Dinner reception for family, then after-party for friends?

Re: Dinner reception for family, then after-party for friends?

• Jen4948 member

  

  June 2014

  MGP said:

  A side comment - don't think it was very smart of the restaurant to give away that prize package.  It's quite restricting.  Unless someone already had a 50 guest list in mind (which is on the small side) it causes situations like this where the winner now feels pressured to "make it work" because it was free.  Unless there is more flexibility in the fine print, they could have done a better job coming up with something.
  

  There's nothing wrong with the package-it just doesn't work for the OP's wedding.  She and her FI could use it for something else, like a rehearsal dinner.

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• MGP member

  

  June 2014 edited June 2014

  ashleyep said:

  MGP said:

  A side comment - don't think it was very smart of the restaurant to give away that prize package.  It's quite restricting.  Unless someone already had a 50 guest list in mind (which is on the small side) it causes situations like this where the winner now feels pressured to "make it work" because it was free.  Unless there is more flexibility in the fine print, they could have done a better job coming up with something.
  

  I don't agree with that. There's nothing wrong with a restaurant giving a package like this away. You would assume that a couple wouldn't enter a contest to win a reception in a room they can't fit their guests in. And if they did win, the couple doesn't have to use it. A prize is a prize. It's free. They can attach whatever strings they want to it.

  
  

  
  

  Jen4948 said:

  There's nothing wrong with the package-it just doesn't work for the OP's wedding.  She and her FI could use it for something else, like a rehearsal dinner.

  I agree with both of you ladies. There is nothing wrong with the prize package and there can be whatever strings attached the restaurant decides.  Open bar and meal comped for 50 people is very generous and could certainly work for someone with a 50 person guest list. My understanding is that the OP had a larger guest list in mind to start with. 

  
  

  After reading the update from the OP and seeing that they basically launched a Facebook campaign to win knowing the space wasn't a fit for them I guess I have to question why they would even put forth that effort. It sounds like they are going to cut the guest list and make it work, but they pretty much caused this situation themselves.  So I amend my comment - the restaurant did nothing wrong because they had no control over who entered to win.

  
  

  Bottom line is - why would you try and win something you don't want or doesn't work for you?  My target guest list was 100. I would have never even thought of entering to win something if it didn't meet my needs, not to mention a ridiculous waste of time. 

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• OwningAHome1981 member

  

  June 2014

  MGP said:

  @vsgal those are some fantastic ideas!

  
  

  OP it's great you are listening and being open minded.  Tiered hospitality truly is rude.  People find out about it, especially if they were to reconvene at the end of the night.  What if a guest says to another guest "wasn't dinner delicious?" and the other says "what the Taco Bell I ate while killing 4 hours between the cake reception and this after party?" and the first guest says "no at the restaurant didn't you get an invite?"  

  
  

  Check out the "worst wedding" thread, there are countless stories of people being very hurt by tiered and inconsistent hosting.  Bottom line is - host equally or don't host them at all.

  
  

  A side comment - don't think it was very smart of the restaurant to give away that prize package.  It's quite restricting.  Unless someone already had a 50 guest list in mind (which is on the small side) it causes situations like this where the winner now feels pressured to "make it work" because it was free.  Unless there is more flexibility in the fine print, they could have done a better job coming up with something.

  
  

  
  

  The restaurant can do whatever it wants. If you don't like the stipulations of the contest, don't enter the contest. The OP was stupid to have entered a contest for an idea she can't entertain properly.

  
  

  

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