Are you considering valet parking for your upcoming special event? Congratulations! You've made a wise decision - valet parking makes any event extra special, and the attendees will be glad you went the extra mile to ensure their comfort. But there are some questions you'll need to ask the valet parking company you're considering before agreeing to any terms, which I'll cover for you here.

Will every valet at my event possess a valid driver's license from my state? Sure, it's an obvious question, and most of the time it won't be a problem. But you'd be surprised at how many people never bring this up before contracting with a valet company. And if anything would happen to go wrong, and it turns out the driver who caused the problem didn't have a legal right to drive, that could spell big trouble. So protect yourself, and ask.

Do you employ any smokers as drivers? It's best to go with a company that has a strict policy of only hiring non-smokers. The reason for this is that some of your guests will be very sensitive to smoke, and they will notice if the valet driver who handles their parking had a cigarette even a few hours before the event. This would result in an unhappy and uncomfortable guest, and you don't want that. So make sure you ask!

Do you have references? Any reputable valet service will have lots of happy customers, and won't mind sharing their contact info with you. Be sure and check some of the references before agreeing to anything for added peace of mind.

What about insurance? Do you have all legally mandated coverage? This is a huge one. Most of the time, there won't be any problem at all at the event where valets are parking cars. But accidents can and do happen. If, God forbid, one would happen at your event, and your valet company didn't have the proper insurance, you could be left with the bills. Don't let that happen.

Don't neglect any of these questions! Doing so can cause you to have a less than satisfactory experience, and getting the answers to your questions will only take a few moments. And the answers can make all the difference between a pleasant experience for you and your guests, and an unpleasant one.