How Much Can You Bargain With Reception Venues?

EKEA

How much can you realistically bargain with reception venues?

Let's say Wedding Package A costs £5000 and includes meal option 3.

If we choose to build our own package, the meal options separately are: 1 (£10pp), 2 (£15pp) and 3 (£20pp).

The meals are a starter, main and dessert - only one option of each. If we wanted to give our guests an option of two different dishes from the same menu, we would have to pay an extra £5 per person.

SO:

If we chose Wedding Package A but said we wanted meal option 2 instead, could we then ask to give our guests two choices as this would be the same value?

I do hope this is understood as it's quite simple but hard to explain.

krustylouise

It wouldn't hurt to ask, and they can only say no. At the hotel we're getting married in their terms and conditions you have to book all 12 rooms directly about the dance floor. This would have cost us an extra £2200, with no guarantee of filling them. 1 quick email and she has waived this clause and our guests that do intend to stay will still get 20% discount .

frugs

Bargain with everything!! We failed miserably bargaining with our venue as they're really popular, already reasonable and we're getting married peak season. But with everyone else we've contacted for quotes we've gone back and said 'oh this is our budget £xx, thanks anyway.' And they've come back and agreed it. Try it, you can save big bucks!

anotheruser

It doesn't sound unreasonable what you're asking and as others have said, they can only say no.
But like car insurance, I bet they just make up prices for a lot of it!

flea72

Save money firstly by not giving guests choice. Then try and bargain with the venue, to bring it down even further.

I find the more choice you give, the pickier people get, because they invariably compare what they chose, with the other dish and want to change their mind. Keep it simple. Avoid fish/shellfish, choose a chicken based main, and something chocolately for dessert. Ok, people with special diets or vegetarians should be offered something suitable (im vegi and quite happy to just forego the meat and have extra veg on my plate, so no special meal necessary) but fussy people can just pick at the bits they do like and leave the rest

themull1

flea72 wrote: »

Save money firstly by not giving guests choice. Then try and bargain with the venue, to bring it down even further.

I find the more choice you give, the pickier people get, because they invariably compare what they chose, with the other dish and want to change their mind. Keep it simple. Avoid fish/shellfish, choose a chicken based main, and something chocolately for dessert. Ok, people with special diets or vegetarians should be offered something suitable (im vegi and quite happy to just forego the meat and have extra veg on my plate, so no special meal necessary) but fussy people can just pick at the bits they do like and leave the rest

I did that - we had leek and potato soup, either chicken or cheese and onion tart for veggies, and choc torte. Everyone enjoyed it, and the non veggies had a choice of the cheese and onion tart if they didnt want the chicken.

CompBunny

Give it a go With my first venue I managed to knock them down from £3300 to £2100. Then they shut down so maybe not the best example. But be cheeky and ask confidently, politely of course x

uppy21

I would have saved 2 grand if i had moved my wedding from a Saturday to a midweek date, maybe you could consider this also