Out of state wedding venue

We did! We are having our wedding in another state, in a venue we’ve never seen in person. All contracts were sent/signed via email.

Do you have a family member or friend that could go tour the venue in person for you? I would also be nervous about not seeing it in person but at least if you have someone you know go see it they could give you their honest opinion.

We saw our venue in person but the contract wasn’t ready yet so we signed it at the airport on our way home. I’ve signed all of our contracts out of state because ours is a destination wedding!

Katryna! I agree with Sarah .. maybe see if someone you know could visit the venue for your during your virtual tour & maybe have them faetime or zoom you? Anyone from your bridal party in the state you are getting married in??

ALSO don't be afraid too ask 1,000 questions haha I feel like your alotted a few hundred extra questions lol I am just joking but don't let one question you have go un answered. Remember too ask for a slow down of walking, all angles of the venue.. if you facetime maybe screen record the chat... have them send you videos so you know & remember the property!!

I think it will all workout for you girl! Happy planning!

I did!! My husband is military so we kinda had to do it like that I had my close family go up to the venue checked it out they asked a lot of questions got back with me about it also told me the rules etc. we FaceTimed and they showed me around. It wasn’t stressful just as long as you know the rules, have all Your questions ready to ask if your doing it personally. Whenever I had a question about anything I would just call & they ended up taking a picture of the contract. I did not sign it until a week before the wedding but my parents did pay for months prior so our place wasn’t taken

Also they could send it through email!

Since you are out of state, but 90% of your guests aren't, I would STRONGLY suggest that you have at least one or two visit the venue for you. Make sure that these are people you trust, know your taste, and will tell you something even if it is bad news. If both you and your FH are on good terms, this could be a lovely opportunity for your parents and in-laws to get to know each other, and take a look at the venue and do tastings together. Or a close friend or relative could do it on your behalf on a hush-hush basis if need be. If you have the funds, this is where a wedding planner or coordinator is invaluable.

Since you are doing a virtual tour, do keep in mind that areas such as parking lots, bathrooms, and surrounding areas may not be shown unless asked for. Even though your venue is out of state, it will immediately set a bad impression if it is not very accessible, run down, or in a bad area.

Also take a look and see what the difference is in the bride and groom's ready rooms.

In my case, I would have never known that at my venue, the bridal quarters are next to the kitchen and don't get much natural light had I not been there in person. The groom's quarters, while smaller, were on the second story, and ample light from windows.

Just because it is "all inclusive" does not mean it is for the best.
You might be limited in terms of:
-Officiant
-Music (Ceremony, Reception, etc.)
-Food
-Decor

Ask what areas they are flexible in when it comes to selecting your own vendor.
Before signing any paperwork or putting a deposit, interview every vendor with your fiancé to see if you get good or bad vibes. Pay attention to your gut and if you think they are just saying things that you want to hear. Sometimes struggling businesses will tell you what you want to hear, and then fall through for the main event.

For that matter, ask your venue and any vendor what their booking policy is, and how much money they want upfront. Ask them what kind of payments they take. If you had to cancel your wedding and re-book a date, ask them how much money you could apply to a change of date and what that time frame looks like. I would also ask if they are willing to put a soft "hold" on your date, and how long that hold would be for.

Ask about liability insurance. If a place does not have liability insurance, be SURE you can get your own, or head for the hills. You do not want to be stuck in a nightmare where you are blamed for a guest's careless mistake or if something goes out of control. Having liability insurance could mean not having to be stuck in a small claims court.

A few stories from my experiences :

While I was lucky enough to go to the state where I will be having my wedding, one of the venues would not let me use my own caterer after I read bad food reviews, and got a negative review of the caterer from a friend and his wife. My friend and his wife had attended the wedding of her brother, and while the venue was very accommodating in terms of space, decor, officiant, etc. but the Italian food was under cooked and mediocre. Because of this, I went with my other venue, and while they too require you to purchase food from their in-house caterer, the caterer is part of their family owned restaurants and they have glowing reviews all around.

I have used the preferred vendor's list from my venue as a starting point to research and interview all my vendors. While I have still not selected a DJ, one just didn't feel right in spite of how accommodating they seemed. I was glad I had my fiancé on the phone call because he caught some things that I did not.

All in all, please remember that at the end of the day, weddings are a series business and legal transactions between you and the vendors. It is not to say that there aren't vendors out there who have integrity, but you not being there in person puts you at a disadvantage. Read everything 2-3 times before committing to anything.

Hope this helps!