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Venue communication frustration

doctorengageddoctorengaged member
First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
in Wedding Reception Forum
Hi! I want to know if I'm (already) being a bridezilla. Promise I won't be offended.

We went up to the town where we're planning on getting married in June 2014 last weekend (it's a destination wedding). We went to visit a potential venue on the Sunday before Memorial Day. We showed up unannounced just to look around, but were lucky enough to get a tour from the General Manager of the property, who was nice but obviously booking weddings was not his job. We were only in town until the following morning (Memorial Day), so he promised that the event co-ordinator would call us "bright and early" and bring us in to take a more detailed look at the venue and wedding packages before we left.

Next morning, no-one calls. I called the number on the card he gave me for the wedding co-ordinator - voicemail. We showed up to the venue again and this time the wedding planner (but not the co-ordinator who handles the bookings) was there, and we sat down with her for a chat and a tour of the property. It's everything we're looking for and under budget - amazing. She promised to get back to me "in the next couple of days" with detailed information.

Fast forward 5 days...nothing. I waited until Friday and e-mailed her to ask for the information. Finally on Sunday I get a separate e-mail from her with some (not all) the information she had promised to send, not acknowledging the e-mail I had sent on Friday. I replied with a list of questions, and now am sitting here waiting to hear back. I have also still never heard from the co-ordinator person, the one who was supposed to call me "bright and early" on Memorial Day, and on whose voicemail I left a message that morning.

Am I being super paranoid, is this normal communicativeness for a typical venue? This is a large resort-style hotel, with a small building that we would be renting out for the wedding. I realize that our wedding is a long way away (June 2014) and very small (40 people), so we may be a low priority, but does the level of communicativeness indicate a lack of interest on their part or a red flag? I'm just trying to get a sense of what I should expect here in terms of communication (speed of responding to e-mails, returning phonecalls, etc.). Other potential venues have been a lot more responsive so far.

Thanks in advance for your help! Feel free to tell me I just need to calm down and be patient. Hell knows, my FI is already telling me over and over.
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Re: Venue communication frustration

  • Knottie1450123632Knottie1450123632 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment

    I personally would wait a few more days before sending another email stating im sorry I havent heard from you since I emailed you fri with a list of questions. the email you did send me had some of the info but not all.  please let the wedding coordinator know  im still waiting for a phone call.  I was told by the GM I would hear from them on Memorial day and  I have called left a message with no return call. 

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  • doctorengageddoctorengaged member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    Thanks- that is great advice :)
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  • Knottie1450123632Knottie1450123632 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    welcome never know that person could be on vaca and GM forgot
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  • doctorengageddoctorengaged member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    Hmm she's been there, I called on the weekend and her voicemail said it was Friday and she had left her - when I called before it was the previous Friday - so at least she had updated her voicemail message. I will call or e-mail in a few days like you said.
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  • Knottie1450123632Knottie1450123632 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    oo ok yep  I would wait a few days
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  • AJuliaNJAJuliaNJ member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    I hate having to track people down. Every venue and vendor that we seriously considered got back to us very quickly. 

    While I wouldn't totally write the venue off yet, I would keep my mind open and look at a few more. If this is still your ideal location, you will just have to figure in the slow response time as part of the package.
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  • doctorengageddoctorengaged member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    That's great advice too AndreaJulia. To tell the truth, it's pretty much our only viable (affordable) option right now, so we have a lot riding on them.
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  • alithebridealithebride member
    Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer

    first-it was a holiday weekend. they may have had a very busy weekend and didn't get back to you as fast as they would've liked to.

    i suggest that you respond to theperson who emailed you with questions bulletted like this

    -when do you need a deposit?

    -what is the valet parking fee?

    that way they can respond.

    but i also wonder if you're asking questions that they cannot answer yet. do you want to share what you're asking?

    and you have a year too. if it takes them 5 days when you assumed it would be 3 you might need to take a step back and relax. i know you're anxious about it but you might be a little too anxious :)

     

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  • doctorengageddoctorengaged member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    Sure, here is what I sent (edited to leave out specifics):

    "Thank you very much for sending this information. We are currently considering a couple of other venues, but XXXXXX is at the top of our list. I do have a few of questions:

    1) The rates for XXXXX are for 2013 - would these stay the same for 2014?

    2) Looking at the website, the prices you sent seem to match up with the June 14th - June 27th rates for 2013. Since we would be looking at the property for June 13th-June 15th 2014, would we be looking at a combination of the lower and higher rates? If so then would you be able to send me the lower rates, too?

    3) I think you mentioned that there is also a total price for the whole of XXXXX, which represents a discount compared to renting each individual room separately. Could you please let me know what those prices might be for June 13th and June 14th 2014?

    4) Could you confirm that the XXXX indoor ceremony would not need to be paid if we planned to have the ceremony on the lawn (paying XXXXX) but then had to move indoors to XXXX due to rain?

    5) Are there any other costs (besides room rental, outdoor ceremony fee, chair rental fee, and food & beverages) that might be included in our contract?

    6) What is your schedule of fees (deposit, final payment, etc.)?

    Many thanks in advance for your answers!"
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  • lyndausvilyndausvi mod
    First Anniversary First Answer 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    We live in a world of instant gratification.  I get it.   But reality it sometimes people are just busy.  Doesn't mean they are not interested, but something might be "in their face"  (i.e. a bride getting married that day or week") needs their attention first.    I get it can be frustrating, especially when you are all gun ho.   

     I would not completely write them off if they are in your price range.  I would just relax a little.  They might not have the answers to some of your questions yet.    I know even though DH is the chef, he wants to increase pricing it has to go through his boss, the GM, controller, then it rolls up to corporate.   It could be that at their level they are don't know the answers and those in the know are not getting back to them.  

    IMO,  I don't think a few weeks of back and forth on communication is something to be overly concerned about.    

    Our coordinator was fairly good at getting back to us, but sometimes it would take a week or more.  Between looking at the place and booking took about 3-4 weeks?  He was off on Mon and Tuesday and always seem to have a weddings over the weekends so I found contacting him Wed-Friday seemed to have the best response time.   The closer we got to the wedding the faster he would get back to us.  With the last few weeks he picked up the phone anytime I called, day or night.    Which makes sense if you think about it.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
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  • alithebridealithebride member
    Name Dropper 5 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer
    edited June 2013
    doctorpreggo said:
    Sure, here is what I sent (edited to leave out specifics):

    "Thank you very much for sending this information. We are currently considering a couple of other venues, but XXXXXX is at the top of our list. I do have a few of questions:

    1) The rates for XXXXX are for 2013 - would these stay the same for 2014?

    2) Looking at the website, the prices you sent seem to match up with the June 14th - June 27th rates for 2013. Since we would be looking at the property for June 13th-June 15th 2014, would we be looking at a combination of the lower and higher rates? If so then would you be able to send me the lower rates, too?

    3) I think you mentioned that there is also a total price for the whole of XXXXX, which represents a discount compared to renting each individual room separately. Could you please let me know what those prices might be for June 13th and June 14th 2014?

    4) Could you confirm that the XXXX indoor ceremony would not need to be paid if we planned to have the ceremony on the lawn (paying XXXXX) but then had to move indoors to XXXX due to rain?

    5) Are there any other costs (besides room rental, outdoor ceremony fee, chair rental fee, and food & beverages) that might be included in our contract?

    6) What is your schedule of fees (deposit, final payment, etc.)?

    Many thanks in advance for your answers!"
    those are all very good questions--but not ones that need to be answered immediately right now this minute today. give them a few days and then follow up. you also might want to just set a meeting for one of the next few weekends with the right people instead of showing up and not having them there.

     

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  • doctorengageddoctorengaged member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    Well, it's been a whole week and still nothing. Also when I call I get voicemail and can never get through to a live person. What's frustrating me is the fact that we met with our dream photographer and she said we can't book her until we have booked a venue.
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  • doctorengageddoctorengaged member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    Guess what? I still haven't heard anything!
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  • mlg78mlg78 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Name Dropper

    Why don't you call and have a chat with the GM?  "Hi Mr GM...thank you so much for showing us around a couple weeks ago. My fiancé and I would love to book your venue but we're struggling to speak with your event coordinator. I have a few questions and then I'd like to have the contract to review."

     

    Of all my vendors, the venue is the slowest to respond...and likely, the busiest.

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  • doctorengageddoctorengaged member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment
    @mig78 Thanks - that's exactly what FI is planning on doing today! I'll let you know how it goes!
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  • cd333201cd333201 member
    First Comment
    Honestly, I would not want the venue if they weren't responsive. I am in Columbus Ohio and visit just shy of 10 places. They were all very responsive. I did notice one place I loved so much but a couple of red flags jumped up. I went in looked at reviews and the reviews said some of the same things I was worried about. I decided not to get that venue and go with the runner up that had excellent reviews. 
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