Up charge just because its a wedding?!

I have definitely found that to be true in the Boston area.

We didn't experience that. But we had our Boston-area reception in a restaurant, which posted its prices for use of the private dining room online.

I understand that certain services are different for a wedding than for other kinds of events. For example, a photographer has to have split-second timing to make sure to get each of the crucial shots. This isn't comparable to photographing a corporate event, at which you've got a lot more time to get the shots, and people aren't too upset if you miss one.

However, it seems like a lot of times, prices are higher for weddings even though the couple isn't demanding any special service. I don't understand why venue rental, food, limo service, etc. so often have higher prices for a wedding than for other types of events. If they are in fact giving better service for weddings, they ought to a) explain what the difference in service is, and b) be willing to charge you the lower rate if you are willing to accept the lower service,

I found this alot of times. they even had a special about it on tv. One reporter called about her wedding and another called the same company for same length of hours and day of the week but for a family renuion or whatever it was - just didn't say wedding. yup there was a huge difference. I think they said 40%. When asked why the dj service was such a difference in price they said your paying for quality. We shouldn't be made to pay 40 %- 60% more just because its a wedding.

There was a (very misleading) report on 20/20 that implies this is the case. However, it doesn't take into account many things.

For example. If it's a cake for 50. or a wedding cake for 50. Which do you want for your wedding? A wedding cake usually entails delivery and setup, in addition to baking and decorating. The decorations are more intricate and require a more specialized skill set.

Same applies for a DJ. I can get hired for a "private party" for about 50% of what I charge for a wedding. But, for a private party I put 20% of the work. It's usually just "show and play." For a wedding I have to find out the right music, plan the ceremony and/or reception events and music for each of these, cater to different ages, and hold two to three meetings with the bride and groom. It's not unusual for me to put 40-60 hours into a wedding. A private/birthday party usually requires less than 10 man-hours.

I call it a specialized service, not an upcharge.

I know it happens, sometimes it is justified (i.e. I want my florist to put in more effort on my wedding bouquet than on a random arrangement) and sometimes it isn't (the limo example).

Our venue actually charges less for their wedding meals than if you were to go to their restaurant and order off the menu. I figured because for a wedding they are cooking two meals in mass produced way so its cheaper. I was pretty happy with that.

Our custom made wedding bands turned out cheaper than buying them straight from a commercial jeweller.

I charge the same hourly rate whether it's a corporate event, a wedding, or a birthday party (Mazel Tov!). However, I have also found out there are a lot of vendors, specially venues, who upcharge for weddings as opposed to other type of events. Sometimes it's simply the nature of the beast (there are move vendors to deal with, more liability issues, etc) with a wedding than, let's say, a corporate dinner. But I know some venues who triple their pricing for weddings and I never understood that.

It's definitely true.

I believe we've discussed this here and elsewhere numerous times. Weddings are not birthday parties. There is a different level of service, emotion and importance; it simply happens once. The service has more timestamps; the DJ or band has to be more of a concierge than just someone spinning music.

You should never pay more money for the same thing, but most often, it's not the same thing. If you choose your vendors without letting them know it's a once in a lifetime experience, then don't expect the fine tuning you would if they knew how important it is to you.

And don't believe what you see on TV. It's all done for ratings.

Whose parents pay for their weddings, and why would that make a difference?

As I said before, no one should pay a different price for a different thing, but a centerpiece for a corporate party is not a centerpiece for a wedding.

Going into your vendor meetings with the attitude that every vendor is out to take advantage of you is a very unhappy (and not accurate) way of planning a wedding.

The best vendors are your partners, and we are as happy when things go right as you are. We try to save you money when we can, do the best job that we can do on your budget, and make your wedding day a singular experience.

If that is not how you feel about your pros, that you should switch them.

Get out of it... tell them its for a family reunion, lol

@Celia - if the centerpiece is the same exact thing, then I am not understanding the difference. I can understand if florists gear certain centerpieces for wedding occasions, but if you choose a "non-wedding" centerpiece, the price shouldn't change just because of the type of event.

If a vendor does choose to charge different amounts for different types of events, I feel like it is best practice to walk the bride/groom through the additional services, "liabilities", or whatever it is, that justifies the additional cost. That way the customers know what they are getting, and the vendor is being honest.

The majority of these vendors are running a business and they aren't out there with your best interests at heart. No matter how much they say they are excited for you, they aren't your "besties", they don't love you, and they aren't helping you out of kindness. They are out there to make money. It is their job.

When searching for a vendor, trust, but verify.

Some things I can understand, there's more service for weddings. Like a dinner service might be better served at a wedding versus a corporate dinner or like MCDJCarlos' comments that a wedding may require more effort on the vendor's part than a regular party. So in some instances I think its a reasonable to expect an increased price for a wedding versus a birthday party.

The only reason I was very taken aback is that with this dinner meal, appetizers and linens we were looking at a certain price. For the same meal now were looking at a certain price + an extra 60%. I just didn't expect that large of an increase in price.

And it is true most vendors are willing to try and figure something out. As this vendor did send an email saying they would like to try and work on something. Its just I guess like sticker shock for me on the first time seeing it.

Mostly I agree with Purple Sun and 2nd Bride bride in that its just nice to know what the justification of the increased price. Although the vendor is willing to work on something, when asked for the price breakdown of the price increase so I know what I can cut out to make it work within my budget there wasn't a response. Just a more general lets alter the menu options.

But its great to hear from both sides of the story (vendors and brides)! Lol I think inadvertantly some vendors took the word upcharge as a dirty insult which wasn't my intention.

I think, from a vendor point of view, it is a little disheartening being told we are charging more because it's a wedding. by making that statement we are being placed in the same category as a sleazy car salesman. Granted there are some that are like that in the industry and they upset us just as much as they upset the brides.

The truth is that for those of us who make a living from weddings we price ourselves appropriately according to what our services are worth. As some have already mentioned, a wedding is a very unique event in many aspects. As vendors, we are being hired to deliver top notch service to you, our clients. When you are contracting professionals you are getting not just their services on your wedding day, but also their experience and knowledge on how to handle situations that rise due to unforeseen circumstances. Many weddings are held together because the vendors, behind the scenes, try to make sure that whatever it's happening doesn't affect your celebration.

And to be honest, it is a lot of hard work! There are a lot more components that go into a wedding. We are working within strict timelines that day which can be very stressful because YOU are counting on us to deliver. Therefore, yes we value what we have to bring to the table for you.

Someone said that they would like to know what the breakdown on the additional cost of a wedding is. The truth is that, although you can quantify certain things, it is extremely hard to put a price on the experience we deliver during that day. In the case of photographer/videographers the work doesn't stop when you leave in your limo since we have to go home and keep on working on what you contracted us to do.

The truth is there are good vendors and then there are not so good vendors out there. If someone is upcharging without adding value to the equation then they are taking advantage of the situation. For the rest of us, we are trying to do the best job possible. Quality is of the utmost importance to us. Although we understand that all couples have a limited budget, I cannot phantom any of the vendors who have posted so far in this thread to sacrifice our quality of service to provide sub-par delivery on your wedding day. As professionals we have pride in the work we do and, the same way a Doctor wouldn't compromise his services during a surgery, you shouldn't expect a professional wedding vendor to do the same thing to lower our prices.

My officiants do a wide range of ceremonies; four people in the backyard to 300 people at the grandest, most fabulous venues. (For the record, there is no correlation between a giant expensive party and a great marriage, lol...)

The tiny ones are cheaper because they are a different level of service; no bridal parties, no personalization, no coordination on site, no pre-wedding meetings. Of course it can be less expensive, because there less time and preparation in every way.

I don't think we have to beat this horse any more; it's totally dead. A quality vendor is going to be able to tell you exactly why you need bigger, more consistent centerpieces or more attentive service or more research into playlists, but it all comes down to preparation, client and guest expectations, and that key notion that this is a once in a lifetime experience for everyone that communicates many, many things.

Lol so basically I ditto what Amy V. said "So, if a company rented out your ballroom for dinner, you'd do a shitty job on their food and be able to charge less? Doesn't sit right with me."