Questions to ask a Greenville wedding venue before you sign

What will the venue cost, and when is it due?

Get the real number before you fall for the room.

In this guide, 18 of 38 venues publish a starting price, from $350 to $20,000. Every published venue price, with what it covers.

1. What is the total for our date, with tax and service charges? Starting prices usually mean an off-peak day. Ask for the number on your Saturday in October, all in.
2. How much is the deposit, and is any of it refundable? Most venue deposits are not. Know what you are risking before you tour the second-choice place.
3. What is the payment schedule? Write the due dates in your calendar the day you sign.
4. Is there a food and beverage minimum? Hotels and clubs often price this way. A minimum can make a small wedding expensive.
5. What happens if we have to move the date? Ask about rescheduling separately from cancellation. They are usually different clauses.

What does the venue rental include?

Two venues at the same price can be very different deals.

1. How many hours do we get, and does that include setup and cleanup? Eight hours that include vendor setup is a lot shorter than it sounds.
2. Which tables, chairs and linens come with the space? Rentals add up fast. Get a list, with quantities.
3. Is there a coordinator, and what do they do on the day? A venue coordinator usually looks after the building, not your timeline. That is a different job.
4. Where do we get ready, and from what time? Find out whether the getting-ready rooms are available that morning or only from your rental start.
5. Can we rehearse here the day before, and is there a charge? Some include it. Some charge an hourly rate. Some cannot, because there is a wedding the night before.

What are the venue's food and drink rules?

This is the rule that most often decides the rest of your budget.

In this guide: 11 venues in-house only, 5 with an approved caterer list, 8 that allow any licensed caterer, and 14 that do not say on their site.

1. Is catering in-house only, an approved list, or our choice? Every venue page in this guide shows this when the venue states it.
2. Is there a fee to bring in an outside caterer? Look for kitchen fees or plating fees in the fine print.
3. Who can serve alcohol, and what insurance do they need? Many venues require a licensed bartender and their own proof of liquor liability insurance.
4. Can we bring our own alcohol? Ask about corkage fees, and whether there is a cutoff time for the bar.
5. Is there a cake cutting fee? Small, common, and easy to forget.

What happens to an outdoor ceremony if it rains?

Upstate summers bring afternoon storms, and spring brings pollen. Plan for both.

10 of 38 venues in this guide publish a rain plan, and 6 more are indoors already. What each one says.

1. Where does the ceremony go if it rains? Get the name of the room. Then go stand in it.
2. Who makes the call, and by what time? The answer should be a time, like noon on the day, not a feeling.
3. Is a tent required, recommended, or included? If it is required, it is part of the venue cost, so budget it that way.
4. Is the backup space held for us, or shared with another event? A rain plan you have to share is not much of a plan.
5. Is there air conditioning in every space we use? A June ceremony in a barn feels different from a June ceremony in a ballroom.

How will guests get to the venue?

Your guests will mostly stay in downtown Greenville. Plan backward from there.

19 of the 33 venues we could map are within 30 minutes of downtown Greenville by road. 16 list rooms on site: 1881 Event Hall, AC Hotel Spartanburg, Aurora Farms, Charlyn Farms, Chattooga Belle Farm, Clemson University Outdoor Lab, Clevedale Historic Inn & Gardens, Events at Judson Mill, Grand Bohemian Lodge Greenville, Hotel Domestique, Hotel Hartness, Hyatt Regency Greenville, Spartanburg Marriott, The Venue at Ballenger Bridge, The Venue at Edgewood and The Westin Poinsett.

1. How many cars can park on site? Count your guests in cars, not in people.
2. Do you allow shuttles, and where do they drop off? Every venue page here shows the drive from downtown Greenville wherever we could map the address.
3. Is the ceremony site accessible for older guests and wheelchairs? Ask about the path from parking, not just the building.
4. Are there hotel room blocks nearby, or rooms on site? Some estates and inns have rooms on site, which makes the night easier.
5. Is there a noise or music curfew? Rural venues near neighbors and downtown rooftops both tend to have one.

Which vendor rules and fine print matter?

The questions nobody asks until something goes wrong.

1. Do you have a required or preferred vendor list? Required is a rule. Preferred is a suggestion. Ask which one it is for each category.
2. Are there rules for photographers, like drones or off-limits areas? Your photographer will want to know before the day, not on it.
3. What decor is not allowed? Candles, confetti, sparklers, tape on walls. Ask for the list.
4. What insurance do you require from us? Some venues require event liability insurance. It is usually inexpensive, but you have to buy it in time.
5. What happens if the venue has to cancel? Read this clause twice. It is short for a reason.