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Questions you should ask your Wedding Reception Venue

Some of these questions are of course what I would normally expect a band to ask in the normal course of liaising with your venue, but it pays to ask them yourself first to avoid any problems later on.

1. Does the venue impose restrictions on the bands that can play at its venue? Some venues will only allow you to pick from a list of THEIR preferred function bands.
2. What are the Acoustics and Dimensions of the music room like for a live band? See our article on Minimum room specs for Rubber Soul and other live bands.
3. Does the venue have a stage area? What are the dimensions and does it have any weight restrictions?
4. What are the power provisions around the stage area - How many sockets and what are they rated at? See our article on electrical power for bands and DJs in wedding and party venues.
5. Are there any doors that can or cannot be blocked around the stage area? Sometimes this can free up more space in a small or awkward shaped room. In the other case, however, what appears to be a large stage area may be right in front of a fire door.
6. Is there enough room for a band AND a DJ?
7. Does the venue have a sound limiter? If so, what level is it set to? See our article on Sound Limiters and their implications for live music at that venue.
8. Does the venue require entertainers to have PLI (Public Liability Insurance)? See our article on PLI and PAT Testing for function bands.
9. Does the venue require entertainers to have PAT (Portable Appliance Tested) Tested gear? See our article on PLI and PAT Testing for bands.
10. What is the venue's policy on timings for entertainment? Does the music have to stop by a certain time?

If you don't have the answers to these questions when you book, make sure that you ask your band to enquire on your behalf as it's vital that there are no surprises on your big day.

For information about Rubber Soul and our venue policies have a look at our Frequently-Asked-Questions sheet which you can also download and print if you wish.

If you have any questions about the topic of this article, why not drop us an email?