Price Increase for 2020

Some places may lock you in - our photographer and DJ both locked us in at the 2016 pricing when we met with them for our 2018 wedding. For a venue, I wouldn't expect it to increase more than 10% if they don't lock you in.

Yes, my venue increased their prices, and upgraded their package options, and left me at my signed price but gave me the upgrades! (I’m sure she was being super generous with that part!) My photograph did the same thing, he actually sent me 2016 pricing and when we sat down in 2017 to sign, he allowed me to use the 2016 packages. I think once you have a contract agreeing to pay X amount, they shouldn’t be able to change it.

Some people will give you a set price. If you wait until the future it might def change.

We got engaged in Dec 2015 and booked our venue in April 2016 knowing our date was April 2018. Our venue secured our date with 2016 pricing (which was actually 2014 pricing since that was the last time they had actually updated anything). We kept a close eye on our contract over the last two years and if we saw any discrepancies we had emails to back up the fact that they said we could have price xxxx so they just changed whatever mistakes back. All I can recommend is secure your venue at their current rate, have the verbal discussion on the price securing it for 2020 at the current rate, then follow up with an email reiterating the information (include names of who you are working with if sending to a general inbox, and on what dates you are meeting), and get copies of your contract every time you make an adjustment to your plan over the next two years til you receive your final one.

Be thorough.

Keep receipts.

Keep names and numbers/emails.

If you put a deposit down it may help lock in your price. Our venue had a price change on everything this year but we’d already put a deposit down so we’re locked in at the old rates.

If you book your venue this year, you may be "grandfathered" into 2018's pricing. Our wedding isn't until next September, but we booked our venue in March and were locked into 2018's rates; though there wasn't any mention of a rate increase from what I remember.

When we were planning last year, a lot of people let us know if we booked before xx date they would lock us in with 2017 pricing. We did that for everything.

I'd advise, if you can, to find the venue and vendors you'd like this year so you can lock in their 2018 prices. I locked in my photographer at 2017 prices for our 2019 wedding and she raised her prices in 2018. I wouldn't think venues or vendors would raise their prices immensely but I personally would take any chance I could to get the lowest price possible. I understand though if finances are tight and this isn't possible to do within the year but just something to think about.

We made sure that all our contracts had prices set that couldn’t be subject to change. I would check and see if that’s possible for you.

We signed our contract with our venue in 2017 and our getting married September 2019, we are locked in at their 2017 prices, but also are allowed to include any of their new stations and stuff that they come out with in the next year and a half. We also locked in our photographer and videographer with 2017 prices and just booked our dj last week with 2018 prices. I believe if you sign the contract now, they cant up the price because your getting married in another year. I would though suggest you figure your vendors out sooner then later because there prices will go up. I know my photographer goes up every January by a few hundred dollars! If you are set on vendors and have your date i would book them ASAP!!

I booked our venue in October 2016 (five weeks before engagement! 😂) for our 7.7.18 wedding. We're locked I'm at the 2016 pricing. Our deposit was only $250. Maybe check deposits when you're checking places out and find one you like that works with your budget now.

Usually you can get locked in,but as far as venue the price increase for me was about $4 per plate.

You can book in 2018 to avoid that and lock in the price - just make sure the contract has the value on it.

Other option is to ask for a formal proposal with the value on it and the date it’s good until. My caterer wrote up a proposal early on and gave me a year on it.

We booked in 2016 for 2018 wedding which locked in cost for us

My venue increases their prices significantly every year .. mostly becuase they update the menus.. with our situation we booked 14 months before and got locked into the rates that they were offering the day we signed our contract .. to our surprise they updated the menu a lot more then we expected for 2018 and we were fortunate enough to be able to pick off of that menu !.. I would just ask and make sure whatever they tell you when you put a deposit down is stated in your contract

Prices can fluctuate if you don't have a contract. Even if you do, make sure to read the fine print so they can't drop an increase on you.

Thank you so much everyone for your input! I'll definitely keep this all in mind before securing any venues!

I use to work for a wedding venue and our prices would increase about $1,000-$2,000 a year. If you can I would highly recommend putting in a deposit sometime this year to lock in pricing if you're worried about price increases. I was worried about the same thing and I poked and pried a bit to see if I could get any kind of estimate on how much to expect the venue we were looking at to go up and our coordinator said to expect at least a $2,500 increase but also couldn't make any guarantees. These increases also really depend on the wedding demand in your area. I worked at a venue here in AZ which had high demand & the venue we are getting married at is in La Jolla, CA which has a decent demand but because it's Cali it's more expensive (ugh). Congratulations on your big day! It will all work out! 🙂