When it comes to planning the perfect wedding, nothing sets the tone than finding the right venue. The challenge is that there are thousands of questions to ask and things to look for, not to mention that someone else's perfect wedding venue might not be yours.
Sometimes you need to start with the basic questions:
Will it hold the number of guest I want to invite
Does it fit within my budget
Does it go with the atmosphere I want to create
Is it easy for my guest to get to.
Is it available for my date
Then you might want to think of some more complicated questions, such as
Does the venue provide food and beverage or do we need to bring in a caterer
Does the venue have a planner on site who will help you select all your vendors or do you need to hire a planner.
Do they allow alcohol
Do they have a list of preferred vendors, that have been preselected for you to pick from
When will they allow you to start to set and when do they want everything taken down
Do they have rules about candles and real flames
Would they have other events happening on site the same day and how would that affect your event
If the event is outdoors, what is the back-up plan for rain
What is included in your venue rental, such as tables, chairs, and so on…..
Is the venue, ceremony ready or does it need a lot of decor additions and if so, what are you allowed to bring in and do
What is their cancellation policy
How long will you have your venue for
What is their payment schedule
Do they require that you have wedding insurance
Are there enough bathrooms for the guest count that you expect
Is there enough parking for everyone or should you provide transportation
These question are just the tip of the iceberg. The wedding venue is such an important decision. Make sure you think it through and try to visualize your wedding their and see if it feels right. If it feels right, make sure that you can afford the venue and what is needed to pull off your wedding, it is very stressful when you spend too much of your budget on the venue and then you are struggling the rest of the time trying to pick out the other things you need and the budget is fighting you every step of the way.
I know I have said this before, but consider a hiring a planner even before you pick your venue and they will help walk you through all these questions and more. They will help you avoid the mistakes that they have seen other couples make and in the long run your planning process will be more enjoyable