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Parking

We have finally found our wedding venue YAY!! 

They only do valet parking it is $17 for event parking and $39 per night. 

Etiquette wise should we be paying for all parking?
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Re: Parking

  • I think so, yes.
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  • I think you should pay for it during the event but I don't think you have to pay if some choose to stay over night.
  • Yes, we did. Our garage gave us a deal since we had so many cars. It's a nice gesture.
  • yes  I would.






    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. 
  • I would, your guests will love your for it.
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  • aloha5736aloha5736 member
    10 Comments
    edited March 2014
  • I'm not and ours is the same price.  Reason being we did open bar and provided transportation for guest to and from church.  I felt like open bar was optional and the bar tab would have been way more expensive than us covering parking.  
    Sorry, but you owe it to your guests that they don't have to open their wallets at your wedding.  Your options are dry, full open, or limited, but paying for their drinks, if you choose to provide them, is your responsibility, not theirs, so choosing not to cover parking really comes off as poor hosting.
  • aloha5736aloha5736 member
    10 Comments
    edited March 2014
  • Oh well to each their own, simply stated my opinion.  I never said they had to "open their wallets".  Paying for their sodas, juice, etc isn't even not an option (which I have been to one of those too, where I had to buy my own coke let alone beer).  Almost 90% of weddings i've been to only have a one hour open bar cocktail hour, so it isn't expected to have a five hour open bar (at least to any of the weddings i've been).  What I said I am covering is a PREMIUM bar package that includes high end scotch, gin, vodka, etc; instead of the parking.  I don't think EVERY SINGLE wedding on here does a complete open adult beverage bar, so in return of not paying the entire parking that is what I did.  I forgot to mention I did comp some of the parking for each person (it is normally $40) just not entirely.


    Last wedding I went to at a 5 star hotel, black tie (had to rent tux and get a fancy dress), and pay for parking $40 (was never comped). I thought nothing of it because, the city is expensive to park and we always go out and pay to park.  It was a nice night out free drinks and a nice dinner.  


    Just because you paid for expensive drinks and normally you have rude friends (and you don't care that they're rude) doesn't mean that you are not being rude. Because I know I'd be pissed if I showed up to a wedding and had to pay for valet parking with zero other options.

    Your guests will think it's rude and you will get side eyed.
  • Being "kind" enough to pay for their drinks, which the B&G should do anyway, does not give you license to be rude in other areas. Cover the parking.
  • Oh well to each their own, simply stated my opinion.  I never said they had to "open their wallets".  Paying for their sodas, juice, etc isn't even not an option (which I have been to one of those too, where I had to buy my own coke let alone beer).  Almost 90% of weddings i've been to only have a one hour open bar cocktail hour, so it isn't expected to have a five hour open bar (at least to any of the weddings i've been).  What I said I am covering is a PREMIUM bar package that includes high end scotch, gin, vodka, etc; instead of the parking.  I don't think EVERY SINGLE wedding on here does a complete open adult beverage bar, so in return of not paying the entire parking that is what I did.  I forgot to mention I did comp some of the parking for each person (it is normally $40) just not entirely.

    Last wedding I went to at a 5 star hotel, black tie (had to rent tux and get a fancy dress), and pay for parking $40 (was never comped). I thought nothing of it because, the city is expensive to park and we always go out and pay to park.  It was a nice night out free drinks and a nice dinner.  


    You OWE them whatever drinks you are serving.  You are serving alcohol so you owe them that, you aren't doing them a favor and it doesn't negate the responsibility to pay for the parking when it is so costly.
  • aloha5736aloha5736 member
    10 Comments
    edited March 2014
  • I am from Michigan and have never ever attended a 50k wedding or anything close to it.  My 4th DD is getting married in June, and as with all the others, her guests won't reach into their wallets for anything, they will have an open bar, nice dinner, awesome dessert, and good music for dancing.  We are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, we just plan for what we can afford.
  • I'd rather have a limited, but open, bar and free parking.

    I'm in Oklahoma and I've never been to a wedding without an open bar (limited or not). And I've never paid for parking.

    I get that the parking situation is different in Boston than other places. (I've been to Boston many times and it's a wonderful city.)  But that's still not an excuse not to pay for it. It's part of choosing to have your wedding at that location.  If you don't want to pay for parking, have it somewhere that has free parking.

    And you have really rude friends.
  • aloha5736aloha5736 member
    10 Comments
    edited March 2014


  • FFS, we don't have rich friends or family. In fact most of my family extended would be considered poor. Though I still have never had to open my wallet at any of their weddings. No cash bar, no parking. The ones that couldn't afford open bars (almost all of them!) didn't have them.  I went to one family wedding where wine and beer was available but we didn't have to pay for it. I also went to one where the reception was at the MOB house, so they provided alcohol for people.  They planned weddings they could afford! They didn't think they deserved a wedding that they couldn't afford. Most of my cousins have cake and punch receptions. 

    And my parents are pretty well-off, yet they didn't want to spend that much on alcohol (they offered to pay for the wedding), so we are just having beer and wine and champagne for the toasts. Wine will be on the tables and beer at the bar. We would be horrified if our guests had to open their wallets. Also my wedding will be no where near 50k and even if it was open bar completely it wouldn't be. 

    Also cultural norm =/= good etiquette. 

    Thanks for your opinion.  I guess i'm rude and so is every wedding that i've ever been too.  Again, I was simply stating my opinion to the question answered, not looking for responses about my wedding.  People will generally expect to pay for parking, and ask if they are concerned, and if they don't want too then they don't have to come.  People live in different areas of the country, things are done differently though.  I've been to MANY weddings here in Boston, not ONCE have I had parking completely comped.  Even my wedding planner said maybe two out of all the weddings she has done were comped, and "it was a last minute drunken decision by a family member".  Almost every wedding except for two has not been full open bar the entire wedding, so taking that I figured I was doing something nice.  Maybe I just don't have as rich of friends as you all, so i'm not used to these 50k weddings with everything paid for.  So where are you all from, I'm curious? 


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  • My open bar, parking, dinner and appetizers are no where near 50k, I'm gonna be under 10 for everything in NY (which is also a very very expensive state. I just shopped around.) Just because you selected a place with 40pp parking doesn't mean you are a good host because you are paying for an open bar. You obviously did not shop within your means as a good host. And your wedding planner gives terrible advice.
  • Yes, you should pay for parking.

    Michelle~ A wedding is not a black tie wedding if guests have to pay for parking. A true black tie event would include valet. To require guests to rent a tux, tell them what to wear and then charge parking is extremely tacky and rude.
    :kiss: ~xoxo~ :kiss:

  • Especially as someone who doesn't drink and isn't taking advantage of your premium open bar, I'd be pissed if I had to pay a ton of money for valet parking, with no other option.

    We paid for the valet for ours because I know, personally, that it sucks when you're not expecting to have to pay for parking and are suddenly expected to.

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  • aloha5736aloha5736 member
    10 Comments
    edited March 2014
  • aloha5736aloha5736 member
    10 Comments
    edited March 2014
  • Michelle5736 No one was being a cyber bully. Disagreeing or considering a practice rude =/= bullying. 

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  • aloha5736aloha5736 member
    10 Comments
    edited March 2014
    DELETE :) 
  • I'm not talking about the "I disagree with you", I am okay with people having other opinions.  Welcome to life LOL.   Constantly saying your rude, your friends/family are rude, your living beyond your means, sour attitude, etc. just isn't very nice IMO.  It's pretty nasty and not how I would treat people.  Just say "so and so I don't agree, this is how I am doing my wedding and why".  Turn it on yourself vs bashing someone else's wedding.  I would never throw down anyone else's wedding plans, especially if they are not asking for advice.  I never cared for a response.  Why are people even responding to me in the first place? I didn't even ask the question LOL.  Respond to the girl who posted.  I've done minimal surfing on this site and after such a negative Nancy experience (and not because you simply disagree), for now i'll stick to Pinterest and the thoughts of my friends/family.  
    Welcome to the internet - people will be blunt and honest with their responses. As for responding to you, since what you are planning to do is against etiquette (and this *is* the etiquette board), people will respond to you whether you ask for advice/opinions or not - not necessarily for YOUR sake, but for the benefit of any lurkers who may be reading the boards. To ignore a post proclaiming plans that are against etiquette may give others the wrong impression that we approve of the rude/tacky/against etiquette idea.
    ~*~*~*~*~

  • I am done with this conversation, hence i'm taking my "spineless" self out of the equation.  I prefer to stay positive and less with the negative.  Thanks for commenting! 
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