Under the minimum.

VioletRays

Thinking ahead, what happens if your RSVP amount to less the your venue's minimum? FI & I have set our budget, made a guest list and is planning around that. Our guest list is now at 185 Our first choice venue has a minimum of 150 adult guests at a certain per-person price (kids and vendors are a reduced rate because they will not be drinking) We have planned for 100% RSVPing yes but know that's unlikely. Thinking college friends all over the country, extended family, other commitments, we feel that we'll probably fall short, possibly significantly. We expect the final head count to be somewhere between 160-140 What do we do if our final head count is only 120? 

lyndausvi

Ask the venue for upgrades.  Better bar package, more apps, etc.

vanityink

You can generally just pay for the difference. (for example, my venue has a $2000 food/drink minimum for the time/day. If the guests only end up eating/drinkin $1780 worth of food ans drink (though that's unlikely) they would just charge us the $2000 anyway.

kmmssg

Yup - negotiate upgrades on your package.

lauralaur

Generally what they really care about is that you're spending a certain amount of money. We came in under our minimum and added a number of appetizers to cocktail hour. If your headcount is under, just call your venue and see if you can negotiate upgrades.

VioletRays

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_under-the-minimum?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:9915e28d-b420-4d5e-8fbe-d448dc414a7dPost:5a026480-b3a4-4045-b471-40a1d84be502">Re: Under the minimum.</a>:
[QUOTE]You can generally just pay for the difference. (for example, my venue has a $2000 food/drink minimum for the time/day. If the guests only end up eating/drinkin $1780 worth of food ans drink (though that's unlikely) they would just charge us the $2000 anyway.
Posted by jessicadall[/QUOTE]

<div>Paying the difference for 5 I'd do. Paying the difference for 30 empty seats is another (that's what I'm worried about). I'll hope they allow upgrades, at least then I'll feel we arn't paying for nothing. Thanks. </div>

PJSPJS

Our venue is also doing upgrades (but we're only few people under the minimum guest number).

NadzB

I agree try to see if you can get an upgrade that might be the best solution you have

K Everdeen12

Ask your venue about it.  Mine won't let us upgrade if we don't reach the minimum.  So if we only get 160 people (minimum is 175), we're paying for 175, period, and we can't make up the difference with more apps or stations or anything.  It kind of sucks.  If we don't think we'll reach the minimum we will probably be offering +1s to the singles in our groups.  (Actually, we'll likely invite most people with a plus one in order to avoid this if our final guest list is closer to the minimum than the maximum.)  

NOLAbridealmost

Our venue did a food and beverage minimum rather than a set number of guests minimum so we just ramped up the quality and quantity of food and bar.  If your venue won't work with you at all, I'd tell guests that they can bring an additional friend or something if they'd like. I would never just pay for 30 people who aren't there. 

lyndausvi

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_under-the-minimum?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:9915e28d-b420-4d5e-8fbe-d448dc414a7dPost:1bdd0ef1-6409-4dd6-9559-13e5ac26b1c0">Re: Under the minimum.</a>:
[QUOTE]Our venue did a food and beverage minimum rather than a set number of guests minimum so we just ramped up the quality and quantity of food and bar.  If your venue won't work with you at all, I'd tell guests that they can bring an additional friend or something if they'd like. I would never just pay for 30 people who aren't there. 
Posted by NOLAbridealmost[/QUOTE]

<div>I wish more venues did it as anF&B minimum than a per person.  Because basically that is all it is.  They really don't care if you have 'x' people or not, they just want a certain $$ amount.   </div><div>
</div><div>People get really freaked out if they don't hit a certain person amount.  But they rarely get freaked out about meeting a certain dollar amount.</div><div>
</div><div>It's all how you word it and how you view it.  Since I'm in the business I would view the minimum cost of the wedding is what the minimum is.  If I come under in guests, so be it, the cost is the cost.  If I go over in guests I pay additional.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>And whoever said they will not let upgrade, that sucks.  If you were a few people off, I get not upgraded (the costs of a few dinner plates are not likely to go very far with 100 guests.) But if you are more than 10% under, that money could easily go towards something.</div>

s-aries8990

Violet, contact your vendor today and ask them about upgrades and if the person minimum is to secure a certain F&B minimum.- As someone stated, upgrade apps or the bar, or maybe add a special dessert/late night station (I went to a wedding this weekend that upgraded their bar -Grey Goose? Yes, please!- and had a late night exit snack for the shuttle ride to the hotel

OwningAHome1981

Will your venue count the vendors in the guest count? Our venue says that if we don't hit our miniumum they will count the band and photographer as part of the guest count to bring the number up. I mean, those people have to eat anyway. You should ask about that.

VioletRays

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_under-the-minimum?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:9915e28d-b420-4d5e-8fbe-d448dc414a7dPost:b4ca320d-7270-47bb-b363-00aefd0d2bf0">Re: Under the minimum.</a>:
[QUOTE]Will your venue count the vendors in the guest count? Our venue says that if we don't hit our miniumum they will count the band and photographer as part of the guest count to bring the number up. I mean, those people have to eat anyway. You should ask about that.
Posted by OwningAHome1981[/QUOTE]

<div>That I know is a no. Vendor & child meals are a lesser rate since they are not drinking the 150 minimum is at the full price.</div>

Daizy106

If you have a minimum # of guests to guarantee, most likely what will happen is you have the pay the minimum expenditure. For example, my venue requires a minimum of 150 guests for a Saturday event. We have a guest list of about 130 give or take. SO regardless if i show up with 10 or 130 guests, as long as they get paid the minimum amount they don't care how many people you will have.