Minimum spend wedding venues

From a previous post of mine:

So, a summary (excluding the 10 or so people buying 'premium'): 45 ish guests drinking regular stuff (soft drinks, beer, wine, vodka tonic and similar) between 7-midnight cost around £1.6k at the bar. What's that? £35 a head on a bar tab for evening drinks. Not too bad.

Now, my drinks costs were higher than yours, and my group are fairly high spenders when it comes to alcohol...but we can make a start.

My guests drinking regular booze cost me around £35 per head for 5 hours in the evening. Stretch that say 6 or so hours for your extended time, so maybe £50 per head.

Boy and I will routinely spend £200 at a wedding day/night. Sometimes more.

So I don't think you'd be too far off to think that 90 guests will spend maybe £5000?

Minimum spend FIFTEEN THOUSAND POUNDS!? Is this normal!?!?

I think you made a typo... otherwise find somewhere else because £15000 is rediculous

£15k isn't that out of this world - many venue bills will come to that once you take into account venue hire, food, drinks etc. I have no idea what our bar bill was but our spend without that was £11.5k so I can't think it would have been far off.

However, £15k for a pub on a Friday does sound a bit expensive. I would say the bar bill might take up £3k-£5k of that.

No £15,000is not a typo. But we have seen food / drink packages at around 70 to 100 a head at hotels so it all adds up and this venue is nicer than some of the hotels. That is why I am wondering about bar spends as this will determine whether we pay it or not.

Thanks for the help so far.

Nor is it ridiculous (or anyone else's business...)

We had a minimum spend venue. We had exclusive use, ceremony room hire etc, drinks reception, canapes, lots of wine/beer/etc, three course dinner, cigars, £1.6k at the bar, evening buffet, seven rooms. We spent, across the total number of guests, £150 per head. If, as you plan to, you remove the chunk that is formalities (ceremony room hire etc), our minimum spend per head would have needed to be higher.

You are already at a possible £200 per head (based on 75 guests). I don't know what the venue is, but is it possible to spend that much per head without just doing it for the sake of it?

Flash?

I think it really depends where you are as to how much your venue will cost. I live in Derbyshire and generally things are a lot cheaper here than somewhere like Oxford, for example. £15000 does sound a lot to me, our estimated venue bill, inc. food is around £5000 but it depends how much you think your family and friends will drink! I would suggest asking some of you closer family members how much they would expect to spend throughout the day and then work out from that what you think an average guest would spend. But you could also ask the pub? I would think they could at least tell you an average of what others have spent in the past?

But of course you also have to think how much you want to go there I think if I had my heart set on a venue I would be willing to pay a little more than the average!

That's it we don't want to spend 200 a head which is why we were trying to work out how much people would spend. If they would spend enough then it would allow us to treat guests to a nice drinks reception, lovely food, some included drinks, cheese etc at a lower cost than a hotel. I know pub doesn't sound like much but it's actually really pretty. It's just a really busy pub in August because of the beer garden so I can understand their request!!

Oh, I didn't mean it in that way!

I meant more the Friday thing than anything else but completely understand them needing to cover their losses.

It sounds gorgeous - can we see a picture?

We went through our potential costs, added up likely dinner costs, reception costs etc, in order to see if, in the event of a shortfall, we would be prepared to stick the difference behind the bar to make it up (the venue suggested this).

As it happens, we powered through the minimum spend barrier, so didn't need to worry about guest spending going towards it...

When you do this - when you price up your meals/canapes/drinks/buffets etc, how much are you looking at? It's one thing to be prepared to spend a difference of £1k, less ideal to be in for an extra £3.

If I'm honest, it sounds as if the pub is putting it out as more of a guidance - is this possible? They don't want to shut up shop for £5k but they might let you off at £13k?

Really? really?

Friday in a pub for £15000... ive never been to or even know of any real wedding (obviously not tv/magazine/blogs) that cost that much over all for everything (and yes I talk about weddings a lot with people) let alone for just venue and food - generally shocked that people are justifying that as normal... Ive had a quote for hiring a castle with food, music, basic photography and drink for less than a 3rd of that ?

if you have the money and its what you want fine but its an awful lot, maybe look around and see your options

Have you looked at other venues, just so you have something to compare the price to. Does the pub have rooms that are included in the price? I agree that it's up to you how you spend your money but at the same time you don't want to get ripped off. What part of the country do you live?

Thanks. I live in Leeds, Chapel Allerton about 3 Miles out. There are no rooms onsite. I would need to check whether cake stand / covers etc are included of course. It's a tricky one which will just take some maths I think!

The third time of asking - we will get grumpy if you don't feed up photos. Any venue pics/links?

Ahh I'm Leeds (albeit south not north)- I want to know where it is now!

I would recommend doing as Footlong suggested - getting their price list and pricing up the the wedding as you would have it (food, drinks etc) and seeing what that comes to. Then you've got a starting point of the minimum they're going to get from you. Once they know that, you will be in a better position for any negotiations on minimum spend.

You haven't seen anyone here talk at this budget level? Unless this site counts as your tv/magazine/blog exclusion?

I have looked at lots of pubs and most have come in at 5-6k min spend, this is in London too. So 15k does seem quite high and I wonder if they set it that high because they don't really want to do private hire? A couple of places told me they don't like to close because it puts people off dropping by and loses them goodwill/business in the long run. Anyway just a thought! We worked out that our 60 guests are likely to spend about 1.5k at the bar and the food will be around 3k, so we couldnt even meet the 5k min spend requirement!

That seems such a lot of money. I'm having mine at Thorpe park spa in leeds. It's a shire hotel. I'm paying around 5k for my reception that includes one hour drinks on arrival, all name places, tables cloths, canapés 3 course meal, unlimited wine with dinner, band sparkling wine for toast, buffet for the night, postage for all my invitations, DJ at night, cake stand and knife, flowers for tables and in room were we are marrying, 8 week unlimited spa and gym use for OH and myself, a spa day for myself and a guest, one year anniversary stay overnight. Sure I've not listed everything. Guest get a discount if they want to stay the night in the hotel. That's for 50 day and 120 at night. Children four and under are free.

i was wondering if I had got a good deal or not but for a 4* hotel I'm pleased now.

Cant you look around to see if you can get another venue cheaper? Good luck.

I have to confess that I am now very surprised at the minimum spend, given the location in the UK. Not saying it's not posh or owt, had just assumed it would be London/South East.

H3len that sounds like a bargain! Good deal! Thorpe Park is lovely too!

Isn't the *average* meant to be around £25k?

OP - disregard any comments about how much you are spending which are't constructive or tailored to specifics or what you are opting for. It is a relative thing and to some £5k would be horrifying, to others it will be £10k, or £25k plus.

My venue didn't have a venue charge, but a minimum spend of £100 per person for 100 people. I would have been thrilled to keep it to that by my total spend on venue, food and drink was about £17-19k. It's for no-one else to judge.

Sorry if I have missed it, but what do you think you are spending on food and drink? what will the surplus be to be covered by the bar?

I think to some £15k sounds a lot when you say the word "pub" and not a Saturday, but maybe the word pub doesn't do it justice and it is beautiful and as you suggest rivals or outshines other swanky venues in your area.

Also, always worth trying to negotiate with the venue to see what you can knock back on the *rack* prices.

WSS^^ I love Thorpe Park, I have been there to stay several times ;-)

but that's an average - you can have 10 people with a budget of £1000 and 1 with a budget of £100,000 the average is then worked out as £10,000 but this doesn't reflect what the majority had spent

I live under a mile from Chapel A! Really want to know where it is now!

My first guess...The Mustard Pot?

Some good advice given already.

If you let people know what the venue is you may get some advice from other brides getting/got hitched at the same venue.

Good guess! I love your ring too - really similar to mine! If you live locally do you have a venue?

Thanks, couldn't think of anywhere else as nice. It's my fave place to go in the area - you are right, it has a lovely feel and pretty gardens, especially when it's dark with all the lights. That said if I'm honest (and this is coming from someone who loves it there) I think £15k is very steep for what you get. I guess their justification for this price is that they are very, very popular and in the summer particularly on a Friday eve/night they will be rammed and will make alot of money.

It's a shame there aren't any rooms they can offer so you can have exclusive use of the whole place for a day and night then enjoy the morning after breakfast too. If I was you, don't rule it out if you love it, but have a look around and see what else is about.

I do have a venue but it's in Gloucestershire! We aren't long time locals. I moved up here for work a few years ago and have decided to go south again for the wedding. Having said that I'm not from Gloucestershire! We are from Berkshire but have friends and family scattered all over so just picked somewhere we loved.

Good ring choice!

Ah ha, my stalker-like Googling suggested The Mustard Pot as the most likely option...

OK, regular starter/main/dessert prices £6/£12/£6 (used as a guide for everything else).

Canapés/half bottle of wine or equivalent for drinks reception £8/£8, so £16 per head. Total for 90 guests £1440.

Dinner cost pushed up for a wedding, you're looking at £8/£18/£8, so £34 per head. Chuck on a few quid for coffee, so £37 per head. Total for 90 guests £3330.

Wine with dinner, let's be generous, a bottle each, £16 per head. Total for 90 guests £1440.

Evening buffet, say £12 per head. Total for 120 guests £1440.

Cost so far £7650.

That, my lovely, is a hefty shortfall on the minimum spend. Add my previously estimated £5k bar bill to take you to £12650. It's getting there....

To be honest, it seems like they are chancing their arm.

As FTLOMB maths shows I think they are chancing it OP. I don't want to P on your bonfire but I don't think people will walk in and think 'wow' enough to justify the price. Sorry.

Just to put it in perspective, we are spending a similar amount on exclusive use of a barn venue feeding 75 people a 3 course dinner, up to a 100 people an evening buffet, 3 cottages sleeping 6 each and 4 double rooms (2 of the cottages for 2 nights), the registrar fees, canapes, reception drinks and wine with the meal in expensive West Country on a Saturday in August.

Are you after my columbo crown?