Requesting an estimate from a vendor....

ride0rdie

Is it rude or wasting a vendor's time to  ask for an estimate 5 months before you are ready to book a wedding that will be happening in 2016?

Should I be upfront  about not being ready to put a deposit down?

The estimate is for venue and catering and full bar service from all the same vendor.

beethery

Unless this place is EXTREMELY popular and in high demand, I'd say your best bet for an estimate would be to wait a few months. You could certainly email and ask about availability and their wedding packages now. That way you at least have an idea of their prices and what to plan for.

You could also mention that you're hoping to book in 5 months, and if they think their pricing might change in the months ahead.

twitterbird

I would be upfront that your are getting quotes/package information and availability from several different vendors in order to determine who fits your needs the best. I like to get several quotes for everything before I book so I know if I'm getting a good price for what I'm getting.

blabla89

I think it's fine to ask, as long as you're open about the fact that you're just gathering information and not ready to book for a while, and not leading them on or anything. Vendors are used to answering these questions. It's the trade-off for not posting pricing on their website. @beethery has a good point about asking if prices will change, since you're looking so far out.

JoanE2012

Some venues can book up to 2 years in advance depending on the venue and time of year.   I see nothing wrong in asking for a quote if they are giving out 2016 pricing info.  No one should expect a deposit immediately.  You are simply doing research and are trying to find out if you should add it to the "I can afford" list or the "no way in hell" list.

JellyBean52513

To add to what PPs said (because I was once in your shoes, wanting information kinda far in advance), some vendors might be stingy with their quotes. I got the run-around from a few when I was venue shopping, being told things like "We'll need to schedule a consultation before we can provide a quote, as our packages are uniquely tailored to each and every couple so we don't have a set price to quote you," or "Our prices fluctuate with the season, year, etc. so we won't be able to give you an estimate or a price guarantee at this time unless you are ready to book."

As PPs suggested, be upfront with vendors and if you get a response like this, ask them to provide the quote for a wedding they recently did with same number of guests, day of week, season, time, etc. If they still refuse, thank them for their time and inform them that since you need to start building your budget now and you have no idea how they might fit into it since they won't provide you with any helpful information, unfortunately you won't be able to consider them as a possible venue from this point further. I bet you get some price quotes

ride0rdie

Thanks ladies, I just edited my email and sent it.