Planning your wedding is an exciting time in any bride’s life. And booking your wedding venue is one of the most important parts of creating your perfect wedding day. Wedding venues in Austin, Texas are some of the most beautiful and popular destinations for Texas (and non-Texas!) brides. If you are planning your big day at a wedding venue in Austin, you’ll want to make sure it accommodates all of your needs. 

It’s easy to get lost in the fantasy of planning a perfect wedding! But there are some important questions you’ll need to ask your Austin wedding venue to make sure you’re choosing the right location for your needs. Your questions need to focus on the major categories of general booking, finances, food and drink, décor, vendors and logistics. We’ve put together a comprehensive list for you to use as a guide as you tour all of the beautiful wedding venues in Austin, Texas!

Questions to Ask Wedding Venues in Austin Tx

General Questions

1. What dates do you have available for (your preferred month)? 
2. Do you offer discounts during off-season months, morning weddings, or Friday or Sunday weddings?
3. What is your capacity limit?
4. Do you offer wedding packages? What do they include?
5. How far in advance can we reserve a date for our wedding?
6. What’s the latest date we can make a change to our reservation?
7. What other events besides the reception can you host (ceremony, rehearsal dinner, etc.)? 
8. If we host our ceremony here, how does the rehearsal work?
9. Do you offer indoor and outdoor spaces?
10. What’s the contingency plan in case of bad weather for an outdoor space?
11. Do you have changing spaces for the bride and groom? Is there additional space for the wedding party? 
12. Do you have event liability insurance, or do we need to have our own?
13. Do you host more than one event a day? How do you handle that to avoid crossover and confusion?

Financial Questions

1. Do we pay the fee up front or are installments available? 
2. How many hours are included in the rental? 
3. How early can we arrive? What is the latest we can leave? 
4. Is the deposit refundable? How much is it, and when is it due? 
5. When is the remainder of the booking fee due? 
6. What is your deposit/refund/cancellation policy? 
7. What is the deadline for getting a refund if we have to cancel?
8. For venues that host multiple events, can we do a complete buyout of the space?
9. Which payment methods do you accept?
10. May I review a sample contract?

Food & Beverage Questions

1. Do you provide catering? If not, do you have a preferred vendor list? 
2. Does the venue provide a kitchen for outside caterers? 
3. If you cater, what meal options are available? Buffets or seated dinners? How many courses? What about desserts and late-night snacks? What is the price per guest? 
4. How do you handle dietary restrictions?
5. Can we use an outside cake vendor? 
6. Is there a cake-cutting fee? Can it be waived if we cut our own cake?
7. Do you offer food/cake tasting? Is it included in the fee or is it extra?
8. What is your food and beverage minimum? What is the tax and service charge?
9. Do you allow alcoholic beverages at your venue?
10. Do you have an alcohol license, or do we need to bring our own vendor? 
11. Can we have a full bar?
12. What is the cost for an open bar? What is the minimum charge? 
13. Can we pre-stock the bar with our own wine, beer, champagne, or hard liquor? Is there a corkage fee? 
14. Can we give wine as a party favor?
15. Do you provide tables, chairs, linens, dishware, silverware, and glassware? 
16. If not, do you work with a rental company we should hire?
17. How many wait staff will be working for a wedding of our size?
18. Are there any additional food or alcohol-related charges we should know about, such as a bar staffing fee?

Décor Questions

1. What decorations are included in the booking fee? 
2. Do you require an event planner?
3. Can we bring in our own decorations? When and where can we drop these off? 
4. Are there any restrictions on décor (confetti, sparklers, candles, food trucks, beer donkeys, or lawn games)?
5. Do we need to provide our own place cards, table numbers, or seating chart?
6. Will you provide signs to direct the guests to the various events (ceremony, reception, cocktail hour)?
7. Are heaters provided in cold weather? Are umbrellas or covered tents provided for rainy weather?
8. Do you provide in-house flowers or have a preferred vendor? Can we scatter petals on the floor or ground?
9. Does your staff assist with setup or breakdown? To what extent?
10. Are there any restrictions on how we can rearrange the space?

Vendor Questions

1. Can we hire our own vendors or do we have to use your preferred vendors? 
2. Do you require event vendor insurance?
3. Do you have a coordinator available? If so, what services are included?
4. Are there any vendors I’m required to hire, such as an officiant? 
5. Can we bring an outside DJ or live band?
6. What’s your sound system like?
7. Do we have to stop playing music at a certain time?
8. Is there a designated area for bands/DJs?
9. Do you have in-house photography or videography services, or should we hire our own?
10. Are there photography restrictions? 
11. What kind of security service do you offer? Is there an additional cost?
12. When can our vendors arrive for setup?
13. Is there a service charge for staff? What is your tipping policy?
14. Do you offer valet?

Logistical Questions

1. Can you walk me through the flow of the event, from ceremony to cocktail hour to reception? Who will move furniture around for these multiple events?
2. How many people will the dance floor accommodate?
3. Who is in charge of set-up, break-down, and cleaning?
4. Is there a cleaning fee?
5. Will we have access to heating/air-conditioning controls?
6. What’s the electricity like? Are there plenty of outlets for all the vendors?
7. Who is my main contact during the wedding?
8. Are there any noise restrictions? 
9. Is parking included? What is the parking capacity? Can you accommodate busses? 
10. Will guests have to pay for parking?
11. What accommodations are available for guests with disabilities or mobility issues?
12. Are rideshare/cabs easy to access from the venue?
13. Is there a designated smoking area?
14. How many restrooms do you have? If you host multiple events, are any reserved just for our guests? Can we rent portable restrooms?
15. Hotel venues: 
    1. Do you offer a discounted group rate? 
    2. How many rooms do we have to reserve? 
    3. Can we arrange for Welcome Bags to be provided to our guests upon check-in? 
    4. Is a room included for the newlyweds?
16. For non-hotel venues, do you partner with any hotels where we can get a discount?
17. What are the nearest hotels to the venue?
18. Is a coat check available for cold weather events?
19. Is there a secure area to store gifts?
20. Are there booster seats or highchairs available?
21. For adult-only weddings, can childcare be arranged? 

Hopefully, these questions will help you get started in narrowing down the perfect Austin wedding venue for your big day! 

BOOK THE ARLO

Book your private wedding venue tour with our staff today to see what sets the Arlo apart from the other Austin wedding venues in town, and let our staff help you create a truly magical wedding experience!