A venue tour is a sales experience. The coordinator is showing you the space at its best — the right lighting, the best angles, the setup they know photographs well. Your job on a venue tour is not to fall in love. Your job is to ask the questions that the tour was not designed to answer.
What is the maximum capacity, and what is the comfortable capacity?
These are two different numbers. A venue might technically hold two hundred people but feel genuinely crowded at one hundred and fifty. Ask both questions. Ask to see photos of the space set up at a guest count close to yours.
What does exclusive use actually mean here?
Some venues run multiple events on the same day. Others offer exclusive use for the full day. If you do not ask, you might arrive for setup and find another wedding still tearing down. Confirm exactly what your rental window covers — from setup to breakdown — and whether any other events are scheduled that day.
What vendors are you required to use?
Many venues have a preferred vendor list. Some require you to use their in-house caterer. Some have restrictions on outside alcohol. Some charge a corkage fee if you bring your own wine. Know what flexibility you have before you fall in love with the space and then discover the catering does not meet your standards.
What is your rain or weather plan for outdoor ceremonies?
Not "do you have one" but "what is it specifically." Ask to see the backup space. Walk through it. Confirm it is genuinely equivalent — not a smaller room with fewer windows and worse acoustics.
When can vendors access the space for setup?
Your florist and decorator need time to work. If vendor access starts at noon for a five o''clock ceremony, that is five hours. Some setups require eight. Confirm setup windows and whether there are additional fees for early access.
What is your cancellation policy?
Ask about full cancellation and about date changes. The pandemic showed a lot of couples that date-change flexibility matters. A venue that built some flexibility into its policy is a venue that is thinking about its long-term relationship with clients.
Who will be our point of contact on the wedding day?
Not the person you are meeting today necessarily — ask specifically who will be on-site on your wedding day. Ask how many weddings they typically have running on any given Saturday. Confirm that someone from the venue will be present and available throughout your event, not just during setup.
Can I see a wedding from a couple who had a similar size and style?
Photos taken by the venue for marketing purposes are carefully curated. Ask if they can put you in touch with a recent couple, or share full gallery images from a wedding that looks like yours. That tells you what you are actually booking.
The right venue will answer all of these questions without hesitation. The wrong venue will make you feel like you are asking too much.
With love, Verla