Numbers numbers

Hi, I would just get in touch with the venue and ask what happens if you are unable to meet the minimum numbers that you are contracted for. I would have thought they it was in the contract or verbally explained by the venue. I deliberately gave lower numbers for the contract and then we would pay any extra on top when our final payment was due. This was also because I wasn't sure what Covid would be like at the time. This was agreed with my venue. They were also good enough to move our final payment date, so that it ties in with our final detail appointment with our confirmed numbers.

It may be that you would have to pay for the numbers that are in your contract to cover their costs, but just have a chat with the venue and see what they say. Good luck!

To add to the comment above, you also might be able to negotiate with them that instead of wasted plates of food the cost that would have gone towards them could go behind the bar or something? That way the venue still gets the money they were expecting from you but you get to put it towards something you'll actually use.