What Is a Wedding Venue Proposal?

A wedding venue proposal is a formal document that outlines what a couple wants from a venue or the venue owner. Budget, dates, guest count, specific arrangements, and possible catering can all be included in a wedding proposal venue. You will be tasked to make vendor recommendations and contract negotiations, as well as organize and attend all vendor meetings. In a wedding venue proposal, you will create floor layouts and timetables in great detail as it assists you in determining and managing the budget given to you by the couple. There are available wedding event proposal examples that you can view to see the structure of the proposal.

Things to Observe during a Venue Visit

Before you can prepare a wedding venue business proposal, you will need to scope out the locations by visiting the area. Conduct a thorough review if it fits into what the couple is expecting or the theme of their wedding. Even if you have been in the wedding planning industry for a long time, you will need to visit older places to assess the changes or state of the location. The following is a list of things you will need to complete during your stay. Make sure to keep these items in mind when planning the wedding venue.

Get a Behind-The-Scenes Look: While it’s easy to be swept away by a venue’s stunning surroundings, site inspections are an excellent way to discover what the back-of-house amenities are like. Such as additional storage available for any items that need to be stored throughout the event or if the restrooms are in good condition. You should also review the catering service attached to the venue if their menu is viable to the dietary restrictions or preferences of the couple and their guests. And most of all available lot for parking spots. These are critical things to ask since the back-of-house facilities and the people who work there are what keep your wedding day running smoothly.Consider Lighting Options: This topic should be discussed with the venue manager or owner, as well as what choices are available that are either included in the rental or may be added on. In addition to those factors, make sure to inquire about things like if flame candles are permitted or whether only battery-powered candles are permitted. The amount of indoor and exterior outlets you will have access to, and where are they able to be placed. Then question them whether the venue will allow numerous extension cables, a venue electrician, or a test run on the lighting ideas before the day.Bring Up the Topic of Permits and Licenses: This includes alcohol, noise, and anything else you think might have a negative impact on the property or neighbors, such as confetti cannons, hot air balloon rentals, sparklers, and so on. If the facility can obtain it, inquire as to whether you will be the one who receives it. Make sure the contract specifies how the matter will be handled if the permission or license is not received on time. You may encounter problems and have to deal with authorities if you are unable to secure these legal documents and permits to notify your city or state regarding the use of these items in the wedding.Discuss Available Transportations for Guests: The wedding day itinerary will be heavily influenced by convenience, ease of access, and travel time between venues and parking lots. Depending on how the couple would want their ceremony, you may have other transportation-related concerns, but these questions should give you a head start and generate some further ideas. You could keep a contact number ready for additional transportation services if necessary to avoid delays in guests being able to travel from one location to the next spot. Make sure to notify the couple or their relatives if they could prepare their own vehicles to lessen the cost of hiring respective drivers and additional transportation.Discuss Financial Planning: It’s now or never to talk about deposits, payment arrangements, or return policies. Check if there is a penalty for late arrivals and of course the acceptable method of payment that the venue owners prefer. You should also make sure there are other fees with regard to cleaning costs, damages, and so on.  Then there’s the matter of the bundle. Review the equipment or services included in the package.  If they do not include the staff assigned to the station,  you may be responsible to pick your caterers, bartenders, employees, and other staff.  To save money, you can also check if they have strategic partnerships with local hotels, travel companies, and entertainment.Space Access and the Day’s Itinerary: There might be a mezzanine, gazebo, or even kitchen area that you are looking for. Alternatively, you may wish to arrive early for a rehearsal or simply to spend additional time getting dressed. There are also staff placements, caterers, and stations to think about. If there is a dispute, a reputable venue will be able to accommodate these concerns. Also, inquire about how early you may carry in decorations, such as the week or day before, or the morning of, as well as how late you can clear up. If there is a scheduling conflict and another event is scheduled, make sure a person can access your problem on-site to manage the transition.Determine All of the Poor Weather Possibilities: You might, for example, have the ceremony indoors but the reception outside. If it rains, the venue should have tents, weatherproof outside lighting, and an option for an interior room to accommodate the guests. Alternatively, if your wedding is in the winter, they should have a specific space for coat hangers and checks. Also, double-check the building’s handicap accessibility both inside and out. A competent venue should be prepared to assist your visitors with awnings, non-slip ramps, and additional carpets during poor weather.

How to Write a Wedding Venue Proposal

Every part of a wedding is left to the bride and groom, from wearing a suit instead of a gown to ditching the flowers and preferring a single-tiered wedding cake, there is one thing they can’t skip though, and it is the location. After all, the couple needs a place for their friends and family to congregate and celebrate. However, locating the ideal location isn’t simple. Whether they are searching for a gorgeous barn, an exquisite ballroom, a charming café, or a peaceful stretch of coastline, there are plenty of options. So they will be contacting you for their best advice on how to choose the ideal venue. Be sure to check out the example of a wedding event proposal to see how you can structure the document.

Step 1: Prepare an Introduction

For your first step and just as any proposals start with, there should be a section or even a page that acts as an introduction. This section will contain your company name, your name as the designated event planner for the wedding, and your company background. Remember, since you are carrying your company’s reputation, you have to ensure that the information you placed in this section is accurate and up-to-date. You should also include samples of the previous events that you handled and what their venues looked like. Lastly, include a brief but direct listing of your services. Make sure that this section is able to encapsulate your company’s desire to accomplish a memorable time not just for the couple but the guests as well.

Step 2: Proposed Wedding Venues

The next step requires you to have thoroughly done your research on the available venues within your local state or city. This will be the part where you propose potential venues that the couple can select from. It can range from the closest cafe or a refined and reputable restaurant to an open space near a shoreline, the possibilities are endless. But it is your task to make sure that the services these venues provide are within the values and expectations of the couple. There is a set of guidelines provided below to remind you what to keep in mind while conducting your venue visits. Keep those items in mind so that you won’t have to keep revisiting venues if you forgot certain details and forgot to ask questions to the owners.

Step 3: Know the Guest List

This step requires you to interview the couple or their families to picture the guests who will be attending the wedding venue. Why you may ask? Because different guests of varying ages will have different health and safety concerns. If there are a prominent number of older guests, then it might not be the best option to choose a venue that requires thousands of steps. Similarly, children will be quite playful, and having a pool will be dangerous to them. You have to consider the guests’ experience and their appropriate locations. As a fun alternative, if there are indeed a lot of children, you can find a venue where there is a designated play area nearby for them to be kept preoccupied.

Step 4: Remember Your Budget

Not every couple who employs you will hand out their credit cards without any limit to the spending. Even if they do, you should still be aware of the price range of the venues you are listing out. Don’t include venues that may be over their wedding budget and instead be empathetic enough to suggest a venue that can provide all the necessary services and staff while also providing beautiful scenery. Include in your proposal the proposed rates of each of the venues you have gathered. You can also even explain that some venues offer promos or discounts if booked prior to the wedding date.

Step 5: Think About What Is Included

Sure, you have chosen a wonderful venue for the wedding. But there are other factors that you would need to consider as well. You have to think of the possibility in terms of the layout and design of the area such as if it would go with the chosen theme. You can’t go for a mountain-top restaurant if the couple chose a more beach-style layout. Another factor is the catering, if the venue can provide catering services, then that is one less thing to worry about. But if they don’t, then you would need to begin contacting a catering business.

Step 6: Back up Plan in Cases of Issues

Any event regardless of whether it would be taking place indoors or outdoors would need a secondary or a backup plan in case issues arise. Specifically, an outdoor wedding reception will need a secondary plan to hold the event indoors in cases of bad weather. But indoor events are not safe from these issues. You may encounter technical difficulties or a shortage of food being served. You will need to have a plan in mind when things go wrong, which they have a high chance of happening. No event is safe from these issues but a competent planner will quickly think of solutions.

FAQs

What is the cost of renting a wedding venue?

The wedding location is typically the most expensive part of the wedding budget, with most couples spending 40-50 percent of their total budget on the venue alone. This is why it is best to elaborate on the expected price in the event proposal for the wedding so that the couple can assess the price of the venue. Of course, as the event planner, you can provide varying prices so they can choose which fits their budget. Make sure it does not go over their limit though because they will worry over it, ruining the experience and adding stress.

What should be included in a wedding venue?

Your wedding site should have an area for the ceremony, an audience space, and two separate lounge rooms for both sides of the wedding party to get ready in, regardless of the size of your wedding or your wedding budget. In an ideal world, your location would also include valet parking, food, and perhaps reception services. It is ideal that wedding venues should be spacious enough for guests to not feel cramped or suffocated but at the same time not large enough that the space is too empty for a specific number of guests.

How long in advance can a wedding location be booked?

For a wedding venue in high demand, during wedding season, or in a densely populated location, a decent rule of thumb is that it will likely book out 9 to 12 months in advance. This implies you or the couple will need to start touring locations roughly 15 months in advance. If more than one of these things has an impact on the wedding you are planning, you should begin planning potential venues at least 18 to 24 months in advance. It is better to plan things ahead than rush them with little to no time left.

Proposal venues will be difficult to write at first if you are unsure of how to structure the contents or how to go about each step. But after thoroughly reading this article, then you would be more than well-equipped to begin writing it out. Planning for venues will be overwhelming to couples who have other things to prioritize. This is why as the assigned wedding event planner, you would have to prepare the marriage proposal venues to ease up their worries. Show them you have their best interests in mind and heart! If you need more assistance, we offer tons of ready-made wedding venue proposal templates in PDF within this post.