Hired Venues - What you need to know
The couple must check a venues restrictions before
booking as some of the following restrictions are
quite common:
No flowers that could cause pollen stains.
No red wine unless guests are seated.
No stilettos that may damage the floor.
No candlelight.
Limitations on how long the reception lasts.
Noise level limitations.
No guests under a certain age.
If the venue provides in-house catering it is important that the couple checks the quality of the food before confirming a booking. Organizing a food tasting is important and the flexibility of the menu should be checked. If the provided food is not up to scratch the couple should check whether it is possible to hire outside caterers and if it is possible to use the kitchen facilities. If this is not possible then the venue may have a list of suppliers they would be happy for the couple to use. It is then up to the couple to contact the suppliers and find out prices and availability. Once this is done the couple should find out whether alcohol and soft drinks are provided in-house. If so, they should carefully check the choice of wines and the price range of drinks on offer. If the couple is allowed to provide drinks themselves they should check on corkage fees as these hidden charges can add up.
It is a good idea to check that parking for guests and suppliers is available and that non-resident guests can leave their cars there over-night. This is perfect for guests who wish to drink at the venue and are able to pick their cars up the next day. There should also be a reasonable amount of toilets. One toilet per 40 guests is the usual and these should be accessible to older or disabled people. It may be a good idea to get a separate toilet for the bride so she can touch up her makeup in private and not have to queue.
