Tips for Choosing Venues

You probably have a wide range of venue options. As a venue can set the entire tone for your event, there are several important questions to ask before making a final decision. Tour the facility more than once – you’ll notice more things the second time around. Absolutely look online for reviews (you may be able to find reviews for venues in your area at EasyEventPlanning.com). Depending on the size and theme of your event (and whether or not your venue offers catering), you may want to ask the following:

Experience

1. Do you have a certified event/wedding planner on staff? What is that person’s experience?

2. Will there be an event planner on the grounds throughout my entire event?

3. How many concurrent events can you host?

4. Do you specialize in hosting any particular type of event?

5. How long have you been in the hospitality business?

6. What made you choose this field?

7. What were you doing before?

8. Tell me a little about your experience/training/education

9. How long have you worked at this venue?

10. Where did you work before here?

11. What’s the largest event you’ve ever personally managed?

12. Have you had any dissatisfied clients in the last 6 months? What happened?

13. Can you tell me about the experience of your serving staff? How long have they worked for you?

14. Can you tell me about the experience of your bartenders? How long have they worked for you?

Food & Beverages

15. Can I bring in my own caterer? If so, do you have a list of allowed caterers?

16. Do you have on-site catering available?

17. Do you specialize in any types of cuisine?

18. Do you specialize in any types of serving styles?

19. Can you accommodate special dietary requests (kosher, gluten-free, sugar-free, etc)?

20. Do you use both fresh and frozen food and produce?

21. Can family recipes be prepared?

22. Do you offer free tastings?

23. Can I taste all of the dishes you’re going to recommend for my event?

24. How many people can I bring to the tasting?

25. Can I see the kitchen where the food will be prepared?

26. Can you design menu boards for food stations?

27. Do you do table displays or decorations?

28. Do you have a portfolio I can review?

29. Do you have a website?

30. What will the guest-to-server ratio be? (You want at least one server for every 30-50 guests for a buffet and one for every 10-15 for a plated dinner)

31. Do you provide bar service?

32. How many bartenders will you have available?

33. How many bars can you set up?

34. What liquor brands/types are included in your rail prices? Which wineries’ wine and styles do you carry?

35. Do you offer consumption bar pricing?

36. Can I bring in my own alcohol? Are you able to provide bartenders if I do? Are there corkage fees?

37. Are the beverages served by the wait staff or served at the bar?

38. What will the servers and bartenders be wearing?

39. What do you do with leftover food? Can we take it home or donate it?

40. When do you need a final guest count?

41. Do you have a chocolate fountain? What is the price for renting that?

Facility

42. How many parking spots do you have?

43. Is there free street parking available?

44. Do you have indoor smoking areas?

45. Do you have private rooms or only semi-private areas available for my event?

46. Do you have air conditioning?

47. Are you handicap-accessible?

48. Where are your electrical capabilities?

49. Are there restrictions on where the entertainers can set up?

50. Do you have back-up generators?

51. What are your lighting capabilities? Do the lights dim?

52. What kind of equipment do you have (podiums, microphones, amplifiers, etc)

53. Do you have a stage?

54. Do you have a dance floor?

55. How many bathrooms are available?

56. What is the shape of your tables? Are there multiple sizes/shapes to choose from?

57. Do you have wireless internet service? Is there a fee?

58. Do you have an area for a bride to get ready (if this is a wedding event)

59. Do you have an area for my vendors to eat away from my guests?

Other Services

60. Do you offer valet parking? Is there a fee?

61. What decorations are available to me? Is there an extra cost?

62. Do you have a coat check service available? Or at least a coat room?

63. Is there a room suitable for children of out-of-town guests to be taken care of?

64. Do you offer any kind of baby-sitting service?

65. What special touches are you able to offer?

Pricing

66. What items are included in your rental fee?

67. Are linens included?

68. Do you have sample menus or do you customize each event?

69. Are there any other set up fees I need to be aware of?

70. Is the room rental free with catering?

71. Is there a minimum guest count?

72. What taxes and gratuities are added on?

73. Is there a break for vendor meals (entertainers, photographer, etc)?

74. Is there a break for children’s meals?

75. What are the overtime fees?

76. Do you charge for cake cutting?

77. What is the cost for a champagne toast?

78. What’s the difference in cost between rail bar service and premium?

79. Is there a corking fee?

80. Do you offer discounts for Sunday or Friday events/receptions? How about other days during the week?

81. What is your payment policy?

82. What is your cancelation policy?

Other Questions

83. How many other events are already booked for my event date?

84. Can I bring in my own DJ, decorator, florist, etc or do you have a list of vendors allowed to work on the property?

85. Are there noise restrictions?

86. Do you have decorating restrictions?

87. Can I light candles?

88. In the event of an emergency the day of my event, who would my back-up contact be? What experience does (s)he have?

89. Who would my contact person be?

90. Would you personally be managing my event the day of? If not, can I meet the staff?

91. Can I have the cell phone for that contact (and a back-up)? Is (s)he able to receive emails on his/her phone?

92. How quickly can I expect my contact to return a voicemail/email during my planning process?

93. What would happen in the event of a flood, fire, disaster at the venue?

94. Do you allow fireworks displays?

95. Is there an upcoming event that I can observe for a little while?

96. When could my vendors start setting up?

97. Are any fixtures removable (maybe you really don’t prefer some of their artwork, for example)?

98. Can I have the names and numbers of your 5 most recent rental clients?

99. Will there be any construction taking place on my event date?

100. What rentals do you think I’ll need? Can you take care of ordering those?

101. Do you take care of any needed rental returns or do I?

102. Why should I choose your facility over others in the area?