Some background:
We booked the caterers October 2019. A tent has been on our contract since then.
Our caterers require a minimum that must be met, but this includes any rentals handled through them. We also are required to have a tent reserved in case of rain since our wedding is outside.
Sometime within the last year they switched to a different rental company. Due to scheduling and availability issues they switched our contract to yet another rental company and I was informed of this last week.
We switched venues a few months ago. The new venue is much closer, much easier to get to, and the delivery staff can pull up directly to where the tent will be set up. Much more accessible than our previous one!
In a meeting last week regarding the venue, I was asked if the tent could be staked in the yard. I answered yes, so the rental company gave us a staked tent instead of one with barrels. However I did not request this change.
I was told that any changes to the rentals would not be a problem as long as they were made before this week. The changes I have made include adding a couple tables, using different chairs, and adding (then removing) some pint glasses. I had to change the sweetheart table a couple times because the new company didn't have the same one available.
My wedding is on the 29th. Yesterday I received an updated invoice with an added labor charge of $1500 for the tent set up. This charge has not been on any previous invoices that I've received, and I was given no indication that I should be expecting this charge. When I asked the coordinator about it, she blamed the previous coordinator for not adding it initially. She also said that they couldn't have given me an estimate until this week anyway because they needed more information about the property, and that my venue might require more labor for the tent.
I was upset and expressed that adding this charge at the last minute was unprofessional. I said that I should have been at the very least warned of this upcoming charge (even if the exact amount was uncertain).
The owner messaged me back and basically told me that it's my fault for making so many changes and that the labor charge was because the venue and tent are completely different. She said that they handle rentals as a courtesy and that if I'm unhappy, I can take care of them myself.
For the record, I am not upset about the fee itself, only that I wasn't informed about it sooner (or ever). They added it to my invoice without saying anything, which made me feel like they were hoping I wouldn't notice. If the coordinator had sent the invoice along with a note informing me of the change and apologizing for not adding it sooner, I would be more understanding.
When a labor charge wasn't on my original invoice (or the other two invoices I've received prior, both after the venue change), I assumed any labor costs must already be included in the tent price. I had no reason to assume this was a mistake. I would also understand if there was a labor charge that increased in price, but there wasn't one to begin with!
It is clear now that the missing labor charge was an oversight, but instead of owning up to the mistake and apologizing, the owner has made me feel like I'm just being unreasonable.
Am I being unreasonable here?
What should I do now?
