Wedding Banquet - Things to Bargain For

All hotels and restaurants have a standard package, and most of us do not take what they offer. When planning for a wedding, every single cents count, so the more you can get out of your package, the better, since you will not need to folk out extra money for things you know you need.

After you're pretty much decided on your venue, the next thing is to negotiate/bargain with the wedding coordinator for additional throw-ins and perks. Some bride-to-be bargain based on a "check-list" that they find on the web or from advise from their friends. Personally, I recommend thinking about what are the items you really need before you proceed with the bargain. For me, I split my list into must-have (important perks), and good-to-have. The main reason is the wedding coordinator usually have a " budget" to play with for perks, so maximize it by requesting


Must Have:

• More Beer & Wine

this is usually the one that incurs most of the additional costs on top of your banquet rates. If you know your guests are good drinkers, try to get free-flow beer and wine. Not many hotels offer that though, so if they cannot offer free-flow, try to request for extra barrels, extra bottles etc. Most hotels will allow 1 bottle of wine per confirmed table, and extra 1 barrel.

• Corkage Waival

Another hidden cost that can be horrifying, try to request for corkage waival for all wines and hard liquor

• Room for Tea Ceremony

This is crucial for me as I planned to have my tea ceremony in the hotel for most of my relatives. I'm able to get this with no problem with all the hotels I spoke to, but some say "subjected to availability", which i insist they have to put it down in the contract as a must-have item. I will not tolerate "subjected to availability".

Other Good-to-Haves

• Helper's Day Room

This is helpful for your bridesman, grooms to rest/change. But if you're having a luncheon, this may not be necessary since they probably won't have time to enjoy the room. But from my discussion with various videographers, a helper's room is pretty important for them to do up your morning highlights to be shown during the luncheon. This will save them alot of travelling time and not have to rush around like  headless chicken.

• Extra Night? Extra Night on Anniversary?

To me, this is not necessary, but alot of brides love to request for this. no harm asking if you enjoy hotel stays. :)

• Extra Parking Coupons

If most of your guests are driving, you may want to request for more complimentary parking coupon. This is subjected to the venue you're having, as certain venues have limited parking lots and ain't able to be more flexible in this aspect.

Others:

if you really love a particular venue but ain't able to meet it's minimum tables, sometimes, it's worth asking if they can give some allowance. some hotels actually have some room for negotiation in this aspect (unless it's a really popular day and they're in hot demand).

Actually, I don't have alot of requests, partly because I do not like things to be too complicated, and i only request for things I know I really need. Do you have any other items to add to the the list to share with other brides? :)