am I being thick or is the wedding venue taking the piss?!

[Floss881]

So we've booked one of the top venues in the UK for our wedding. Today we received the dreaded payment reminder we'd been waiting for:
"This is just a quick reminder email to say that your venue hire fee payment of £4250 is due on or before the end of November.
The original £1500 booking deposit is deducted from the final food / drink / accommodation balance payable 6 weeks prior, NOT the venue hire fee at this stage."

"I was like whaaaaaat, since when couldn't you use the "venue" deposit against the venue fee?!". Their response was that it was in the t&c's. However, I dug out the t&c's and the only mention of the deposit was in the payment schedule:
Deposit.... £1500
6 months before... Full venue fee (£tbc)
6 weeks before... Final balance (£tbc)
I think that's pretty ambiguous... There is no other mention of the deposit in the t&c's but the booking form describes it as "venue deposit". The venue director also claims that he sent me a confirmation letter on receipt of deposit with the policy indicated, which I swear I've never seen!

It's not the end of the world, just annoying before Christmas. I've asked the venue if they would accept Full and complete payment in January- 5 months before the wedding, so waaaay before the 6 weeks required (for food and drink) in exchange for using the deposit against the venue fee, which they have so far refused. Has anyone else had this? Are they just being dicks?!

Needs*

Just seemed this way to me. Like this is a "big, extremely expensive" thing in her opinion.

In all fairness it's not just a cone of chips in the park now is it?

This is her wedding, to her it is important.shes excited about it.

Weirdly people get excited about shit like that. Chances are she's reserched venues and chosen one that for what she wants is considered to be a top venue. that could be for any number of different reasons.

I had my writing paper delivered today the bill was a little more than expected (it's a twice yearly order I make that has been the same for a decade) I rang them to clarify why. It dies not mean I can't afford the paper.

need

I'm honestly not sure why you're this defensive . I'm certainly not saying that the OP shouldn't be excited about her wedding, not sure where you get this from.

Oh well, it's your choice to interpret my statements however you want.

Why are you moaning, that's cheap for one of the top wedding venues. Isn't it.?.

I'm not really sure I am being defensive but that always makes a great put down when someone disagrees with the majority.

I just think this thread has gone tits up hostile and people are ridiculing the op when it is not warranted, which happens lots usually quickly when people post about anything about their own wedding finances unless it's a registry office quickie followed by a free tea party or a who should fund what one.

People feel they need to either rubbish the venue, ridicule the op accuse her of stealth boasting or being broke and it's unplesant

Oh and being excited about her wedding venue is relevant.

What I would consider a top venue may be very different to what you may in exactly the same way that someone else may consider somewhere totally different and the places we think are may not even be on their radar.

It may be a top venue in her area, or for her budget, or out of the other venues who provide a perticular style of event or a specialist service.

For all we know it could be the leading provider worldwide in snakes and ladders themed weddings.

I wasn't trying to ridicule the OP. Seriously, I guess I might have been subconsciously worried she was paying more than she can afford.

I absolutely agree, there's no way I'll post anything about our own wedding finances.
Mumsnet aibu is sometimes very harsh.

I think it's great the OP is excited. And I'm not ridiculing her for having found the perfect venue. (I wish I could have chosen ours. But DH's family and mine have traditions....)

Hear hear Needs.

Just marking place to find out how you know if a venue is "one of the top venues in the UK"

good

That's certainly according to the OP's and the OP's partner's own wishes and taste...

Oh, OP, it's really annoying when a top UK wedding venue writes "Full venue fee" on your payment schedule and it turns out they meant "Full venue fee" instead of "Partial venue fee"! I don't know how places like that manage to keep their top UK wedding venue status when they pull nasty little tricks like not meaning 'partial' when they say 'full'.

It does look like they must be in financial trouble, or why would they set out your payments accurately? Most top UK wedding venues with secure finances would definitely make their payment schedules hard to read and complicated.

I think you should definitely complain to the top UK wedding venue about their lack of ambiguity. They'll probably be really grateful you pointed it out.

They might have a better offer & so are making things more difficult with you to 'move you along'.

I don't get the confusion.
Surely the deposit is to secure the date. If you need to cancel between now and the date then they won't really be able to rebook the venue. However the food etc won't be 'lost' so no reason to have the deposit against them.

Hi Floss, I can see why you would be confused if you thought the deposit was just for the venue, however I would have read your contract as paying the full venue amount now and have seen the deposit as a deposit for the whole event. I would just pay it if you can and reschedule when you were planning on buying other items. Don't let it get you down. Now should be a fun time to anticipate your wedding and it sounds as if it is going to be lovely. Enjoy the planning and don't get too stressed. I hope you enjoy your big day. Ours went pear shaped but was still magical.

Ah just pay it then it's paid for you don't have to worry about it anymore!

I don't think the OP was stealth boasting or being snotty when she referred to ut as being a top venue. I think she just keant that she expected more clarity or better customer service from a place which is supposedly good at this sort of thing!

It is a lot of money to find if you were expecting something less, esp with weddings being so expensive generally and with Christmas coming. No need imo for the nastiness on this thread.

So one of the top U.K. wedding venues only charges 5k? Bargain.

Well done Lola. I think that one has been done to death.

I think that's a bargain price for a top venue, shamelessly place marking to find out where it is as one is planning a wedding and I'm not fancying the Holiday Inn

What areas are you looking Misskittykat
There's some amazing places in the Lake District that are really reasonable.

I echo other posters comments that actual top venues would have a zero on the end. That's why I misread it as £42k initially. Your venue fee seems fairly middle of the road price wise for weddings these days. Wording seems clear too. Cough up.

Donald

True, but it also really depends on what the OP wants/needs....
Maybe she wants a venue with an easily overseen playground for children. Or maybe she wants her guests to have the opportunity to go swimming. Or she wants the wedding to be on an organic vegetable farm surrounded by rescue animals. With vegan food, obviously.

Or she wants her horse to be at the wedding... ("surprisingly" common).

Which would affect what the OP sees as a "top venue".

There are actually quite a few weddings with horses...

But I myself am also a bit unsure why the OP is this surprised/upset.

Honestly, I'm pretty sure if the OP posted the same post with 3 figure prices, not 2, people would have been bending over backwards to help. In mumsnet world weddings, must be held in the couple's front room and cost pennies.