How early to book wedding dewan and what to check before signing?

Eight months is workable but for popular dewan on peak weekends (school holidays, after Raya, 'good dates'), the best ones get booked a year+ ahead, so move fast and be flexible on date. Before you pay deposit, check the contract carefully: (1) Exactly what's included, hours of use, tables/chairs count, canopy, PA system, air-cond, parking, and whether decoration, catering, or cleaning are included or extra. (2) Hidden charges, ask specifically about overtime charges if event runs late, electricity/gas, corkage, deposit for damage, and cleaning fee. (3) Cancellation and postponement terms, is the deposit refundable, what if you need to change date (learnt this the hard way post-Covid). (4) Whether you must use their panel caterer or can bring your own, this hugely affects cost. (5) Get everything in writing, don't rely on verbal promises from the person showing you around. Visit in person, see it set up if possible, and get an itemised quote. A good venue will be transparent, if they dodge questions about extra charges, that's your red flag.

For community/council dewan (dewan orang ramai) it's often cheaper but books out fast for weekends, so check with the majlis or the surau/masjid committee early. The big gotcha for us was the panel caterer rule, some dewan force you to use their list which cost more, so ask before falling in love with the hall. Also confirm the AC and enough power points, some older dewan trip when catering equipment plus lighting all on. Get the inclusions itemised and signed.

Two more: ask about the setup/teardown time, some venues only give you a tight window and charge overtime if you go over, which wrecks the budget if your deco team slow. And clarify who handles cleaning after, we got charged a cleaning fee we didn't expect. Take photos of the venue condition before your event so no false damage claims on your deposit. 8 months is fine if you book the venue in the next few weeks, then everything else can follow. Good luck with the planning.