How much would you expect to pay for this? Wedding related

[Trying321]

Posting on behalf of my best friend who is planning a wedding.

Venue is central London and overall quite expensive. A room for the day which is beautiful and then a separate one for the evening do which had a dance floor and needs dressing a bit. It's a corporate function room holds about 200 people, dance floor then carpet floor and a bar. Very standard.

She wants to dress it up a bit. The venue say for any lightning requirements it has to go through their sister company. My friend contacted them for a quote for drapes around the far wall and 16 LED up lighters. I don't know if we are incredibly out of touch or if they're trying to rip off my friend.

How much would you expect that to cost?

Also- does she need it, or will the DJ light do the trick?

Very grateful for responses here!

Having done this relatively recently we paid over £2k for lighting. As to whether it's needed, that's a personal decision but really good lighting does totally transform a venue. If you're having lighting then it does take time to set up and that's where a lot of the cost comes from. When we did it they were setting it up from 10am ready for 5.30pm.

The original quote was £9,000. She's bargaining them down now.

Friend had those type of lights for a party recently and rental was £80 each but they set them up themselves.

£9000??

I'm all for having the wedding you want if you can afford it etc, but that is a ridiculous price and definitely not worth it.

My sister got drapes for her wedding in the summer; it was a regular church hall and she got two walls done. I think it was well over £1,000 just for those. Even including your London uplift and the lights, that still seems a bit steep. I suppose they can charge what they like, they effectively have people over a barrel.

She isn't paying the £9,000. They are now saying £4,000 for a drape and the up lighters. Is it worth it or should she save the money and not bother?

I wouldn't bother, that's ridiculous.

Let's put it this way, no-one ever going to say, "Wonderful wedding, and those drapes were to die for!"

Unless a massive transformation is required I think she could forgo the drapes and go on a great honeymoon instead.

The 9k is for more than the lighting though. Venue in central London. Use of two corporate function rooms, them dressing one room with drapes, and hiring/setting up lighting. Doesn't sound too off the wall to me.

Our quote for draping was £850 so we didn't use it and the venue had some lighting we just added extra so £4K sounds about right. Up to her if she does it although I think lighting can make a real difference to the atmosphere

Squirrel - I think OP is saying lighting and drapes are £9k extra from venue cost

Seriously, no guests will give a shit about drapes or lighting. Or favours, or chair covers for that matter. In any other scenario, would your friend seriously consider that 9k (even 4K) was a reasonable price to pay to hire some lights and pieces of material for ONE DAY? You could buy a car for that money.

Not a chance!!! They're not even paying the electric bill lol

£9k?! Fuck a duck!!

This makes me feel a whole lot better about the spiralling cost of my own wedding

squiggle the 9k is for lights and drapes only. Venue is completely separate.

There is absolutely no reason to use the venue's in house company if you are just bringing in some LED up lighters yourselves. They always peddle this shite but you can do whatever you want. It only might become an issue if you are hanging anything like truss and rigging from the venue as this is more likely to have insurance issues etc. You should be able to get an LED up lighter for £30 or so if you are willing to transport and set them up yourselves. You can get battery powered ones which are really easy. That being said. Drapes and star cloth £4k is probably quite reasonable especially if it includes a couple of guys to install and remove.

I got some fab mini rotating disco lights for 6.99. They throw out loads of multi coloured light and can be turned off. They are incredibly light and about the size of a grapefruit. Put one of those on each table and flower garlands in the windows

I'm probably asking a very stupid question but why is your friend even thinking of paying £4k for someone to dress 'a very standard corporate function room'? Wouldn't it be better to spend the £4K on a room that is nice already?

KC that's a great idea thank you.

NotAngelina It's all part of one venue- basically the main room for the day is very special but doesn't have a dance floor so this room is used for the evening. It's not awful or anything just a normal function room.

They may not allow you to dress the windows and tables yourselves. They will say it's because of insurance and fire etc. Has she paid them anything already? I'd be tempted to ditch them. 9 grand indeed!

Trying123 The lights are called gizmo Global Crystal ball disco lights. They are battery operated. They were recommended to me and they are greatly