1. What Availability Do You Have?

The most important thing to consider when you like a wedding venue is to ask about the venue availability – particularly if you have a preferred date in mind. Wedding venue availability can be booked quickly over busier times of the year, so asking about their availability from the beginning may avoid any disappointment.

If you don’t have a date in mind, and just want to know your venues’ availability, then this can help you decide about booking your wedding. At Huntsmill Farm, we have our availability on our website for you to look through to find a date that suits you.

2. Is there a maximum number of guests we can have?

Depending on your wedding day plans, the maximum number of guests a venue can comfortably accommodate may be a deciding factor in your wedding venue. You want to make sure the capacity aligns with your guest list and the kind of wedding you want to host, whether it’s an intimate gathering or a grand celebration. Once you know how many guests you are looking to invite to your wedding, and if your venue can accommodate, this will help with your decision process.

At Huntsmill Farm, we can comfortably host 100 guests during the day, and 140 guests overall for the evening reception. We also don’t have any minimum number of guests, allowing you flexibility if you want a smaller, more intimate wedding day.

3. What is included in the venue hire fee?

Another question to ask your wedding venue is about what is included in the venue hire fee as every wedding venue runs things differently. Some venues offer a ‘dry hire’ meaning you just have use of the space, and other venues offer extras such as catering, decorations, linens, and tables and chairs. Asking your wedding venue what is included in the hire fee will help to give you a better understanding, and then you know if you need to factor any extras into your wedding budget.

What is included in the venue hire fee is one of the questions we are frequently asked at Huntsmill Farm, we’ve created a handy list on our website to help!

4. How does catering work?

One of the big questions to ask your wedding venue is about how catering works. When it comes to your wedding day, it’s important to have a great wedding breakfast with your loved ones. Each venue may have different rules and restrictions on how catering works at their venue, and again, this is something to consider how this fits in with your wedding day plans.

5. Do you have any drinks packages?

Some wedding venues offer drinks packages, and others may be happy for you to bring in your own drinks, and some may offer a mix of both. The benefit of having a drinks package is that the wedding venue will take care of everything for you, and often have flexible drinks options. At Huntsmill Farm our drinks packages range in price and drinks options to go hand-in-hand with your food choices.

6. What happens if it rains?

One of the important questions to ask your wedding venue is what happens if it rains on your wedding day – especially if you have your heart set on planning an outdoor wedding or drinks reception! Your venue will have a contingency plan to ensure your day still runs smoothly, rain or shine, and it’s a good idea to get an understanding of this early in your wedding planning journey.

7. Do you have a preferred supplier list and can we use our own?

Many venues have preferred suppliers that they work with – these are usually suppliers the venue has worked with before, and they can recommend working with for your wedding day. You may also have specific suppliers in mind for your wedding day, so it is worth checking with your wedding venue if they allow you to use your suppliers.

8. Is there any accommodation available?

If many of your guests are travelling for your wedding, you might want to consider if it’s important whether your venue has accommodation, or if they can recommend any local accommodation nearby. As accommodation varies from venue to venue, it’s important to ask how accommodation works. At Huntsmill Farm we have seven self-catering cottages available, sleeping up to 32 guests, available to all of our weddings to help create a cosy home-from-home feeling for your wedding day.

Remember to ask your venue about check-in and check-out times as well – you will certainly have your guests asking this!

9. Are there any restrictions or guidelines we need to follow?

You might find that some wedding venues have some restrictions such as time restrictions, or noise restrictions, so it’s essential to know if there are any limitations for you to factor into your wedding planning.

10. How early can we access the venue early to setup?

One of the final questions to ask your wedding venue is about how early can you access the venue to set up for your wedding day. While your wedding day may be a while off from when you initially viewed your wedding venue, having an idea of when you can access the venue will help you with your planning – plus you don’t want to be worrying about this close to your big day!

At Huntsmill Farm we understand how our couples may wish for extra time to set up for their wedding day, and so our couples have access to the barn from 1 pm – 5 pm the day before their wedding to set up and decorate ahead of their big day.

Are You Looking For Your Wedding Venue?

Hopefully, this list helps you with ideas for questions to ask your wedding venue to help with your wedding planning!

If you’re just beginning your wedding planning journey and are looking for your wedding venue, we’d love to show you around our family-run wedding venue here at Huntsmill Farm. You can book a viewing to come and see us, watch our virtual viewing, or get in touch if you have any questions.