Did you 'settle'?

my favorite hall is out of our budget-we have our 2nd choice; but i'm hestitant to book. My heart is set on the first one but at almost $20more pp++ we just can't cover the costs...i guess i just need to put my feet firmly on the ground and get out of the daydream. Just don't want to feel like i'm settling for the place that we can afford??? I've looked EVERYWHERE there is to look (for reception halls) just don't know what to do??

FH wants to book to lock in the date so we don't have to worry about it not being available but i'm thinking we have 22 months-is it really gonna go that fast?? Plus he wants to lock in the hall & date so that we have a firm goal to save towards. I just say keep saving; we have to save no matter where we book so if the money stays in my pocket longer than so be it....I'm just stuck with the 'What IF's' WHAT IF i find something better i like; WHAT IF my 1st choice miraceously lowers their price for us closer to the date; WHAT IF; WHAT IF WHAT IF I'll go crazy over this!! AAAARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

Sorry ladies-i just don't know what to do!

what was your top hall?
maybe we could help you find one similar with a better price point for you and fh?
IMO if you feel so much with the what if's you shouldnt book it just yet...

hth!
xo

My TOP choice is Wesbury Manor.

i would not book the hall that's $20 more per person ... that's a huge difference, if you ask me.

BUT, maybe you can negotiate with them ... tell them you can't afford it and ask them to lower their price a bit ... or go for a less popular time (don't have a summer wedding, have a sunday wedding or an afternoon wedding, etc) ... or maybe if you raised your guarantee they'd lower the price?

once you book, don't regret anything ... remember that a reception hall is just that - a hall ... the wedding ceremony is what matters, and your love for one another!

Don't get me wrong-i also liked the 2nd choice-but i just can't get WM out of my head!! When FH& I went a few weeks ago I was pretty much sold and was eager to book but then Westbury manor called us back after i thought they were out of the running (offered us better prices to switch months to winter and that's not really what we want) I think it's more a personal thing that i need to get over than anything else.

I've looked everywhere in long island; queens & even jersey over these past 7 months. This has been a lenghty process. I have quotes from everywhere! Our 2nd choice is really our 2nd choice b/c that's where we'd do it hands down if we coudln't have it at our top choice.

I know it probably sounds confusing! I guess it's just disappointment in not having my 1st choice- BUT i guess that would be the same as if i went and they didn't have our date and we couldn't switch it for any other reason...

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Posted by AwaitingAugust

i would not book the hall that's $20 more per person ... that's a huge difference, if you ask me.

BUT, maybe you can negotiate with them ... tell them you can't afford it and ask them to lower their price a bit ... or go for a less popular time (don't have a summer wedding, have a sunday wedding or an afternoon wedding, etc) ... or maybe if you raised your guarantee they'd lower the price?

once you book, don't regret anything ... remember that a reception hall is just that - a hall ... the wedding ceremony is what matters, and your love for one another!

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Thanks That's just what i have to realize-at $20 more per person that's an extra $3.3K we're on a budget and just can't swing the extra costs...

I tried asking about raising the minimum but that really wasn't an option they were saying they were offering us the best price possible. I've already decided to have an afternoon wedding to save $$ and I would move the season but too many other factors; i really wanted a fall wedding; but if we move it to the winter that pushes us into 2012 and i work in accounting and am super busy the 1st 3 weeks of the year; plus i would have exhausted all my time in the 1st month; and then we have the weather as a variable-what if there's bad weather etc. We'd feel more comfortable staying with the fall.

I would speak to Felicia at westbury manor. She is the manager and she is really willing to work with you. She really worked with us and work it out so that we could afford everything. She also threw in extras for us. I would let her know you really love the place and dont want to get married any where else and is there anything in the world she can do to help you....

DONT GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAM LOCATION

Thanks I will. I have been dealing with her and Natasha-I'll see what i can do but i've already expressed my concerns over the budget-they're just out of our price point...the best they were able to do to get us into our price point was to have the wedding in the winter months...

I guess i want it all!! LOL! I want the hall at the time of year that i want it! but i got to come up with the $$!! And i refuse to go broke or go crazy trying to come up with the money. Our 2nd choice is a comfortable decision finaically. And it is still very pretty and I'm sure we'll have a great day.



Thanks for all your great opinions and kind words ladies!! You are all really the best in getting through emotional breakdowns! LOL!

what is you 2nd choice?

My 2nd choice is the Swan Club.

And I think it's a great hall. The ladies on here that are/did getting married there rave about it. Plus the price they offered us couldn't be matched by any other place! which is also why it's our 2nd choice (well his 1st; my 2nd) We've gone twice already and liked what we saw both times. Guess WM is always in the back of my head! I've got to shake it out!

is there any way you can still book at WM but cut back on $3300 in other places? of course, that really means you have to be strict with your budget and not ever go over ... so just be careful

another possible option is to invite less people?

Obviously, i'm not sure if either one is an option for you, but who knows


ETA: ooo, maybe you can ask them to give you less options (ie: if they normally give 5 passed hors douvers, ask for only 3 or 4, etc)

I went with my first choice, and it's $30 more pp and 30 more mimimum, so I can't talk (but some of my family loved the hall, and did offer to cover part of the difference)

I think it's defintiely doable to cut the $3.3K out of the budget elsewhere. Take a look at the ENTIRE budget and look for places to cut.

Something else to note- Most of the time, you don't pay the full balance on photo and video until AFTER the wedding..that right there can be over $3K that you won't need until alter. If you were factoring ALL of photo and video into your budget, maybe take out the final payments. You'll have a few months after th wedding before you pick up albums and DVDs, so you can save the money up then.

You could also just book basic photo and video and upgrade the package AFTER the wedding, saving you money on the amount of your deposits as well.

Can you cut you guess list a little?

I am sorry chica....
Hopefully u can get the WM for the price that is withing ur budget...
Im sorry i am not an experience person with CH but maybe negotiation till they give u a better price...


Hope everything turns out good!

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Posted by Notwedyet08

Thanks I will. I have been dealing with her and Natasha-I'll see what i can do but i've already expressed my concerns over the budget-they're just out of our price point...the best they were able to do to get us into our price point was to have the wedding in the winter months...

I guess i want it all!! LOL! I want the hall at the time of year that i want it! but i got to come up with the $$!! And i refuse to go broke or go crazy trying to come up with the money. Our 2nd choice is a comfortable decision finaically. And it is still very pretty and I'm sure we'll have a great day.



Thanks for all your great opinions and kind words ladies!! You are all really the best in getting through emotional breakdowns! LOL!

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Yeah, I settled.

My dream hall was Stage 6 at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. Abigail Kirsch is the exclusive caterer and while I thought they were working with them on the price, she was really being kinda shady. But I digress.

Like you said above, you want it all. What it comes down to is what is the most important thing to you? The place? The season? The day? The year?

You could always move it to an off day- Thursday, Friday, and Sunday weddings are always cheaper. Or you could move it to an off month. Or if you absolutely will not budge on any of those three things, you could postpone it until 2012. I know that any/all of those options are unappealing, but then you'd be able to have your cake and eat it, too. And it'd be a breeze to save up the $$. Again, it all comes down to what's important to you.

Now that I have made my choice, I 110% do NOT regret it. I had my head in the clouds with my dream venue, but I had to be realistic about what we could afford. Now, I can actually afford extra stuff like a photobooth and a candy buffet and a dress that was a little over my budget.

Another thing to think of is- at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, it's not going to matter where you had the party but just that you married the man you love surrounded by your nearest and dearest.

Sorry this was so long, hope it helps!

Good luck!!!

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Posted by jilliibabii


Yeah, I settled.

My dream hall was Stage 6 at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn. Abigail Kirsch is the exclusive caterer and while I thought they were working with them on the price, she was really being kinda shady. But I digress.

Like you said above, you want it all. What it comes down to is what is the most important thing to you? The place? The season? The day? The year?

You could always move it to an off day- Thursday, Friday, and Sunday weddings are always cheaper. Or you could move it to an off month. Or if you absolutely will not budge on any of those three things, you could postpone it until 2012. I know that any/all of those options are unappealing, but then you'd be able to have your cake and eat it, too. And it'd be a breeze to save up the $$. Again, it all comes down to what's important to you.

Now that I have made my choice, I 110% do NOT regret it. I had my head in the clouds with my dream venue, but I had to be realistic about what we could afford. Now, I can actually afford extra stuff like a photobooth and a candy buffet and a dress that was a little over my budget.

Another thing to think of is- at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, it's not going to matter where you had the party but just that you married the man you love surrounded by your nearest and dearest.

Sorry this was so long, hope it helps!

Good luck!!!

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THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I think that's what FH is getting at...that we wouldn't be settleing with our 2nd choice; but that amost $4K extra cost could (1) be saved (2) go towards other things that make our day special in addition to the food & bev and (3) we don't have to cut back on things and then make the wedding lack in certain areas because we had to pay the extra $4k!

I didn't settle on the venue - i had to settle on the date b/c i didnt have a choice (the date we wanted was taken).

But in the end - as another bride mentioned, the place really doesn't matter. IMO i would rather 'settle' for a place and have money left over to do some really KICK A$$ things that would make our wedding our own and no one elses. Also - saving that money by 'settling' you can uses it towards an amazing honeymoon or your home or the future of your children.

Every woman in some way dreams about their wedding day - but i wouldn't think you would be settling by any means - IMO you would being doing you and your FH a favor by doing what you are comfortable with.

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Posted by WeezyGirl2354

I didn't settle on the venue - i had to settle on the date b/c i didnt have a choice (the date we wanted was taken).

But in the end - as another bride mentioned, the place really doesn't matter. IMO i would rather 'settle' for a place and have money left over to do some really KICK A$$ things that would make our wedding our own and no one elses. Also - saving that money by 'settling' you can uses it towards an amazing honeymoon or your home or the future of your children.

Every woman in some way dreams about their wedding day - but i wouldn't think you would be settling by any means - IMO you would being doing you and your FH a favor by doing what you are comfortable with.

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I agree with u...