Tell me if I am being out of line????? (LONG)

Re: Tell me if I am being out of line????? (LONG)

• Bimbi284 member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  Oooooh that's TOTALLY shady of them and I would be fuming too! Is there any way that you could rent chairs from another vendor that may be cheaper?

  
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• kaylas16

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  I would be super mad, as well!! That is rude that instead of apologizing she said your guests could just stand.  However...I have been at outdoor weddings before where I stood... The ceremony was fairly short so it wasn't really a problem.  Don't know what kind of ceremony you are planning.  Would it bother you if you had some chairs for older guests or anyone else who may need to sit?  I totally understand if that's not a route you'd want to go, but if it is it would be a way to maybe make it work into your budget.
  
  Hmm... I just looked over your post again and saw that it was a 30 min ceremony so I guess I don't know if my suggestion is any good at all! Sorry

  
  June 18, 2011

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• tpender13 member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  Just playing devil's advocate here, but if it was never specifically asked, they might have assumed that you knew that you'd have to pay for chairs. The same way I'm guessing that you assumed they were included.
  
  I work for a large electronics retailer, and I see customers all the time that will say something like "They should have told me when they sold me the service plan for my computer that a repair wouldn't be covered if my allergic-to-bees husband freaks out because he sees a bee and knocks the computer off the patio table and into the pool." I understand that is a completely different situation, but it's hard to know what people do and don't already know, and what's important to them.
  
  I'd be pissed though, too. It seems pretty basic and should have been brought up at some point.

  

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• I Want Cake

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  It seems that normally a venue would just recycle the chairs if you're doing the ceremony and reception there.  They're obviously not going to be needed in the reception space while you're having the ceremony, so why can't they just bring the chairs out for you?  Even if it cost a little extra for labor for them to do it, I'm sure it wouldn't compare to having to rent them outright.  This seems like a really sneaky to nickel and dime you, and you should tell them that other sites don't do this to their clients.
  
  That said, if you could provide chairs just for the first couple rows yourself, at least the people who really need to sit could.  Our ceremony is in a space that can only seat 32 people, plus the 10 chairs we can bring in.  About half our guests will have to stand or sit on the edge of the little pool in the conservatory, and I'm totally OK with this.
  
  But still, that's really underhanded of your site.

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• dcprep

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  [QUOTE]Just playing devil's advocate here, but if it was never specifically asked, they might have assumed that you knew that you'd have to pay for chairs. The same way I'm guessing that you assumed they were included.
  Posted by tpender13[/QUOTE]
  I know it sucks, but it's kind of true.
  
  It's super frustrating, because one would ASSUME that the chairs would be included, but of course that's not always the case. For example, we LOVED The Semple Mansion, but we'd have to rent nearly everything -- tables, silverware, glasses, etc. Once I realized that, we quickly decided that we didn't want to pay for all those things that are included most places.
  
  I agree that maybe there's a way to "recycle" the chairs, and have them brought inside for the reception? Especially if cocktail hour is held somewhere outside of the actual reception room -- then that would be enough time to bring in the chairs before guests want to get seated for dinner.

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• bemidji21 member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  Ok, I am glad to hear that I am not being totally crazy for being upset.
  
  I totally get that we didn't clarify it with them, but at the same time I would think that any extra costs should have been listed in their pricing sheet. Oh well.
  
  I have talked to the manager, and because they exclusively contract with this one vendor we have to get our chairs there. I tried negotiating, but he had none of it.
  
  In the grand scheme of things its not a HUGE deal, but still very frustrating to have to even think about it. We are going to end up getting the cheaper of the two chair options and just figure it out somehow.
  
  Can't say im not still a little annoyed, but I guess I get it.
  
  Thanks for the reassurance!

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• Muffers

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  That does suck. No one likes the unplanned expenses, but you're right, its better you found out now than a week before the wedding. 
  
  Now I would go over your contract and the venues policies with a fine tooth comb and try to think of anything that is not specifically mentioned, or that you may assume is included, and ask about all of that now. Even if it seems like a dumb question or detail - ask it. And get their answers in writing (or at least an email), just in case..
  
  good luck!
  

  

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• wittyschaffy member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  While it seems that their response to your concern wasn't professional or appropriate, I am apparently in the minority for thinking that you are out of line for requesting that they make an exception to their rental policy because you didn't read the contract well enough.  It is your job and yours alone to ensure that your contract covers what you think it should and speak up if you see anything that seems to be missing, not theirs.  Should they have been more forthcoming with the fact that the chairs weren't included?  Perhaps, but if they don't list it as an item included in your rental, then they aren't included. 
  
  If your mom found the information while you were there for a casual walk through, I have to believe that it was available for you when you booked your venue as well.  You may not have noticed it, they may have been able to make it more obvious or called it out better, but the point is that they aren't hiding the fact that the chairs aren't included.  I can understand that the situation is crappy and you have to find room in your budget for chairs that you hadn't counted on - but they dont' owe you anything because you goofed. 

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• leggwilliams

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_minnesota-minneapolis-st-paul_tell-am-being-out-of-line-long?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:81Discussion:68f6b726-eca3-472c-8b07-d893c36f2a8ePost:b665a8a8-70de-429f-9128-16603412b541">Re: Tell me if I am being out of line????? (LONG)</a>:
  [QUOTE]Just playing devil's advocate here, but if it was never specifically asked, they might have assumed that you knew that you'd have to pay for chairs. The same way I'm guessing that you assumed they were included.<strong> I work for a large electronics retailer, and I see customers all the time that will say something like "They should have told me when they sold me the service plan for my computer that a repair wouldn't be covered if my allergic-to-bees husband freaks out because he sees a bee and knocks the computer off the patio table and into the pool."</strong> I understand that is a completely different situation, but it's hard to know what people do and don't already know, and what's important to them. I'd be pissed though, too. It seems pretty basic and should have been brought up at some point.
  Posted by tpender13[/QUOTE]
  
  HA! I work for Customer Service at Best Buy and I here stuff like this almost everyday! Sorry about your situation OP, it really sucks to have unexpected expenses pop up, but I agree that it is your responsibility as the consumer to find out everything that is covered. If you had asked about the chairs previously and gotten the run around, it would be a different story, but unfortuantely it sounds like that's not what happened.

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• flower_lover member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  I guess for me, where the ceremony is being held affects whether I would expect to pay for chairs. If it was a church where there are built in pews, I would expect seating to be included, but our wedding venue was outdoors and I did not expect chairs to be included. In fact, we looked at many outdoor venues and chairs were not included at any of them, and in fact none of the places even had chairs and you had to rent them from an outside party.
  
  I guess my experience, though, was this: wedding vendors LOVE to nickel and dime you to death. If you have negotiations to do with any other vendors, ask a lot of questions about what is included and what is not: if you're on a budget, don't tak anything for granted. I''ve been coming to the Knot for about 4 years, and it seems like most of the complaints brides have are based on an assumption they made about what was included. Another piece of advice: put things in writing if they are not in the contract. If the vendor tells you something is included and the contract doesn't say so, get out your pen and add it to the contract yourself before you sign anything. I promise you'll be glad you did.
  

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• hjw002 member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  Hmm...that is a big bummer.  I am not the bridezilla type, but I think that when you are spending all this time and money for one day, it is just annoying when something throws you for a loop.  I agree, there are many ways in which wedding vendors try to nickel and dime you.  I visited 7 different reception sites, and by about the 5th, I had a much better sense about what questions to ask.  It is a huge learning process, and some lessons hurt more than others.  I hope that it gets resolved for you and that your budget still works.  Personally, I am not doing lots of things that I don't think are really necessary (and add too much fluff), so as to keep the cost down!  Good luck.

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• brimaven member

  

  August 2010 edited December 2011

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_minnesota-minneapolis-st-paul_tell-am-being-out-of-line-long?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:81Discussion:68f6b726-eca3-472c-8b07-d893c36f2a8ePost:0963c257-add8-4d7d-a8d2-be698964ba81">Re: Tell me if I am being out of line????? (LONG)</a>:
  [QUOTE]I guess for me, where the ceremony is being held affects whether I would expect to pay for chairs. If it was a church where there are built in pews, I would expect seating to be included, but our wedding venue was outdoors and I did not expect chairs to be included. In fact, we looked at many outdoor venues and chairs were not included at any of them, and in fact none of the places even had chairs and you had to rent them from an outside party. I guess my experience, though, was this: wedding vendors LOVE to nickel and dime you to death. If you have negotiations to do with any other vendors, ask a lot of questions about what is included and what is not: if you're on a budget, don't tak anything for granted. I''ve been coming to the Knot for about 4 years, and it seems like most of the complaints brides have are based on an assumption they made about what was included. Another piece of advice: put things in writing if they are not in the contract. If the vendor tells you something is included and the contract doesn't say so, get out your pen and add it to the contract yourself before you sign anything. I promise you'll be glad you did.
  Posted by flower_lover[/QUOTE]
  
  I think I need to disagree
  I hate to say it but, if you add something to a contract with a pen, that nullifies the contract. Instead you need to ask the vendor to put it into the contract before they sign off.
  That said you are right though, often times assumptions lead to complaints.

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