How to Hire a Wedding Venue

Posted on: 12 July 2017

Hiring a venue for the reception is one of the most important parts of planning a wedding. Many popular venues get booked up long in advance, so start planning early. Start by deciding on the general area where you want to to hire a wedding venue and make a list of all possible venues in that locality. Now think about what type of wedding venue you want. Wedding hire venues come in all sizes and with a wide range of options. It's time to do some thinking about what your dream wedding reception is actually going to look like.

What size is the venue?

How many people will you want to invite to your wedding reception? You will probably want to seat people at tables for a meal, so how many people can the venue comfortably accommodate? If you prefer a buffet meal, can the venue accommodate that? You don't want your guests to be too squashed, but you won't want to waste money on a venue far bigger than you really need.

What are the catering options?

Does the venue offer a catering service? What menu options to they offer? If you bring in an outside caterer, will they have access to the kitchen and be able to use the electricity, water, etc? A related issue you will want to consider is the cutlery, crockery and tables and chairs you will use for the meal. Are these all supplied by venue or will you have to hire them from a wedding hire service?

What about alcohol?

If you want to serve alcohol at your wedding reception, you must check that the venue has an alcohol license. If you will be bringing your own alcohol, make sure you take note of any corkage fee the hire venue may charge. If there is a bar, what time will it close?

What are the entertainment options?

Can you bring in outside entertainment? What power facilities are available for your entertainer or DJ? Are there any legal regulations they must follow—for example, equipment PAT testing before it can be used on-site? Is public liability insurance a requirement? Are there any restrictions on noise levels?

How large is the car park?

It might seem like a minor issue, but if you are planning a big wedding and the venue doesn't have a large car park, your guests may have difficulty finding a place to park. Forcing them to park in surrounding streets could lead to problems with local residents, which you should want to avoid if at all possible.

Ask these questions at every wedding venue you visit, and make sure you write down the answers. This will help you choose your perfect wedding hire venue.

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