Reception down payment

Definitely not.. The venue may be great, but the food may not.

we almost put down a deposit before looking at it, 2 hrs away.. I'm glad we waited, Cause FH wasn't sold on it. Make sure 100% sure before you put done that big of a deposit.

I agree with Stacy S. Make sure you are completely sure about the place before putting down a large deposit. If you are going to be shelling out the money, then check the place out and get a tasting first.

I think it all depends on the venue. I know that two highly rated venues in my area in PA do not do tastings prior to a deposit to secure the date.

We toured my daughter's venue first and received info re pricing of their package and what it includes. Because they do not have issues booking, and often brides have to alter dates to have the particular room in the venue my daughter wanted, in order to secure the date, her father had to put a deposit down to and sign a contract agreeing to a certain number of people and package. All 6 of us(Cate, Her FH, The ex and his new wife and DH and me) will go to the restaurant at the venue for her tasting in April. All six of us will have a full 4 course meal narrowing it down to the six choices cate and Dom are interested in. All of us felt comfortable with this arrangement because her venue's restaurant is well-known for their food.

My venue did not offer tastings, but she offered for us to come and taste the food anyway. If they normally do not offer, ask! Its worth it to just ask. I have heard nothing but good things and since we are Hispanic, it is hard to find a good caterer who can make spanish food. We did put down a deposit, and I do not regret it at all! I love the hall, the coordinator, and the decorations they provide.

Make sure you are happy!

I booked my venue before the tasting. We actually don't have our tasting until late March/early April. I think mine is much like Carole's daughter's venue.

We picked our date based upon availability. My dad put down the deposit and already paid the first payment on the schedule they gave us. We know that the food is good, though. At our tasting, we will sample and select our Hors d’ oeuvres, along with our entree selections.

So, by the time we actually have our tasting, about 1/3 of our reception will have already been paid.

Thanks for all the comments! The place does offer tastings, It is just closed the weekend we were planning to go (many things close between Christmas & Valentine's Day in Cape May). The wedding planner was offering to meet with us that weekend, that we could view the inside & talk details, we just would need to do the tasting at a later date since they were not technically opened. It is considered a bed & breakfast, so it is not even like a restaurant that I can look at reviews online or say that we've been there. We have decided to wait until March to go. It is a 3 1/2 hour drive for us, so when we do go, we need to stay over night, etc. So going in March allows us to save up money for the deposit & also get everything we need to get done in one trip without spending money on hotels/gas/food/etc. on several trips.

Yes. Most of the places we looked at wanted half of the total of the room. We had to pay 25% of the reception at first another 25% in March and the rest 2 week before the wedding.

we are talking to the venue on the 2nd. I didn't even think of the tasting. We have had pizza from the place( it the bomb. We only order from them) and sampled one the dishes at a bridal show.

25%-40% is normal.

25%-40% is normal.

Don't be shy to request a tasting. Some places will charge you for the tasting but credit it back when you book. Then again, there are venues that don't offer a tasting. So you'll need to decide if this will be a deal breaker for you in determining if you will book with them. Good luck and congratulations!