Engagement season is upon us and I thought what better than to do a blog post to help all of the newly engaged (or soon to be engaged) couples! Let me start by saying CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who said, YES! Take a few days or even a couple weeks to just celebrate! This is such an exciting time for you and let me tell you, marriage is the greatest adventure! I’m so excited for you!!

Now that you’ve celebrated, I’m sure your mind is racing with everything that needs to be planned. It’s all very exciting, but it can also be somewhat overwhelming. Besides setting your budget/theme of your wedding, you will most likely need to book a venue, asap! In the Grand Rapids area, venues are currently booking out over 1.5-2 years! I wish I knew a lot of things before planning my wedding, so I’ve jotted down a few questions for you to ask your venues before you book them! I hope you find this helpful!

1. What dates are available in the month I’m considering?
2. How long do I have access to the property on the wedding day?
3. When am I allowed to set up for my wedding? The night before or the day of?
4. Is there a price break for a Friday or Sunday wedding compared to a Saturday wedding?
5. How much is the deposit, when is it due, and is it refundable?
6. How many people does the venue hold?
7. When does tear down need to happen?
8. When does the music need to be shut off?
9. Are there any restrictions on decorations?
10. Is it extra to hold my ceremony here?  How much extra?
11. If you are holding your ceremony at the same place be sure to ask – Are there changing areas for the bride, groom, and/or wedding party?
12. What’s your weather contingency (backup) plan for outdoor spaces?
13. Are tables and chairs included in this price?  What about linens?
14. Am I allowed to hire my own caterer and/or vendors, or do I have to pick someone from a preferred list?
15. Do you have a list of recommended vendors that have worked at the venue before that I can see?
16. Is there a cake-cutting fee? If I use a cake made on site is the fee waived?
17. Is there a corkage fee?
18. Is there a separate space for cocktail hour? This is very helpful for photographers so they can photograph the details without having people in the room.
19. Do my vendors have to show proof of liability insurance?  If they do, what email address do they send it to?
20. Am I allowed to have alcohol?  Can I bring my own in, or do I need to hire someone from your preferred vendor list?
21. If I have alcohol, do I have to find my own security, or does the venue take care of that?  What’s the fee for security?
22. Do I need to pay for event insurance?  How much does the policy need to be? Where do you recommend I purchase the insurance from?
23. Is there parking on site and if so, is it complimentary? If not, where will my guests park?

xo,