i hate my venue

Is there something specific you don’t like about it? Is there a way to work around or disguise what you don’t like with your decor?

I was in the same predicament I found a venue we both loved and then we fell out of love with it plus they were gonna end up closing due to covid can we see the venue why don’t you like it

Yes, I feel like to offer suggestions and advice, we'd need to understand why you loved it at first, and why you have suddenly fallen out of love with it? Is it a decor thing? A distance from home thing? Bad experience with the people working there? These will all result in different answers/suggestions!

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It was a gradual falling out of love with it. I do not know why but I just do not picture us there any longer. The decor there is fine and mostly updated. They have a wonderful view of the area, very close to our home (6 minute drive and close for many elderly family members as well). And the price is right. There is no longer a connection that I feel to be there. I might just be stubborn. But one thing is that the event/wedding planner (also food and beverage manager) abruptly quit. She had told me some horror stories but that didn't seem to bother me because I was already falling out of love with it. The 2 people that took over her positions have no wedding or event planning experience. So at this point I am very nervous about how this is all going to pan out. So now I feel as if I am stuck. But the one good thing about this is that I do get to marry my best friend and that is all that should matter.

View Quoted Comment As far as the venue-provided coordinators go… do keep in mind that these people are not going to be a substitute for a wedding planner or a day of coordinator. Simply stated, these people are there to protect the interests of the venue, not for your best interests. So, if you decide to stay at this venue, I would definitely suggest hiring an experienced planner or DOC to ensure things run smoothly and your vision is properly executed.
As far as a venue itself…. It doesn’t sound like there is anything you don’t like about it aesthetically; it’s more that you just can’t imagine getting married there anymore. Unfortunately, that isn’t a quick fix you can make with flowers or decorations. I would really sit down and determine how you will feel getting married there and looking back at pictures at that venue. Can you live with it, or is it going to completely ruin your experience? If you think it is going to put a damper on the wedding, I would just forfeit the deposit and find someplace you absolutely love. If you don’t think it’s that big a deal, then everything else about the venue sounds great (Location, price, etc.)! Maybe schedule another visit to the location and see if being there in person gives you the feels again.

Its very common to not be able to get your deposit back under the vast majority of circumstances. Most venues have a clause that they're non-refundable which is why reading through the signed contracts is so so so SO important! At this point I would ask if you can meet with the new owners and get a personal feel for them if youre concerned about how they can handle your day.

Is there another venue you've found that you just love more and have your heart set on? If so, I would forfeit the deposit, but shop around for a few months before committing to another place. Be wary, though, your 2022 wedding date may be unavailable at many venues since 2022 has booked up incredibly quickly, at least in my area. Planning a wedding a year out or less leaves you with super limited options right now.

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Both my sister and BIL have been wedding coordinators in the past, they own a DJ company as well. So they can and will ensure everything goes smoothly for us. I am hoping that another visit there will make me feel reassured that everything will be ok. I feel that it may ruin it but like we said before I might just need to go there again. AS for the deposit it was $4,500 and that cannot be recouped quickly. So looks like i may have to force myself to enjoy the venue.

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I read through the contract many times and says "Once you sign and return one copy of this agreement with the non-refundable deposit of $0.00 and a signed approval from your sponsoring member, your reservation will be confirmed." (this is a privately owned country club)

In the mean time we did find another venue that would better suit us. and they still had our date open. It actually is where my parents had their reception when they got married.

View Quoted Comment I would go with the second venue then! It sounds like you like it a lot more, they have your date available, plus how cool that your parents had their reception there also! Sounds like fate! I would just make sure you are absolutely positive this is THE venue for you though- you don’t want to be back in the same position a few months down the road.

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That's really odd. I wonder why you needed to deposit anything considering your contract says $0. It seems like whoever wrote up the contract had that in as a placeholder and forgot to change it to your 25%. you have a really good chance of getting your money back considering your contract doesn't actually specify a non-refundable amount. I would point that out specifically to the venue, if they fight back threaten legal action. Hopefully the threat will be enough for them to not want to deal with it and refund you. If they still fight it, im almost 100% positive you could win it back in court. It just depends on how much it is and whether you want to deal with that process or not.

Edit: reading your other comments, have your family members who are involved in the wedding industry to look over that contract too, and any contracts signed again. They may be able to fight in your corner to get the deposit back too