Renting out an event space vs hotel or restaurant?

853george

Hello - I just got engaged and am looking at venues for a fall wedding. Originally i didnt want to have it in a hotel b/c wanted to have a unique space but now am likin gthe idea of a 'one stop shop' where i can just get everything done in one place vs having to hire a caterer, bring in chairs, etc.  Plus some of these places charge 10k just to rent the venue! I haven't run all the numbers yet but does anyone have any suggestions on whether it could be cheaper to pay for an expensive space and then find your own caterer and florist etc at cheaper pricing vs just doing it all at a hotel or restaurant that takes care of everything. Pros/cons would be great to get!

LegallyBlonde217

My reception was at a venue and we got all of our vendors separately.  It was SO much more expensive than having it at a hotel.....even the most expensive hotel around (downtown in a major city).  What makes it so much more is the hidden charges that you don' t think about.  After you pay for the items/services, you usually have to pay for the time they spend setting up, their parking, etc.  That being said, our reception was beyond AMAZING!! 

Congratulations and good luck!

omgitscasey

Were getting married in a church and having our reception at a hall.. Initially we were going to do an all-in-one but the place made us use their caterer and FI and I both got pretty sick after the food tasting. So that was definitely a no go.

That being said, if you could find a place that does all-in-one (or even some of the things) you should definitely think about going that route. It will be much less stressful to deal with one or a few vendors, then having lots of them.

epritchard

I was particularly concerned about people driving drunk after my reception, so I decided to have it in a hotel.  The "uniqueness" of any space isn't worth someone getting hurt.  That being said, I can't make everyone stay the night there.