Discovered today our venue is advertising cheaper package- advice?

I fear you won't have any comeback. This happens to us all the time in ticketing - a show goes on sale at full price, closer to the time it isn't selling so they start offering deals and discounts, and customers who have already paid full price get wind of it and complain (in fact one chap once called me a thief, yes that's me personally, cos I make these decisions obviously!) But we tell them tough. You know when you buy a dress and then you go back in the shop a few weeks later and see it reduced...it's like that. Annoying, but when you bought the goods/services you agreed to pay the stated price, so it's not like you didn't have the option to hang on and see if a discount would be offered nearer the time. (And yes I know waiting is not really feasible when you're trying to plan a wedding, but there it is.)

Frustrating but a very sad fact of life. You accepted and we're happy with the price when you booked because it gave you what you wanted and certainly of the booking. With only a few weeks to go it's all a gamble. ID is right I think you'll just have to accept it. It don't let that stop you trying. They prob won't reduce the price but might throw something else in.

Agree with the others - these things happen, as annoying as they are. But negotiation is certainly worth a try, as you never know.

I agree with what's been said. I know in our venues contract it states 'prices at time of booking'.

Your wedding insurance won't cover this.

The best you can hope for is to come across as such a lovely couple that they make some allowance as a goodwill gesture.

So many venues make last minute booking discounts... ours is doing it this time this year, but it'll be to help fill in the dates not yet booked. I mentioned to the OH about trying to take advantage of this for a more expensive venue we loved, but he wasn't keen on not having any dates set in stone (coward! )

Worth the ask thought

Balls. I was expecting you all to say that but having my negative thoughts confirmed has now left me feeling kind of crappy. If it was a couple of hundred, I'd swallow it. But factoring in the extras in the package i.e. DJ, PA system/lighting (we were going to source all of that ourselves, minus the DJ and just use Itunes), teas and coffees etc, it is literally a couple of thousand difference. Just think of the honeymoon we could have had with that! Or it would have gone towards an extension on the house :-(

Wish we hadn't seen it now! Will I be able to forget this or continue to be bitter about it? I've got 5 weeks to suck it up. Or maybe by some miracle they will take pity on us and throw in some extras? Should I be nice as Paula suggests or threaten them with bad press?

Definitely be nice! Explain you've seen their deal, understand these things hapeen, and how much extra you're paying by having it all separately, smile sweetly and ask if there's any way they can do you a deal to sweeten the blow for you. After all, if they can do it for £x they still must be making a profit, so they can afford to compromise a bit

I think of it this way - if we hadn't booked the date now, we almost definitely wouldn't have had the date we have and there is no way we'd have felt as secure without the date all set etc. I doubt it would be easy putting it off until now and never quite knowing when you were getting married I know your date isn't a peak date, but do you think you'd have managed to book everything if you were only just getting a date now?

Don't get bitter. Ask the questions and see what happens, but otherwise you're still getting the day you were expecting. Also, consider all the questions you'd have gotten if you were someone booking right now for this year? Not worth the bother!

Threatening them with bad press is unlikely to help - they know they haven't done anything wrong and will say as much. People threaten us with the local paper, trading standards etc sometimes but when we know we're in the right, we just say "okay then!"

Deffo be nice - if you get upset only you will suffer hun and you want to have a wonderful day and need to ease the stresses now. Ask what they'll do. Say you were gutted when you saw the offer and feel upset, but don;t threaten them. They haven't broken any of their side of the bargain or done anything wrong.

Is the deal for those booking their wedding to take place in the next few months?

This. Deffo be nice, but don't ask don't get , worth a try

So up until you saw this poster you was happy with the deal? well this should still stand. its a pain in the ass but don't let it get to you otherwise you'll resent it and feel bad towards them on your day and not enjoy it completely that's worse than loosing this money. also just think you got to pick your date this offer is probably very limited.

There's no grounds for bad press. You don't go into topshop and complain because a top you bought a few weeks ago is now half price in a sale. Yes it's gutting but it's all perfectly legal and within their rights to offer a discount. Also just check that special offer might be for other months etc. so are you sure it even applies to your date?

I'd ask at least.

Our venue was offering an all-in-one package that was cheaper - if you booked within six months of your day. We were just under eight months away and asked if we could get it anyway. They said yes if we booked that day, which we were happy to.

I know it's a different situation but you might as well try!