So upset/Hotel reception troubles ;(

schweetiec · August 2012

We moved our date to next year Oct. (a year from the previous date) due to my father being in the hospital this entire year and us relocating AGAIN. All my other vendors were extremely supportative except the hotel that were holding the wedding and reception at. The sales manager is a wonderful woman, but she was speaking on her bosses behalf and basically wrote us today saying that because we want to 'cancel' they MUST charge us the cancellation fee if we dont do the wedding in 2012. They want us to pay another 3k on top of the 1k we already put down as a deposit and then sign a NEW contract with new prices, new deposit and NO discount!!! ( i had gotten a 10% discount on a special from their website at first booking)

I called to speak with them today and voice my concerns that we would like to ammend the contract, not cancel it, we still really want to do business with the hotel. I understand not being able to get another person on that date in October , but we just will not afford to spend 4k extra(just to move the date) to have our wedding at a place that does not want to work with us. 4k is half of what we would spend at the reception there with possibly 75-110 guests at 120 a person. Mind you , our original contract was for 60 people at 85 a person, we would be upping the guest list and spending more due to the higher costs.

Do you ladies have any suggestions? Trust me we have read the contract thru and the only thing is says is about cancellation. Nothing about not being able to move the wedding date or what not. So they are willing to help this year, but not next. Im still waiting on the GMs call from the hotel to speak with her (crossing fingers), I just cant imagine they would rather lose business and have upset customers than reschedule us and make more money. Another thought is, do I want to have my wedding at a place that is bending over backwards one minute and then trying to scare us into a 2012 wedding the next?

LilPrincess102780 · August 2012

I would tell them exactly what you said here, that with the date change it is more money to the hotel, that it is a date change not a cancelation. I could see a small fee for moving it but nothing in the thousands of dollars range. I would see what and how the GM speaks to you and then decide what the best plan is. It will all work out one way or another.

mpickl · August 2012

My first reaction was, what does the contract say? From the sound of it, it says nothing about reschedules. Hate to cry small claims court, buuuut.... Sounds like they are trying to make some money off of you. I'm so sorry you have to deal with this, on top of your family issues! I'm sure it will all work out in the end.

sbradke · August 2012

Hate to get all lawyerly, and I haven't seen the contract, but changing the date IS cancelling the contract. You contracted for, and they held for you, a certain date. You are cancelling that contract. That said, they should try to work with you to keep your business somehow. If they aren't doing that, you may not want your reception there away.

Sue-n-Kevin · August 2012

I'm reading between the lines here, but I think sbradke's take on your situation is probably spot on.

- They are afraid there are issues with your engagement and to protect themselves they are asking for a larger deposit

- Are they quoting you a price of $120 per person now due to the fact it's the 2013 rates, and the rates for 2012 were $85? If I were you, before dumping them entirely and losing the deposit, I'd probably go in and review every option available in person. For example, can you do anything to bring down the 2013 per person cost if you change food or bar options? Whereas before they were going to get $5100 for 60 people at $85 per person, now you are looking at a budget-busting 100 (to pick a number) x $120, or $12,000. If they are shrewd business people, I'd assume they would look at the one bird in the hand (you) and work with you to negotiate some changes to your menu or bar to keep you there for next October rather than lose you to a competitor and have an open date 2 months from now when they probably won't get anyone.

Even if they work with you I doubt you are going to get the entire price anywhere near the $5100 figure unless you reduce your time there or change so many things that it no longer looks like the wedding you were going to plan (unless the extra year gives you more time to save).

I have also previously recommended the tactic of explaining that you post on the Knot, and that the Detroit board is VERY well populated........if they are really awful to you, it won't go "uncommented upon".

Good luck. Hone your negotiating skills and see what they see.

schweetiec · August 2012

Thank you for the replies ladies!!!

I
argued with them , nicely, that changing the date isnt canceling the contract and they actually agreed !!! Not to mention to even cancel for' free' we would have had to cancel before we booked the wedding per their date policy (over a year in advance) , however...they are still saying they wanted to charge me based on the 'cancellation policy' because they would have to write a NEW contract and not ammend it.

I thought the same thing, they might think trouble in paradise, and I have no problem paying a much larger deposit, but their cancellation fees would go to NOTHING. Just to pay them back the minimum we signed on to pay (4k). They seemed to not be okay with getting the money in 2013, instead it has already been put in their sales books for 2012 and the owners are 'banking on that sale' they said. I know they are flexible though, its a matter of what they want to do for us.

As far as your price concerns Sue, their menus changed a lot from 2012-2013 , the menu we signed on for was much cheaper and they were offering a 10% discount if you saw it on the website. If we were to rebook, they wouldnt offer the discount or the 2012 prices. Im not so much worried about the cost per person , or how many we will be having, just the fact that they want an extra 3k on top of the deposit to settle.

I was extremely nice on the phone, while holding back tears, and the sales manager there is very understanding. Im hoping they will pull through with something! Ill update you tomorrow when I hear back!

KBLDC2012 · August 2012

Not ot get all business/accounting like :) but the comment about putting the wedding on the books as sale is a very lame excuse by them. Most businesses are not going to recognize any sale or income until they have earned it (IE the day of the wedding) per normal accounting practices.....Their sales are inflated if they have and I am not even an accountant, just business person.

Also, I understand paying higher prices for using the following year, that's just normal practice for the wedding vendors to raise prices slightly every new year whether it's for inflation or just increasing their value of their business to account for the raise. I would actually be surprised that no other vendors try to charge you additional, but I also think it would be tacky given your reasons for moving the date....

Goodluck!

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_so-upsethotel-reception-troubles?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:88Discussion:eb9d009a-b715-49ac-9848-ddd5ac346261Post:0c055637-1a39-4df4-992b-ee741bba7800">Re: So upset/Hotel reception troubles ;(</a>:
[QUOTE]Thank you for the replies ladies!!! I argued with them , nicely, that changing the date isnt canceling the contract and they actually agreed !!! Not to mention to even cancel for' free' we would have had to cancel before we booked the wedding per their date policy (over a year in advance) , however...they are still saying they wanted to charge me based on the 'cancellation policy' because they would have to write a NEW contract and not ammend it. I thought the same thing, they might think trouble in paradise, and I have no problem paying a much larger deposit, but their cancellation fees would go to NOTHING. Just to pay them back the minimum we signed on to pay (4k). They seemed to not be okay with getting the money in 2013, instead it has already been put in their sales books for 2012 and the owners are 'banking on that sale' they said. I know they are flexible though, its a matter of what they want to do for us. As far as your price concerns Sue, their menus changed a lot from 2012-2013 , the menu we signed on for was much cheaper and they were offering a 10% discount if you saw it on the website. If we were to rebook, they wouldnt offer the discount or the 2012 prices. Im not so much worried about the cost per person , or how many we will be having, just the fact that they want an extra 3k on top of the deposit to settle. I was extremely nice on the phone, while holding back tears, and the sales manager there is very understanding. Im hoping they will pull through with something! Ill update you tomorrow when I hear back!
Posted by schweetiec[/QUOTE]

schweetiec · August 2012

Good news!!! I over reacted for nothing, my fiance' said it was my first bridezilla moment! LOL

They chatted with me for about 10 minutes about business procedures and how fall is a busy time of year etc. etc. and they would NOT drop it. Finally I said , listen we cant change the date this year, my father cant walk and is blind out of one eye due to brain surgery (which is true) I said the best we can do it is move it to a year from now to hope for a full recovery. If youre going to keep going on about how you run the business, I totally understand but it will get us no where. So THEN she goes, well my last offer is to have you pay your minimum contractual agreement this year , and we will apply it twoards your wedding next year.

Basically, they will be getting the minimum 4k this year and it will act as a deposit for next years wedding with a new contract . We have to go in and read everything over but I was extremely happy with that. No money lost , just paying it a bit earlier. She did stress if we cancelled or moved the date again we were SOL forever. ha.

Thanks for the replies, I never thought I would post a thread like this! LOL

MMRoberts11 · August 2012

I'm glad things are working out. Definitely read everything and if you have questions ask them then.

So upset/Hotel reception troubles ;(

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