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Cameron
Savvy July 2020

At What Point Do You Call It Quits With Your Venue?

Cameron, on August 22, 2019 at 7:12 PM Posted in Planning 0 7

Hello Everyone,

I am having a MAJOR dilemma and I am not sure how to handle it at all.

(TL,DR: The owner of the venue we booked misinformed us on aspects of what would be included and is getting very difficult to work with. She is causing stress to me and my fiance, but our other venue options are limited/nonexistent. At what point do we pull the plug?)


My fiance and I booked a venue and put a deposit down (non-refundable) in mid-July for our late May 2020 wedding. It's a cute farm and we loved the look. Before signing, we were promised by the owner numerous things and, yes I know always get every single thing on the contract, however, these were things that she either made out to seem better than they were or she told us were set-in-stone plans. Now, a month later, we find out that a big piece will likely not happen and she refuses to put it on the contract because in her eyes, "if it gets done, it gets done." Also, she told us that she would pay to rent "the nice portable restrooms" because bathrooms are limited. I found out today that she will be getting, in her words, "the ugly ones that construction workers use." Which I find extremely offputting (porta-potties at a wedding!?) and upsetting because the contract only says "portable restrooms." I am getting fed up and VERY stressed about whether or not we should continue to try to work with her due to these and a few other smaller issues. Our next payment is right around the corner, but I have exhausted the options for venues near (and semi-near) me and we don't really have other options. I'm just super worried that there will be more issues down the road and the wedding will end up being a mess and a huge waste of our money.

7 Comments

Latest activity by Shanita, on August 23, 2019 at 3:33 PM
  • FirstTimeMOB
    October 2018
    FirstTimeMOB ·
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    Only you can decide if/when you decide to make a change.

    You've learned that it is extremely important to get every detail in writing before the deposit is made and the contract signed. Never rely on what someone says or promises unless they are willing to write it, in detail, into your contract.

    If your contract says nothing more than 'portable restrooms' then I'm afraid that the construction-site variety will meet that term.

    If you do decide to pull the plug, expect that whatever you have paid to this point is a sunk cost. Check your contract to make sure there isn't an additional penalty. Remember...right now you are the one contemplating breaking the contract, not her.

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  • Kat_
    Super October 2019
    Kat_ ·
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    We had to fire our first venue for similar reasons. We lost our deposit but I’m glad we did it. They lied to us about the decor we could get installed. We have to have it installed before the weekend and get the permission of another couple! Then... They lied about the “rain option” ... when we went to the tasting there were HUGE puddles in the middle of the dance floor (it was a permanent tent outside) and no drainage options. They said “we should have that fixed soon”. And..... They also led us to believe that there was space enough inside in the event of a big rainstorm and there is no way it would have held 150 people. And there were only 2 bathrooms. And one upstairs - without a door.

    Beware though, at least with us, to meet our needs we realized we needed to increase our budget. And let me tell you... it definitely increased. But now we have plenty of bathrooms, plenty of space inside in the event of a rainstorm, no drainage issues, and a big dry dance floor in the ballroom.

    Cut your losses! There’s so many other things to stress over.. your venue shouldn’t be one of them!
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  • Jeanie
    Super February 2020
    Jeanie ·
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    I would definitely not make any more payments to them without all the kinks worked out. To me, a "portable restroom" means that it would be one of those nice trailers with the full functioning bathrooms in them, not a portapotty, but I don't know legally how that would work out. I suggest you read over your contract again and check all the fine print. Maybe there's something else there that can help you get your deposit back. Good luck!

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  • Andrea
    Super May 2020
    Andrea ·
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    I would tell them until you get everything in writing you’re not making another payment. But if you say that, be ready to part ways if they don’t agree. I would try to find another venue. If it’s stressful now, it’s only going to get worse and losing the down payment is nowhere near as bad as your wedding and wedding planning not being a happy experience
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  • Jasmine
    Master August 2021
    Jasmine ·
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    That's really unfortunate. If I were you, I'd definitely try to pull the plug but I see how that can be hard since you said you haven't found anywhere else to go. I literally just sent an email to my current venue about 15 mins ago about canceling with them but not for any of those reasons. Your current venue seems to have major issues and I hope you do figure a way out or that your current venue stops stressing you out.

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  • Alisha
    Rockstar April 2021
    Alisha ·
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    I'm sorry that you are going through that. Look at your options regarding your venue. If you can/or decide to pull out of it, pull out it before it gets worse and continue to look for another venue that you can fit into your budge. You should not be stressed out like this. If you decide to stay with this venue, please make sure that you get everything in writing.

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  • Shanita
    Dedicated September 2020
    Shanita ·
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    It sounds like you should pull the plug now before it gets worse and maybe attempt to take her to small claims court for your deposit back. Also, I would make sure she knows you are leaving a terrible review of her broken promises. But, ultimately...go with your gut. If you feel like you can push past the issues and that this is the place for you...roll with it. Otherwise, go with your gut and cut ties while you're ahead so to speak.

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