5 Things you Need to Know before Booking your Airbnb Wedding Venue

Photo: Sarah B Photography

I’m a big fan of non-traditional wedding venues that raise the bar of creativity.  Airbnb weddings do just that.

AirBnb’s are great locations for small, intimate weddings and give off a low key, family living atmosphere.  They are also ideal for couples who hope to invest a smaller portion of their wedding budget in the venue. 

Sounds appealing right? Well it is…

But before you get carried away, take a look at these 5 very non-sexy tips on what to consider before hitting that “book now” button:

1. Ask if they allow weddings

 

Even if the property is large enough to sleep 15 people, has spacious grounds, a large dining room and a pool, you shouldn’t assume that they accommodate groups for wedding receptions – even if your numbers are small.

Before booking, it’s important to contact the owner directly and be very clear in your request.  Explain exactly what you envision for the event and how many guests you are expecting. 

 

2.  Make sure the property is easily accessible

 

Let’s dive right into logistics here…

Let’s say you’ve found a beautiful property perched on a hillside, overlooking a vineyard with beautiful courtyard.  Icing on the cake, the owner would love to accommodate your 50 person event and has given you permission to hire a marquee and bring in rentals.  Amazing! But before you get ahead of yourself, you need to consider the following:

•    Is there parking for my guests?
•    Is there parking for suppliers? (Yep, they’ll need to park somewhere too!)
•    Is the property accessible for mid/large size trucks? Marquee, rental delivery, catering, etc. 
•    How close to the reception area can the materials be offloaded?
•    Is the property accessible by bus?

You’ll need to ask all of these questions right from the start.  If the site is not easily accessible you could be looking at very high labor charges to transport materials.

3.  Confirm the restrooms & electrical system can accommodate a wedding

 

Very un-sexy topics, but EXTREMELY important when hosting 15+ people in a “home” space. 

Restrooms: Put bluntly, you’ll have 50 people in the same space for 9+ hours where the primary activity will be eating and drinking. Having a line outside the door isn’t the main concern - it’s making sure the toilets can handle that capacity of flushes.  Numerous properties have septic tanks and can only handle so many flushes.  You might have to rent portable toilets (fancy port-a-potty's) to accommodate the “overflow”.  Again, not sexy, but you don’t want to be left without a toilet!

Electricity: You also want to make sure that the house can accommodate an additional electrical output. The caterer will have ovens, deep-fryer for your tempura, a coffee machine…and the DJ will have speakers & lights.  Maybe those fancy potties you rented will need to be plugged in.  Simply put, it’s essential to evaluate how many things you can plug in without tripping the circuit.  If it’s more than the electrical system can handle, you can easily rent a generator. 

4.  Ask about local noise ordinances.   

 

photo: Stephen Liberge

As for the rest, the owner will be an invaluable resource of information on this particular topic.  Maybe there are no neighbors for a 1km radius – great.  But if there are neighbors nearby, you’ll need to take into consideration the noise levels – how much noise your music and your guests will be making, and what time of day or night noise levels will be at their peak. Ask the owner about the noise restrictions and timings when you book.  The last think you need is local law enforcement pulling the plug on your band 15 minutes into the set!  

 

5.  Confirm the clean-up procedure

 

Information on clean-up and garbage disposal is generally listed in the general terms & conditions section on the booking page.  Clean-up is either included or can be added on for an additional cost.  However, don’t assume that fee quoted on the booking page will also cover cost for post-reception clean up.  Weddings generate waste – boxes & plastic from any wedding items you’ve brought along, wine bottles, water bottles, beer bottles, cans, etc.  Confirm with the owner who is responsible for clean-up and if an additional reception clean-up fee will be applied. 

Keep the above non-sexy tips in mind when you are scrolling through different properties and ask the questions that count when speaking to the owners. 

 

You’ll be on your way to booking your perfect Airbnb venue in no time!