Touring a wedding venue is one of the most important steps in your planning process, and most couples arrive with only a handful of questions ready. The ones you forget to ask often matter most. This checklist covers all 15 questions worth asking on every walkthrough, along with what to listen for in the answers. For a broader framework on how to compare venues before you start booking tours, see our wedding venue selection guide. This list focuses on what to ask while you are in the room.
Where possible, the answers below include honest, venue-side responses from downtown Pomona event venue The Electric Loft. These reflect what transparent answers to these questions actually look like.
The 15 Questions to Ask on Your Venue Tour
1. How many guests can the venue comfortably hold?
Comfortably is doing important work here. A venue might technically fit 200 people, but if the dance floor vanishes and guests are pressed together at dinner, that number is misleading. Ask for a realistic capacity with the full setup you plan to use.
At The Electric Loft, the capacity is up to 100 guests across 1,900 square feet. That accounts for tables, chairs, a dance floor, and room to move.
What to listen for: A specific number tied to a specific setup, not a vague range that shifts with every follow-up question.
2. Is the venue fully accessible for guests with limited mobility?
This is a question couples skip too often. Ask it at every venue, and ask it directly.
The Electric Loft is on the second floor. The only access is via stairs. There is no elevator. That is the complete, honest answer. If any of your guests have limited mobility, this information should shape your decision before you fall in love with the space.
What to listen for: A direct answer. A good venue tells you the truth about accessibility so you can make the right call for your guests.
3. What is included in the base rental price?
Venues differ enormously on what base price actually covers. Some deliver four walls and a door. Others include everything you need to run a reception.
The Electric Loft standard rental includes tables and white padded resin chairs for up to 100 guests, a full kitchen with fridge, stove, prep tables, sink, and microwave, a sound system with wired and wireless microphone, 19 smart color-changing lights, north-facing windows with natural light, and exposed brick walls.
What to listen for: A specific, itemized list you can compare against vendor quotes. Ask for it in writing.
4. Are outside caterers allowed, or is catering provided in-house?
Some venues lock you into their catering team or an approved vendor list, which limits options and raises costs. Others give you complete freedom.
The Electric Loft has no vendor restrictions. You bring your own caterer, and the full kitchen is available for them to use. The venue does not provide in-house catering. A curated vendor list is available if you want a starting point.
What to listen for: Any vendor minimums, kickback arrangements, or approved-list requirements. These can add significantly to your total cost without appearing in the base rental price.
5. What is the venue alcohol policy?
Alcohol rules vary by venue and local ordinance. Know the full policy before you build a bar program or hire a bartender.
At The Electric Loft, beer, wine, and champagne are permitted. Hard liquor requires a licensed bartender.
What to listen for: Restrictions on self-service bar setups, required vendors, liability waivers, and whether a separate permit is needed for your date.
6. How much setup time is included, and when does breakdown need to finish?
The gap between your rental window and the time your vendors actually need is a frequent source of day-of stress. Florists, caterers, and AV crews all need time before guests arrive.
At The Electric Loft, one hour of setup is included before the event start. Breakdown timing is confirmed at booking.
What to listen for: Whether setup and breakdown hours are inside your rental window or separate add-ons, and the fee if a vendor runs long.
7. What happens if we need extra time during the event?
Weddings run long. The ceremony starts late, dinner takes extra time, or the dance floor refuses to clear. Know your options before the night begins.
The Electric Loft charges $250 per hour for additional event time beyond the included window.
What to listen for: Whether overtime is available, what the rate is, and whether it requires advance notice or can be decided on the night.
8. What is the deposit requirement and full payment schedule?
The deposit locks your date. The payment schedule determines how much you owe and when. Both affect your planning budget in real ways.
At The Electric Loft, a 30% deposit is required to reserve your date. The full payment schedule is confirmed at booking.
What to listen for: The deposit amount, when the balance is due, accepted payment methods, and whether fees or taxes are excluded from the quoted price.
9. What is the cancellation and refund policy?
This is one of the most consequential questions on your tour and one every couple should hear directly from the venue, not paraphrased. Get the terms in writing before you sign anything.
Ask your venue contact to walk you through their exact cancellation terms on the tour, and request the full policy in writing before you commit to a date.
What to listen for: The refund window, partial refund terms, whether rescheduling is an option, and what happens if the venue cancels on you.
10. What is the parking situation for guests?
Parking anxiety shapes how guests feel before they walk through the door. Know the answer before your invitations go out.
The Electric Loft has free street parking on 2nd Street and a public lot one block away in the downtown Pomona Arts District. Most guests park directly out front.
What to listen for: Spaces, paid vs free, event-day conflicts, and whether the venue has had parking problems during past events.
11. Are there decoration restrictions we need to know about?
Confetti, open flames, adhesive hooks, and glitter are banned at many venues. A venue with clear policies hands you a rules sheet on the tour.
Ask for the complete décor guidelines sheet on your tour before you commit to a florist or decorator, so you know exactly what is and is not allowed in the space.
What to listen for: Restrictions on candles, ceiling rigging for drapery, floor protection requirements, and cleanup responsibilities that fall on your team.
12. What AV equipment and lighting are included?
Renting AV after the fact adds up quickly. Know what the room already has before you build a vendor budget.
The Electric Loft includes an in-house sound system with wired and wireless microphone and 19 smart color-changing lights. Couples can build a full lighting design around what is already in the space.
What to listen for: Speaker placement, DJ patch-in availability, screen or projector options, and whether tech support is available on your event day.
13. Is a day-of coordinator included in the package?
A day-of coordinator keeps your timeline intact. Not every venue includes one, and the difference between venue staff and a real coordinator matters on your wedding day.
At The Electric Loft, a day-of coordinator is included in all three wedding packages. That covers timeline development, setup supervision, and vendor coordination throughout your event.
What to listen for: Exactly what the coordinator role covers, from vendor arrivals to running the ceremony moment by moment.
14. Can we schedule a rehearsal at the venue?
A rehearsal in the actual space prevents surprises on the day. Walking through the aisle, cue points, and spacing in the real room is different from any other location.
At The Electric Loft, a ceremony rehearsal is included in the Ceremony and Reception Package at $8,500. If you are considering a different package, ask on your tour whether rehearsal time can be added.
What to listen for: Whether the rehearsal is included or a paid add-on, when it can be scheduled, and how long the time block runs.
15. Are there any recurring local events or street closures that could affect our wedding date?
Local events can affect parking, noise, and arrival routes on a date you have already announced to your guests. This is an easy question to skip and a hard one to recover from.
The Pomona Art Walk takes place every second Saturday of the month with street closures near The Electric Loft. If you are planning a Saturday wedding in the Arts District, confirm whether your date falls on an Art Walk Saturday. The venue flags this proactively, but make it part of your tour conversation regardless.
What to listen for: Any recurring event, construction timeline, or seasonal pattern that maps to your wedding date.
Take This List to Every Venue You Visit
No two venues answer these questions the same way. The goal is not perfect answers. It is answers that match what your wedding actually needs, delivered without hesitation.
If you are exploring options in the Pomona area, visit our Electric Loft wedding venue page to see how our space answers this checklist, or book a walkthrough at 543 W 2nd Street, Pomona, CA 91766.
Ready to see a venue in person? The Electric Loft in Pomona hosts weddings and receptions for up to 100 guests. Book a free walkthrough.
