Venue shopping sounds fun. And honestly, it can be — until you realize how many questions you didn’t know to ask.

Before I opened The Era, I spent years as a wedding planner and coordinator. I’ve walked through more venues than I can count, sat through a lot of tours, and watched a lot of couples get dazzled by pretty spaces — only to realize later that the venue didn’t actually work for what they needed.

So I want to give you the list I wish every couple had before they started touring. Not the fluff — the real stuff.

1. What’s actually included — and what’s not

This is the question that trips people up the most. A venue might look affordable on the surface, but once you add up the rental costs for tables, chairs, linens, a bar setup, and getting-ready spaces, the number can jump significantly.

Ask for a complete list of what’s included in the base price. Then ask what’s not. You want to know about tables and chairs, linens and napkins, décor, setup and teardown, getting-ready suites, and bar service. If any of those are add-ons, get the pricing upfront.

At The Era, we built our pricing to be transparent from the start. Tables, chairs, décor, linens, napkins, setup and teardown — it’s all in. Bar service is handled through our partner Après Bar Co. We’d rather you know the real number upfront than be surprised later.

2. How much time you actually get

Some venues give you eight hours. Others give you the whole weekend. This matters more than most couples realize when they’re in the touring phase.

Think about what eight hours actually looks like: vendors arrive, you get set up, you get ready, photos happen, ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, dancing, and then — ready or not — it’s over. You’re loading cars in the dark while still in your dress.

A full weekend rental changes everything. You’re not racing the clock. Your family can relax into the celebration instead of watching the time. And Sunday morning? Nobody is cleaning up at midnight. That’s the experience we built The Era around, and once couples hear it, they can’t imagine doing it any other way.

3. The getting-ready experience

The getting-ready portion of a wedding day sets the tone for everything that follows. If you’re cramped in a tiny room, fighting for mirror space, and eating food that’s been sitting near hair products — you’re already starting behind.

Look for a bridal suite with enough stations for everyone in your party, good natural light (essential for photos and for seeing what your makeup actually looks like), comfortable seating, and ideally a separate space for food and drinks. The Era’s bridal loft has six hair and makeup stations, individual lighting, a private balcony, lounge seating, and a kitchenette on a separate floor — because nobody wants their breakfast to smell like dry shampoo.

4. Lodging — and who benefits from it

On-site lodging is something couples often overlook when they’re venue shopping, but it’s one of the things they’re most grateful for after the fact.

Think about your wedding night. Do you want to say goodbye to your family and drive somewhere? Or do you want to stay right where the celebration happened, with your closest people still nearby? Think about your mom. Your bridesmaids. Your out-of-town guests who traveled to be there. On-site lodging means nobody misses anything trying to arrange rides, and the celebration naturally extends.

The Era sleeps up to 19 guests on-property. It makes a real difference in how connected the whole weekend feels.

5. Indoor and outdoor ceremony options

Iowa weather is Iowa weather. We love it, but we respect it. If a venue only offers an outdoor ceremony space with no covered backup plan, you’re taking a real gamble.

Always ask: what happens if it rains? What’s the backup plan, and does it feel like a downgrade? At The Era, we offer both indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces, so whatever the weather decides to do, your ceremony is still beautiful.

6. The people you’ll actually be working with

This one is underrated. You’re going to communicate with this venue team for months leading up to your wedding. You want people who are responsive, experienced, and genuinely invested in your day — not just getting you through their checklist.

When you tour, notice how your questions are answered. Are they transparent about pricing and policies? Do they seem excited about your wedding specifically, or just weddings in general? Trust your gut here. A beautiful space with a frustrating team will wear you down during the planning process.

We are transparent — sometimes aggressively so — because we’ve seen what happens when couples feel like they have to dig for information. It’s not fun. We’d rather put it all out there and let you decide if we’re the right fit.

The bottom line

Touring venues is exciting, but go in with a checklist. Know what matters to you before someone shows you a pretty chandelier and you forget to ask about the cleanup deadline.

If you’re looking at venues in western Iowa and you want a place where you don’t have to piece together the experience from a dozen different vendors — we’d love to show you around. The Era was built by someone who’s planned a lot of weddings and thought really hard about what makes couples actually happy on their wedding day.

Come see it for yourself.

Book a tour at theeraiowa.com/tour-and-visit-the-era

Check available dates at theeraiowa.com/dates