There is no doubt about it: the quote you get for your wedding venue will be the one that makes your stomach lurch, simply due to the sheer size of the number. As such, it’s imperative that you know precisely what you’re getting for your money and that your budget can accommodate for any extra venue-related costs.
First and foremost, I always advise our couples to be diligent about looking into whether prices are inclusive of VAT. I was amazed at how many companies quote excluding VAT to try and make their packages look more appealing, only for the clients to be stung for the extra 20% later down the line. For this reason, whenever I quote a price it always includes VAT but every supplier varies (and I can understand why in some cases it’s not included) so the one question you cannot ask too many times is, ‘Does that include VAT?’
Depending on the type of venue you’re looking at, you will also need to have a clear picture of the catering costs involved. The majority of venues offer set packages with various tiers of extravagance that will increase the price per head. If you are looking for a dry hire venue, like we have at Parallel Venues, then you need to factor in the cost of an external caterer on top of the venue hire price.
Because I realise most couples will have never planned an event of this scale – or worked with a caterer – it’s important that I’m clear about the costs involved. We have a range of caterers at different price points and as every wedding is bespoke, it’s impossible to give a set figure. I do however always give a starting price per person for a three-course meal as I think it’s unfair to let someone leave with unrealistic expectations. Whilst they might be able to afford the venue, they might not then be able to afford the catering.
Image by Mark Bothwell (full wedding here)
It’s also important for me to explain the difference between catering costs in a dry hire venue such as ours (where everything is brought in) compared to a hotel or restaurant. I remember from my own wedding planning how frustrating it is not to be able to compare like-for-like, but no two venues will ever price in the same way – i.e. some might include chairs, some might charge extra for linen. That’s why it’s so important that you ask lots of questions! If something sounds to be good to true, it probably is and just means that costs may be loaded into another area of your budget and there’s nothing worse than unexpected costs, especially as your wedding date draws closer.
So that’s why we are as transparent as possible: I clearly outline precisely what is, and isn’t included in our venue fee and then couples can choose exactly what to spend with their other suppliers. I will admit to being suspicious of ‘packages’ because it’s never clear to me exactly what things actually cost and it doesn’t allow you to choose where you put the emphasis on your budget. For example, some of our couples might spend a lot of money on food and save on flowers, others want to spend more on wines and save on the DJ. I believe those decisions should be yours to make.
Image by Sophie Duckworth (full wedding here)
My biggest bugbear that I often hear couples complain about is the extortionate corkage fees many venues inflict upon their clients. In many cases, it may make you baulk to know that the mark-up on corkage fees is how a venue makes a sweet little profit. It’s always worth trying to negotiate a decent and fair price from your caterer or wine supplier. Oh, and always check the price of bottled water too – it can add hundreds to your bill and is something most people overlook!
In fact, booze is an expensive area to think about at all. Regardless of the age-old debate of whether or not you morally ought to pay for everyone’s drinks, you will need to address the cost of even attempting to do so. We’ve all been to weddings where the venue has a limited but severely overpriced selection of drinks and this is never more prevalent than in hotels or remote locations that know they have a monopoly on you and your guests. Make sure you ask for a bar price list alongside your hire prices and catering fees.
Knowing that there isn’t one solution for every wedding, we like to give our couples at Parallel Venues the option of a full or partial cash bar. This way, the newlyweds can stipulate that their guests can enjoy wine, beer and soft drinks all night, but that stronger spirits are charged at the normal price, for example. The flexibility of this solution seems to be quite popular as both the couple and the guests feel like they are contributing fairly.
Some venues will insist on a minimum spend. This can lead to a lot of hair-tearing as you worry about whether or not your guests are likely to drink their own bodyweight in gin to reach your minimum limit and the ensuing anxiety over whether you can afford to foot that bill if they don’t. If the bar only accepts cash, your guests need to be aware of that, particularly if four drinks is going to cost them £70 and there’s not ATM nearby. (Yes, this really did happen!)
In the same way that you need to make sure the bar has a tariff that your guests are going to be comfortable paying for, you need to be aware of the accommodation costs. If the venue is the only viable place to stay, it needs to be reasonably priced across all budgets.
There are venues out there that will require you to take a certain number of accommodation rooms. You’ll then be left to palm them off on your friends and family to make sure the rooms are filled and that you cover your costs. This seems pretty unscrupulous and fills me with dread at the thought of your guests being forced to stump up the cash for a room that they might not be able to afford.
Image by Jackson & Co (full wedding here)
Before you decide to book your wedding venue, clarify exactly what is included in the price. If your venue is offering exclusive use, stipulate that you don’t want to see anyone else for 24 hours apart from your guests and the staff. Many sprawling venues offer exclusive use of a particular area, which means you might still end up sharing your breakfast with total strangers the morning after, for example.
It’s also important to remember that in addition to the cost of hiring the venue and paying for food and drink, there may well be the associated cost of styling your venue. You might be perfectly happy with the extant décor, the way the tables are laid and the chair covers that are offered in-house. If not, make sure there is room in your budget to style your venue the way that you want your wedding to look, from tableware to flooring.
In many cases, venues will offer you their recommended supplier lists. Sadly, most of these are commissions and in a frightening number of cases, those recommended suppliers have never even worked at your venue but simply paid to be on the list. It’s worth questioning whether you want to work with a company who are happy to take money from both you and people who want access to the rest of your budget, with little care for the quality of their work or whether they are a good fit for your wedding.
Finally, before you sign any contracts or exchange any cash, do make sure you are absolutely clear about the payment process. We’re really pleased to offer payment by direct debit at Parallel Venues, in order to allow our couples to spread the cost, but not everywhere is so flexible. There are places that still insist on payment by cheque only and others that have archaic deposit and instalment schemes that have little or no regard for your budget.
If there’s one theme I want you to take away from this article, it’s that you simply must question everything. If your venue coordinator rolls their eyes or seems to be sketchy on any of the details, I wholeheartedly recommend shopping around a bit more.
I’d love to hear back from readers. Do you have any venue related experiences or thoughts you’d like to share?
Laura x
