Weddings · 4 min read
How do you choose your wedding venue?
The venue is usually the first big booking, and it sets the tone, the date and a large part of the budget. Venue and catering together are typically the single biggest cost, and they scale with how many people you invite, so this decision anchors nearly everything else. This post walks through what to weigh, how to compare a shortlist side by side, and the questions to ask each venue before you sign.
Start with your guest count and your budget
Before you tour anywhere, get two numbers roughly right: how many people you plan to invite, and what you can spend in total. Capacity is a hard limit, so a venue that seats 80 is off the list if your headcount is 120. In the Wedding Planner you can quick-add guests and see the number grow, and that headcount is the same figure that drives catering and the budget.
Because venue and catering are usually the biggest line and they rise with every extra guest, decide your rough numbers first. The Budget section gives you 14 categories where you set an estimate per category and track actual spend, and it flags overspend. Put a realistic venue-and-catering estimate in early so the rest of the plan has room to fit around it.
Know what you are actually comparing
Venues quote in different ways, so a low headline price can cost more once you add the extras. For each place, pin down the total and what is included versus charged separately: tables and chairs, catering or a catering minimum, staff, cleaning, and any hire fees. Then check the practical constraints: date availability, an end-time or noise curfew, whether you must use their caterer, decor rules, and a wet-weather or indoor backup if any part is outdoors. Location matters too, since a hard-to-reach spot pushes cost and effort onto your guests.
Use the Venue Comparison section to line up your shortlist side by side. Seeing capacity, cost and what is included in one view makes the trade-offs obvious, rather than trying to hold three tabs and three emails in your head.
Ask each venue the same questions
The fairest comparison comes from asking every venue the same things, then noting the answers while they are fresh. Ask what the final all-in price is, what happens if it rains, when you have to be out, whether you can bring your own caterer or drinks, and what the deposit and cancellation terms are.
The Questions to Ask section comes preloaded with a Venue set you can tick off as answered and add notes against. Take it to each tour or call, and by the end you will have matching notes for every option instead of a vague memory of which one felt nicer.
The app that helps
Wedding Planner
Everything you need to plan your wedding, in one place.
- Venue Comparison lays your shortlisted venues out side by side so you can weigh capacity, cost and inclusions together.
- The Questions to Ask section comes with a preloaded Venue question set you can tick off and annotate as you tour each place.
- The Budget section lets you set an estimate for venue and catering, track actual spend across 14 categories, and flags overspend.
Common questions
How much of the budget should the venue take up?
There is no fixed rule, but venue and catering together are usually the single biggest cost and rise with your guest count. Set a realistic estimate for it in the Budget section first, then fit the other categories around what is left.
How many venues should I shortlist?
Enough to give a real comparison without stalling the booking, often three or so. Put them side by side in the Venue Comparison section and ask each the same questions so you are comparing like with like.
A quick note
This is based on our own wedding and what worked for us, shared as general information rather than professional advice. Costs and customs vary a lot by location and vendor, so treat any numbers as a starting point and get your own quotes.