This is one of the things we know comes up a lot- you’ve narrowed down the venues you want to view, you’ve made your appointments- but what are the key questions to ask your wedding venue? How will you know if they’re ‘the one’?
Here’s our top tips!
How many guests can you accommodate?
Yes it obvious but this is the first place to start- check they have space for your expected number of guests! Don’t forget to add evening guests if there will be some people coming along later. Your guest list is more likely to grow than shrink, so bigger is better!
Is the venue exclusive use?
Many venues will cater for more than one wedding, and even those that say ‘exclusive’ can sometimes have other hotel guests or visitors, so check what they mean. Rise Hall and Howsham Hall are both entirely exclusive venues, so we mean you, and only you!
Do rooms need to be changed over?
Many venues use the same room for ceremony and meal, so there will be a period of time when you’ll need to leave the room. Check out what happens in this case. At Dine we prefer to have the ceremony and meal in separate rooms so this isn’t an issue.
Are fireworks/ confetti allowed?
Many venues don’t allow confetti and very few can accommodate fireworks. If this is important to you, make sure you check. Rise Hall allows confetti outside and is well known for its spectacular fireworks! Howsham Hall can also offer fireworks for a limited number of events- so if fireworks are on your wish list, speak to your Event Manager as soon as possible. The Mansion also allows confetti- for all our venues we specify real confetti as besides being much nicer than plastic it’s more environmentally friendly.
Can we have a live band?
Nothing rocks a wedding reception like a live band! If you want live music for your wedding, check the venue has space and power for them. This may affect the number of guests you can invite.
What time will the reception need to finish?
If you know you’re going to want to party into the night, check the venue will allow this. Many have planning restrictions on timings due to neighbours.
This post was written by Dine on their website here. They are exhibitors on the WeddingShow247 Country Houses floor of the Venue Hall. You can visit their WeddingShow247 exhibition stands here: Howsham Hall, The Mansion, and Rise Hall.
