20 Questions to ask your Wedding Venue

Peaches and Twine Photography

Peaches and Twine Photography

It happened! You’ve got a ring on the finger and already started to visualize your perfect day. However, you're still missing a huge part; the wedding venue! Picking the perfect venues for your ceremony and reception are crucial to making your wedding day vision come together. Though choosing and booking the place aren't as always easy as you think!


Before you start visiting your dream venues, you'll need to know exactly what questions to ask to make sure you're choosing the right place.

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We've got you covered, with 20 questions to ask your wedding venue.

1.       Do you have my date available? (or other dates near it)

2.       How many people can the space hold?

3.       What is the fee for renting the space?

4.       What exactly does the fee include? (vendors, linens, chairs, flatware, etc.)

5.       How many hours does the rental fee include?

6.       How much is an additional hour?

7.       How much is the deposit?

8.       When is the balance due?

9.       How far in advance do we have to book?

10.   What forms of payment do you take?

11.   Do you include any staff during the event?

12.   Can I use any vendors or do you have a list of preferred vendors?

13.   Do you do set up and tear down of items you provide?

14.   When can I begin set up on my wedding day?

15.   What’s your weather contingency plan?

16.   How many restrooms do you have on the property?

17.   Are there any noise restrictions?

18.   Do I need to get any permits or insurance for the wedding?

19.   Is there a bridal room and a groom suite?

20.   What is your cancellation policy?

Hunting for the perfect wedding venue doesn’t need to be hard. Being prepared with questions is always best but trust us when you see the venue you’ll have that “feeling”  and you will know it’s the one! Often our brides share we with us, “how they walked in and new this is where they wanted to get married”, everything else fell right into place.

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Below we have answered all 20 questions to help you get started!

Schedule a tour today – The Wright House 480-833-0902 or stop by on Monday from 5-8pm for open twilight tours. 636 W. University Dr. Mesa, AZ 85201

Enjoy

XOXO


1.       Do you have my date available? (or other dates near it)

Give us a call, we have two beautiful venues and can tell you our available dates

2.       How many people can the space hold?

Ballroom Garden Venue- 250,  Provencal - 175

3.       What is the fee for renting the space?

Our pricing is all done by the amount of guest you plan on having and the date you choose, please give us a call today

4.       What exactly does the fee include? (vendors, linens, chairs, flatware, etc.)

Our Gem packages include a long list of items, however we do include, tables linens, chairs, flatware, center piece with fresh floral and more – see the full list on our site

5.       How many hours does the rental fee include?

It is a 8 hour contract

6.       How much is an additional hour?

$300 per hour depending on the package

7.       How much is the deposit?

$500 -$1000 depending on the package, however a portion is directed towards your first payment

8.       When is the balance due?

30 days prior to wedding day

9.       How far in advance do we have to book?

We suggest to booking popular months from 6-12 months in advance

10.   What forms of payment do you take?

We take credit cards, checks and cash – payments can be made by mail, in person or online

11.   Do you include any staff during the event?

You will receive a day-of-coordinator to help assist you during your wedding day

12.   Can I use any vendors or do you have a list of preferred vendors?

Depending on the package but yes you can bring your own vendors and we do have a list of preferred vendors we have worked with for years

13.   Do you do set up and tear down of items you provide?

Yes, we will set up and tear down all items we provide

14.   When can I begin set up on my wedding day?

You can arrive and set up any items the start of your contract, typically two hours before wedding ceremony

15.   What’s your weather contingency plan?

We do have a rain plan for each venue to accommodate your guest

16.   How many restrooms do you have on the property?

Each venue has two sets of rest, female and male

17.   Are there any noise restrictions?

We have all dancing inside, you can have background music playing outside

18.   Do I need to get any permits or insurance for the wedding?

The only permit and insurance we require is from the bartender

19.   Is there a bridal room and a groom suite?

Yes, we have each

20.   What is your cancellation policy?

Give us a call and we be happy to explain

 

 

Wedding Dessert Buffets

Karlie Colllen Photography

Today on the blog we have guest writer Sue Jacobs, a well known baker and artist when it comes to creating the perfect look for wedding cakes. Today on the blog she is sharing the new hot trend of Wedding Desserts!


Wedding dessert buffets are one of the hottest new trends in the wedding industry. Gone are the days of serving your guests only wedding cake. Wedding couples and their wedding guests alike, love having the option of choosing their favorite sweet treat. 

Dessert bars, also known as Wedding Dessert Buffets, are becoming a popular choice for couples looking to put a twist on tradition!  We can certainly see why! The dessert table will most likely become the most frequented area of the night! An added PLUS, it’s open to all guests, regardless of their age.  What better way to treat your guests than with a gorgeous table full of post-dinner treats? Also great for ensuring you have a sweat treat to please all tastes. 

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When deciding what delicious treats to offer your guests at your wedding reception, we recommend providing 3-4 different dessert options. You do not want to overwhelm your guests with too many options. We also recommend that you have a traditional wedding cake as part of your buffet. Many people love options of different treats, but also love the tradition of a wedding cake. 

Sue Jacobs Cakes can help you add fun and fabulous treats for your own unique desert bar.  Some of our most recent Wedding Dessert Buffets have offered the dessert options of cheese cake, brownies, cupcakes (in miniature and full size), cake pops, Gold and Silver Dusted donuts, cookies, and even the European macarons!

You can see many of these delicious treats on website and social media pages.

Sue Jacobs Cakes

www.instagram/suejacobscakes

www.facebook/suejacobscakes

www.pinterest/suejacobscakes

www.suejacobscakes.com

XOXO

How to start your Wedding Budget

NVS Photography

NVS Photography

First things first, where is the money coming from?  If it’s your own, you need to decide how much you have to dedicate towards the wedding. If you or your fiance’s parents are willing to pay for the wedding or part of it, you will have more money to play with but more opinions and feelings to consider when it comes to wedding planning.

Before you pick out wedding dresses or even make your wedding Pinterest board, you need to have the conversation with all paying parties of how much money.

Sometimes, we don’t know how much money we have to put towards a wedding or your parents are like mine, and told me – how much do you need?  In this case you might need to work backwards and find out what you really want and get estimated prices for it. Below you will find how to start putting your wedding budget together.


What is important to you?

In your eyes, certain elements of your wedding may be more important than others. For instance, if you place a large emphasis on finding your dream wedding dress, you might use a large portion of your entire wedding budget on just this item. Or, if the location is important to you, you might find yourself spending your first initial budget estimation on the location alone. It’s all about knowing what’s important to you and allocating your wedding budget accordingly.

How many people are you inviting?

If you come from a large family and have a large company your work for, with many friends you will need to think about having a larger wedding budget for 200 guests. If you have a small family and are aware you enjoy intimate gatherings rather than large parties, this too will change your wedding budget.

Sometimes intimate gatherings cost just as much as larger weddings, as those who host small weddings often fork out more money to ensure their guests have a great time, and typically pay more attention to the luxurious details that are important to them.

Most venues will have a ‘price per head’, so if your guest list reaches well above the hundred mark, you may have to pull a larger wedding budget to accommodate or choose a cheaper option.

NVS Photography

NVS Photography

Date and Time

Your wedding date might have some impact on how much you’ll have to fork out for your dream wedding. For instance, if you’re planning a winter wedding in January, the cost of your venue may slump significantly. Similarly, if you plan a weekday wedding, you may find vendors offering discounted rates.

On the flip side, if you plan on hosting a weekend wedding in November or March you’ll have to factor this in when deciding on your wedding budget. During the peak period, wedding vendors are incredibly busy and often booked out for months, so a larger wedding budget will help to secure the wedding vendors you want.

NVS Photography

NVS Photography

Style

Certain styles and themes of weddings can contribute to their overall expense. For instance, a luxury wedding will always cost more than a DIY wedding. A traditional wedding in a ballroom will always require a larger budget than an intimate garden wedding. Decide what theme you want and think about the things you really need to showcase that theme.

Now that you have done the thinking, and maybe even wrote down the things that are important, the next step is putting the numbers down on paper. We have found three easy and FREE Wedding Budget calculators to help you get started. Click below:

  1. NerdWallet’s Wedding Budget Calculator

  2. WeddingWire Wedding Budget Calculator

  3. Wedding Cost Estimator

Enjoy,

XOXO

NVS Photography

NVS Photography