What is a venue walk-through tour?

Most wedding venue searches begin the same way.  A friend recommends a great location, or the internet becomes a treasure trove of options through sites like Wedding Wire or The Knot. Once settled on top spots and a bit preliminary budget research is done, it is time to set up venue tours. Most couples prefer to see the space in person before committing, by scheduling a venue walk-through tour you can not only see the space but also meet some of the team responsible for your event. It’s also the prime time to ask questions and get immediate answers.

Venue walk-throughs are important for several reasons, but one of the more important ones is to be sure the venue is true to the photos seen online. Not all venues are what they seem to be once standing in the middle of the space. Some might not be beautiful in person or they may have misleading details because of the way it was photographed (like a single beautiful space in the midst of uncared for property). In addition to being sure the venue is true to look, meeting the team responsible for your event allows you to begin building confidence in their expertise and guidance.

Images: Sara Ackerman, Brittaney Erwin, Jessica Strickland, Jennifer Van Elk, Cybil & Brandon Studios

The tour itself will give you insight into all the amenities offered, policies in place (like no loose glitter or open flames), and preferred vendors they may recommend matching your vision. As you walk the spaces, expect to see the venue’s options tailored to what you are looking for. There may be several questions asked right at the start, so be prepared to have some ideas in mind about what you hope for the final event. The more information you can provide allows the venue to show and explain how they can assist.

At minimum there are four major components you need to know before you schedule a tour: ideal date range, estimated guest count, estimated budget, and general elements of your final event vision. Different spaces will have different capacities and, in most cases, different food and beverage minimums (if catering is exclusive to the space) which can indicate if the venue space is right for you.

Venue tours provide a thorough overview of information such as how the site may be used for your event, the hours of typical rentals, details of access for setup and teardown, as well as pricing, policies, preferred venues and services they can offer beyond space such as exclusive catering. During the tour you will also discuss floorplans they have done in the past for events like yours and will receive recommendations on what will be ideal for what you’re planning. While it may seem like information overload, it makes a difference when comparing different locations to one another.

Most importantly, and above all else, ask questions! Consider aspects that are important to your big picture, or ‘non-negotiable’ in terms of what you want. Can the space accommodate? Kahn’s Catering is the exclusive caterer of several Indianapolis venues giving us access to a collection of spaces throughout the city. We hope to speak with you soon about your next event! Contact us today!