Wedding Bar Extentsion / Exemption Question - any legal eagles out there ?

Diamond Joe

Hi I'm not sure of the official term for this but getting married soon and it's costing us 410 Euro and no amount of haggling with the hotel is causing them to budge.

They say its a legal requirement and they're making no money from it etc. etc.

Anyway, we'll be paying it but I'm wondering if anyone would know the answer to these questions:

• If there is already a residents bar, do we still need a bar extension for our private function.
• Can you check if the hotel has applied - I checked with the district court online registrar and see our hotels name is there appling for something listed under District Court (Dublin) Licensing in April of this year: ?
• Do they have to apply for it in your name.
• When It comes to settling our bill, can I ask to see proof of application

I'm just a bit cynical, think our hotel may be taking the cash and not applying for the license and if so I'd love to be able to call the bluff when paying.

But then again if they only need to apply for this exemption/extentsion once a year and can apply for say loads of blank ones i.e. they don't need to apply in our name then it seems like I'll just be paying up .

Thanks - 410 euro is a fair few days wages

sweetie

Dunno about your question but I djed at a wedding reception at the weekend in citywest hotel and was told bar would close at 1am before I started and then asked to announce last orders at 12.55 and after I did that the bar stayed open and another guy asked me to announce last orders again at 1.25. Basically, I think it's a racket and if the bar is busy enough one person can do an extra half hours work and more money is spent in the premises.

Diamond Joe

Thanks Sweetie,

Update - Don't know what my mother did, but she went down to hotel and negotiated the extentsion down to 200 Eur.

When she met with them she kinda made out that she was paying for majority of wedding etc etc.

So if they can drop it to 200 Euro . . . . . . I'm still cynical !

But still it's half price ! but of course I'd prefere no price

Seoid

Well keep in mind that the longer the bar is open, the more money they will make out of it!

I'd love to know the answers to your questions as well though.

Ashfield

Our hotel told us that the money is for the after hour license
But they said that we can decide not to pay and they will keep serving till late but if the police come to the hotel, they will close the bar then
What are the chances that the police will check? None!!

TiwstaSista

Diamond Joe wrote: »

Thanks Sweetie,

Update - Don't know what my mother did, but she went down to hotel and negotiated the extentsion down to 200 Eur.

When she met with them she kinda made out that she was paying for majority of wedding etc etc.

So if they can drop it to 200 Euro . . . . . . I'm still cynical !

But still it's half price ! but of course I'd prefere no price

how each one would prefer no price but i doubt if they'd give in to that. but you could always negotiate and negotiate for more venues.

Diamond Joe

Thanks for all your suggestions, but I'd love my original questions answered, if anyone out there knows anything I'd be most grateful.

I've asked a few mates have they queried this or asked to see documentation at the paying up moment. None of my friends have, they just payed it.

Think I will ask to see documentation anyway at pay up - decided I've nothing to loose except 200 Euro - boo hoo !

ecaf

I think this has been discussed before, try maybe weddingsonline.ie if your still interested.
From what I can remember it is an annual fee that they have to pay, and they are chancing their arm a bit. (couldn't be 100% on this)
We didn't discuss it with the hotel until the last time we met with them, I acted as if I hadn't hear of it, I said it wasn't in our budget and we would have to do without and go to the residence bar. Surprise surprise the charge was dropped! She was at the beginning of the conversation going to drop it from 400 to 200, but when I said we'd do without it, she changed her mind pretty quickly.

Having said that if you have already negotiated down a bit and you are paying for a DJ to play until 1, I'd cut your losses and just pay to keep the guests in the function room until the end. Our lot were still another hour making it to the residence bar while the bar staff were trying to clear up the function room.