XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Original post by MalteseMommy
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?
november152008
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
i have never heard of not being able to take the food home...even at the vienesse hour they set up bags for guests to take stuff home and give you all the extra cookies and pastries so what would be the difference with regular food??? many catering halls give you the extra food hmmm definitly demand those extra dinners you paid for them make him show you the documented law in writing saying that this is not allowed...
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Can they maybe give you an extra hour?
oldladybride
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
are you paying for any of your vendors or are they already added to make up for the shortfall in your minimum? If you had an agreement to pay say 1/2 price for any vendors, take them out of that category and make them some of the guests to lessen your missing people. you will at least save those 1/2 price dinners - - if you were doing that, that is.
Summer07Bride
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
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.
That is what the truth of the matter is. Some places refuse to give you anything extra and from a business standpoint, I do understand where they are coming from. Typically they would get extra money for those things, so why would they just throw them in for 'free.' Don't get me wrong, I do understand your position and I would be frustrated if I was 20 people under my minimum. If they are firm on their position, I suggest seeing if perhaps some of your friends can bring dates or perhaps your siblings have a really great friend who you know and they can bring them. One of my guests told me the day before my wedding that they would not be able to come so I allowed my brother to bring his best friend.
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by oldladybride
are you paying for any of your vendors or are they already added to make up for the shortfall in your minimum? If you had an agreement to pay say 1/2 price for any vendors, take them out of that category and make them some of the guests to lessen your missing people. you will at least save those 1/2 price dinners - - if you were doing that, that is.
Thanks again ladies!
Yes I already included my vendors at full price and I am still 20 short. Have asked people to just bring anyone with them and I am still under.
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Thank you all for replying!
I totally agree that this is a business and I will have no issue in paying them what I owe them. I guess my issue lies in the fact that there will be 20 less dinners served, 20 less people drinking and less wait staff (even though he claims that won't be the case). I just figured if I am paying you for dinners, drinks etc that aren't being used he could kind of make up for part of it. I am not asking for the full amount in upgrades at all. I would have been happy with him throwing in the chair covers. And honestly, if he still said there was nothing he could do I would probably get that...I am not asking him to eat the money I agreed to pay...I became most upset when I was told I needed to pay for 20 extra heads but couldn't take the meals I was paying for. That to me screams...I am out to make money and could really care less about the customer service I give you.
Thank you all again for your advice. Most appreciated!
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by iwannabmrsD
Posted by MalteseMommy
Posted by iwannabmrsD
if they wont let u take the food home tell them u want the bridal party to be offered seconds.. that should handle it..
then tell the bridal party to stick soe tupperware in their purses and fill them up before thy leave~!~
okay maybe not the second part but definetly the first!!
good luck!
i do what i can!! lol. bottom line.. dont stress it.. and seriously.. someone's grandma can carry soem tupperware in their bag.. u know granny's had those supersized pockets books way back before they were fashionable!! LOVE IT!! That is great!!!!! Thank you for the laugh!
hahahahahah So true!
Meaghan729
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
I was under by about 20 also. my BM really did try to get my extra throw ins, but I got a really great price when I negotiated, so she said there wasnt anything she could throw in.
I did get to take home the dinners though. My mother is a restaurant manager and said there is no board of health law that she knows of that says you can't take home food.
LuckyMe
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
When I was younger and worked at JT we were told to tell the guests the same because some RH dont have a restaurant type licensing, so they are not aloud to let you take the food off the premises. That could be the case here. I dont understand why they couldnt upgrade you alittle more than $300.
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by Meaghan729
I was under by about 20 also. my BM really did try to get my extra throw ins, but I got a really great price when I negotiated, so she said there wasnt anything she could throw in.
I did get to take home the dinners though. My mother is a restaurant manager and said there is no board of health law that she knows of that says you can't take home food.
Thank you for this info!!!!
My BM is really pushing too. She is a doll. I have to say i didn't push hard when I signed for a better price...mainly because I liked the place. I wish now I would have pushed harder. I did get things 'thrown in' but no more so than the other halls were willing to give me if I signed there. So bummed!
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by LuckyMe
When I was younger and worked at JT we were told to tell the guests the same because some RH dont have a restaurant type licensing, so they are not aloud to let you take the food off the premises. That could be the case here. I dont understand why they couldnt upgrade you alittle more than $300.
Thanks for this info too. That is what they are saying..'they aren't a restaurant' And that is fine...but to only offer me less than $300 in upgrades (one of which I told them I didn't want even before we started talking about being underthe minimum) just doesn't seem fair to me. In essence I would be getting a $100 upgrade...for the price of 20 heads. I don't know...just seems a bit greedy to me.
Thanks again for all of your replies!
Snowflake08
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
i dont know if the laws changed, but when my sister got married they absolutely gave my parents the dinners of 'extra' guest i think my mom paid for 160 and they had 145 show
you are totally right you paid for those meals and should be entitled to them
who can we ask that would know for sure??
JimmysPants
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
What health code is it violating? I would really like to know. It sounds the same as going to a diner or restaurant and being told you cant bring home your left overs!!??
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by Snowflake08
i dont know if the laws changed, but when my sister got married they absolutely gave my parents the dinners of 'extra' guest i think my mom paid for 160 and they had 145 show
you are totally right you paid for those meals and should be entitled to them
who can we ask that would know for sure??
Thank you for this info!!!
aprilv
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
HI, I'm in the middle of writing my review but I was under and they gave us the option of putting the dinners we were under toward another upgrade and we would pay something towards it or we could take the dinners home in the form of whole fillets of meat and they wrapped it all up and we picked it up the day before. Matt even wrapped up the sauces they use and we just froze the meat and with OOT guests staying at our house they cooked the veggies and potatoes and ate it. Good Luck!!
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by aprilv
HI, I'm in the middle of writing my review but I was under and they gave us the option of putting the dinners we were under toward another upgrade and we would pay something towards it or we could take the dinners home in the form of whole fillets of meat and they wrapped it all up and we picked it up the day before. Matt even wrapped up the sauces they use and we just froze the meat and with OOT guests staying at our house they cooked the veggies and potatoes and ate it. Good Luck!!
Thank you so much for this info! I should have got married at your hall!!
HeatherRose
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
If everything else fails.. I went to a wedding as a seat filler once, it was awesome! And we gave a gift.. well $$.. we hardly knew the couple but a lot of friends were going and the week before she was under her minimum by a lot, and figured I'm not just going to give the hall the $$ and they refused to give her the meals or throw in anything.. so she ivited whoever they could..GL
Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
Posted by HeatherRose
If everything else fails.. I went to a wedding as a seat filler once, it was awesome! And we gave a gift.. well $$.. we hardly knew the couple but a lot of friends were going and the week before she was under her minimum by a lot, and figured I'm not just going to give the hall the $$ and they refused to give her the meals or throw in anything.. so she ivited whoever they could..GL
Thanks so much! I was thinking of this as well. I definitely would tell them not to give a gift but part of me felt bad saying...oh hey I have extra seats..want to come?! But then again...if someone I barely knew asked me and all of my friends were going I wouldn't mind at all. Thanks for the advice!
ETA: I wonder if she got married at the same place!
iwannabmrsD
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Re: XP: Am I being unreasonable? A little upset with my reception hall and could use some advice
