The Questions I'd Ask Before Signing a Venue Contract

A tour shows you a room on a quiet Tuesday. A contract governs a Saturday in October with 180 people in it. These are the questions I would ask before signing anything.

Who is my point of contact on the day, and will I meet them before the wedding? How many events run in this building on my date? What time does vendor load-in open, and where? Where is the rain plan, and how many guests does it hold? What is the actual last call, and what is the actual end time? Are vendor meals included, and where are they served? What is the power availability for the band, and is it a dedicated circuit? Which spaces are off-limits for photography? What happened the last time a wedding here ran behind? Who cleans up, and by when? What has changed at this venue in the last two years? If I have a problem in July, who answers the phone?

A venue that answers all twelve clearly is telling you something important about how the day will run.