Venue increased prices for 2014

I booked in 2013 for a 2015 wedding with locked in prices. That is crazy, I can understand the menu changes maybe, but you should get the price at the time you booked. Lord knows its not coming down.

I'd be finding a new venue. That's crap. You should be able to lock in your prices when you book - that's one of the perks.

I wouldn't sign a contract without knowing what I'd be paying. That kind of defeats the purpose.

Most places here either honor the price when you book or they know what the next years cost will be at least 6 months out. This info might be helpful for someone who has not booked a venue yet. The main thing now is menu increases since there is no chicken option. We change menus all the time. That might mean going from an Italian chicken to an Asian chicken or a lemon chicken. It doesn't usually mean going from chicken to prime rib (unless a client requests no chicken). I would ask again and again until they provide a menu with a chicken option.

Joining the chorus of ladies thinking it's weird they won't lock you in until 6 months before your date. Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of booking early then? We booked our venue 18 months in advance and got locked into last year's (2013) prices. I'd talk to them and see if there's a compromise you can come up with.

I would recommend you all double check. When we met with the venue he told us up front that we would be getting 2014 pricing. I don't recall him saying the menu would change and I will discuss that with him, but I knew our prices would increase.

I talked to several venues before we booked and it was normal where I am located. Prices increase for the cost of the food and the venues then adjust accordingly.

The contract simply holds our date. When I talked to him in Novermber, the only date he still had available for June-October was our date. Its an amazing location.

I hate to sound like a broken record, I'm just not too sure why they would book you with nothing locked in. Plus I don't think I would ever sign a contract or pick somewhere knowing the prices would be going up and I don't know how much. It just is strange.

The price wasn't locked in with your contract? Everything I booked, I booked with 2013 prices and there won't be any increases (even though rates are going up). Have you read through your contract? I don't think that should be allowed.

That's bullshit. I'd be absolutely livid if that happened to me and I probably wouldn't sign the contract because WTH the confirmed amount agreed upon should be in our agreement! Our fees are clearly stated in what we signed, but now I'm paranoid and will have to go home and double check everything!

Ours changed too. Most contracts say "Prices are subject to change" so I believe this is normal when people sign the agreement the calendar year before the wedding.

Takr out the late night food. No o e really expects it.

Wow! Sorry to hear that. Our venue contract locked us into our date and price. You may have to consider making some small cuts if you can? :/ good luck!

In my opinion, yours and FutureMrsP's situation is not only strange, but unethical. How dare they change have someone sign a binding contract, then change it in their favor.

I just looked over all my contracts to double check and my prices will stay the same even if they raise them (all my venders). I would never knowingly book a place that said prices subject to change, my budget is my budget. Phew.

Have you tried contacting them and asking if they could still do the chicken? When we got the new prices (granted ours was also due to the fact that the county club went with a new caterer and we also expected that it might change cause there was that "prices could change" thing), we told them we were a little concerned and they changed the pricing again for us.

Every venue is different! My venue locked in 2013 prices for the venue fee, chapel fee, and service fees but NOT menu prices. Per my contact, food prices are subject to change as a result of increases in food costs. Contracts vary. There is no blanket rule.

This seems strange to me as well. Our prices were written in our contract at $60/pp. Prices went up before our wedding for our package to $70/pp but we were locked in.

But, it sounds like your venue doesn't do that so you're a bit stuck. I say cut the late night food - just not needed, and maybe downgrade the bar to beer/wine?

What is the cheapest option now? It's hard to imagine not offering chicken. LOTS of people will not eat red meat or fish or even pork. I would have to demand a chicken option at my wedding...I don't eat red meat, fish/seafood, or pork.

What if you did a buffet instead of seated (if that is an option and you were planning on seated)?

It would vary venue to venue, and with what is stated in your contract. Our venue does not do it that way, yet we do not offer catering. It may be a stipulations based on varying cost for the food. I would look more closely at what your contract states.

We state in our contracts on items all the items and costs of the client wants. The contracts are very clear on what you are getting. Contracts should not be vague. I wish you the best of luck!

Thank goodness I sign contracts for a living...Read. every. word. If you don't understand it, or think it's vague? ASK. If you have any lawyer friends, ask them. Ask questions about everything and anything that sounds like it might possibly put you at a disadvantage. I'm so sorry that they weren't up front with you. That sucks.

Ours were locked in at contract signing, If our wedding date would have been in 2014, we still would have gotten the 2013 prices as that was what they were at signing. That being said they could have made us pay more if we had a date for 2014, and "changed" the contract sometime in 2014 with a new date or something. How can they do that to you?

Oh man! Luckily for us we booked our venue DAYS before they changed their prices. We went in on a Wednesday and by their open house on Sunday (4 days later) the price for our package almost tripled. I kind of freaked out when I saw that, so I immediately got in touch with her and she told me we were locked in with the previous prices. Thank goodness! Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be having a wedding in two weeks