Venue won't let us do a tasting

Mine didn't offer a tasting either but I have eaten at the adjoining restaurant many times and everything has always been very good so I wasn't concerned

This happens to brides all the time and the venue usually caves in and does a tasting for you two if anything.

You should food taste. I went to food tasting the chicken i selected was not good we end up selecting another entree which had our mouth watering it was very tastey. we know our guest will love our selection.

Our venue does a tasting once a year and you have to pay for it - so stupid - but it's in January/February so we missed it this year. We might go next year but a friend from HS is getting married there this September and my cousin is in it - so I told her to tell me how the food is. The reviews are great, but it sucks not to taste it yourself

Could you ask about maybe sampling during another event the venue is having? Maybe they can cook an extra meal and you can stop by just to taste?

I don't honestly think it's a deal breaker....if the reviews and reputation are great, I wouldn't worry about it honestly. But as others have said, not every venue is going do tastings before you book. Several of ours do showcases with food and all their preferred vendors, but not all of them do.

If it's not in your contract, you may be out of luck.

Do you go into a restaurant and tell them you want to sample their filet mignon first before you commit to making a dinner reservation and paying for your meal there in the near future? Of course not.

Imagine if a venue has 12-plus couples coming in every day interested in booking with them, but they want to try the food first. That's a lot of food and labor: who is paying for that? That's money (and food) down the drain for the venue considering those 12-plus couples may not even book with them! Cheese ain't cheap, honey.

Another big reason why some venues do not offer a food tasting is because their kitchen is not always open. For instance, my venue is semi-inclusive (food/bev, linens, tables, chairs, etc.) - they do not operate like a restaurant for 15-plus hours a day. They also do not have events 7 days a week. We could only do a tasting when their kitchen was open - on days/nights where they had an event, where their kitchen would be open and preparing for that day's events. Like I stated in my earlier comment, we didn't have our tasting until last month for our May wedding - we booked them February of last year.

You (not talking to you OP, just in general) might get lucky with a restaurant - one that operates all day. They are constantly preparing food, but again, why should that be free? You may not book with them - that's a waste of money.

OP: they gave you an option to try the food. Either go to the farmer's market, or don't go, but I think you may be hard-pressed to find a venue that's going to waste food (and labor) on you when you may not book with them.

Everyone else, find out when your venue is having a bridal showcase - that may be your best bet in being able to try the food before you buy.

My venue doesn't offer tasting either but luckily we've been to a few holiday parties for my FH's former employer so we know how their food is

If you don't read the terms...you could be turned into a humancentipod.

The venue I'm seriously considering doesn't offer tastings either. I was a little annoyed, but I've heard great things about their food. They also have a bakery/pasta shop attached to the venue and the coordinator said we could get something from there and try it at home... otherwise they only have tastings once a year at a bridal expo they hold there. Annoying. I feel your pain, but I'm choosing to trust the things I've heard from friends and the reviews.