The Hidden Costs of Wedding Venues

One thing I learned as I looked at many different venues was that the price isn't always what it seems. Sometimes it is more expensive then what you think and sometimes you can bring the price down. Below are just some tips and things to look out for to make sure you know the real price of your venue.

What to look for:

• Taxes and Fees: This was the thing that caught me the most off guard  I would find meal and venue prices that I thought would fit our budget until up to 30% was added on top for taxes and admin fees. Most the admin fees do not include gratuity so that is an additional cost. Always make sure to ask what additional taxes and fees are applied to your bill. Sometimes alcohol has different fees than food which has different fees than the room rental. If possible try to find packages that include the taxes in the list price, which will make it easier to figure out the true cost.
• Guest/Food Mins: These sometimes aren't always clear. Many places require either guest or food minimums, especially in the prime season. The guest minimum can seem reasonable until you pair with package costs and taxes. Always be sure to clarify for your desired day and time if there are any minimums you must meet. For some places where you will be just under your guest min (usually by 10 or less) then they will allow you to count your vendors as guests to hit the min. Some places are forgiving and will allow you to be 5%-10% below the min. 
• Package Comparison: All wedding packages are not created equal. Some packages are expensive and include a lot while others are cheap but don't include the most basic things like the linens. It is important to compare apples to apples every time you compare two different venues. Some places include everything from taxes, room fee, cake and alcohol while other are an empty room and the rest is up to you. There are pluses to both but always make sure that you list out what you get with each package and then compare costs. I suggest using a spreadsheet and make a template  Fill in common things included in packages and then for each venue tick off if it is included and the final cost. 

Planning a wedding is time consuming and takes a lot of work. If you want to make sure you are getting the best deal and really know if you can afford a place then you have to put in the leg work but in the end it is totally worth it. Soon I will post about how to negotiate prices and costs at your venue. Have a great New Year and happy planning!