The holidays bring the start of engagement season which extends through Valentine’s Day, one of the most popular days to get engaged after Christmas Day. For many recently engaged couples, the beginning of the year is filled with the hustle of setting new year’s resolutions and kicking off wedding planning. The first thing on the planning list? A date and a venue! As you begin touring venues, we’ve rounded up ten of the most important questions to ask while you’re on-site.

1. What dates are available? Of course, available dates are one of the most important factors in choosing a venue. If you don’t have a specific date in mind for your wedding, try narrowing your pick down to a month or season. Keep in mind to be flexible with dates if you’re targeting one of the months during wedding season. Fall and spring dates in North Carolina tend to book quickly so being open to other weekends or even Fridays or Sundays give you a better chance of finding the perfect date and place!

2. What is the price? Along with availability, your budget is extremely important when deciding which venues to tour or book. Determine your budget and see if the venue rental fee fits in addition to other vendor fees you’ll have to pay if the venue isn’t all-inclusive. You’ll want to factor in things like catering, florals, rentals, dress, and other things that will go into making your day absolutely perfect.

3. Are there additional fees or special requirements? Sometimes pricing documents provide before or during tours don’t include all fees associated with the venue rental. Ask if there are taxes, gratuities or additional fees on top of the rental rate. Additional fees to consider would be refundable security deposits, gratuities to venue staff, additional rentals (like extra chairs or tables), upgrades to packages or others. Most venues also require the client purchase event insurance to cover liabilities associated with hosting your wedding. With Oakland Farm, our only additional fees are the refundable security deposit and event insurance unless you decide to add on the overnight Farmhouse rental.

4. What are the rental hours? Rental hours vary per venue. Oakland Farm’s rentals begin at 10am. Music must end by 11:00pm. Some venue rental hours might be longer or shorter. This would be an important factor to consider for setting up and decorating for your wedding day, your ceremony start time and your reception end time.

5. Do you include access for a rehearsal? Most couples like to practice their ceremony before the big day. Some venues include a short time for rehearsal so you and your wedding party are comfortable with how to line up and where to stand for your ceremony. For Oakland Farm clients, we include a one to two hour rehearsal time the day prior to your wedding. If there is not an event the day prior to your wedding, you can choose any time that day for rehearsal. If there is an event, you can do rehearsal between 10:00am and 1:00pm.

6. How many guests can the space hold comfortably? Although coming up with your guest list comes a little later in wedding planning, having an idea of roughly how many guests you might invite or expect at your wedding ceremony and reception would be very helpful when touring venues. If you’re planning to invite 250 guests and your venue can only hold 150 guests, you might want to look at other venue options to avoid having to cut your guest list. In some cases, the ceremony space at the venue might hold less than the reception space, or vice versa. At Oakland Farm, our maximum capacity is 350 guests, but if you want room for a good-sized dance floor, you’ll want to cap your guest list to around 250. You can also ask how the space might look with your estimated guest count or ideas of how to set up the venue space based on that number. It will help you envision what the wedding venue space might look filled with guests and tables!

7. What’s included in the rental? Some places only the venue space is included with your event rental. In that case, you’d have to consider renting chairs, tables, and more. Oakland Farm includes chairs, tables, a ceremony backdrop, a Venue Host and a few other amenities with the rental. Check out our weddings page for more information on what’s included. Some venues also offer all-inclusive packages or additional décor for your wedding day. Make sure to understand all that’s included so you’ll know how to best budget for your ceremony and reception.

8. Do you have specific vendor requirements? Some venues require you use specific vendors that are approved for the event. At Oakland Farm, we’re happy to provide a list of some of our favorite vendors, but you’re not required to choose from that list. We allow our clients to choose any vendors that they’d like to work with for their wedding day (licenses or certificates of insurance might be requested if it’s a new vendor we haven’t worked with in the past). Most venues also request a day-of coordinator for your event to ensure your wedding ceremony and reception goes off without a hitch!

9. What are your décor rules? Are there other rules or guidelines? Most of our clients have a vision of what their wedding ceremony and reception might look like. It’s important that the venues you tour match the style you’re looking for - rustic, elegant, modern, light & airy, etc. Venues are a beautiful backdrop for your wedding day, and then the special decor touches you add is the icing on the cake. Ask about decor restrictions that the venue might have in place. For example, can you use candles inside? Are you allowed to hang things on the walls? Does your venue offer draping options? Can you use sparklers for your exit? Always double check for any additional rules or guidelines to ensure you know exactly what can and cannot happen on the property for your event!

10. What is the deposit/cancelation/refund policy? All venues require a deposit to reserve your wedding date. Oakland Farm requires a 25% deposit. Many other vendors require deposits when booking, so keep deposits in mind when budgeting for your venue and vendors. Also ask about payment options (like credit card, checks) and payment plans. It’s also important to understand the cancelation and refund policies in the event something unforeseen happens while planning (COVID taught us all a lesson on this one)!

For other popular questions to ask during tours, check out Oakland Farm’s Frequently Asked Questions to prepare for your tour! To schedule a tour of the venue, fill out our inquiry form and we’ll be in touch to get you on our calendar! Congratulations on your engagement; we can’t wait to meet you!