We thought it was time to talk about how to approach a wedding venue viewing. Got a viewing coming up but not sure what to expect? Or trying to think of some good questions to ask when you’re at the venue? Whatever stage you’re at in your wedding venue search, we’ve covered all you need to know about a wedding venue viewing. Keep reading for more.
The Basics of a Wedding Venue Viewing
A wedding viewing typically involves a tour around the venue and its grounds, with an event manager or someone similar who will be able to answer any questions you have. If you’ve heard of an open day/evening, this is similarly an the opportunity to have a look at the venue, but often with other couples. There will normally be an event manager on hand to answer any questions you might have.
At Pynes House, we always offer a private tour for your first visit at the venue, whether virtually or in-person as we understand you will have so many questions about how the venue could work for your wedding. Because of the nature of our exclusive hire, our weekend and midweek availability for viewings can be limited at busy times. We therefore welcome couples who have already booked with us to bring along their friends, family or suppliers and have another look around the rooms during one of our open days/evenings.
If you’re interested in booking a viewing or hearing about our upcoming open days/evenings, we’d love to hear from you – get in touch here.
Make Sure the Venue is Suitable For Your Wedding
Before you even book in for a venue viewing/ open day, have a think about whether you have any venue deal breakers. These could be things like maximum guest numbers, curfew times for dancing/ the bar, on-site overnight guest accommodation options and whether there is availability if you have fixed dates. Once you’ve established any potential must-haves, make sure the venue you’re considering fits the criteria. Wedding planning can be quite a lengthy process, so any time you can save yourselves will be worth it!
Research the Wedding Venue on Social Media and Blogs First
The more information you have going into the wedding venue viewing, the better. Social media can give a useful insight into daily life behind the scenes and also real weddings at the venue. Blogs can also tell you more about the venue, alongside the bonus of going you useful wedding planning advice.
The Pynes House Blog is a great way to find our more about our Devon Wedding Venue. Have a look at our most recent wedding feature of Charlotte & Adam’s Elegant English Country House wedding here, or our top tips for a winter wedding here.
Don’t forget about reviews too – have a look at reviews from other couples on Google Reviews and Venue Directories like Hitched and Coco Wedding Venues.
Have Some Questions Ready
A wedding venue viewing/ open day is the perfect chance to ask more about the details. Once you’ve got some key questions, try to have them ready on your phone or on some paper so that you won’t risk forgetting anything when you’re at the venue.
Some common questions to ask are:
What the common setup options are for the ceremony and reception (if applicable). Head over to our Instagram highlights to see some beautiful real wedding inspiration of ceremony and reception layouts.
Whether there are suitable in-house or nearby dining options if you’re staying at the venue the night before the wedding. We’ve actually got a blog post on our favourite food recommendations for the night before your wedding – click here to see it.
Be Prepared to Take Notes and Photos
Taking notes and photos can often be underestimated, but trust us, they’ll be really useful later on when you’re planning your wedding away from the venue itself.
Try to separate your notes into different categories such as accommodation, food, ceremony, reception and logistics if you can. This way, your notes will be much more accessible when you need them. At Pynes House, we are always happy to answer any questions or give friendly advice throughout your wedding journey. So, if you forget to note anything down in the viewing, we’ll be able to help you out.
In terms of photos, try to get images of the ceremony and/or reception rooms in particular (if applicable) as this will be helpful when planning your colour scheme and layouts. Images of the gardens/ outdoor spaces can also prove useful when deciding whether to go for outdoor entertainment for instance. If you don’t manage to get all the photos you need, we’ve got extensive galleries of our State Rooms, bedrooms and gardens on our website here. If you’re interested in seeing how other couples have decorated the venue, we’ve got plenty of real wedding features on the blog too – Chelsea & Matt’s minimalist stately home wedding (here) will give you some great ideas.
Think about Logistics
Logistics can include what will happen if the weather is poor, what the indoor-outdoor flow feels like if you’re planning on moving inside and outside during the day and whether the venue feels clean and tidy. Also ask about the nearest accommodation options if there’s not sufficient space in the venue for your guests. Be sure to have a look at the outdoor lighting if you’re hoping to be outside too. We love the look of our front courtyard in the evening when it’s all lit up – have a look at this blog post about planning the night before your wedding, to see it.
Consider transport too. How will guests travel to and from the venue? Does the venue have adequate parking space? Is it easy to access from the motorway/ main roads or nearby accommodation? At Pynes House, we’re lucky enough to be less than three miles from the centre of Exeter, with easy links to road, rail and air. Get in touch to hear more about travelling to Pynes House in Devon.
We hope you’ve found our tips for approaching a wedding venue viewing useful. It’s always a pleasure to meet potential couples at wedding viewings and open days and as our busiest wedding season ever draws to a close, we are excited to meet with new couples looking for dates in 2023 and 2024. Do get in touch to arrange your own private viewing and beat the new year engagement rush. Have a look at our Instagram and Facebook pages too – we’ve got plenty of great updates for you.