Anyone else change venues and forfeit security deposit?

Now I've found a new venue less than 2 miles from my house and our hotel blocks which is beautiful, much more elegant, and pretty inclusive. They will do all of the food, alcohol, serving, set up/take down, etc. And it’s so close to us and will make life so much easier. Cost wise it will be a bit more than the original plan, but I think it’s worth it for the convenience factor. However I’ll be out $1750 from my original non-refundable deposit. Has anyone else forfeited a security deposit to change venues? I feel like it’s crazy to waste that much money on a change of vision. How did you rationalize your loss of money?

I did change my original venue and lost my deposit. But, my deposit was only $250 so it wasn't so bad.

I don't think this qualifies as just a "change of vision." I think by switching to the other venue, you'll be saving yourself all the headache of a completely DIY venue (which really does sound like a logistical nightmare).

So if you can afford to lose the 1750, I would do it.

Take a deep breath! I completely understand the "DIY" type of excitement but in the end it does end up costing more money and takes so much time!!! Not sure what state you reside in but most will give you back your deposit but less a less a fee of 10%. If you're more then 6 months out you shouldn't have an issue. People cancel venues all the time. I was at two venues for appointments and brides came in and canceled! Circumstances change. It's a business so don't expect 100% back. Even if the contract states "no refunds" it's worth a try. You may need to go higher up on the management scale to get results. Good luck!!

I went through the same thing! I changed venues and lost my deposit, but it was only $350. If you can honestly afford to forfeit the $1750, I think it'd be well worth it. It is stressful and expensive to have a blank slate kind of place - thing of every single thing you'll need to rent and decorate. It's a big task.

Yep that's us. We'll lose the deposit but it might be worth it. I'll know if about two weeks what we're doing for sure. DW wedding- going there soon.

Thanks for the support guys, I feel a little less crazy, it's just a lot of money to spend to get rid of a big headache! But I do think it will be worth it at the end of the day. Hopefully the previous venue will be generous and give me some of it back since it's so far out, but I wont hold my breath!

I'm debating the same thing. Losing 1650 as the deposit but saving at least 5,000 by switching. Ya win some, ya lose some

Sounds like you will be saving so much more, less the deposit you already made. I say go for it and see if you can get anything at all back from the venue you put the deposit on.

Can you use the original venue for another related event, on a smaller scale, like engagement party or shower? Or even unrelated celebration like birthday or graduation so this way you won't lose deposit and can see vision in a different light? If not, and you can afford the loss, move on. If you have regret now, you'll have it later....

Agree with Sheena, maybe you can work something our with the venue so you don't lose everything.

Not a bad idea, maybe we can put that into doing a shower for a few hours there instead. Thanks for the suggestion

@JessieJackson, no problem! Hope it all works out

I'm doing it. Mine will be a loss of $600 but it's worth it

You may be losing $1750, but how much more money would have to spend to make it a feasible venue (i.e., bathrooms, possibly heaters, mobile kitchen)?

My friend changed venues and lost her $2,000 deposit. She said she didn't regret it and it was the best decision, even if she did lose the $2,000.

Yeah, that's exactly my thought. I'll save money on all those inconveniences. The thing about the barn is I would have saved a lot of money by being able to buy all the alcohol myself, hire my own servers/bartenders, and choose a cheaper food option. Versus an all inclusive venue you have to buy it all through them, which ends up being quite a bit more expensive especially with such a large guest list to feed. So it will come out pretty close when all costs are calculated, it's just one is much more convenient.

That's good to know @saucier! I'm thinking I wouldn't regret it either at this point, I'm just so tired of stressing about all these extra things I'd have to rent and the inconvenience of it all!

We changed our venue and lost $4,000. FHs car died and they started major layoffs at his job and we knew we needed to use our wedding savings for living costs. Fortunately for us he actually ended up getting a promotion so we decided we would pick a smaller venue and cut the guest list significantly. Even with the 4k loss we will still save thousands so it made sense to us. In the end if you can afford the loss it makes the most sense to go with the more inclusive venue where your guests will be more comfortable and you will be less stressed.

If you can afford to lose it-- go for the less stress option!