Now that we shared with you the venue hunting do’s and don’ts now it's time to go over the 5 main things you should leave your tour knowing. On a good tour, you will be covering a lot more than just these topics, but these are the 5 major things that you should leave your venue tour fully understanding.
Catering Policy – Does the venue have a required catering list? If so, do they allow an outside caterer to come in for an additional fee?
Bar Policy – Because of liquor licensing each venue you look at might have different bartending policies. Some will provide the alcohol in-house; others will let you bring in your alcohol. Make sure you leave your tour fully understanding the venue's bar policy.
Rental Windows – What do the rental time frames look like, are they 12-hour, 8 hour, or hourly packages? Have your venue representative break down a simple event day timeline for you so you understand how the day will flow.
Availability and Pricing – Leave with a list of dates that you could potentially book and the pricing for those dates. Pricing generally varies on the day of the week you are looking at but some venues offer off-peak season pricing during the slower months. This will also give you an idea of how in-demand the venue is and how quickly you will need to act on a date.
Hidden Fees – Is sales tax included in the price? Is there a damage deposit? Find out any other fees that you will have to pay that are venue-related.