Questions To Ask a Wedding Venue (what no one tells you)

Planning your tiny wedding involves countless details (yes, even though one may think it’s not stressful, there are still a lot of details to consider!) And choosing the perfect venue is a pivotal decision that sets the tone for your special day.

At The Elysian Retreat Sedona, we understand the importance of finding a venue that aligns with your vision and provides the necessary elements for a seamless celebration. To help you in this process, we've come up with a list of the top five questions to ask ANY wedding venue.Hopefully, these questions will guide you in making informed decisions that ensure your wedding day is nothing short of extraordinary.

1) Is linen and silverware included?

Wedding venues will vary on whether they provide linen and silverware. Most venues will only offer up their space and everything else you’ll have to rent separately. This is very common so make sure you ask this question when talking to wedding venues.

At The Elysian Retreat we like to provide EVERYTHING for couples, this helps our couples with the extra cost when it comes to renting decor.  There are so many little details you'll need on a table that it will add up. We like to provide that solution for couples and make their wedding planning process much easier. Click HERE to see our three tablescape options. Everything you see on the table is included with our package. *Custom designs are an extra cost*

2) Are there any vendor restrictions?

Most wedding venues like to work with their own list of vendors. For example a venue only works with a specific catering company… that means you’ll be stuck with their food and with no other options. However that's not always the case. If there's a specific vendor you'd like to work with and your venue doesn't work with them, you don't want to find out later that you can't work with them. Always double check!

At The Elysian Retreat we are open to working with all vendors. Which means as a couple, if you find a vendor yourself that you really want to work with we’ll get to know them behind the scenes and work together with them to make sure your day goes smoothly. This ensures that couples are able to work with whomever they like and this also helps with budgeting.

3) What's your extra decoration policy?

Most places will not allow you to hang things on walls that will damage the property. Or some venues will not allow sparklers, rice, etc. If you have a vision of what you want on your big day, make sure to ask if it is allowed on site.

4) What’s ACTUALLY included in a wedding venue?

This is such a great question because every wedding venue is different. Some places only provide the physical space, some places include heaters, lighting, audio etc. Some venues also include linens, tables, and chairs. Again it’s really important to ask this question. At The Elysian Retreat here is what’s included in our wedding reception package:

• Full planning with our events coordinator AND on-site day of coordination with our team

• Wedding Rentals; Tables, Chairs, Silverware, Plates, Linens, Glassware, Patio Heaters, Wireless Speakers

• Reception Venue (Includes Reception Setup and Tear Down and Event Cleaning Fee)

• Tablescape Decor and Design

• Printed Menus for all Guests

5) Do I need an on-site day of wedding coordinator?

Most wedding venues will REQUIRE that you’ll have at least a day of wedding coordinator the DAY of your actual wedding. So you’ll either have to find one yourself or ask the venue for a vendor recommendation. Not only is it helpful for the venue to ensure there is a 3rd party overlooking things that aren't a part of your wedding party…It's really important that couples have one. The truth is, your big day is such a sacred day and you don't want to be worried about logistics on the day of.

At The Elysian Retreat, our package includes BOTH full planning as well as day of coordination. To us, we are not just a physical space for couples to wed on their special day. We truly care about HOLDING SPACE for your love story and making sure we are with you every step of the way. We understand how stressful it is to plan a wedding no matter the size, (we have done it for our own wedding!) That’s why every couple that decides to get married with us will go through our Elysian Weddings process!

Ready to ask your wedding venue questions with us? CLICK HERE to book a discovery call with us to see if we are a right fit for one another.

Cheers,

The Elysian Team