Questions to ask venue at first viewing? (Non-traditional wedding)

- Questions about corkage? Do you have to pay to supply you're own drink?

- Is there a sound limiter for the band/DJ? If so, what is it set at?

- Do you have to use preferred suppliers for certain things?

There is a list on hitched somewhere, which is pretty helpful.

Where are you having it? Is it booked, or just a look around?

It's knepp castle in West Sussex. We've not booked yet, it'll just be our first viewing

Again, if more information helps, we'll be having (all going to plan) a few of those giant tipi (Kata?) tents beside the water

We wanted somewhere that would literally provide the grounds and basic facilites and let us get on and do completely our own thing for the whole day.

From we've seen and know of it, we're pretty set on it, but I don't want to fall in love with the idea and not ask the right questions.

Do they provide a cake knife/easel for table plan/highchairs for little'uns?

Not the most important but I just had to ask my venue these questions this morning!

Can you use confetti? What time does the bar close? Are there nice places for photos if it rains?

I also asked for the bar price list because I went to a wedding last year where a vodka coke and malibu coke (singles) cost £12! I want people to be having a good time, not borassic, moody and sober!

Thank you for your help

I've updated my original post, I probably left out all the most important bits (typical me)

Hope the viewing went well for you this morning, and congratulations!

Haa, I couldn't have been more unhelpful then!! It sounds awesome. I want to camp in a teepee If you have drop out guests and need to make the numbers out, you just let me know first!

Don't be silly, I appreciate anyone even taking the time to read my ramblings
It was my own fault for not mentioning the most important bits of information, so you can blame me.

There's always room for one more!

What time will you have to leave at night? (Some places say you must finish by x time, as a condition of their licence.)

When will you get access to 'set up'? For example mine gave us access for a few hours the day before and a few hours the day after.

Are there any restrictions on decorations? e.g. can you pin things to the 'walls' of the tipi?

What exactly is included in kitchen facilities? e.g. oven, microwave, fridge, freezer, tea urns, cutlery, crockery etc.

First of all - congratulations, and what a great choice for your wedding plans! My fiancee and I will be getting married in tipis in a little under 4 weeks, so we're just about coming to the end of our crash course in wedding planning...

A few lessons we learned along the way:

- If you're planning a festival style wedding, definitely find out about music restrictions. Remember that sound travels really well outdoors, and that there may still be tight noise restrictions even if the venue is relatively remote.
- Remember you'll have to provide literally *everything*. For us this includes water, power, toilets, ice, ovens, lighting, bbq, fridges as well as tables/chairs, cutlery, crockery and glassware. The more you can get from one place the better - either the venue, the tipi hire company, or your caterers. We found it was useful to select one 'main' supplier who will provide the bulk of the services (for us, our venue and caterer, who have both been working together for years) as there are so many little details to figure out that we would've ended up missing something out otherwise.
- If you're hoping to have people camp overnight, check what kind of camping type facilities are available (e.g. showers), and whether there is an extra fee for this.
- If you're going to have a pay bar then check whether you'll need to apply for a licence for that (and of course check whether there are any corkage fees and options for dry/wet hire). Also whether they have a temporary events licence, and whether it puts any restrictions on you.
- Definitely check when you'll be able to set up. We only had confirmation of our setup date last week and the tipis will actually be in situ for 6 days in total, which would have been a massive problem for a few of the venues we were looking at.
- Check what 'on the day' extras are available from your venue. Ours offers a cleanup/takedown service afterwards, which means we won't have that hanging over our heads while we're enjoying ourselves on our honeymoon.
- The biggest problem we had was finding a company to sort out the sound system - we wanted to have a single company responsible for this rather than have 2 bands and a DJ wasting time getting PAs set up and taken down. Again, if your venue has worked with a company before, this will be golden advice from them!

I hope some of that is useful for you!

Bit OT but when I was younger (about 10) I used to live on the knepp castle estate, big manor house called floodgates, loved it, wonderful grounds should be amazing for your wedding.

Oh wow, small world

I'm pleased to hear the grounds are wonderful. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's all im hoping it is in my mind at the moment. It's so hard not to get hopes up!

Thanks so much for taking the time to read, reply and offer advice everyone. I really appreciate it.

Please keep them coming if anyone has any more.

This list of questions might help you...

https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-venues/venues/checklist/

Fran x

Thanks Fran

I did have a look at that before posting, but unfortunately due to the nature of our plans most of them are things that we (thankfully) don't have to consider.

I know i'm a tricky so and so!

- can we use outside garden candles.

- in kitchen does this include bins or do we need to provide them our selves.

- will you dispose or the rubbish or is it something we have to get rid of the next day.

-how many tents can we pitch on the ground.

HTH

Bins are something I hadn't thought of either!

This is why I come on here, Thanks everyone