Questions Before Booking a Venue
Last updated October 2026
The venue is usually the largest item in the budget, the first thing paid for, and the hardest to undo. Most of the problems that surface later were a question nobody asked on the first visit.
These are the questions in the order they should be asked. Ask all of them before paying anything, and get the answers in writing — not verbally.
Capacity and timing
- How many does the hall actually hold seated, not standing?
- Does the stated figure include the kosha, the buffet and the walkways?
- What time can you get in to set up, and when must you be out?
- Is there another event the same day, before or after yours?
- How many parking spaces are there, and will they cover your guest count?
"Is there another event the same day" is the most important question here: one before you shortens your setup window, and one after you means a strict exit and charges for every minute over.
What the price actually includes
The advertised price is rarely the final price. Ask for a written breakdown of what sits inside the offer and what sits outside it.
- Is the price inclusive of VAT and service charge?
- Is catering included or billed separately? And with what minimum headcount?
- Are lighting, sound, tables and chairs inside the price?
- Is there a minimum spend required regardless of numbers?
- What does an extra hour cost if the event runs over?
- Are there fees for bringing in suppliers from outside the venue?
Minimum spend is frequently missed: a venue with a low hire fee may require a catering minimum that makes the final cost higher than a venue with a more expensive hire fee.
The deposit and its terms
The deposit is the moment backing out becomes expensive. Do not pay it before these questions are answered in writing.
- How much is the deposit, and when is it due?
- Is it refundable? In which situations exactly?
- Is it deducted from the total or added to it?
- What precisely does the deposit secure: the date? the price? that specific hall?
- When is the balance due, and what happens if it is late?
- Is an official receipt issued in the venue’s name?
A point that gets missed
Ask outright: does the deposit lock the price as well, or only the date? Some contracts hold the date and leave the price open to revision until final payment — which means the amount can change after you have committed.
Cancellation and postponement
Plans change, and the difference between one contract and another here can equal the whole deposit.
- What are the cancellation terms, and how much is withheld at each stage?
- Is postponement allowed? Does the deposit carry to the new date?
- Is there a fee to postpone, and how many times is it permitted?
- What happens if the venue cancels, or cannot operate for a reason of its own?
- Within what period is money returned when a refund is due?
The fourth question is the most important and the least asked: most contracts spell out what happens if you cancel and say nothing about the venue cancelling. Ask for an explicit clause covering that before you sign.
The day itself
- Who is the contact on the day, and what is their direct number?
- Are outside stylists and photographers allowed, or is the list restricted?
- When can the styling team get in to install?
- Who takes the styling down afterwards, and when?
- Are there restrictions on decor: candles, fixing to walls, special effects?
- What is the venue’s plan for a power cut or an air-conditioning failure?
A restricted supplier list changes the entire budget — it removes your ability to compare. Ask about it early, because it can be reason enough to rule a venue out.
Before you sign
- Read the whole contract; do not rely on what was said during the visit.
- Check that every promise you heard appears in the contract in words.
- Verify the date, the time and the guest count match what you agreed.
- Keep a signed copy and the deposit receipt.
- Photograph the venue on your visit, ideally at the same time of day as your event, to see the real lighting.
The one rule that sums up this page: what is not in the contract does not exist, however confident the person saying it.
All your answers in one place
Plinkly keeps supplier offers, their details and their confirmations in one place, so the answers stay documented instead of scattered across separate conversations. The platform is in early access now.