How do you know you're getting the full picture with wedding venue services and potential add-ons? I will share some great questions to ask during your venue search or even after signing on.
At the Braham Event Center, we don’t want you to feel like anything was hidden from you, so we list out all of our potential add-on services in your wedding planning guide. We think it’s important for venues to be upfront about all of their costs and lay it all out for the couple from the start.
Will there be any price changes if our guest count changes?
This is a great question to ask, as some venues will have additional costs if you go above or below or estimated count at the time of signing. For us at the Braham Event Center, the space is yours whether you have 150 guests or 20. Our tables and chairs come with the rental, and so we are able to keep our rental fee consistent. Other venues may be renting chairs, tables, or decor up to a certain count, with additional per person charges if you go beyond your original estimate.
At the Braham Event Center, if you go through us for catering, we will check in with you three weeks prior to your wedding to make sure we are on track. We purchase quality ingredients at bulk pricing, so sometimes we do re-price when the guest count fluctuates. However, sometimes that pricing is in your favor. Our Kathy’s Kitchen is non-profit and completely volunteer-run, so we work hard to offer and maintain a fair price.
What kinds of services have taxes or service fees in addition to the base price?
Minnesota state law requires that we charge tax on top of our extra add-ons and our food. Currently, the tax rate is 7.375% and we add this to the invoice at three weeks out. Some venues will also charge a service fee or require gratuity so you should be sure to ask about that and plan for it. The Braham Event Center and our on-site catering (Kathy’s Kitchen), are non-profit entities, so we do not charge a service fee and do not require gratuity. For couples that are happy with our service, we welcome a voluntary gratuity in the form of a donation to the Braham Event Center. You can simply include the additional amount in your check or credit card when you make your final payment.
What are the hours that we have access to the venue, and are there charges for going outside of those hours?
Plenty of venues have windows of time for rentals, and if the time frame isn’t listed on the venue contract, then be sure to ask about this. Some venues will offer to open earlier or stay open later for an extra fee. When you rent from the Braham Event Center, the building and its rooms are exclusively yours for the days you are renting, from 8am n the morning until midnight (allowing one hour for clean up, so clearing out by 1am). We are happy to work with your requests, and we make sure to always have a staff person on-site to assist with questions or issues.
What kind of add-on options are available?
I will end with one final piece of advice, based on my experience with our wedding couples: don’t be afraid to ask around to your friends and family about their experiences as well! Sometimes it helps to get some additional insight and advice on other questions to ask from people who have been through planning a wedding.
