Not meeting minimums

I think asking your venue if you can upgrade your food package would be a great idea. Maybe add on some passed apps or stationary apps or adding a late night snack? If they won't do it, you might end up having to just pay the difference, but I imagine they will work with you. Asking your venue is best.

View Quoted Comment It sounds like a guest count minimum and not a dollar minimum, our venue has the same thing.

At this point, honestly I’d start going through my b-list. I know it’s a big no no but if you need bodies, you might as well choose who they are.

We had a similar situation. The majority of our guest list were OOT, and we had more than half our guests decline the invitation. I think our minimum was 100, and we had 75 guests attending. Our venue was actually very nice about it. When we submitted our final numbers, the venue's wedding planner emailed us to let us know we weren't meeting our minimum and she had already calculated the dollar amount we were under 100 guests. She then divided that number by our actual number of 75 guests so we knew how many dollars per person attending we needed to add in upgrades. She included lists of upgrades, recommendations from those lists, and also let us know that she would use an upgrade we had previously agreed upon towards meeting the minimum.

When you submit your final numbers, you can certainly ask if you can upgrade anything to make up for not meeting the minimum guest count.

We upgraded our food package. Got lamb chops as an option for dinner. Added extra passed hors d’oeuvres (so?) and premium liquor. You can also ask for an extra hour for the event. Or champagne toasts.

View Quoted Comment Why would it matter to the venue though? To them, it is basically the same thing. OP,It is silly for them to not work with you on this but I would never B-list. It is just plain rude. I would be shocked if they don't work with you on this but if they don't I would pay the difference.

They only have minimums for money. They want the X dollar amount per person times the minimum guest count to ensure that amount of income. You will probably be willing to do an upgrade option if you ask.

Ask about upgrades! We have a dollar amount minimum, which we will easily hit if most people come. If we end up with a crazy amount of declines I plan to upgrade the hell out of whatever I can - desserts, late night snack, more booze, etc.

I posed this question to our venue early on a they stated the money could go towards adding the raw bar my parents wanted.

So so it’s worth asking what you could add or enhance with the money

With my venue, no matter what I have to pay the minimum. My minimum is I believe 75. So she said if I invite 100 people and only 70 show up, I'm still paying the for 75. So I guess the minimum, for me, is just the minimum I can pay.

Im sure it will work out. Generally you just need to makeup for those guests plate cost with add ons. Upgrade to a premium bar and more apps for cocktail hour.

Did you invite everyone with a plus one? Did you invite people's children? I don't see a problem extending the invite to these "extras", and wouldn't consider it b-listing.

If they don't budge on min. Use that B list nothing wrong with that.

With only about 35 days to go until your wedding, I wouldn't recommend sending invites to your b-list. If I got an invite with only 4 weeks to go, I would know that I was b-listed. Some people won't mind, but I might suggest calling them personally and asking if they would attend.

Before I would do that though, I would communicate with the coordinator at your venue. Maybe offer to pay the difference even though your guest count isn't up?

Definitely ask about upgrades. Don't do a b-list, but you can always extend plus ones to those single individuals that you may not have initially extended a plus one to.

I visited a few venues that said they would offer upgrades if we weren't at the minimum with guests. Extra apps or stations for cocktail hour, dessert enhancements like chocolate covered strawberries or cookie platters to go with the cake, a signature drink, more premium bottles at the bar, etc... It certainly doesn't hurt to ask!

Def never B-list thought. I was B-listed once. Me and my sorority sisters all were for another sister's wedding. We got the invite 4 weeks in advance, and I had already RSVP'd for another wedding the same day, (for which I received a save the date 7 months in advance and an invite at the appropriate time). We all laughed at how tacky it was, (it literally said "no kids" ON the formal invite) and then one of the other girls took a photo of her using the invite as a coaster for a drink she was drinking and sent it to the group text. So that's what people think of being B-listed.