When to haggle about reception price?

Stargal

So I'm a bit of a newbie to this whole organising-a-wedding malarkey and I'm trying to figure this out.

We're going to be scoping out a couple of hotels next weekend as potential reception venues, but I'm just not clear on when and how the price gets worked out. We have the number of people we're inviting, so I'm assuming that they give us a price per head and then an overall price -but if we want to haggle (which I'm guessing we will!) do we ask for the price per head or the overall price to be brought down? And my biggest question about this: should we walk out of each viewing with an agreed price? Or is it when we go back to confirm a place that we actually hammer out the cost?

And finally - my god, so many questions! - what's the story with working out a price given that there's always going to be a number of guests who won't be able to make it?

If anyone could shed some light on this it would be much appreciated. I want to be clear on what to expect next weekend before I walk in and end up offering them all the money I have before they even ask!

Kaylami

Hi star gal,

Coming from the hotel angle I dealt with wedding couples a lot!

Say the price per head is €45 per person 100 people what most would say is can you do any better they *might drop the price to €42 per person.

I would say a better angle would be look at the optional extras in the packages and try and negotiate these ie 6 months membership that you don't want what can they give you instead.

The mark up price on things like chair covers and wine is ridiculous to say the least so don't be afraid to haggle over these.

Finally all the hotels are fighting for your business so feel free to play them off against each other ie venue a is offering this for x amount could you do this?

Enjoy all the planning!

Berty

Remember as well the hotel will have a minimum number of guests to work at the advertised price.

Mine is 120 minimum so if I being 140 I still pay the per head price x 140 but if I only manage to confirm 100 then the hotel still wants to be paid on the basis 120 are seated which may seem mad but it's the minimum they likely allow to cover the over heads on the room in respect of the kitchen, servers and bar staff.

Always remember there are deals to be done on everything. They are used to people haggling anyway and know what they can and cannot allow in the price of adding to the price.

Gatica

It depends on whether you're checking to see if you like these hotels a lot or whether you already know you like them and you're going there to get package and price info.
We did 2 rounds. We went and saw potential hotels, some we liked and some we really didn't like. So we didn't see the need to get prices down to a T on that visit. It was just to get a feel for the place, and obviously gather the approximate info on cost with brochures and the wedding coordinator's little spiel.
Then went back to hotels we liked and tried to negotiate on prices, e.g. say we would like to have this or that included in the price, or the room prices are too high, could you give us a better rate than that, etc...

The thing that we kind of snookered ourselves on though, was once I had my heart set on a place, it didn't matter whether they'd give me what I wanted, I was going to take it anyway. I don't know if they can smell it off you like bloodhounds. It's a bad situation to be in for negotiating though as you've to be prepared to walk away if you don't get what you want within reason.

You'll need to know whether the hotel is popular for weddings or not. Everyone keeps saying how all these hotels will be delighted to have your business. Well I can tell you that's not the case of all of them, not because they don't want your business but because they're in such high demand that they don't need to give into your demands to make money, if you don't take it, someone else will basically.

baldbear

Congrats!

Myself and my partner recently
Booked avenue and heres what we experienced.

If you like something from one venue try and get the venue you decide on to include whatever it is you like.

Venues left the date we wanted prebooked until we got back to them . We were given 2 weeks to decide.

One venue offered us 6 rooms,we were surpried we got 6 so we asked the venue we decided on to match this and they did. We did this via email after the viewing.

At our first meeting with wedding cordinator we asked what was the best price they could do. And price was dropped by €2 a head and then a further €2via email. Email is the best way to get whatever extras you may want and getting down to the real price negotiations.

Good luck!

bgaughan

Been through all this and were happy with the deal until the next morning when we paying..... totally forgot about VAT - at the time it was about 20% - these day I think 9%.

Add this to whatever deal you agree.

Moonbeam

Talk to a few places.
Know exactly what you want then go back with their set deals and change it to suit yourself but in line with their price.
Get them to throw in extra free rooms too.

bean14

dont sign anything or pay a deposit untill you have haggled. we were between two hotels-one hotel that i wasnt going with and the hotel that we booked and we played one off the other. didnt pay corkage, got six free rooms, lots of room to haggle with hotels. good luck!!

nightpark

Are prices generally inclusive or exclusive of vat? Have been looking around and only thought of vat when someone mentioned it earlier in this thread. I was assuming (maybe naively) that it was inclusive of vat.

Kaylami

nightpark wrote: »

Are prices generally inclusive or exclusive of vat? Have been looking around and only thought of vat when someone mentioned it earlier in this thread. I was assuming (maybe naively) that it was inclusive of vat.

Prices generally inclusive of VAT.

Alcohol at 23% , food at 13.5% and rest 9% there will be a breakdown on most invoices & bills.

Gatica

Prices should be inclusive of VAT, unless their primary customers are businesses that get VAT free goods/services (e.g. like cash and carry and the like); so yours should be VAT inclusive.
No harm asking though as it seems some of them (from what bgaughan says) will try to make their prices seem better by advertising them to you excluding VAT.
Remember there were lots of discussions at the time when VAT dropped about couples trying to get some of their VAT back.