Your wedding venue is one of the most important vendors on your wedding vendor team. As the host for your event, your wedding venue dictates a variety of crucial details. The geographic location of your wedding, the vendors available to service your wedding, and your venue’s effect on your wedding budget are only a few ways your wedding venue has a huge impact on your wedding.
When choosing your wedding venue, the first step is to understand all the factors going into that decision. That starts with understanding the ins and outs of wedding venues. In today’s post, we’re going over common wedding venue terms and what they mean for your wedding.
Wedding Venue House Rules
Venues often have a set of house rules. These are the basic rules around holding your event. These rules can vary quite a bit between venues.
For example, historic wedding venues may have detailed load-in instructions to protect the floors. Historic wedding venues often have limitations on specific stairwells, doors, and elevators for vendors to use.
To ensure everyone is on the same page, always share the house rules with relevant vendors. This should include your caterer, rental company, florist, lighting company, or other vendors involved in load-in.
Wedding Venue Access Hours
Most wedding venues will list hours of access in your contract. These are the hours on your wedding day you and your vendors are allowed on-site. Event hours (the hours the wedding is actively happening) and production hours (set-up time) can also be different.
Always make sure you understand your access hours to avoid logistic issues and fees. For example, many rental companies have delivery windows rather than exact delivery times. Instead of expecting your rentals delivered at 9am, it may be scheduled sometime between 9am and 11am.
In this situation, it’s important to ensure your delivery window falls within your access hours. Otherwise, you’ll face some logistic issues and fees. When booking rentals, discuss your production time with the rental company.
Wedding Venue Coordinator
Many couples are confused by the difference between a venue coordinator and a wedding coordinator. A wedding venue coordinator is hired by the venue to oversee the event for the venue. While this person can offer advice and recommendations, a venue coordinator is not a wedding coordinator.
A wedding coordinator is hired by the couple to service their wedding day. They assist with the logistics of the wedding day and services the couple.
A wedding venue coordinator represents the venue. The venue coordinator ensures venue rules are followed and represents the venue’s interests.
Unless the venue specifically offers it as a service, couples cannot rely on wedding venue coordinators to manage their event. Event management, often called day-of wedding coordination, is a separate service a couple hires.
If you’re not working with a wedding planner, an experienced event manager is 100% worth it (and I would even say necessary) for a stress-free wedding day.
Wedding Venue Security Deposit
Some venues require a security deposit to protect against damage. This is common with venues with high-value items inside. Sometimes this is fully refundable after confirmation of no damage, but always review the terms before committing.
Before booking, it’s important to ensure that the deposit plus the venue fee fits within your wedding budget.
Wedding Venue Capacity
Wedding venues have legal limitations on event size to ensure safety. Most venues will provide an estimate or layout suggestions for each room. For example, how many guests can be accommodated in a room for a cocktail reception versus a seated dinner.
When booking a venue, always ensure it can host the top end of your guest count estimate.
Wedding Venue Floor Plan
Your venue will likely provide a floor plan of their spaces showing capacity and logistics to consider, like electrical outlets.
Your venue may ask you to provide floor plans for your wedding. This shows your venue how you intend to use the space, like placement of reception tables, chairs, the dance floor, ceremony, entertainment, and more. When booking an event manager, ensure they will create this for you.
Wedding Venue Permits
Some venues require permits. For example, a venue near an airport may require documentation and approval for holding an event with a fireworks show.
Before booking a venue, ensure you fully understand all required permits for hosting your event and any costs it incurs.
Wedding Venue Preferred Vendor List
A preferred vendor list is a common practice in the wedding industry. A vendor list is a list of vendors the venue vouches for and has approved to work on their property. This is most common for caterers, as they have such a large production presence on your wedding day.
The vendors on the list may be required or simply recommended. Before booking your venue, it’s important to know which, if any, vendors are required to come from this list. To know if a wedding venue truly fits within your budget, you have to know if the required vendors do, as well.
Wedding Venue Load-In/Load-Out/Strike/Production Time
All of these terms refer to the set-up time and break-down time before and after your event. It’s important to ensure that you have sufficient time before and after your wedding within your booked hours.
Wedding Venue Insurance
Many venues require some form of event insurance. This is a simple policy for the wedding day. In your contract, a venue will usually dictate how much coverage is required. Some historic venues require special insurance, as well.
More Wedding Planning Advice Posts
Check out these other blog posts for more wedding planning advice from a wedding planner:
- Our Wedding Day Emergency Kit Checklist
- The First Four Things To Do After Getting Engaged
- Wedding Photography Terms You Should Know
And check out our Journal for more wedding planning advice.
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