A venue that looks right in photographs can still ruin your event. The things that decide whether the night runs smoothly are almost never in the brochure.
Go at the wrong time on purpose
Visit at the hour your guests will arrive. If your doors open at 6pm on a Friday, see what the approach road looks like at 6pm on a Friday. Ninety minutes of traffic will empty your first hour no matter how good your programme is.
Power, and then power again
Ask what generator is on site, what it is rated at, and whether the price includes diesel. Then add up what your sound, lighting and any kitchen equipment actually draw. Venues routinely quote a generator that cannot carry a full rig plus catering.
Access and load-in
Can a truck reach the door? Is there a lift, and does it work? How many stairs between the unloading point and the stage? Every one of those becomes labour hours you are paying for, and a sound engineer who is already tired before the check.
Parking and the queue
Where do two hundred cars go? Where do two hundred people physically stand while they wait to be scanned? A queue that spills into a road is a safety problem and, in some areas, an argument with people you do not want to have an argument with.
The curfew is real
Ask the noise cut-off and what enforcement looks like. Plan your running order so the headline moment lands comfortably before it, not two minutes after.
Read the deposit terms
What is refundable, by when, and what counts as damage. Photograph the space on arrival. The cheapest venue with punitive terms is not cheap.