Another question about wording!?

Knottie79829663

Hey guys. Quick questions.. How should I let my guest know that they may be a possible cost for parking? I don't have an exact number for parking cost because our wedding is downtown and if there is a sports game then parking could go from $8- $22 even with the valet service. Any suggestions?

mikenberger

Knottie79829663 said:

Hey guys. Quick questions.. How should I let my guest know that they may be a possible cost for parking? I don't have an exact number for parking cost because our wedding is downtown and if there is a sports game then parking could go from $8- $22 even with the valet service. Any suggestions?

If there is no free public parking available at your venue (or within a reasonable walking distance), you should really be footing the bill for your guests parking. Your guests shouldn't have to pay for anything to attend your reception. Can you talk with your coordinator at the venue to see if you can get a break on parking and parking passes?

Maggie0829

Knottie79829663 said:

Hey guys. Quick questions.. How should I let my guest know that they may be a possible cost for parking? I don't have an exact number for parking cost because our wedding is downtown and if there is a sports game then parking could go from $8- $22 even with the valet service. Any suggestions?

Will your guests be parking at your venue?  If so you should be covering those costs, not your guests.

Maggie0829

And if for some reason there is no parking at your venue then you should coordinate with a nearby parking garage to reserve spaces and cover those costs for your guests.  Then you communicate with your guests where the complimentary parking is located.

Knottie79829663

Maggie0829 said:

And if for some reason there is no parking at your venue then you should coordinate with a nearby parking garage to reserve spaces and cover those costs for your guests.  Then you communicate with your guests where the complimentary parking is located.

No parking lots or even the valet at the hotel could give me an exact cost on how much parking would be because they don't know if there would be an event. I thought about renting a parking lot but the surrounding lots wouldn't allow us to rent them because they would loose money for the time that we would need the space.

southernbelle0915

I would make a map of the area and highlight available parking lots indicating how much each costs. Use it as an insert.

Maggie0829

Knottie79829663 said:

Maggie0829 said:

And if for some reason there is no parking at your venue then you should coordinate with a nearby parking garage to reserve spaces and cover those costs for your guests.  Then you communicate with your guests where the complimentary parking is located.

No parking lots or even the valet at the hotel could give me an exact cost on how much parking would be because they don't know if there would be an event. I thought about renting a parking lot but the surrounding lots wouldn't allow us to rent them because they would loose money for the time that we would need the space.

Then you need to budget for the highest possible cost for the valet at your venue.  Then note in an insert that complimentary valet parking is available at your venue.  Hopefully you get lucky and no event will be occurring the day of your wedding.  But if not, you will at least budgeted appropriately so that you know that you can cover the necessary costs.

I would estimate one car per two people.  Then if fewer cars are valeted for your reception then you should get a refund for the amount not used.

ETA: When is your wedding?  Sporting events and other large scale events should be known by the city many months in advance so these parking garages as well as your venue should have some idea of what the parking will cost the day of your event.  I am not saying you are lying, but I do think that people may be just being lazy or may be wanting to hike up the price last minute so that they can make an extra buck off of you.

ShesSoCold

I agree with PPs that you need to pay for parking.

At our wedding, the venue had its own garage. When you pulled in, you got a ticket and you paid when you left. H and I bought pre-paid tickets that guests took as they left the wedding and used instead of the one they took when they pulled in. We estimated high and ended up with several extra parking tickets, but that's better than making people pay for their own parking.

If your venue can't give you an estimate or let you pre-pay, see if they'll just run a tab for the valet service for your guests and you can pay them at the end of the night. 

Jen4948

You cannot politely put any wording into an invitation indicating that guests have to pay for anything, including parking. You need to cover the cost of parking at the hotel yourself if you want guests to take advantage of the valet parking there.

Knottie79829663

Thanks ladies I think I am going to go with the map idea on the parking garages. If I could afford to cover the parking cost I would but that isn't going to happen lol.

ShesSoCold

Knottie79829663 said:

Thanks ladies I think I am going to go with the map idea on the parking garages. If I could afford to cover the parking cost I would but that isn't going to happen lol.

Make sure you add "lol" at the bottom so everyone knows how little you care.

Knottie79829663

I don't think that it is about how much I care, like I said if I could afford to pay for parking I would. And I don't think it is completely unreasonable to ask guest to pay for there own parking if you let them know about it ahead of time.

And my wedding is in June in downtown Cleveland. As far as I know the Indians have an away day and I'm not sure if basketball would still be going on (people here still have high hopes because LeBron is back). We did recently contact another parking lot but they told us the same thing about it would benefit them more to just let guest arrived at their leisure than it would to let us reserve or rent the space.

mikenberger

Knottie79829663 said:

I don't think that it is about how much I care, like I said if I could afford to pay for parking I would. And I don't think it is completely unreasonable to ask guest to pay for there own parking if you let them know about it ahead of time.

And my wedding is in June in downtown Cleveland. As far as I know the Indians have an away day and I'm not sure if basketball would still be going on (people here still have high hopes because LeBron is back). We did recently contact another parking lot but they told us the same thing about it would benefit them more to just let guest arrived at their leisure than it would to let us reserve or rent the space.

Then you should've chosen a reception venue that had free parking or parking you could afford. But that's come and gone. It's rude for your guests to pay for parking because you chose a venue with a parking fee. It's not their fault that you chose the venue, so I'm unclear why you're so nonchalant about charging them parking. Is it a huge deal in the grand scheme of things? Probably not. It's just not being a very gracious host.

southernbelle0915

I'm on mobile and can't search right now but I don't believe we normally advise that people have to pay for parking. If the wedding is black tie, they probably should. But if someone is getting married in a city, as long as parking is available (not like that bride who had a space where there were only enough parking spots for 1/2 her guests and the next closest place was like a mile away), I don't think the B&G HAVE to pay for it. If I'm a guest attending a wedding in a city, I don't expect valet or for the B&G to reserve a parking garage.

I will look for threads later...

MairePoppy

As a guest, I wouldn't expect to pay for parking in a venue's parking lot. But if I parked off-site, I wouldn't expect the bride and groom to pick up the tab for that, anymore than I'd expect them to pay for my breakfast before the wedding. The problem, as I understand, is that you're offering valet service at the venue's door and the cost would vary depending on where the valets park cars. The guests have no control over the cost of parking, right? I think I might try to eliminate the valet.

My daughter's wedding was in a city. Her venue had a small free parking lot, but offered validated parking for a large lot nearby. She posted the info on her wedding website.  Knottie#s, have you asked your venue for suggestions?

Are you hiring transportation for you and your wedding party the day of your wedding? We skipped the fancy limo, hired a 10 passenger SUV, and used that as a shuttle to pick up guests who preferred to leave their cars at the hotel. The driver also shuttled guests between the ceremony and reception. We had a mandatory 5 hour minimum so we made good use of it.

@Knottie79829663, would you please choose a new screen name. All these Knottie #s  screen names are confusing.

southernbelle0915 said:

I'm on mobile and can't search right now but I don't believe we normally advise that people have to pay for parking. If the wedding is black tie, they probably should. But if someone is getting married in a city, as long as parking is available (not like that bride who had a space where there were only enough parking spots for 1/2 her guests and the next closest place was like a mile away), I don't think the B&G HAVE to pay for it. If I'm a guest attending a wedding in a city, I don't expect valet or for the B&G to reserve a parking garage. I will look for threads later...

Maggie0829

Knottie79829663 said:

I don't think that it is about how much I care, like I said if I could afford to pay for parking I would. And I don't think it is completely unreasonable to ask guest to pay for there own parking if you let them know about it ahead of time.

And my wedding is in June in downtown Cleveland. As far as I know the Indians have an away day and I'm not sure if basketball would still be going on (people here still have high hopes because LeBron is back). We did recently contact another parking lot but they told us the same thing about it would benefit them more to just let guest arrived at their leisure than it would to let us reserve or rent the space.

Then you did not plan appropriately.

Jen4948

Knottie79829663 said:

I don't think that it is about how much I care, like I said if I could afford to pay for parking I would. And I don't think it is completely unreasonable to ask guest to pay for there own parking if you let them know about it ahead of time.

And my wedding is in June in downtown Cleveland. As far as I know the Indians have an away day and I'm not sure if basketball would still be going on (people here still have high hopes because LeBron is back). We did recently contact another parking lot but they told us the same thing about it would benefit them more to just let guest arrived at their leisure than it would to let us reserve or rent the space.

Letting your guests know in advance about the parking situation does not negate the rudeness of expecting them to pay for it. You planned badly and your "they'll understand" dismissiveness of their needs does not come off as gracious or caring about them. No amount of advance notice would ever make me "understand," let alone accept, being expected to pay for anything at someone else's wedding if I'm supposed to be a guest.