Before booking a venue for a wedding or other event, it’s important to ensure the facility can accommodate everything you want to do and has flexibility in case your plans change. “Some facilities limit the vendors or contractors you can use,” says Pam Caldwell Nootbaar, general manager of Kennolyn Hilltop Hacienda in Soquel, which has been hosting wedding receptions and other special events since 1995. “Some have limited menus, don’t offer vegan food, or require you to use their DJs or musicians. Ask yourself some basic questions before making a decision: Is the facility’s schedule flexible? Can I have the ceremony after dinner if I want? The worst thing is to find out after you’ve signed the contract that the venue can’t accommodate your wishes.”
Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar advises being cautious when handed off from the salesperson to the event coordinator. “When the person who sells you the event and the person who plans it are different, there’s a lot of room for miscommunication. Sometimes, there’s even a third person who supervises the actual event. Look for a venue where one person handles the sales, planning and supervision. It’s also less stressful to deal with one person throughout the process than having to continually meet and build a rapport with new staff.”
It’s important for a venue to have some experience hosting weddings, but many years of experience isn’t necessarily better. “There’s not much difference between five years of experience and 15, but there’s a world of difference between one year and five,” explains Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar. “Instead of choosing based on how long a company has been in business, use references and testimonials as a way to judge quality.”
Finally, Ms. Caldwell Nootbaar advises you make sure your contract clearly states everything that is to happen during your event, especially if it’s not part of what the venue ordinarily offers. “If you don’t have it in writing, there’s a good chance it won’t happen the way you want it,” she says.
