Seven Ways to Tell if Your Event Venue is Perfect for Your Party

The holidays are coming. So are the bright days great for holiday parties, weddings, and all celebrations of life. You can throw a party for anything, so while the season’s coming to stay, why not look a little past the backyard?

Hosting your party at a Hamilton event venue is a great way to create unique, special memories your friends and family will look back on for years. The city is full of interesting spaces with a fun, unique atmosphere you might not realise are available if you walk past it on the street. 

Never worked with an event venue or wedding venue before? We can help with how to plan an event in Hamilton. Here’s our event venue checklist to help you find an event venue that’s perfect for your event, and make your night a success.

Your Event Venue Non-Negotiables

When planning a party, an event venue is one of the first things you should decide on. Dates, guestlist, and any other vendors you might be working with all wait on a venue. So what should you be looking for in your venue?

These things are the necessities. It’s your first round of checks, and if a venue fails here, you have to be ruthless. Cut it, no matter how charming the brick walls are.

• Does it fit your guest count comfortably?

It’s best to pick a venue that doesn’t just technically fit your guest count, but allows a little breathing room. 

• Is it available on your date and time?

When planning a party, you start with the event venue. You have to work with the dates the venue has available. If you need to host an event on a specific date, start planning early! Venue dates are first come, first serve. 

• Is it within budget?

And that includes taxes, fees, and any add-ons your event needs. Some vendors require certain vendors to be booked through them. Keep those costs in mind when deciding on an event venue, not just the base cost.

• How accessible is the location?

Think about how your guests are going to get to you. If you’re booking an event venue in Hamilton, how long will it take for your friends and family to drive, or ride the bus there? Is there parking, or transit nearby? Is there anyone on your guestlist who might struggle to get up the stairs, or access certain parts of the space? Nobody wants to walk too far from where they parked in party heels, or be stuck without a bus to ride home at the end of the night. Here’s a handy guide to what makes a space accessible.

What Does Your Party Look Like?

So you know you can fit all your guests in your event venue, and you know how they’re getting there. Awesome! Now that everyone’s made it to the door, what does your party look like?

• Does the atmosphere suit your event?

Hamilton event venues range from art galleries to churches with beautiful gardens to 80s themed dancefloors to gothic-kitsch tearooms. In a city with so many interesting venues, make sure to ask yourself before you make the final decision: is this the theme I want? 

• Where will your guests arrive?

Is the entrance to the venue easy to find? Is it accessible to people in wheelchairs or other mobility aids? Will they have to wait to join the party, or can they walk right in as they arrive? Think about your first time visiting the venue. Was that the experience you want your guests to have at your party?

• Where do coats go?

It’s not always summer. In colder months, is there a coat rack, or even a coat check? Remember, some of your guests might come by transit, not by car. That’s a lot more time out in the cold!

• Where is food served?

Are the chairs and tables comfortable? Ask your event venue about how tables might be placed with your guest count, will the dining area be too cramped?

• Is it comfortable?

How’s the temperature? Are there places to sit? Does the room get too loud when people are talking? Are the bathrooms easy to find?

• Where do people gather?

Whether it’s on a dancefloor or around a hearth, people want to mingle. What space will your guests have to gather, talk, and enjoy each other’s company?

If you don’t think you could easily move through your venue when it’s crowded, that’s a red flag. Cramped, overcrowded venues are no fun, even if they’re beautiful.

What’s Included In Your Venue?

This is where budgets blow up. Not all event venue rentals are built equal. Two venues with the same price tag can offer wildly different services for that price. So what should you be looking for?

• Tables, chairs, and linens

If you’re dining, does the venue provide your seating? Do they charge extra for it, or will you have to get another vendor?

• AV Equipment

The AV stands for Audio Visual Equipment. For your party, that probably means music. Speakers, DJ equipment, lights, or even microphones for a speech. Will the venue provide that equipment, or do you have to get it elsewhere?

• Setup and Teardown

Whether it’s because you’re serving food or dancing, you’re probably going to need tables, seating, or other amenities set up for your event. That means taking it down when you’re done, too! Will the venue help?

• Staff Support

What staff support does your event need? Will the event venue provide servers or other personnel such as coat check, or ushers? Do they charge for it even if you don’t need it? If you have to organise your own personnel, that’s another venue you’ll have to coordinate with for the day.

• Cleaning Fees

Cleaning fees might not be included in the base price. Make sure before you decide!

• Insurance Requirements

Depending on the size of your event, you might need insurance. Usually, it’s not that expensive. But if it’s not included in your venue, that’s more time, effort, and cost on you.

One venue might look cheaper than another. Sometimes, that just means you’re renting everything separately.

Is The Venue Flexible?

Something is going to go sideways. The bigger an event, the more moving parts, the more likely mistakes are. That’s not the end of the world! But how does the venue deal with changing plans?

• Can you bring your own vendors?

Remember when we said that some vendors require certain vendors to be booked through them? Can you hire your own caterer, or are you required to use the event venue services? Can you hire your own bar, or your own baker? In-house vendors can be convenient, but sometimes they may not offer the menus or exact services you want.

• Are there strict time cutoffs?

Cities will have noise ordinances, but does the event venue have their own requirements? How late will your event go, and how late does the venue host? Does that time include breakdown time?

• How do they handle last-minute changes?

What happens if guest count shifts? Are venue staff responsive enough to handle a change in vendor, or a vendor being late? These are things worth asking about when booking an event venue.

Not everything is going to go to plan. That’s life. Make sure your venue is ready for it.

Pay Attention to the Staff

When booking an event venue, you’re dealing with the people who run it.

• Are they responsive?

How fast do the event venue managers answer emails or texts? Do they follow up when they say they will? Don’t expect responses outside of working hours, of course, but you can’t run an event with someone who’s avoiding you.

• Do they answer questions clearly?

Every event venue will have drawbacks. Are they forthright about them? Do they have an FAQ to reference? Do they respond quickly?

• Do they feel organised, or chaotic?

If communication is messy now, imagine how it will feel during your event.

Trust Your Gut

If everything logical checks out, trust your instincts.

• Does this feel like the right energy?

Does the venue match the experience you’re creating? Do you think your guests will enjoy it? Most importantly, do you think you’ll enjoy it?

• Can I relax knowing this is handled?

Do you trust the venue? Do you trust the people you’ll be working with on the night?

If a venue technically works but makes you uneasy, there’s usually a reason.

If you’ve gotten all the way here and you still can’t decide between two or more venues, congratulations! That’s pretty lucky. You have a wealth of options. But you still have to pick a venue, so….

The Coin Flip

Here’s a trick I use when I’m stuck. Flip a coin, or roll a die if you have more than one venue. 

In your gut, there’s an event venue that you want. If the coin lands on that one, you’ll probably be happy. Any hesitation you feel is your answer trying to get out. 

Your venue should be the one to solve the most problems, and create the least stress for you. The fewer extra rentals the easier your event will flow on the night. You want to be able to enjoy your event, and the people there too. That’s more important than looking good on Instagram.

Finding Your Perfect Event Venue

Dealing with a venue can be a lot of work. Hosting events, even in the best and easiest venues to communicate with, means organizing any vendors coming in, dealing with pre-event administration, and managing the vendors on the day of the event. It can be hard to decide what you need from your perfect event venue. If it sounds like a lot of work, you might want to think about hiring an event coordinator. 

What does an event coordinator do for you? An event coordinator can meet you where you need them the most. Have you already planned your perfect event, and just want to make sure the day goes off without a hitch? Are you feeling overwhelmed dealing with planning your event? 

Maroon Goose is a collective of creative event planners and coordinators based in Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario. We specialise in making unique events a stress free experience. Not sure how an event planner could help you? Book a consultation to find out how we can make your event magic.