Avoid the unexpected: what to watch for before booking your wedding venue

Your wedding venue is the foundation of the entire celebration. It shapes your guest experience, dictate your event flow, and often carries the largest share of your wedding investment. For couples who want to curate a sophisticated wedding experience, booking the wedding venue is more than just choosing a beautiful setting, it’s about partnering with a property that is communicative and has a system in place to create a seamless event.

I put together a list of some red flags to look out for when booking your wedding venue so let's dive into it!

Delayed communication

If the venue is very slow to respond, or doesn't follow-up, consider it an early indicator of how they will manage future details. An expert venue team should communicate with clarity, promptness, and professionalism from the very first inquiry.

Inconsistent information

Consistency builds trust. If details shared during your site visit don’t align with what’s outlined in the proposal or contract or if verbal promises shift when you ask for written confirmation, tread carefully. Discrepancies around inclusions, or policies can cause confusion down the line. Moreover watch out for newly disclosed fees that were never mentioned; a trustworthy venue is transparent from the beginning, and wants you to fully understand all potential expenses so there are no unwelcome surprises later in the process.

Not able to provide a detailed estimate before contract signing

Before you commit, you deserve clarity. A full, itemized estimate, not just a broad “starting at” price, should be provided before signing any contract. This estimate should include venue fees, taxes and, if the venue is also providing food & beverage, any related cost to food and bar, taxes, service fee (which can easily increase the full estimate +26%). Without this, you risk discovering unexpected costs after you’ve locked in the venue.

Negative reviews

Take the time to read recent reviews. While every venue may have occasional less-than-perfect feedback, patterns matter. Consistent concerns about communication delays, billing surprises, or day-of execution issues should raise red flags.

Inexperienced team

Pay close attention to the team’s experience. If coordinators lack event management expertise, seem unfamiliar with complex logistics, or demonstrate uncertainty answering detailed questions, it can jeopardize the quality of your event.

Venues that claim to "include a wedding planner in the cost" (but actually don’t)

This is a subtle but critical point that many couples misunderstand. Some venues advertise that a "wedding planner" is included with their package — but in reality, they are offering a venue coordinator, not a true wedding planner. A venue coordinator is employed by the venue and their primary role is to oversee venue-specific logistics: ensuring the space is ready, managing the venue’s staff, and enforcing venue policies. Their first obligation is to the venue itself, not to you.

By contrast, a wedding planner is hired directly by the client and serves as your advocate throughout the entire planning process. A professional planner works with you from the very beginning, overseeing budgets, curating vendor teams, managing timelines, creating the design and ensuring your vision is executed flawlessly across all aspects of the wedding, not just those tied to the venue.

If a venue claims to "include a planner," ask specific questions about what their role entails and when their involvement begins and ends.

Here are some general questions you want to ask before signing a contract:

-can you provide a full estimate?

-is there any specific rules or policy we need to be aware of that could potentially impact our event (strict decor rules, pet policies, flow of event, end time of events, sparklers...)?

-do you have a required vendors list (some venues have specific catering companies they work with for example)?

-how many weddings do you have per day?

-what are the weather back up options? Not having a weather back up plan for an outdoor event can cost several thousands of dollars.

-any additional fees we should be aware of (cleaning fees, removing furniture fees, early access fees....)?

A truly exceptional property will pair the style you are looking for with transparent and clear communication. By keeping the red flags I listed in mind, you can confidently select a venue and avoid any unpleasant surprises down the road!

If you are looking for help in your venue selection, reach out to us by filling this short contact form. With over a decade of experience in venues I can help you navigate the road to venue selection without regrets.