Bride's shoes symmetrical on church aisle floor

Six Questions To Ask Your Wedding Venue Before Booking Your Wedding

February 22, 2024

For you, the wedding couple, I have created six questions to ask your wedding venue before you pay the deposit. These are questions most people can overlook, but I want you to be prepared.

Get The Most Out Of Your Wedding Day By Using These Six Questions To Ask Your Wedding Venue

Is there a place where my wedding party can get dressed before the ceremony?

A great wedding venue will not only provide a great wedding day experience but will cater to your needs. One of those needs is a large getting-ready area. Many venues have little to no area for wedding couples to get ready. Therefore there is definitely not enough space for wedding parties. So, check with your location to make sure there is plenty of room to get dressed, do hair and makeup, and be comfortable.

Is there plenty of available parking for my wedding guests?

Wedding guests don’t want to be burdened with finding their own parking. Not all venues will have on-site parking, so make sure you provide detailed instructions for guests to park. Go a step further and pay for their parking if parking is not free.

During a summer wedding, is there ample air conditioning to keep my guests cool during the ceremony?

An indoor venue may have air conditioning, but how it holds up is most important. Venues such as Canopy Creek Farm have A/C, but with no vestibules and people constantly going in and out, it may be hard for the A/C to keep up. Venues such as Dayton Masonic Center have large entryways that buffer the people coming and going. Their A/C is sensational every time. To me, this is the most important of the six questions to ask your wedding venue. People have passed out from heat during at least two weddings I’ve attended.

Is there more than one restroom? (Note: This sounds silly, but there are churches that have a single restroom for hundreds of guests.)

This is most often a problem that occurs at really old churches. Often there is a single room bathroom in the lobby of the church. This can be a real problem when you have hundreds of guests. Parents with small children as well as handicapped people may have a difficult time accessing these too.

Does my wedding venue allow the photographer to use flash or lights during the ceremony?

Depending on the ceremony location, flash photography may not be permitted. Most often this occurs in churches. While I am a professional with professional equipment, the ability to light certain parts of the ceremony can really make the pictures pop. So, if the venue you are considering is dark and you want the best ceremony photos, check on the external lighting situation.

Will there be time after my ceremony for the photographer to capture formal and family photos?

If you choose not to see each other prior to the ceremony, please be sure to leave time for family formalities. Plan for disorganization. Inevitably, some family members will wander off or leave completely after the wedding. It is good to have a wrangler to keep everyone in place and organized. This makes my job a lot easier and allows me to quickly photograph families. Several wedding ceremony locations such as churches have a “hard out” where you have to leave very soon after the wedding. This also prevents me from having enough time.