You won’t find the perfect wedding venue if you don’t ask the right questions

Finding the ideal venue for your Ontario wedding involves a little more than just picking the first Google result that pops up. Or simply picking somewhere just because it’s pretty. Your chosen celebration space needs to fulfil all the requirements you and your wedding party have, while also fitting within your carefully curated budget. And the only way to find out if a prospective wedding venue is perfect for you, is by being prepared to ask the right questions.

Today, we’re going to share the questions you should ask your Ontario wedding venue, and explore the importance of each one. This pre-prepared list should help you quickly understand whether the space is right for you, and maybe stop you from signing up for something that just won’t work.

12 Questions to Ask Your Ontario Wedding Venue

It’s a good idea to print off these questions, or incorporate them into your own notes for each wedding venue you’re visiting. However confident you believe you are in retaining information, always bring along notes to each appointment. It’s so easy to get caught up in the moment while touring the many wonderful wedding venue options we have here in Ontario.

Is the Wedding Venue Available for Your Desired Date?

If you have a specific wedding date you must marry on, it’s probably best calling each venue in advance before visiting. There’s no point in travelling out to a place, falling in love with it, and then finding out it’s unavailable for your special date.

If you’re more flexible with your dates, then get a feel for the particular venues’ pricing at different times. You may find there are significant savings to be had by simply tying the knot a little later, or even considering a midweek celebration.

Does it Fit Within Your Budget?

Speaking of savings, one of the key questions to ask your prospective Ontario wedding venue, is how much does it all cost? It’s more than likely that your ceremony and reception space will take up roughly half of your overall budget. Therefore, it’s vital you know how much you can spend before visiting, and that you request an accurate quote from the venue. Ask them to include all the charges you can expect, not just the base rate rental.

How Many Guests Can the Venue Accommodate?

If you’ve fallen for a venue, but it is decidedly more intimate than you had anticipated, now’s the time to start considering what is more important to you. A big wedding with 250+ guests, or your dream Ontario wedding venue. If neither feels right, maybe you need to keep searching for a compromise.

What’s the Location Like?

This is one of those questions you should ask your wedding venue, and yourselves. Enquire as to what the traffic is normally like between your ceremony location (if it’s separate to your reception), and how easy it’ll be for your guests to travel from one place to another. Then, ask yourself, is this place accesible for my relatives and friends to get to? Is it near accommodation? Are there amenities nearby?

Where Will Each Stage of the Event be Held?

Most venues follow a set routine when it comes to staging. The reception will be here, cocktail hour over there and the ceremony will be held within an interchangeable space. However, this is not always the case, and you may find there is a certain amount of flexibility to be found.

Get the venue to walk you through exactly what the big day journey will be. Only once you’ve done that should you be able to feel if it’s right for you.

Does it Have Catering?

One of the biggest wedding expenses, apart from the venue itself, is food. Therefore, it’s critical you include catering on your list of questions for each wedding venue. You may find that the venue includes, or can include catering within the overall cost, if not, you’ll need to make other arrangements. All-inclusive wedding venues will certainly offer this, but you’ll have to make sure you’re happy with the quality.

Can You Use Your Own Vendors?

You may find down the line that your dream Ontario wedding venue is actually quite strict when it comes to vendors, and that they’ll only let you use their recommended list. This can certainly be an issue if you have a certain look in mind, or what particular elements included in your reception.

When Can You Start Setting Up/When Do You Need to Clear Away By?

If you intend to do a lot of the reception decoration yourself, finding out when you can access the venue by is vital. Ideally, you’ll be able to get in there the day before. But if there’s another event going on, your time could be more limited.

If the wedding venue doesn’t offer a cleaning up service, it’s also important to ask as part of your questions, when’s the latest you can have the space for?

Does the Wedding Venue Have Any Particular Restrictions?

Some venues place certain restrictions, or need to have restrictions in place when it comes to alcohol, and decor. You may find places will let you bring your own beer and wine, but draw the line at whiskey and vodka. Whereas others don’t mind, but they’ll charge you corkage fees.

Many venues will also limit your ability to hang decorations on the walls, especially older venues. While stipulating that fireworks, open flames and confetti are also a no no. Plus, if you and your loved ones intend to dance until dawn, find out if there’s a certain time everything needs to be switched off by. There could be a 10:30 cut off for loud music.

What is the Deposit/Cancellation/Refund Policy?

Unfortunately, things don’t always go to plan. Therefore, you have to be sure that in the event you must cancel the event, or delay proceedings, you are protected. Always ask to see the cancellation policy, and terms and conditions of the contract when posing questions to your wedding venue, and any other vendor. If you’re unsure of anything, be sure to seek a professional to review the terms before signing.

I hope to have helped you today, and maybe even got you a step closer to your dream wedding venues in Ontario. It would be an honour to go one step further, and actually be a part of your big day! As a wedding photographer based in Kitchener, I have shot over 300 weddings, across the world. And every photograph I have taken has been with the upmost care for the couple, and enormous pride at being able to capture a timeless memory for them.

You are welcome to browse my various portfolios, and if you like what you see, please take a look at my pricing where you’ll find a breakdown of my investment packages. For any questions, or queries about my services, feel free to get in touch via my contact page.