Bartering

Great I will do, thanks for the advice. And good luck for the big day! not long now, bet your so excited!!

I've not bartered as such but managed to get £500 knocked off our photographer when I said he was out of our price range. I was prepared to walk away but he came back with a different quote/package than standard.

Hi and welcome to hitched. It doesn't hurt to ask, the worst they can say is no.

good luck with everything

We've only booked our venue and car but although we didn't get any moeny knocked off the venue we managed to get them to reduce their minimum numbers from 60 day and 100 night to 55 day and 80 night, which then brought the cost down for us.

With the car he has agreed to hold the 2010 price even though it's another 2 years before we get married and will go up. If you can book quite far in advance I think it does help but just make sure you have everything agreed in writing and that you have insurance.

Definitely try bartering for EVERYTHING, it doesn't always work but it works often enough to be worthwhile! So far I have managed:

Venue - couldn't get it cheaper than the standard price but did manage to book it early and get them to fix the prices at the 2009 rate. I'm going to stay there the night before too and have got them to book a family suite for me for £100 when it would normally be £250!

Photographer - managed to get £150 knocked off.

Florist - got them to reduce the original estimate by £55.

I've never tried bartering before but found it to be a lot easier than I imagined, as long as you are friendly and reasonable with your requests. Mostly I just explain that we are looking to keep costs down, and ask if there is any way we can reduce the total price.

Be prepared to change your plans in order to help the costs - the florist was going to charge us £30 to deliver our bouquets and buttonholes to the venue as our wedding is on a Sunday and they don't have any other deliveries to combine it with. I asked if she would deliver them to our house instead, which is closer to their shop, and Mr Spoon can then bring my bouquet to the venue with him. She was fine with that and as a result delivery is now free!

The other thing you can do is get a few quotes and use cheaper quotes to berter down your preferred supplier. We liked two togs but the one Mr Spoon liked most was a bit more expensive, so I emailed him and explained the situation and he agreed to do us a deal.

Thanks everyone!

I BARTER ON EVERYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had budgeted approx £8k for venue to include our room for wedding night and night before, venue for civil ceremony, wedding breakfast. evening hog roast and bbq.

When we went to get the pricing we were told total would be £11500 because of the menu we'd chosen and numbers etc etc. I told their wedding coordinator that we would have to look at finances and come back to them but would they hold the date for 24 hours for us. I phoned the next day and said we couldn't do it as it was almost double the £6k we'd allocated and we'd only managed to get to £8000 and couldn't do anymore. He said ok thanks for letting me know then just as i was putting the phone down (he clearly thought i was going to back down (LOL) then said actually just wait a moment... 3 or 4 minutes later he said we'll do it for £8500 and we said that would have to include the champagne reception... they agreed! £3k saving on that!

then found a picture of pretty much a perfect match to the cake I wanted on line. She had got it marked up on line at £700, we took to picture to the NEC and met a FANTASTIC lady there who is doing it for £350 (which we told her our budget was AFTER she said she'd do it for £450)

Photographer £1700 but got 2 free albums for the parents.

entertainers we managed to find and few of them would reduce the price, but both of them increased their "running time"

DJ, wouldn't reduce price but got some added extras including a complete recording of all the music he plays on the night

Invites, her pricing was too good and beautiful results that i couldn't bring myself to ask for any money off!

Bridesmaid dresses in Bertex bridal, they will (if you um and ah) offer freebies so when i am ready to order them i can have 2 dresses and get 1 free or 3 and get 2 free and alterations and stuff included!

My engagement ring was made in the jewellery quarter (my sister works in a boutique jewellers and I paid HALF the retail price because standard jewellers high street mark up is 100 %! and they can ALWAYS give you money of so make sure you ask them when getting your rings (if you live near birmingham, i can hook you up with my sisters place she'll look after you!) - that goes for anyone who want rings that are stunning but much less than retail but VALUED at retail pricing!)

sorry for the long post, but it's always good to use a true example I think!

Crooks of it is, IF YOU DON'T ASK YOU DON'T GET! Just be reasonable, reaslistic and realise they have to make money too!