What to Ask a Wedding Venue Before You Book
The questions you ask before signing a contract can make all the difference in whether your wedding day actually comes together the way you imagined it.
Here’s a list of the most important questions to ask any wedding venue before you commit—and what their answers can tell you.
How long is the rental period, and what does it include?
This is one of the most important questions to ask before booking a wedding venue—and the answer may surprise you.
When comparing wedding venues, make sure you understand exactly how many hours are included in your rental and what is included in the venue price. Some venues offer only four or five hours, while others provide a full 10- or 12-hour rental. That difference can make a significant impact on your wedding day when you factor in getting ready, setup, the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, and cleanup.
It’s also important to ask whether the venue charges additional fees for things such as hosting your ceremony, tables, chairs, cocktail tables, stools, or other wedding furniture. A venue may appear affordable at first, but additional rental fees and add-ons can quickly increase the final cost.
At The Red Earth Venue, we believe your wedding venue pricing should be straightforward and transparent, so you know exactly what you're getting before you sign a contract.
Our standard wedding rental includes 12 full hours, from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., with the option to add an additional hour until 11:00 p.m. We host one wedding per day, so the property and our team are dedicated entirely to your celebration from start to finish.
Your rental also includes the essential furniture you need for your wedding, including hourglass dining chairs, wood dining tables, cocktail tables, cocktail stools, and ceremony benches—so you don't have to pay separate furniture rental fees for these items.
When comparing wedding venues, look beyond the advertised rental price. Ask what is actually included, whether the ceremony is included, whether wedding furniture is included, how long you have access to the property, and whether there are additional or hidden fees. A truly transparent venue should make these details clear from the beginning.
Is this an exclusive rental, or will other events be happening on the property?
Your wedding day should feel like it belongs entirely to you—not like you're sharing the property with another wedding, waiting for another couple to finish, or competing with another event for space and attention. When choosing a wedding venue, ask whether you will have exclusive use of the property or whether other weddings, events, hotel guests, tourists, or members of the public will be on-site during your celebration.
At The Red Earth Venue, the entire 17-acre property is exclusively yours for the day. We host one wedding per day, so you never have to share the property with another wedding or event. There are no hotel guests, tourists, or other groups on-site during your celebration—just you, your guests, your vendors, and our dedicated venue team.
This complete privacy gives your wedding a more intimate and elevated experience, while also ensuring your ceremony, reception, and wedding photos remain uninterrupted. When you book The Red Earth Venue, you aren't just renting a room or event space—you have exclusive use of the property for your wedding day.
Do you have a required vendor list or in-house catering?
Some wedding venues require couples to use specific vendors, purchase catering through the venue, or meet minimum food and beverage spends. These requirements can limit your choices and add significant costs beyond the initial venue rental price.
Before booking a wedding venue, ask:
Is catering required to be purchased through the venue?
Are there food or beverage minimums?
Do you have to choose from a preferred or exclusive vendor list?
Can you bring your own caterer, photographer, florist, DJ, or other wedding professionals?
Are there additional fees for using vendors outside the venue's preferred list?
Choose the wedding vendors you love
At The Red Earth Venue, we believe you should have the freedom to create your wedding your way. We do not require an exclusive vendor list, and there are no in-house catering minimums. You are welcome to bring the wedding professionals you already know and love.
If you're starting from scratch, we also provide a recommended list of trusted local wedding vendors to help you build your dream team. Our recommendations are simply a resource—not a requirement.
With Red Earth, you have the flexibility to choose your own caterer and wedding vendors without being locked into an exclusive vendor package or required catering minimum.
What does the furniture look like and will I need to rent separately?
Not all venues provide furniture, and the quality and style vary greatly. Plastic folding chairs and generic banquet tables are standard at a lot of properties, which means you either accept pieces that do not fit your aesthetic or you rent everything separately. Before you book, make sure you see the furniture included in the rental package and ensure it matches your aesthetic.
At Red Earth, we offer custom handcrafted wood and metal furniture. Our classic furniture collection is included in the rental and we have other stunning options for rent right on site. We believe that quality materials matter and do not have any plastic furniture at Red Earth. Every piece was custom designed and chosen to complement the desert setting and photograph well, which means you can build a beautiful setup without bringing in an outside rental company.
Is a wedding planner required, and what coordination support is available?
Some venues require a planner. Others leave it entirely up to you. Both approaches have tradeoffs, and it is worth understanding what the venue expects before you decide whether to hire one.
At Red Earth, a planner is not required, though having professional support is strongly recommended for the smoothest experience. The venue offers an in-house coordination service through Red Earth Events for couples who want expert guidance from a team that knows the property inside and out. Couples who choose not to hire any planner or coordinator have a $600 fee applied to their rental, which covers the additional responsibilities the on-site managers take on to support the event. We do require a planner for any event over 80.
What is the venue alcohol policy?
Alcohol policies vary widely across venues. It is worth asking early if the venue has a minimum bar requirement or corkage fee as it has a real impact on your budget and planning.
The Red Earth Venue does not have an in-house bar and we do not sell or provide alcohol, which gives you more flexibility in choosing what you want to serve at your wedding. Because your wedding is a private event where alcohol isn’t sold and all guests are invite-only, you’re able to BYOB to some extent!
For private weddings, you can provide beer, wine, and hard seltzers for your guests and have them self-serve. If you want to serve anything beyond that—such as liquor or cocktails—we require a professional bartender who meets our insurance and alcohol-service requirements (several are listed and linked under the “vendor” tab of our website). If you have a bartender serving alcohol, all alcohol must be served through the bartender and self-service is not permitted.
We do not allow alcohol to be sold to guests, and all alcohol service must follow Utah law, including age requirements. Our goal is to keep the policy simple while giving you the freedom to choose what works best for your celebration.
What happens if the weather does not cooperate?
For any venue with outdoor ceremony or reception spaces, understanding the weather contingency plan is essential. Ask whether there is a covered or indoor backup option, whether that option costs extra, and what the process looks like for making that call on the day of the event.
At Red Earth, the Glass Venue provides a climate-controlled indoor space with floor-to-ceiling windows that keep the desert landscape visible regardless of weather. For couples using the Remote Desert Site for their ceremony, the backup plan is worth discussing with the venue team during the planning process.
Are dogs allowed?
If your dog is part of the family and you want them at your wedding, this is a non-negotiable question. Many venues prohibit pets entirely.
Red Earth is proudly dog-friendly. Dogs are welcome on the property throughout the event and just need to be on a leash or well-behaved to keep everyone comfortable.
How far in advance do you need to book?
Popular venues in sought-after destinations book out earlier than most couples expect. Especially weekends (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). If you have a specific date or season in mind, ask about availability timelines before you fall in love with a space that is already gone.
At Red Earth, fall dates, which run from mid-September through mid-October, and spring dates from mid-March through mid-June, book earliest. Couples typically begin booking roughly a year out from their preferred date, with surges in January and in the months preceding popular seasons.
One final question worth asking yourself
Beyond the logistics, the most important thing a venue can offer is the feeling that your wedding will be treated like it matters. Ask yourself whether the team you are working with is genuinely invested in your day, whether the space feels like it reflects who you are as a couple, and whether the answer to every question above gives you confidence rather than concern.
If you would like to see The Red Earth Venue for yourself, the virtual tour is available at theredearthvenue.com/virtual-tour. For questions or to check availability for 2026 and 2027, reach us at hello@theredearthvenue.com or visit us at 545 UT-313 in Moab, Utah.
