my stupid wedding venue!

[doodle]

we went with our venue specifically because their alcohol policy was so laid back and their price for the package we got included everything except the food and flowers...or so we were told! now they''re trying to say that "setup fee", which is included in the $5000 we paid, does not happen to include setup of a bar, and that''s extra. they also told us originally that we could bring in our own bartenders without any fees as long as a staff member was onsite to supervise. now they''re saying we must pay per bartender per hour, and the bartenders must be of their staff. their "all necessary fine china, glassware, etc" doesn''t include barware, so that''ll all be plastic. when i asked her about colored linens, she said, "oh yes, no extra charge for any of our house linens, which is these" and handed me a ring of swatches (which i "accidentally" stole to use to coordinate everything else, so maybe my karma''s biting back now or something), but apparently, house linens only includes black, white, ivory, and chocolate. finally, they''re telling us we''re going to have to do our rehearsal the day of the wedding (because everyone has time on their wedding day to throw an extra few hours around.

HELLO! traditional over here! am i going to blindfold my FI so he doesn''t see me before the wedding? it''ll be a rehearsal stevie wonder style, GREEEEAT!)

what really burns my butt is that some of this is even written in our contract, but according to them, the state laws on alcohol have changed, thus affecting some of their policies. okay, even on the one item that could be an issue for them, us bringing in our own bartenders, the law says they must be licensed. I KNOW 10 DIFFERENT LICENSED BARTENDERS AT LEAST and they''ve been bartending a lot longer than the elderly couple who runs my venue! sorry; just had to rant for a minute. ggrrr...

 

[scm1012]

What does your contract say?

 

[doodle]

i''m extracting the pertinent bits and pieces so as to not relay my entire lengthy contract!

-Staff will have facility completely event ready at least two hours prior to the ceremony.
-The consideration for this leasehold shall be a total rental and service fee of $5000 which
includes linens, cleaning and setup, and wedding direction/coordination.
-Rental and service fees include use of the facility on the day of the event/function, use and
setup of facility according to selected layout, floor length linens in your choice of 33
colors for up to 20 60" round tables and 4 8'' banquet tables, blahblahblah.
-Lessor requires that the rental of china, crystal, tableware, and chargers be done through
them to ensure the high quality of these items and prevent breakdown in communications or
delivery mishaps on the part of another rental agency (my package clearly states that china,
flatware, crystal, and chargers are included for up to 160 guests; it also says that "clean
up, setup, and tear down are included).
-It is the responsibility of the client to see that all city and state laws regarding the use of alcoholic beverages are followed. Alcohol must be dispensed by a licensed professional.

i think that covers the areas where i''m getting peeved. do i have any ground to stand on here or is the contract worded too vaguely for me to be able to do anything?

 

[Elmorton]

Refer them to the contract - it''s not vague at all, btw - it says they''ve included set-up, etc. Tell them that if they refuse to adhere to the contract, that you will no longer be bound by it either and will expect full refund of what you''ve paid and will no longer be holding your wedding there (you might want to be actually willing to do this, though...). OR, tell them that you have a contract with them, and that your lawyer will be dealing with them directly if they choose not to abide by it. OR, pay everything now to keep your wedding afloat and then litigate in small claims after the fact.

 

[Pandora II]

I know EXACTLY how you feel!

Hold out for what you agreed for - threaten legal action (in a nice way) if necessary!

 

[LegacyGirl]

You have a contract and it''s very clear. Remind them of this, pleasently at first. Get pushy if they seem to not be getting the point.