Torn between 2 venues!!

I think your first venue sounds great, but if you don’t like them, Per covid time March 2022 is just around the corner.
How confident do you feel that March 2022 is going to be any different?
Do you think that your new venue will really be much more accommodating? I feel like a lot of these venues have been nothing but lying deceiving sheets LOL. As it seems right now, the rules that are in place don’t look like they are budging much. March is right after the holidays of 2021. I don’t think there’s going to be full access by March 2022 to be honest so with that said if in the event that things aren’t good in 2022, will you be OK with a new venue that might implement all of the same conditions as your current venue is?I know it’s a lot to think about and the situation is not easy at all.

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So we asked the 2nd venue about cancellations and refunds is needed to by next year. They said, and I read their contract, that if by the time we want to postpone we can up to 1 year. But if there isn't a suitable date then they refund us in full for whatever we paid. The venue we have now would allow us to change our date for a fee of $1500 and if we cancelled by then they keep 65% of the contract revenue.

View Quoted Comment Then you know what, I would probably say at this point screw it and go with the second place. If they’re more willing to work with you and it is 100% in their contract that you will be refunded just in case, then I would say go with the second venue. These venues need to start getting hit in their wallets at this point.

Since you mentioned the possibility of not being able to afford #1, I would scratch that from the list. Alot of those fees are not necessary.

I would pick #2. You can find a great caterer who doesn't charge wedding prices. Make sure you taste them before you decide. Take advantage of thumbtack.com and yelp.com for vendors. DIY can actually be cheaper in the long run because you have so many options. A grocery store cake is all you need and most people prefer those. Ask the catering companies if they employ bartenders. Then a local Bevmo or Total Wine will be the most economical for alcohol based on what your guests actually drink.

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I will look into both of those, I'm stressing on where to find the alcohol honestly... thank you for the info!

I think only you and your FH can decide if you're willing to lose the deposit. Are you willing to have a wedding on a Monday-Wednesday? That would be a deal breaker for me, but for others the day doesn't matter. Bad service is ALWAYS a good reason to find a new venue, and it sounds like option B is much more flexible. But if you're mainly focused on the money, you'll have to sit down and plan out how much you'll end up spending with option A vs option B. While the preferred caterer for option B is $36/person, will you like their food? How much would a bar for 125 people equal? Do they provide table settings? $36/person sounds cheap, but once you add in all the other factors, you could get close to $115/person depending on the style you're going for. Also keep in mind option B will require a bit more coordination since you have a bunch of vendors who haven't worked together.

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Hi Melanie - that's one of my stresses is I'd have to find more vendors. Also having it on a Monday-Wednesday I know can be inconvenient for many people. My FH says if people really want to be there they'll take the day off especially since they'd have over a year in advance. I'm not one to put someone in a position that they have to take a day off of work though especially a Monday.

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Hi Michelle - I'm looking to BevMo. Are they West Coast only though? I'm seeing their stores only in CA and WA.

I would stick with the first venue. It is nice that it is all inclusive and the price sounds good. Also, I would never have my wedding somewhere that did not have AC or heat!

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I can see both sides. I'm like you, I wouldn't want to ask anyone to take off work. Especially if they're coming from out of town since they'll likely have to take off Tuesday as well to travel back home. But your original plan is for a Friday wedding, so there really isn't much difference. As your FH said, you may have guests make sly comments about your choice, but if they really want to be there, they will be, so it's not a huge deal.

To avoid the stress of having to find all those vendors, all the extra tipping and coordination I’d stick to the first venue.


On the off chance that it rains on the day or is particularly windy your guests will be cold in October.

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Do a search in your area under Yelp for similar stores. Warehouse liquor stores setup like a Costco. They usually have sales people who can help with calculations, etc

Congrats on your engagement after reading your post and responses I say number 2 work with vendors who are easy to work with

Making changes with most vendors during these times can be a challenge, but it seems like they were able to accommodate and move your date around. Venue one might seem more expensive but they are all inclusive so you don't have to worry about trying to coordinate multiple vendors. Since you have already put a deposit down I would probably just stick to them, unless you are really unhappy and don't like the venue at all.

You are also saying venue one is more expensive, but you aren't really doing an exact price comparison because venue one you are comparing a weekend price to venue two a weekday price. Does venue one offer weekday weddings? If they do, is there a price difference? I would maybe check on that first before making your decision on venue two.

I would stick with the first venue - for an all inclusive price, that’s really good.
Losing a deposit can be rough, depending how much it is. With the second venue, you will end up with multiple deposits for all the vendors you will need so should add up how much that will be as well.