To be mildly annoyed that some pubs can’t get their head around the fact that even though this is a wedding I’m trying to book, it’s a small affair!

[SweetMarmalade]

I live in a lovely area with some stunning pubs.

I’m having the tiniest of weddings, want to head off to a local afterwards, handful of family coming along.

Manager of one lovely pub, ‘don’t really cater for weddings’doesn’t know what corkage is, thinks we’ll be pissed off dining with the ‘regulars’
Another pub in the area is far more accommodating and knows what they’re talking about but this young manager (and I’m not being ageist here) doesn’t seem to have a clue. Such a shame as the venue is stunning!
I wish I’d just asked to book a table and rock on up!

This ain’t no bridezilla but pubzilla! Why do people fall apart the minute you mention ‘wedding’!

For my legal wedding, I just called a restaurant to book a table for 13 people and asked if they minded us bringing our own cake for dessert. Didn't mention it was a wedding (and we didn't really look like a wedding party as I was 5 months pregnant and wearing mauve) and had no problems. Though we didn't ask about corkage or anything because only 3 people had a drink!

Weddings put the price of things through the roof!

Send your partner along as a "new" person to enquire about a family gathering and book under there name.

@SquigglePigs (great name) that sounds ideal, just what we wanted. Venue with the young manager said there was no scope to move menus choices etc, venue 2 would be able to accommodate.

Think we’ll have to go for venue 2 but the ideal setting is venue 1! but based on venue 1 being completely behind the times and not giving an inch, even though this is mid week, early doors! I’m rolling my eyes BIG TIME!

I work loads of weddings and the things we'd be worried about as a venue is more and more people rocking up and the dining area being taken over, which then pisses the other diners off because it's loud, boozy and the staff are screwed if they say anything because it's someone's big day.
We did do it a few times, in the past and it turned into a nightmare on nearly every occasion, other diners complaining about being in the middle of a wedding - even with the one that was fairly quiet and sedate.
We don't do it now and we insist parties over 20 take the private room for the above reason (we don't charge for the room with 20 people+ if all ordering food) then we can keep everyone happy.

Never mention it's a wedding to anyone you are going to do business with.

@Freddiefatpants totally understand.

This will be mid week, early doors though. Not even 20 guests.

I had a smallish wedding about 35 people. I went to the pub we liked and said could we all just turn up for a couple of hours and put £200 behind the bar and they said fine. They even fenced off a little bit for me and put some balloons up. I did not tell them it was a wedding I said it was a family meet up. Went really well then we went for dinner somewhere else.

(great name) that sounds ideal, just what we wanted. Venue with the young manager said there was no scope to move menus choices etc, venue 2 would be able to accommodate.

So you want to pay corkage and then change the menu?

@slashlover as with any business we talked about prices and whether they could accommodate possibly a soup starter, roast main and a desert for a set price per head! Don’t think that’s too much to ask for a fairly large, well established pub?

As long as the menu choices are given two months in advance should there be an issue?

Perhaps any pub landlords on here could enlighten me?

And just to clarify, this pub does a soup starter, does a roast (on a Sunday) and obviously provides deserts!

if you like the pub that didn't know what corkage is call them back and ask how much for them to order champagne in for you for x amount of guests but don't mention wedding.

In the past when I was running pubs most weddings there has been family dramas, guests expecting regulars to be quiet for toasts and an atmosphere that just turns other custom away (because they feel like they are intruding) so I'd only ever book a wedding reception for regulars because while your guests might spend a couple of hundred quid that night I'd lose more than that by upsetting the regulars who keep the pub going through the quieter months.

Just get somebody else to ring up Venue 1 and re-book the table for “Gran’s 80th”, and never, even mention the word wedding again, surely?

And don’t make a big thing of it, asking for menus etc in advance, just book the table, and bring your credit card to pay for everyone on the day. Buy champagne from the pub, or they’ll smell a rat when you ask about corkage.

mid week, early doors by the way is prime regulars drinking time for some pubs, weekend evenings is when its busy but the steady custom is the ones that are in after work every night.

By early doors I mean REALLY early doors, not after work early doors.

Talking 11ish and then food about 23:30

12:30 not 23:30

Surely the set price per head for meals that are already on the menu is just you adding up the menu total for those items per person? Or were you actually looking for a discount?

No not looking for a discount, looking for a selection of a couple of starters, mains and deserts to choose from for a price per head! Give those options to the guests and then provide pub with choices WELL in advance!

Just again comparing to the other pub that does do another menu again very flexible but has a price per head, so you can choose 3 courses from a menu for something like £25 ph

YABVU: you want a wedding breakfast in a beautiful establishment. You would “blend” in with the other diners, eat the same food but want to bring your own drinks - which is an absolute insult, it’s the selling of alcohol that keeps most of these places functioning. You want a separate or set menu, then to add insult to injury try to deal on the cost.

There will be more noise than usual, as this comes par for the course with larger groups, they will probably need more staff and others will be put off dining there as they feel that they’re intruding.

Also, how do you expect other diners to feel when they hear/see you paying a lower price.

If you want a wedding book a private room or a venue and buy drinks there you can’t have it both ways. However if you want the pub atmosphere etc, book as normal, pay normal prices, accept separate tables and keep the noise down

@kingoftheroad

Two bottles of champagne is hardly bringing our own drinks and we’re hardly going to be the yobs in the corner, making so much noise that the locals will be clutching their bloody pearls. We’ll be with 70 year old (+) in laws! We’ll be very refined! We’ll also be buying drinks at the bar!

Why just because it’s a wedding, do people suddenly assume we’ll be taking over and pub?

*taking over the pub!

What’s the difference between a small (teeny tiny) wedding and a someone’s birthday bash in a pub?

🤨 I still dont understand the issue with the ‘set’ menu. If you want to provide the options well in advance, give the people a copy of the menu to let them choose and just pay menu costs?
TBH it is starting to sound a little cheeky - booking a pub where you bring your own booze, want them to create a set menu for you...this is the kind of thing that makes places charge extra, because you’re changing the goalposts of just a ‘regular’ booked meal.
That said, if you’ve found a place that will accomodate all your requests then it’s a no brainer isn’t it?

I remember seeing a wedding party rock up to the local Toby Carvery! They must have booked because there were a fair few of them.

Seemed to go off ok.