Parking question

wedgirl853 · March 2013

Hi,

I am getting married March 30th, 2013. The venue is a restaurant and has no parking lot of their own - on-street parking only. It is in a beach town and parking is free off-season (March 30th is off-season). There are plenty of parking spots around the restaurant and off-season is never a problem with parking in that area (during the summer is a different story). There are also other parking spots around the town, but a walk away.

I found out after I booked the date, there is a comic book convention going on at the convention hall right next to our venue. It goes from 10 am to 6 pm. (our ceremony is at noon).  I asked the township and they say they expect about 2,000 to 2,500 people to attend the convention.

My wedding is small (about 60 guests and some people will travel together). I'm worried about parking now. The venue has an option to valet but it is $550, way more than I want to spend for such a small amount of cars.

I'm torn on what to do. Should I suck it up and spend the $550 for the valet option? Or should I just hope everyone finds a spot within walking distance? If I choose not to valet, is it awkward to let people know the parking situation in advance (meaning call them beforehand and let them know parking might be an issue)?

Any advice is appreciated. Thanks.

SlothGoals · March 2013

I would suck it up and pay for the valet and cut back elsewhere.

CallaLily25 · March 2013

To be honest, I'd be worried about parking too with that convention going on. I'd say pay the 550 for the valet if you can to give yourself peace of mind and to save your guests the headache.

Maggie0829 · March 2013

I would pay the $550. This way you aren't worried about your guests finding parking on your wedding day. You can cut back elsewhere like not doing favors, making your bouquets smaller, having a less extravagantly decorated cake. There are many small ways to cut back to make up that $550.

GoodLuckBear14 · March 2013

Pay for the valet service. There are plenty of places to cut back.

MoonlightSilver · March 2013

This may seem weird, but have you looked into how parking worked in previous years of the convention? Though not always, a lot of conventions are weekend - long events, which means people often get hotel rooms and either walk or take public transportation to the convention center. If there is a website for the convention, you could perhaps use the forums there to ask if people usually park where you think your guests will park.

Of course, this will not guarantee anything for your event; the past is the past and people could still park there. But it might help you make your decision easier.

AddieCake · March 2013

I think you should pay for the valet. If I were a guest and ended up having to park far away and walk, I would be really aggravated. I wouldn't really blame YOU for it, per se, but it would still affect my enjoyment of the wedding.

Calypso1977 · March 2013

60 guests is roughly 30 cars. taht's about $18 a car - not outrageous at all, IMO, for valet service and it will give you peace of mind which really can have no pricetag.

Simply Fated · March 2013

How far of a walk are we talking about? I don't walk well in dress shoes, but, more importantly, what about those who can't walk more than, say, a city block?

wedgirl853 · March 2013

Thanks for the responses. I'm pretty sure we will go with the valet. I've asked our venue coordinator if there is anything she can do to reduce the price, so we'll see what comes of that. Some of the additional parking is on the other side of the boardwalk, so several blocks away. I don't want to aggrevate any of our guests. This is only the second annual convention and it is only 1 day long, so I doubt anyone would stay at a local hotel.

wedgirl853 · March 2013

Thanks StageManager. I've never even heard of a ComiCon before this!

I heard back from our venue and we can actually rent out a dirt parking lot a block away (that I didn't even know existed) for $250, so we are going to do that, which makes me feel much better. I cared less about valet than about simply having a close enough spot for everyone to park. With this option, no one will have to walk more than a block and it is more cost effective too. One more wedding challenge conquered!

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