Venue Issues - allowing festival to take parking lot and close down street access

Re: Venue Issues - allowing festival to take parking lot and close down street access

• charlotte989875 member

  

  August 2021

  futuremrsdizzy said:

  We are getting married in about a month and our venue just let us know that they will be closing down the streets around our venue for a festival. I can't decide if I'm over reacting by being upset about this since we booked over two years ago. If I knew this was a possibility we would've never gone with this venue.
  
  The event was just announced by the park district and had no plans on record before this July, our venue just let us know yesterday.
  
  Our main concern is the festival will be taking over the parking lot, meaning our guests will not have close parking access and will have to park further away. Also trailers, stages, and vendors will be right outside the main entrances so they will have to make their way into and through the festival just to make it to the doors of our wedding.
  
  We also had plans to take photo and video of our entrance and exit since it's a theatre and our names will be up on the marquee, which is actually something they include as part of the cost but we have now lost access too. Our vendors will now also have to load and unload from far away. We are also doing flowers and centerpieces ourselves and will not be able to bring our cars in and will need to walk quite a distance with delicate décor. There is a million other things that have my head spinning but I better stop listing them all before I panic. 
  
  When they alerted us about the event they also just said - this is happening let your guests know they cant park - no care at all about how this effects anything else we booked and already paid for. Anyway, let me know what you all think. Hopefully my nerves can be calmed lol Thanks!

  That’s definitely frustrating but it sounds like it’s an local festival, not the venue so I’m not sure what you want the venue to do? It’s good they let you know and have you time to tell your guests about parking, but beyond that I don’t know what else they can do. As long as your guests/ vendors can still access the venue everything will be fine. Your vendors are professionals and will understand. If you’re DIYing ask the venue if you can drop off things before the festival sets up. It will require getting things together earlier but may save you the headache of carrying them through the festival. 

  
  

  Also sure you might have to make some adjustments to your plans, but look at the positives- you can take photos at the festival, your guests get to see local culture, and it will feel like a big party. I know it’s not what you planned but you can stress yourself out about something you can’t change- or you can try and find ways to make the best of it. 

  Report2 Reply
• banana468 member

  

  August 2021

  Can you look at your contract and see if the things you won't have were included in it?   If parking and use of the facility was included there I think you can argue that they either need to allow you to park or provide accomodations for you to do so elsewhere at their cost.  Regarding the vendors, I think you can talk to them and advise them of the issue and then ask what they'll need to load/unload.  If they can't just wheel food down several blocks then talk to your venue about what options they are presenting.  
  
  Regarding the event - I agree you need to try to make lemons out of this.  Take photos AT the event itself.  See where your guests can park if you come up with nothing in the contract and talk to the venue to see if they are willing to offer a shuttle or split the cost to move the guests.   

  Report4 Reply
• MesmrEwe member

  

  August 2021

  Read your contract!!!!  Quite honestly, right now you're SOL for that venue unless the venue works with the city.  Honestly, I'd be in contact with the Site coordinator and Park Board that's organizing it because you need a point of contact so your vendors can get in/out of the venue and such as your event was scheduled two years ago for this date. 
  
  As an entertainer, there is a way in and a way out that is secure for us and our entourage/gear/equipment, and you're going to need access to that as your booked venue.  SNS, your caterer IS NOT going to lug the food from blocks away the service entrances.  Also, if the festival requires an entry fee/ticket/button, how are your guests going to get to the venue itself without having to pay said fee?  Also, who's going to run security at the door so only your wedding guests are allowed entry/safety/etc.
  
  This may end up becoming a mutual cancelling of that as your reception venue because of circumstances outside either of your control.  

  Report0 Reply
• Jen4948 member

  

  September 2021

  Sorry to hear that. I think you need to check your contract to see if you can get back your funds in the event of cancellation, which might be necessary if the logistics of getting to and from the venue just don't work. It sure sounds like that might be the case. I agree that it truly sucketh.

  Report0 Reply