A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Hi Ladies!
Hoping you can help me out here with a question I have. I am under my minimum by 20 people at my reception hall. I fully understand that I signed a contract and am liable for the full amount of people. I am not asking the hall to eat the money I signed on for. However, being 20 people under I really feel the owner is not working at all with me here. We are talking about a significant amount of money being spent for nothing. I asked for upgrades..not the full amount of money I am spending on 20 people but something that wouldn't make me feel like I am throwing a lot of money away. I was offered less than a $300 upgrade. I then said that if they couldn't work with me a bit more I would just wrap up the 20 dinners I am paying for and will take them home with me. The owner said I am not allowed to do that because ' it is against New York State health codes to send home the extra dinners with you.' My question is...does that sound right? I am paying for 20 extra people...including their dinners...and I can not take them home with me? Am I being unreasonable here? Again, I understand I committed to a number but to then tell me I can not take home the meals I am paying for and only offering $300 in upgrades? So it really is just throwing money away. The owner then said that i was given stuff when I signed...but every hall I looked at was willing to 'give me stuff' if I signed a contract with them.
I have seen many brides on here say they were able to wrap the number of dinners that were under their minimum to take home with them.
I won't say where I am getting married...in hopes that we can find some kind of solution...but I am pretty upset with this situation.
I will say though I may have the best banquet manager in creation. She is really trying to help me out here and I am super lucky I have her. But I am not feeling this owner right now...he is a bit unreal to me!
Do you ladies think I am being unreasonable?
margaretk
Posted:
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
i'm so sorry you have to go through this! i'm not sure what recourse you have, and no, you don't sound unreasonable in your requests, but i honestly don't know what the right advice would be... it sounds like you're trying to work through it with them, so i'm sure some sort of compromise can be reached... i hope for the best!
maybe you should post this on the 'brides helping brides' thread...
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by margaretk
i'm so sorry you have to go through this! i'm not sure what recourse you have, and no, you don't sound unreasonable in your requests, but i honestly don't know what the right advice would be... it sounds like you're trying to work through it with them, so i'm sure some sort of compromise can be reached... i hope for the best!
maybe you should post this on the 'brides helping brides' thread...
best of luck to you...
Thank you so much! I know I have no recourse but I just thought that he would be nice and work with me a bit. Thank you for the hugs. I am so upset about this!
HamptonsBride
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
since when is taking food home from a restaurant against a health code??? I take my leftovers home all the time and...my RH wrapped up a bunch of food for DH and me at the end of the nite for our wedding...sounds like he just doesn't want to be bothered...you could always donate those dinners to an organization that feeds the homeless...i know our RH did that with leftovers...just a thought...good luck!
Mich0621
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
I would tell the owner that if it were against NY State Health law, first, why would resturants allow you to take your food home, why are takeout resturants allowed to do business, and most importantly, show you the section of the law where it states that you cannot take home food you paid for. Also, I would tell them that if they won't either give you those dinners or comp you in some way that you will report them to the Better Business Bureau. I understand a minimum is a minimum, but why can't you have the dinners you are paying for? I don't get that
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by HamptonsBride
since when is taking food home from a restaurant against a health code??? I take my leftovers home all the time and...my RH wrapped up a bunch of food for DH and me at the end of the nite for our wedding...sounds like he just doesn't want to be bothered...you could always donate those dinners to an organization that feeds the homeless...i know our RH did that with leftovers...just a thought...good luck!
Thank you so much! I am more than happy and willing to donate the dinners...i would prefer to do that to take them home with me. As to why i can't take it home (and this is the part that annoyed me) is b/c 'it is not a restaurant' (would like to know what it is then since they are preparing the food there!) 'they could not send the food home with me' (anything that needs to be refridgerated) but he will send me home with cookies and pastries from my VH. Um ok?? Not sure if that means they have no fridge there or what!
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by Mich0621
I would tell the owner that if it were against NY State Health law, first, why would resturants allow you to take your food home, why are takeout resturants allowed to do business, and most importantly, show you the section of the law where it states that you cannot take home food you paid for. Also, I would tell them that if they won't either give you those dinners or comp you in some way that you will report them to the Better Business Bureau. I understand a minimum is a minimum, but why can't you have the dinners you are paying for? I don't get that
My thoughts exactly. I get that i signed a a contract and he is expecting a certain amount of money. However, to then tell I have to pay for these 20 extra people who aren't attending and THEN tell me I can't take then dinners home...that is when I got annoyed!
kahlua716
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Here is a copy of the health codes for Food Service Establishments:
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
I just looked over that section, and I fail to see anything prohibiting the packaging of prepared food to be sent outside the facility within the regulations. Does anyone know if I am possibly missing the section? Because if not, you can let them know that there is no section that prohibits this act...they are not lawyers and do not have the right to draw analogies from black letter law...imagine if you went over the minimum and told them this was all you were paying for because the people over the minimum planned not to eat?
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by Mich0621
I just looked over that section, and I fail to see anything prohibiting the packaging of prepared food to be sent outside the facility within the regulations. Does anyone know if I am possibly missing the section? Because if not, you can let them know that there is no section that prohibits this act...they are not lawyers and do not have the right to draw analogies from black letter law...imagine if you went over the minimum and told them this was all you were paying for because the people over the minimum planned not to eat?
Thank you so much hun! So helpful! i am so worked up about this whole situation!
2Be1
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
I am so sorry you are going through this and no you are in no way being unreasonable . . . you should put that hall on blast
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by 2Be1
I am so sorry you are going through this and no you are in no way being unreasonable . . . you should put that hall on blast
Thank you! If the owner continues to refuse to work with me I will definitely be posting where I am getting married. I don't want to say who they are just yet b/c I am really not out to bad mouth them. I would just like him to work with me a bit on this.
PegaLega
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
If I remember correctly....the reason they can package your food when you go out to eat is b/c you have already inspected it and its up to your standards. Where as...taking meals that are just prepared and walk out is different-you havent had it in front of you-stupid
I could be wrong. But I know this was an argument that we had too. We were able to take the food that was placed in front of us but not the food for the empty seats.
They should be at least giving you something...and if they arent being flexible they are being unfair.
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by PegaLega
If I remember correctly....the reason they can package your food when you go out to eat is b/c you have already inspected it and its up to your standards. Where as...taking meals that are just prepared and walk out is different-you havent had it in front of you-stupid
I could be wrong. But I know this was an argument that we had too. We were able to take the food that was placed in front of us but not the food for the empty seats.
They should be at least giving you something...and if they arent being flexible they are being unfair.
Thank you! I may ask them to 'place' 20 extra plates in front of me...then i will wrap them and take them home!
Jennifer907
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
My hall gives us 10 dinners to take home, so I don't understand why they can't do that for you. They're being rather ridiculous, but at this point, I would just take the upgrades they're willing to give you and enjoy the day!
BrideInBlue
Posted:
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
we asked our hall about this when we booked and were told that if we want them that the dinners for anyone who dosen't show/under our minimum would be wrapped up and we could take them home. It sounds like they are just trying to save themselves money/time on your dime. I would call them on it!
cuteauburnininny
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
i was at a wedding last weekend and the bride and groomwere able to take plates home and so were there guests we were able to take our dinner home. i agree it sounds like they just don't want to do extra work if they don't have too
Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Ladies...thank you all so much for your replies. I really appreciate it!!!
dkny117
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Re: A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Hi! I would definitely be persistent in asking them to wrap dinners....you might not get all, but you are paying for them...
Look at the positive side... The ended up being short 3 or 4 people for the minimum, and 'ate' the cost, but I was happy; if all 185 guests I had anticipated RSVP'd 'yes', the room would have been too cramped for my taste. Don't cancel!!!! You'd regret that more than anything.
It's hard taking money from parents and loved ones, especially when they have already given you so much over the years...but your wedding day is their dream come true also.!!
