Changing guest numbers with the venue, savings or not?

thegingerbride

Hi,

We've booked with our reception venue for 110 guests, but it looks like some unfortunately won't be able to make it so our final numbers will be closer to 100. Will we still be charged for 110 guests as that is what is in our contract or do venues allow for a reduction in guest numbers? We don't really want to pay for dinners people won't be using. We could invite my cousins to the full day rather than just the afters but that will bring our numbers up to 116 which will put our budget up even more! Anyone know what usually happens with guest reductions?

Faith

It depends: does your venue specify minimum numbers or not?

thegingerbride

They didn't tell us there was a minimum number, they asked how many we were having. If we wanted the next package up we would have had to guarantee 120 guests so we didn't go with that one. I'm just a bit concerned that it says 110 guests in the contract, though they have asked us to confirm our numbers 2 weeks beforehand.

Faith

Yeah, it'll be fine reducing the numbers, as long as there is no specified minimum numbers in the contract. You just give your final numbers 2 weeks prior and pay for that number.

Our initial contract said 170 and we only invited 150.

Gatica

Just check with the hotel. Our contract said minimum number, whether we had more or less than that, because that's the number they priced the package for us at. There was a premium pp if numbers were lower. I calculated and it was cheaper to pay the full numbers with up to 4 or 6 people less, I forget, any more than that and it was cheaper to pay the premium charge, which was an additional 2 Euro a head I think. We ended up having a few people less and decided to pay the premium charge instead.

SarahMollie

Yeah I don't think there are any absolute answers here OP, it will depend on the detail on your contract.

In my experience there tends to be a reduction from the numbers a couple originally ask for, versus what really happens on the day. Friends of mine got married last year and the'd originally said 250, but it was more like 220 on the day. They only had to confirm the exact numbers a week beforehand. I think it said somewhere in their contract that the venue required a minimum on 200 for the price per head that they'd agreed, but obviously the flex ability between 200-250 was enough for them.

They did have 2 guests cancel the week of the wedding (for no good reason might I add, just decided it was too expensive to attend!) so they lost out on those two dinners, but I'd blame that one on the guests rather than the venue.

thegingerbride

Hi Everyone, thanks for the advice. I didn't realise it was so variable for each venue. I had a really good look at my contract small print and we can have a 10% reduction to our numbers without incurring a charge. So we can go down to 99 and it should be fine. Phew!