# Shortlist and interview wedding venues and vendors

A shortlist plan with the right questions for each vendor type, a comparison table, and contract red flags to check before booking.

- Topic: Thinking & Decisions
- Framework: RTF
- Level: Standard
- Tags: Analyze, Plan, Fill-in Template, Step-by-step
- Source: https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/prompts/shortlist-and-interview-wedding-venues-and-vendors

## Prompt

```text
Help us choose a wedding venue and key vendors. This is step 3 of planning our wedding.

**Headcount and priorities (from steps 1-2, if we have them):** [PASTE]
**Budget for this vendor type:** [AMOUNT]
**Date or date range:** [DATES]
**Vendor type we're choosing now:** [venue / caterer / photographer / music / planner / florist / officiant]
**Options we're considering:** [NAMES and what we know: price quote, what's included, reviews]

Do this:
1. Give us 12-15 questions to ask this vendor type, covering what's included, extra fees (service charges, overtime, cake cutting, travel), backup plans (rain, illness), and deposits and cancellation.
2. For a venue, add: capacity for our layout, catering rules, required vendors, end time and noise rules, accessibility, parking, and setup and cleanup times.
3. Build a comparison table: Option | Total estimated cost (with tax and service charge) | What's included | Gaps | Availability | Gut feeling | Notes.
4. List contract red flags: vague deliverables, non-refundable deposits with no date change option, no named backup, missing insurance.
5. Suggest a booking order (usually venue and date first, then the vendors who book up soonest).

Use only the quotes we give you; mark missing prices as [ADD]. Have a professional review any contract we're unsure about. Next step: build the full planning timeline.
```

## What to fill in

- PASTE
- AMOUNT
- DATES
- NAMES and what we know: price quote, what's included, reviews
- ADD

Free to copy and use. From ThinkWithPrompt (https://www.thinkwithprompt.com/), a library of 2,663 curated AI prompts.