the venue?

For hotels especially, I recommend checking how many bedrooms as well as function rooms they’re prepared to hold for you. Could your venue be hosting other weddings or parties on the same date as your booking? Some venues do this and have ways to manage each booking. They should be prepared to discuss this with you, so you can plan accordingly. If they say you get full exclusive use, make sure you know the timescales and scope involved. Don’t assume every part of your venue is exclusively yours … get them to explain exactly what they mean.

3. What times can you access the spaces/areas/rooms?

Don’t assume that you’ve booked enough time as the venue is yours “all day”. There are 24 hours in a day, after all!  You might assume you get access at 8am, where they mean 10am. And if you need time the day before, (let’s face it, most people do), then you need to make sure this is agreed. The costs should also be clearly explained. All this happens before you sign anything. You don’t want an unexpectedly large bill for the time you thought you’d already agreed and booked.

4. What are you able to provide yourselves?

Make sure you know what you will and won’t be able to supply yourselves. Are you thinking of having a cheese tower instead of a traditional cake? Do you have your eye on a cute little gin horse box bar? Some venues will refuse a cheese tower on the basis that they can provide cheese platters. It’s not the same thing, I know, but some venues don’t see it that way. Are you thinking of providing your own entertainment but your venue has a package that includes it? It’s worth asking if they’ll discount or repurpose that part of your fee, as you won’t be using that service. See how they react, but be open to their suggestion unless you have your heart set on someone specific.   

5. What else do you need to know?

This can be a tricky one for a venue to answer, but hopefully they know the questions you haven’t asked them and, of course, the answers! Their FAQ’s may already be on their website but a longer explanation of common questions may help. If there’s something in their FAQ’s that seems a bit weird, ask them about it. For example, some venues only host ceremonies at specific times of the day. Get to the root of anything you don’t understand.

These are some of the main questions you should ask at your prospective wedding venue meeting. The key with all your suppliers, including your potential venue, is to do your research and ask lots of questions.

A bonus question important to you and your wedding planning is: Who will be looking after you on the day? It might not be who you think!

Happy wedding planning! If you need any help, let me know. X