You got the ring! You've picked a date. You've shopped for a dress. Now it's time to choose a reception venue. If there is one thing in planning a wedding which is almost completely negotiable, it's the reception venue. This is a core customer service function so the venue employees are there to serve you ? always remember that!



Basically every aspect of holding a reception can be altered, added, customized or removed to your liking. To get the most leverage out of your beautiful event, consider the following aspects:

Most items are negotiable based on availability. Be sure to ask how many other events are being held on the same day as your reception. If there aren't any other events, or just one or two, your negotiating power is significantly increased. However, if you know the site is packed and you had to wait 18 months to get this location, be prepared to accept what they're offering if your inquiries are met with resistance. The same premise holds true if there is a major community event going on in the same town or one nearby. A large event will cause capacity at all nearby hotels to be quite high so they don't ?need? a wedding there to fill the rooms.

How many people are attending your reception? Generally the more a bride and groom spend at their reception the more room for negotiation they have. Event managers and sales managers are ultimately driven by the revenue they generate, so they're going to do whatever is in their power to make you happy when you're planning to drop a large amount of cash at their location. This is not to say that they don't want to handle more intimate events, you just have more room to move if the event is larger.

Are you utilizing their venue for multiple portions of the wedding celebration? If the rehearsal dinner, gift opening, wedding ceremony or next day brunch is going to be held at this venue, the sales personnel will take into consideration the combined revenue and realize the total potential.

What kind of perks or freebies should you ask for when signing the venue contract and planning the details? It's extremely important to remember that virtually everything at a reception venue is negotiable. You can't have what you don't ask for, so don't be afraid to ask for anything! If they say no, move on to the next item and see where this room to increase your leverage. Be patient, be courteous and professional, and never go in with a condescending attitude. Make friends with your events coordinator and sales manager, if they like you they are going to be more likely to work with your desires!