It may be pretty, but is the space right for you?
Here’s the essential questions you need to ask your wedding venue.
Finding the perfect wedding venue is vital if you want the rest of your big day plans to fall into place without too much fuss. You should never underestimate how pivotal a role your venue will play in the booking of every other wedding supplier. And every subsequent decision you need to make as you progress through the wedding planning journey. To best gauge whether a prospective wedding venue is right for you, there are certain questions you’ll have to ask during your appointment. From obvious stuff like dates and guests counts, to cancellation policies and venue restrictions. Plus everything else in-between!
Sound like a lot? Don’t worry. As an experienced wedding venue in Kildare, Ireland, our team has a wealth of first-hand knowledge that’ll help you plan the first meeting with your venue. We know the questions you should ask your wedding venue, and for us, we’re always happy to share. At The Abbey, we need our couples to feel 100% happy that our space is right for them before they sign anything. It’s less about getting you to decide, and more about helping you decide if this is the perfect wedding venue for you.
Our team have put together 7 questions you should ask your wedding venue before you make anything official. Copy and paste these today, and thank us tomorrow!
Essential Questions to Ask a Prospective
Wedding Venue
Before you set foot on the property, there are three vital things you must clarify.
Does it fit within your budget?
Is it available for your selected date?
Does it match your overall theme?
Unless you love getting your heartbroken, there’s zero point visiting a wedding venue without asking these questions first. Otherwise, you might totally fall for the place, only to find out it’s way out of your price range.
Email, or call the potential venue, and check through these points before visiting.
So now, let’s assume you’ve checked off this part, and you’re on the tour.
How many guests can the wedding venue hold?
The amount of guests a venue can hold directly affects your budget, and how much you’ll need to spend.
Furthermore, if you’re someone who’s always imagined a big wedding, and the space you are viewing only
has a capacity for 80 – something’s gotta give. Think about wedding guest numbers carefully.
At The Abbey, we’re fortunate enough to have a capacity of up to 200. Which means we can cater for the medium to large celebration. While also being able to customise our many spaces to create more intimate areas. Ideal for couples wanting smaller weddings.
Does the Venue Have Accommodation? Is it near Hotels?
It’s likely that a number of your guests will have to travel to attend your wedding. And after a night of celebrations, the last thing they’re going to want to do is hit the road. Having accommodation on-site at your wedding venue is a massive bonus, as it will gift you and your guests the comfort of knowing that their pillow is not too far away. If there are no rooms on-site, then do make sure there are hotels within a reasonable distance.
This is one of the questions we’re very proud to answer as a wedding venue because we feel our accommodation offers just what our couples are looking for. Thirty-eight cosy, contemporary spaces that give guests a home away from home feel. While our elegant suites offer a sumptuous place to get ready, and a
relaxing place to unwind. What Services Do You Offer? And What is Included?
You may find that when posing questions to your wedding venue, you’re also ticking off other suppliers you need to book. Depending on the venue, they may offer catering, bartending, marquees etc. Or they may not. If your venue can offer multiple services as part of the price, you may well be saving money compared to
booking things separately.
Also ask about recommended suppliers, as the venue will have experience of working with numerous local people. And they’ll know the best ones to pick.
What’s the Outdoor Space Like?
If you’re planning on having drinks in the open air, canapés on the lawn or portraits in the gardens – you better make sure the venue has what you’ve been dreaming of! If you haven’t seen it already, ask to have a tour of the outdoor area, and request to see where events normally take place within the grounds. But remember, you can never truly predict the weather. We’re blessed with several serene outdoor spaces at The Abbey that offer the ideal spot for post-ceremony drinks, and photography with a super elegant backdrop. Be it group shots on the courtyard, or intimate portraits within the gardens.
Can You Walk Me Through the Journey on the Day
If you’re fortunate enough to find a venue that can host both your ceremony, and reception. It’s a good idea to understand the journey that you and your guests will take on the big day. Will your ceremony space be transformed into the reception area?
How do you get to post-ceremony drinks from either the ceremony location or reception venue?
What’s the backup location for alfresco drinks if the heavens open?
Imagine yourself, and your whole wedding party in the spaces you’re being shown. Are they large enough to host your guests all in one area?
Do you have to go inside and out while en route between ceremony,
reception, and drinks? What happens if it’s raining?
You and your guests will get soaked if there isn’t adequate shelter between spaces.
At The Abbey, we thought very carefully about the whole wedding experience when designing our various spaces. Concentrating on the flow of the day, we made sure that each room effortlessly leads into the next. With a wedding team always on hand, guiding and interacting with guests, creating an almost interactive theatre like feel to events.
Is the Venue Licensed for Civil Ceremonies?
If you want to hold your ceremony and reception in the same location, make sure the venue has a licence to hold weddings. If not, you can have a religious or civil ceremony elsewhere and hold your reception there, or you can get legally married beforehand and have a celebrant-led ceremony on the day.
If you haven’t had the chance to see our newly renovated abbey, go check out our Instagram , it’s so stunning! Within this incredible space, you can legally marry, surrounded by up to 200 of your loved ones, all backdropped by our beautiful stained-glass windows. And as the abbey is on-site, you are mere moments away from celebratory drinks, and your evening reception!
Can We Have A Band or DJ?
Even if you haven’t yet booked your band or DJ, you’ll want to make sure your venue can accommodate whatever entertainment you throw at it. The last thing you want is to book your dream DJ only to discover there’s no electric sockets, or places for them to set up their equipment.
We’re fortunate enough to have a great space at The Abbey which can cater for big day entertainment. Our Chapel can be transformed following your vows into the ultimate party venue! Complete with lights, professional sound and plenty of room to fit your band. Plus, there’s even a secret bar in the back! So there’s
no reason to stop the party from going on all night long.
We hope we have inspired your wedding venue search, and maybe answered a few of your own questions about our little hideaway in Kildare! It would be a pleasure to help you further, and actually take you on a tour of our venue.
You are welcome to get in touch via our contact page to book a viewing, and in the meantime, if you’d like to
find out a bit more about us, have a browse of our online brochure .