I'm a wedding planner. Here are 9 things to consider when booking a venue.

• I'm a wedding planner, and there are things to consider and be aware of when choosing a venue.
• Make sure you know what you are buying along with the space and when your payments are due.

Booking a venue is often the first major choice a couple makes when planning a wedding.

As a wedding planner who's organized over 50 marriage ceremonies, here's what I think couples should consider when deciding where to tie the knot, plus some red flags to be aware of:

A venue should be respectful of your love and identities

Unfortunately, many venues continue to make couples feel actively unsafe and unseen.

For example, a venue may offer a "bridal" room to get ready in, even though many couples don't include someone who identifies as a bride or the space's gendered decor. Or maybe the coordinator will only make eye contact with and direct questions to one person.

You know this, but it bears repeating: Your love deserves better.

It's up to you if you want to tell the place why you took your thousands of dollars elsewhere, but regardless, be wary of homophobia, racism, and sexism as you research venues.

You should know what you are actually paying for when booking a space

Many couples embark on planning a wedding only to blow their whole budget on a venue. So before you schedule any tours, get right with your finances.

Be clear on what you actually want to buy for your wedding and don't tempt yourself with options that simply won't work, even if they're beautiful. Then, when you start touring venues, be clear about what you're actually paying for.

Is this a venue that provides tables and chairs or are you responsible for renting those items yourself? What about tablecloths, napkins, and A/V equipment? Will this place need a dance floor? How about a tent?

Consider all of these costs when making your decision.

Make sure you're clear about how much money you owe and when it's due

With a venue contract, the main thing I look for is how much is due and when. This is extremely important in the era of COVID-19 since it's much easier to get money back that you never paid.

The vast majority of venues will require a deposit, then the rest of the money won't be due until much closer to the wedding — usually no sooner than 60 days before the event, but I've seen as early as 120 days or, in one notable experience, six months.

Know that what you owe and when it's due will change if the venue is also providing any food or beverage service. Usually, that bit of the bill is due even closer to the wedding — often two weeks — as well as after the event, if you're paying for an open bar.

It's worth checking the COVID-19 clause in case you need to reschedule or cancel

Increasingly, the answer to, "What if COVID-19 upsets our wedding plans?" is going to be, "You knew what you were getting into, so we are no longer waiving rescheduling fees, and any money you've paid us is nonrefundable."

There will be exceptions to this rule — like if government guidance literally makes it illegal to host your event — but even then, check your contract to see if there's anything specific to COVID-19 that you need to know.

If you're confused about the wording of the venue's policy in the contract, ask for clarification. Quality vendors have quality answers.

Please keep in mind that this (potentially upsetting) response is not because your venue and wedding vendors are mean — it's because they're just people.

Some establishments will require event insurance

This isn't a red flag, but many venues require that a couple buy what's known as event insurance, as well as additional alcohol-specific liability insurance.

This is a separate purchase from insurance to cover if you reschedule or cancel the wedding.

A venue that requires event insurance will likely include specific details in the contract, like how much you need to insure for and who needs to be on the policy.

You can expect to pay between $100 and $175 for the policy itself.

A venue should not put unneeded pressure on you to book

If you've been researching 2022 wedding planning for more than five minutes, you've probably hit a headline about the wedding boom and are wondering if it's true.

A lot of people are booking weddings, but that doesn't mean all vendors are swamped. Even though competition might be higher in 2022, it's not so much that you need to rush into choices that don't serve your goals.

So be wary of venues that make you feel like you're doomed if you don't book immediately. They're likely not lying about the demand, but that probably isn't the kind of vibe you want to deal with for the rest of your wedding-planning experience.

You need to know where the trash, recycling, and compost is going ahead of time

Don't be surprised if a venue has very particular rules on waste.

Some may request that you take all of the glass and cardboard with you when you leave or only use certain trash cans.

This doesn't have to be a deal breaker, but it is information that you, your partner, and anyone who is providing food must know.

Be aware of when you can enter and when you need to exit the event space

Know when you can get access to the venue — usually a block of hours on the wedding day — and when you need to be out by. You should end the party an hour before then so there's time to clean up.

Some venues also require that music be lowered or completely turned off at a certain time, which can kill the mood for some couples.

Other venues may have specific rules on when you can host a rehearsal in the space that may not align with what you and your partner have in mind.

One place I know requires that all rehearsals happen on Thursdays, which often doesn't work for couples who have a fair number of guests traveling into town for a weekend wedding.

Make sure you understand who the venue coordinator is and their role

Nearly all places have a venue coordinator, who is your point of contact and may be on-site during your wedding. This is not the same as a wedding coordinator.

A venue coordinator is responsible for things related to the space, like turning on the lights, monitoring the temperature, and locking up at the end of the night. They are not in charge of setting up decorations, checking in with vendors, and making sure you stay on time.

You and your partner should be clear about who's on your vendor team and who's doing what.