Anyone else having second thoughts about venue?

BoLuvsChris

Hey girls... Sorry this is long but I really need advice!
Lately I have been thinking alot about my wedding venue. We booked the Ruthe Jackson Center in Grand Prairie a month ago and now I am questioning if I made the right decision. The place is very pretty, it has a nice garden for the wedding and a grand ballroom for the reception but it was NOT my first choice. I was IN LOVE with the Aristide in Mansfield but that was the first venue I saw and I was sure I couldn't afford it. On top of that the people were kind of "snobby" there. Now that we have booked the RJC, I am ending up spending enough on little extras that I really could afford Aristide if I gave up some other things. Is this just cold feet or should I consider it? I just want my wedding to be perfect... very upset.

btweety04

You should go for what you really want, you only get a wedding once (well, for the most part). If the Aristide is what your heart is truly set on, then go for it. But be aware that in changing venues you will most likely lose out on deposits.

Having said that, my first choice of venue was already booked and I was dead set on it. But then we ended up booking with the VCC and it worked out way better than the original place in mind.

So you have to decide if it is worth moving locations. Good luck to you though.

fallbride1109

Well first of all, is there any money you could possibly lose if you cancel?  Is Artside available on your date?  Is it worth giving up those things for Artside? 

You are very early in your planning and there are so many other "little extras" that will come up along the way no matter what the venue is.  Make sure you aren't pushing your budget for a venue unless you are sure you can afford it.  Also make sure you explore any hidden charges that Artside may have that you are not aware of.  Thoroughly evaluate all the pros and cons before you switch.

I do know what you mean though.  I loved Arlington Hall but at first glance figured it was out of the budget (and I also got a snobby tone from them).  Now that my wedding is all said and done, it probably wasn't as much as I thought.  However, the venue we chose is so much more "us" than AH ever was.  I am glad now that I discounted AH and got married at a venue that was special to us and had meaning.

aeliza06

I changed my mind about my venue after I booked it and I am so much happier that I did. I did lose one of my deposits, but they gave me back my security deposit since I cancelled within 90 days of booking with them. I say if you are going to cancel, the earlier the better (and maybe the more willing they will be to work with you on refunding any of your deposits). 

I agree with PP though- definitely go with what you want- you only get to do this once and will have the pictures forever! Of course the focus is marrying the man of your dreams and committing the rest of your lives together, but doing so in a pretty setting doesn't hurt either 

crash2729

Artiside makes you have a one million dollar insurance policy on their property. You are aware of that right? (Just making sure. It shocked the crap out of me when i read it.)

Are you wanting it outdoors?

If you really want to switch then doing it sooner than later is always best. However, you might want to wait a couple of days and see how you feel about it then.

MsLaura31

We changed our venue and lost our deposit. But we did it because the owner misled us and then treated our DOC and me like crap. Like, yelled and called me crazy. (My fault for wanting to know why the lawn was 2 months overgrown and there was trash in the parking lot when we drove by on a Saturday in June.)

If it was just that I liked another place more... eh... I dunno. I wasn't IN LOVE with our replacement venue at first, but it turned out to be absolutely perfect.

MarieSD

There have been a couple of ladies on the board that changed their minds about their venue -- it happens.

I think Stephie said everything I wanted to say, and better than I could. Especially the part about making very, very sure you've done ALL the monetary calculations and you're 100% sure you can afford it. (And, if possible, give yourself quite a buffer zone.)

Give yourself some time. If whenever you think about your chosen venue, you have a bad feeling and/or can't get  the though of the other one out of your mind, then I'd definitely look into the financial aspect of switching.

bsn1752

I agree with Stephie.

I understand this dilemma.  I had second thoughts about my ceremony venue and I actually ended up switching and I'm SO GLAD I did.  In the end, you don't want to regret anything.  Think about your vision and what you can afford... and make your decision.

Best of luck!

juliebug1997

Picking a venue is very difficult.  I really wanted to have mine at the Belo Mansion but I was very happy with Maggiano's (where we had our reception).  I hope you'll find your venue and good luck if you continue searching!

juliebug1997

PS:  I was looking at your bio and I saw you were considering stephanotis.  I really wanted that too but my florist said that a few stems would add quite a bit of cost so just giving you warning not to be shocked. 

BoLuvsChris

Thanks Ladies! I would lose out on my deposit if I switched but its only 500. Dont get me wrong, 500 is alot but not if its worth it. I went over every single cost for aristide and even those hidden fees. If I switched I would have to give up practically every little detail, no photo booth, less decor, generic linens... but if I saty at RJC I can do all of that and more! Plus the planner, Cheryl is so sweet and making planning my wedding there fun. I think I will stay at RJC and just try to "fix" the things that make it not as perfect. One of which is that the "bridal suite" is a suff board room with NO MIRRORS!?! If I could tackle that i think I would be 100% happy!

Oh and the 1000000 insurance coverage is about 200 bucks at aristide.

bsn1752

Your bio is very pretty, but it looks so familiar to me! Did another knottie make it?