Wedding venue hire fee payment

Saraeavan

Hi everyone,

so we’re getting married April next year and have our venue arranged and everything, I’ve been waiting for them to confirm menu and wine costs etc. and have just now got an email from then with an invoice for the hire fee (over €3000) asking to be paid in full and that the food and drink would be billed after the wedding. Just a bit surprised. Thought there might be a deposit due and then an instalment plan, was not expecting a bill for nearly €3.5k asking full payment with 8 months to go. Is this normal practice?



Thanks

Atlantic Dawn

Seems a lot this early on. Pay with a credit card to cover yourself if the place goes under.

Saraeavan

Thought so too! I don't do credit cards - would you be similarly covered with a debit card?

aaakev

No way would i go for that, i paid €1k deposit when I booked, another €1.5k 4weeks before then balance the day after

Milly33

Seems crazy alright... We had two venues shortlisted one was saying a deposit maybe of 1000 and the other was 500 and we didn't pay until the end as such... I would ask them again... Especially as ye haven't agreed anything else.. Is the 3000 half the cost of it or something like that.. Even still I would be a little weary of it

Saraeavan

Thanks for the info so far, no milly33, they don't do a package system - the venue hire fee is €3,500 (covers staffing, decor, flowers, ceremony etc.) then the food and drink is billed after the wedding. It's the venue hire fee of €3500 they want in full now

westernlass

For an exclusive hire venue this is normal. Hotels have more flexibility

stickybookmark

We had to pay a 3000 deposit for our venue (upfront) for them to secure the date.

Milly33

I don't know we had an exclusive venue hire and we paid nothing like this.. €500 deposit that was it.. So they are asking for more or less the full amount now.. I wouldn't dream of it, like mentioned what if they go tits up between now and then you can say goodbye to the money

lazygal

We didn't marry in a hotel but we didn't have to pay the full fee before the day. I'd be wary of anything happening and you're out all that money. I think we paid about a grand to book our wedding.

fits

We had exclusive use also and it was a 1000 euro deposit. I would be wary.

Ctrl Alt Delete

We paid 1k up front as a deposit a year before the date and then the remaining 6k a few days before the wedding

Senna

Have you already paid anything? Deposit?
How long ago did you book it?
Have you a contract?

I would be telling them that you are more than happy to pay a deposit to secure the date, but you have no intension of paying the full fee now for something you won't be availing of for 8 months.

If you have booked this in advance, which it sounds like you have, I'd be questioning the unprofessional nature of not outlining this from the first time you booked.

kippy

Saraeavan wrote: »

Hi everyone,

so we’re getting married April next year and have our venue arranged and everything, I’ve been waiting for them to confirm menu and wine costs etc. and have just now got an email from then with an invoice for the hire fee (over €3000) asking to be paid in full and that the food and drink would be billed after the wedding. Just a bit surprised. Thought there might be a deposit due and then an instalment plan, was not expecting a bill for nearly €3.5k asking full payment with 8 months to go. Is this normal practice?



Thanks

A 'hire' fee? Is this a hotel?

Milly33

no it is a private venue as such or well not a hotel

Sherlof3

Hotels will be more flexible if it's an unusual venue, country house etc. We had to pay the 8k venue hire before our wedding, but they took it in 4 installments of two grand. The caterer took half before and half after the next day BBQ. There was a lot of trust required on both sides, so I would check if any third parties can attest to them as legit - i.e. One Fab Day or some of the wedding magazines.

allibastor

Jesus dont pay it.

We had a venue years back that we were looking at, they asked for something similar and it was my Dad who said no.

Turns out they were using wedding venue payments to come upfront to try and cover shortfalls in finances.

they went under about 4 months later and about 100 people are still in court over money owed.

Generally they get a deposit of 1K, and maybe another 1K 4 weeks before the wedding.