How to choose a function room: a checklist

1. Start with numbers and layout

Decide roughly how many guests you'll have, and whether they'll be standing, seated or a mix. A room that holds 100 standing may only seat 60 at tables. If older guests are coming, plan for more seats than you think. Our capacity guide explains how to read the numbers.

2. Location

• Close to the church or crematorium for christenings, communions and wakes
• Near the station or town centre for work do's and nights out
• Parking for older guests, or a taxi drop-off right at the door
• Somewhere guests from out of town can find easily

3. Privacy

"Private" can mean a separate room with its own door, or a roped-off corner of the main bar. Listings often say "semi-private" for the second kind. For a wake or a family occasion, a room with its own entrance and toilets makes a real difference.

4. Food and drink

• Does the venue provide food, or can you bring your own?
• Is there a bar just for your room?
• Can you bring a cake, and is there a cutting fee?
• Are there children's, vegetarian and other dietary options?
• Is there a minimum number of guests you must cater for?

5. Access

Lots of function rooms are upstairs or in a basement. If anyone uses a wheelchair or finds stairs difficult, ask about step-free access and an accessible toilet for the room itself, not just the building. Several venues only have step-free access to part of the building.

6. Timings and rules

• Start and finish times, including set-up and clear-up
• How late the bar is licensed until
• Music and DJ rules, and any noise curfew
• Decoration rules (confetti and candles are often banned)
• Age rules: some bars are strictly 18+, others allow under-18s until 6pm

7. Money

• Hire fee, minimum spend or price per person
• What's included in the price
• Deposit amount and whether it's refundable
• Cancellation terms
• When final numbers are due

8. Visit if you can

A quick look at the room tells you more than any listing: how it feels when it's busy, where the toilets are, whether the music will carry to the main bar. Ask to see it on a night it's being used.