When wedding planning, one of the first and most important vendors you’ll want to book is your wedding venue. Once you have your venue secured, your wedding date is officially set—and everything else can start to fall beautifully into place.

As a Chicago wedding planning team, one of the perks of hiring Fierce Productions as your full-service wedding planner is that we’ve worked in dozens of wedding venues across Chicago and the suburbs, so we can recommend locations that fit your style, vision, and budget. Another bonus? We’ll coordinate and schedule a day of venue tours so you can see each space in person, experience the atmosphere firsthand, and ask all the right questions. While we always recommend working with an experienced wedding planner, if you’re taking on this task solo and aren’t sure what to ask during your wedding venue tour, here are some of the most important questions to keep in mind (and be sure to check the venue’s website first—many answers may already be listed there!).

What dates do you have available?

If you have a specific date in mind, then this question should be asked when you are reaching out to the venue before you even book a tour. (Why tour a space that’s not even available during your dream date or season?) If you are open or flexible with your date then this is important to remember so you can select a day that’s available!

How long do we have access to the space?

The venue rental typically includes 8-10 hours of rental time, but you want to make sure you know the time frame cause it could vary venue to venue. You’ll also want to know when set up and tear down will be for your vendors. Most venues allow you to extend an hour or two for a slight fee, so you can always ask if you feel like you will want more party time.

Can we rehearse in the venue?

Most venues will allow you to host your rehearsal at the venue. The main reason why you might not be able to is due to another event happening the day before yours. You’ll want to double check if that is a potential make-or-break for you. It’s also good to ask cause sometimes venues charge you for rehearsal time. It’s good to know either way so you can prepare accordingly.

What is your weather plan?

If the venue is mostly an outdoor venue then you will want to make sure you know the rain plan. Is it another space in the venue? Is it a tent rental? Whatever it is, make sure you are just in love with Plan B as you are with Plan A as no one can control the weather. If you don’t like a venue’s Plan B, then maybe look for another venue. Also make sure the Plan B still fits in your budget and vision!

What’s included in your rental? Tables/Chairs? Sound equipment?

Make sure to check the venue’s website first as lots of venues make this public knowledge, but if they don’t, ask! Some venue rentals include tables and chairs. Some might also have some super cool niche inclusions or packages. Maybe it includes a DJ, a photo booth, AV equipment, linens, etc. You’ll want to know what’s included so you can prepare accordingly with your budget. For example, maybe the venue can host 300 guests but only has 150 chairs. Now you’ll have to add more to your rental budget. It’s a bit of a fun budget puzzle—but sometimes a convenient two-for-one deal.

Is there a wedding suite/green room?

We recommend finding a place with some sort of suite as you and the wedding party will need a place to relax, do some potential touchups, or “hide” before the processional. Otherwise keep in mind WHAT your substitute will be in your timeline.

Are flames permitted? Any restrictions?

If you want candles or confetti thrown during the recessional then you need to make sure the venue allows them. Some places don’t allow them at all, some have specific restrictions like “candles ONLY if they are covered”, and some venues are super flexible as long as it’s clean at the end of the day. This is more important to ask if you are planning some unique decor, out of the box dance floor, or desire romantic candle light.

Do you have in house catering? Is there an minimum?

Some venues have exclusive catering, preferred caterers, or allow outside catering. Each option can affect your budget or way of planning so make sure to choose which works best for you. Exclusive catering means the caterer most likely owns the venue and you can only use them for your catering needs. This can potentially come with a minimum. That means you must pay a certain amount of money—so even if you only have 20 guests, you WILL need to pay whatever the minimum is even if that’s $100,000,000. Preferred catering can give you a few more options as it means those are vendors the venue trust for excellent service and might have a bit more variety in options. Outside catering means you are selecting a caterer that most likely has never been in the venue. It might be on the more affordable side, but you will have to factor staffing, bar, a potential fee from the venue, and a bit of the “unknown” in a new venue. These are all factors to think about when selecting your venue. Just keep in mind your budget, your values, and your favorite vendors. If you NEED a specific caterer and you’re looking at a venue with exclusive catering then it’s not a match.

Are you a BYOB venue?

Some venues are very open with byob and allow you to purchase alcohol from Binny’s, Garfield’s Beverage Depot, or beyond! Some others on the other hand require exclusive bar packages. Make sure you ask and clarify as bar packages can become very expensive. You don’t want to get stuck in a venue contract you can no longer afford due to beverages!

Any exclusive vendors?

We talked about exclusive catering, but lots of venues have OTHER exclusive vendors and will require you to use their specific rental company or DJ. This is something to ask and keep track of if you already have specific vendors booked or on your “dream list.” It also means you’ll have to keep those specific vendors in mind that might be in or out of your budget. If the “tent rental” for example is exclusive and 20% more expensive than a tent rental you were eyeing, then maybe that venue is not a match, or you might have to shift your values/budget.

Can I install things on ceilings? Hang things on walls?

If you have a strong vision of ceiling installations of flowers, drapes, or some other creative format then make sure you book a venue that can support your design vision, as some more historical venues might not be as flexible with what you can do inside the space, or have the strength to support the installation.

Can we leave things here the day before/after the wedding?

This depends on the venue, and of course whether or not there is an event happening the day before or after yours. It’s smart to know this when you start working on your timeline, or if you already know you will be outsourcing a lot of materials. Some venues might charge an additional fee, or can’t due to events—which is why we do recommend renting decor so you don’t have to worry!

Will we need additional lighting?

You might tour a space with natural lighting in the day, and forget that the space will get dark during the reception. You want to make sure there is enough lighting to see everyone during the reception whether that be tons of romantic candles, or some up-lights to enhance the dance floor. Some spaces might already include lights so you won’t need to rent additional lights, but best to ask the venue coordinator as they would recommend the best places for some additional lights.

Any curfews?

Some venues are in high populated areas and might have a few curfews with sound or lights. This mostly applies to venues that have an exterior element to their venue, like a patio, rooftop, or grand courtyard. So if you and your partner were planning on dancing the night away with loud music till midnight on a rooftop, you might just want to check if you can.

Are animals allowed?

If you want your fur baby to attend your wedding in some way then make sure to pick a venue that allows animals! They are usually allowed outside, but just make sure to ask what the specifics are cause you might be allowed to have your pet the whole day…or just during the ceremony. Just know there are some amazing wedding day pet “nannies” that assist with your animal if you do have them!

What’s the restroom situation like?

You’ll probably be able to see what the restrooms are like while touring, but this is more a reminder to think about the number of restrooms with the number of guests. Are they single stalls? Are they gendered? Are they in a different location to your many “party area?” Are they easily accessible to handicap or older guests?

Is the venue ADA compliant?

Again, you will probably be able to tell while touring the space but doesn’t hurt to ask if you KNOW you will have some guests that will require a little extra assistance. Do they have elevators or ramps? Is the floor smooth or is the terrain more organic with rocks? Obviously it’s your wedding and if it’s your dream wedding—go for it!—but it is always considerate to think about your guests that need extra assistance if you invite them.

Do you require an event planner?

Hopefully, the answer is yes! Reminder: Venue Coordinators are NOT Wedding Coordinators.

After the venue tours, we always ask our clients to make a Conditions of Satisfaction chart. Choose up to 10 qualities that make up your dream venue. It could be things like “has a brick interior,” “is $10,000,” “has indoor and outdoor capability,” “is located in the city,” etc. Now compare those qualities with the venues you saw. Give a point to the venue for every quality it matches. By the end, you’ll see which venue has the highest score.

Still a bit lost and want more support for your venue tour? Don’t hesitate to reach out!

Important Questions to Ask on a Venue Tour