5 Questions to Ask When Touring a Wedding Venue in Florida

Florida is a state with no shortage of phenomenal venues to host your wedding in. 

That’s something great about our state, but it can also be a kind of problem. 

Granted, it’s a good problem to have. 

But even a good problem is still a problem. 

So, before you get overwhelmed by the multiplicity of options available and succumb to paralysis by analysis, have a read through this list we compiled for you. 

On it, you’ll find 5 vital questions to ask when touring a wedding venue in Florida. 

1. “When Can I Book For?”

This is the first question you should ask because the answer to it will determine whether or not it’s even worth asking any of the others. 

If you can’t reserve the venue for any date that’s suitable, then there’s little point in asking about capacity, included services, or anything else. 

So, before you get your heart set on a particular venue, ask them directly and confirm their available dates while you’re on the tour. 

You can also do this by email or phone before you tour the venue, but don’t trust the calendar on their website. 

Those calendars can be buggy or updated infrequently. 

Direct contact is always best. 

After all, your wedding is a big deal, and you don’t want to be uncertain of something as critical as the date and time. 

Oh, and by the way, it’s also good practice to check the weather forecast on your chosen date. 

That’s a rule in every part of the country, but especially so here in Florida. 

2. “What Are The Costs & Fees?”

All. 

Of. 

Them. 

Seriously. 

Hiding fees and smacking you with them after you’ve already gotten locked in is an underhanded practice. 

However, it’s a practice that is unfortunately all too common in the wedding industry. 

To avoid getting railroaded, bamboozled, hoodwinked, shanghaied, or otherwise done dirty, this is easily one of the most crucial questions to ask when touring a wedding venue. 

Financial strain and disagreements over money are among the most common reasons for relationship stress and dissolution in America. 

Don’t start your marriage off on the wrong foot by signing up for a payment schedule you don’t understand or having different understandings of what your budget and financial obligations are for your wedding. 

Ask open-ended questions about the prices and fees involved before agreeing to anything. 

And always remember to ask, “What other costs and/or fees are there?” 

Finally, get an itemized list of all costs and fees in writing before signing or agreeing to anything.

3. “What Is The Plan For If It Rains?”

This is Florida. 

Rain is a thing here. 

The good news is that it usually rains for only around 30-60 minutes each time. 

So, you might not even need to re-plan the whole day in the event of rain. 

However, the bad news is that these short showers happen almost every day. 

So, you’ll want to have some kind of plan for dealing with rain. 

Like health insurance or a good toothbrush on an airplane, it’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it… 

But you probably will need it. 

And be sure to account for the possibility that the rain might not stop after just 30-60 minutes. 

You’re not necessarily expecting it to rain all day, but you’ll be ready if it does. 

This being Florida, if any venue you tour doesn’t already have a clear protocol for handling rainy days, then you’d most likely be better off choosing another place.

4. “What If I Need to Cancel?”

Life happens, and it doesn’t always happen the way we want or expect it to. 

You might get sick, your mom or some other person you really want at your wedding might get sick, there might be an unexpected hurricane warning on your wedding day, etc. 

It’s impossible to predict every potentiality on any particular day. 

So, don’t stress yourself out too much by trying to do that. 

Instead, simply make sure that you are covered in the event of the most likely possibilities. 

How much advance notice do you need to give the venue owner? 

How much of your deposit can you get back? 

These are the sorts of questions to ask when touring a wedding venue to set your mind at ease and protect your deposit.

5. “How Covered Am I?”

More specifically, what kind of insurance (if any) does the venue offer to protect you financially in the event of any mishap or emergency? 

We already mentioned protecting your deposit in the event of a cancellation, but this is a bit different. 

Here, we’re referring to other things, such as one of your guests getting plastered, tripping over something, and breaking their leg. 

This section also applies to other miscellaneous things, like personal liability if venue property is somehow damaged and the return of your deposit if the venue cancels. 

There Are No Stupid Questions

Except for the ones you don’t ask. 

Even if you think the answer is obvious, go ahead and ask anyway. 

It’s better to have clarity and understanding than potentially false assumptions and uncertainty. 

And if any venue starts clamming up or getting evasive when you ask questions like these, it’s probably best to consider another venue that is more transparent and open with you. 

Lastly, when it comes to questions to ask when touring a wedding venue, open-ended questions are better than closed-ended ones. 

That means that it’s best to try to ask questions that can’t be answered with only a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ 

That’s because you always want to get more information if you can. 

Instead of asking “Are there any other fees?” try asking “What other fees are there?” Notice the difference?

If you have anymore questions let us know at Sterling Event Venue.