The Ultimate Wedding Venue Checklist: What to Ask When You View a Wedding Venue

Venue viewings are exciting, and that’s exactly why they’re easy to get wrong. You walk into a beautiful room, picture your guests in it, and leave without asking about the curfew, the corkage or what happens if it rains.

This wedding venue checklist is designed to be printed or saved on your phone and taken to every viewing. Ask the same questions everywhere and you’ll be able to compare venues properly afterwards, rather than relying on which one felt nicest on a sunny Tuesday.

Before you go

You’ll get far more from a viewing if you arrive with a few things decided:

• Approximate guest numbers: day guests, evening guests and a realistic maximum
• Preferred season or dates: and how flexible you are
• Rough budget: for the venue and for the whole wedding
• Ceremony type: civil, religious, or a celebrant-led ceremony with a separate legal formality

If possible, book your viewing for the time of day your ceremony would take place. Light changes a room completely.

The venue

Capacity and layout

• What is the maximum capacity for the ceremony, the wedding breakfast and the evening reception?
• How does each room feel at our numbers, not just at the maximum?
• Where would the drinks reception be held, indoors and outdoors?
• Where does the dance floor go, and does the room need turning around between the meal and the evening?
• Where would the band or DJ set up?

Exclusive use

• Is the venue exclusive use on our date?
• Which rooms and outdoor spaces are included?
• Will any other events, guests or members of the public be on site?
• Is there a minimum number of guests or a minimum spend?

Ceremony options

• Is the venue licensed for civil ceremonies? Which rooms or outdoor areas are licensed?
• Is there a church or chapel on site or nearby?
• Can we hold a celebrant-led ceremony, such as a humanist ceremony?
• How much time is needed between the ceremony and the wedding breakfast?

Indoor and outdoor options

• What is the wet-weather plan for an outdoor ceremony or drinks reception?
• Who decides when to move indoors, and by what time?
• Are there covered outdoor areas, or can a marquee be added?

Food and drink

Catering

• Is catering in-house, or do we choose from approved caterers?
• Can we bring in our own caterer, and is there a fee?
• What menus or packages are available, and what do they include?
• Is there a menu tasting, and is it included in the price?
• How are dietary requirements and allergies handled?
• Are evening food and children’s menus available?

Drinks

• What drinks packages are offered, and what’s in each one?
• Can we supply our own wine, fizz or spirits?
• Is there a corkage charge, and how is it calculated?
• Is there a cash bar or a pay bar option for the evening?
• What time does the bar close?

Practicalities

• Parking: how many spaces are there, is it free, and can cars stay overnight?
• Accessibility: is there step-free access to every space we’d use, including the toilets?
• Accommodation: is there accommodation on site? Who can stay, and is it included or extra?
• Local hotels: which nearby hotels do you recommend for guests?
• Transport: what’s the nearest station? Do you recommend local taxi firms?
• Toilets: how many are there, and are they close to the evening reception?
• Getting ready: where can the couple and wedding party get ready, and from what time?
• Access times: when can suppliers arrive to set up, and when must everything be cleared?
• Storage: is there somewhere to store gifts, cards and personal items overnight?

Entertainment

• Are bands and DJs both permitted?
• Are there any music restrictions, such as sound limiters or volume limits?
• What is the curfew, and when must music stop?
• Does the venue’s licence cover live music and late entertainment?
• Are fireworks, sparklers, lanterns or candles allowed?
• Are there any restrictions on confetti?

Suppliers

• Do you have a recommended supplier list?
• Can we use our own suppliers instead, and are there any conditions?
• Do external suppliers need to provide public liability insurance?
• Is there a supplier access or setup fee?

Money

This is where couples are most often caught out. Ask every venue the same questions so you can compare like for like.

• What’s included: venue hire, furniture, linen, tableware, staffing, a coordinator?
• VAT: are prices quoted including or excluding VAT?
• Corkage: what is the charge per bottle or per head?
• Hidden costs: are there fees for cake cutting, a late bar, security, cleaning, extra hours or a supplier meal?
• Deposit: how much is it, and is it refundable?
• Payment schedule: when are the remaining payments due?
• Cancellation and postponement: what is the policy if we need to change the date?
• Price changes: will our price be fixed if our wedding is more than a year away?

On the day of your viewing

A few habits that help:

1. Take photos and videos of every space, including toilets and corridors.
2. Take notes straight away. After three venues, the details blur.
3. Ask to see a real wedding gallery from your preferred season.
4. Picture the timeline. Walk the route your guests would take from the ceremony to drinks, dinner and dancing.
5. Ask who you’d deal with from booking through to the day itself.

How we answer these questions at Hartham Park

We’d rather couples arrive at Hartham Park with a long list of questions than leave with doubts. Here is how we answer some of the most common ones:

• Exclusive use: weddings include exclusive use of the Ceremonies Room, Grand Hall, Library, Ballroom, Churchill Snug, Party Room and Estate Garden.
• Ceremonies: we have licensed spaces for civil ceremonies, indoors and in the gardens, plus the estate’s own Victorian church.
• Wet weather: ceremonies and receptions can move indoors into licensed spaces if the weather changes.
• Catering: our in-house team offers food and drink packages and caters for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and other dietary needs.
• Furniture: tables, chairs and standard wedding furniture are included in venue hire.
• Suppliers: we have a curated list of local suppliers, and you’re welcome to talk to us about alternatives.
• Music: live bands, DJs and string quartets are all welcome.
• Parking and access: free on-site parking, and wheelchair access to the main wedding spaces.
• Accommodation: three on-site cottages, Church Lodge, Gate Lodge and Maze Garden Cottage.

Our wedding FAQs cover more of these in detail. For costs and inclusions, see our wedding prices and packages.

Take this checklist with you

The best venue is the one that answers these questions clearly and leaves you feeling confident, not just excited. Save this page, print it, and use it at every viewing.

Book your viewing

When you’re ready, book a wedding venue tour at Hartham Park. Tours run by appointment, and our team will happily work through this checklist with you.