Wedding Etiquette Forum

Who pays for guests' parking?

Does the bride and groom pay or do guests pay?  I'm only asking  because I'm curious and was talking about it today with some people.  Parking is free at my venue.  

Re: Who pays for guests' parking?

  • I would pay, as the bride and groom. We ended up getting valet parking throw in, but we also tipped the valets ourselves.
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  • There's no hard and fast rule.  Our standard recommendation is:  if the B&G can pay or otherwise ensure free parking, they should.  In challenging situations (pay-per-space lots, ferries, etc.) they may choose to include tickets of some sort in the invitations that the guests can give to the ferry or lot operator, who can in turn bill the B&G. 

    If the B&G can not provide on-site free parking, they might consider a shuttle bus from a free lot.  Or, at a minimum, provide guests with info on the parking options in the area, and their prices. 
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  • We paid for valet parking at the reception site but it was only $6 or $7 plus tip. (Cape Cod)

    I saw the question on the NYC board and I don't know very many people who would expect their host(ess) to pay $40+ for NYC parking.  I think the others agreed with me.
  • I would pay if it was my wedding. I like most ppl don't carry cash most of the time and I would be annoyed if I had to pay and didn't have cash and there was no where I could get cash.

  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_pays-guests-parking?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c0bb3bb7-cb27-4fb5-9d79-8e8e9069cbc9Post:1b64fbb5-1413-46a2-8f97-3f79b6b17147">Re: Who pays for guests' parking?</a>:
    [QUOTE]We paid for valet parking at the reception site but it was only $6 or $7 plus tip. (Cape Cod) I saw the question on the NYC board and I don't know very many people who would expect their host(ess) to pay $40+ for NYC parking.  I think the others agreed with me.
    Posted by ootmother2[/QUOTE]

    I think it's a very different issue if most people expect to always have to pay a lot for parking and if there are transportation alternatives (cab, public transit).
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  • I don't think it's required that B&G pay, but it certainly is a nice gesture.  My venue doesn't have a big lot (which you need to pay for) and it can be difficult to find metered street parking (which you need to pay for).  We have hired a valet to solve that problem, which we are paying for.
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  • mm, my daughter's first word was "taxi"

    complete with one hand in the air ;)
  • I think it depends on the location. If someone was getting married in San Francisco, I would expect to have to pay to park as a guest. That's just how SF is.

    If someone was getting married out in the country, I'd be kind of peeved as a guest to get hit with a parking charge because it's unexpected. Then it would be nice for it to be covered.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_pays-guests-parking?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c0bb3bb7-cb27-4fb5-9d79-8e8e9069cbc9Post:25222904-1a8c-410d-b630-f3ebc529902a">Re: Who pays for guests' parking?</a>:
    [QUOTE]mm, my daughter's first word was "taxi" complete with one hand in the air ;)
    Posted by ootmother2[/QUOTE]

    <div>like button</div>
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_pays-guests-parking?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c0bb3bb7-cb27-4fb5-9d79-8e8e9069cbc9Post:1b64fbb5-1413-46a2-8f97-3f79b6b17147">Re: Who pays for guests' parking?</a>:
    [QUOTE]We paid for valet parking at the reception site but it was only $6 or $7 plus tip. (Cape Cod) I saw the question on the NYC board and I don't know very many people who would expect their host(ess) to pay $40+ for NYC parking.  I think the others agreed with me.
    Posted by ootmother2[/QUOTE]
    That's funny.  I didn't see the question on the NYC board.  <div>
    </div><div>Thanks, everyone.  </div>
  • We looked at a venue in the city that charged $30 per car. With 150 guests, that could potentially add up to thousands! We ended up not going with this venue because we would never want our guests to pay that fee and therefore would have been the ones to pay it. We had our reception in the suburbs instead, where the parking is FREE! The money we would have spent on parking fees was spend better elsewhere.
  • We are tipping the valet for all of the guests.
  • We paid a fee to have free valet parking.  It was the only option. If we didn't have that, guests would have to find on street parking, OR, go in a lot which would be expensive.  The only people we couldn't account for were people who are staying overnight.  I know myself, I'll have to pay about $100 to park for the two nights we are in the city.  Sigh.  The price of NYC.  

    We made sure the direction cards all said Valet parking on them, so people knew they wouldn't have to be searching for a lot.

    If i went to a wedding in the suburbs, I would fully expect free parking.
  • I think if the designated parking lot for your guests is a fee lot or your venue has required valet, the B and G should pay. 
    However, if you are getting married in a downtown area and your venue does not have designated parking its okay to just recommend transit and parking options without paying.
  • In downtown SF, I think most guests expect to pay for their own parking. That being said, I ended up marrying in the suburbs, so I was able to find a venue with free and ample parking.
  • We did not pay because of the venues whacked out policy:

    Parking cost $4 a car at our venue if guests paid. 
    If I paid then it cost $6 a car - seriously, what the heck? 
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