Post # 1
Member
162 posts
Blushing bee
I’m irritated, frustrated and honestly just kind of pissed off. I have contacted almost every single banquet hall within a 10 mile radius of our hometown and here are the results: 3 won’t even call me back, 2 did not have my date available (understandable) and the last two, this is awesome, have set meetings up with me, told me they were holding my date until i could come in and that I was priority (yeah me and how manuy other couples) and view the venue only to call me two days before our meeting and tell me they’ve booked it! The last lady suggested I change my date so that she could accomadate me….um no, my church is booked. WTH?!?! Don’t lie and say you are holding the venue only to book it with someone else before I even get there. I have one more venue to look at and then I’m running out of options. Has anyone else run into this problem? I’m getting discouraged, Fiance wanted to be sure I had plently of time to plan my dream wedding hence the long engagement but I can’t even get people to call me back…..it’s all leaving a bad taste in my mouth. Ugh!
Post # 3
Hostess
8572 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
We did have this problem.. well.. venue problems. But we wanted to bring our own food & alocohol, so that cut out alot of venues.
Are you set on having it in a banquet hall? You could check local hotels, town parks, or hisorical buildings.
There are a number of other places that host weddings as well, such as barns, vineyards, gardens, golf courses – and more, just use your imagination!
Post # 4
Member
9129 posts
Buzzing Beekeeper
- Wedding: November 2013 - St. Augustine Beach, FL
A venue typically won’t hold a date without a money deposit and signed contract. It sounds like whomever you talked to didn’t know that or didn’t clearly explain it. I wouldn’t book a venue where they can’t even call you back so I can understand the frustration there! If you have already booked your date with your church and can’t move it or there isn’t anything else available then you will have to get creative with searching for a venue.
Have you checked weddingwire.com? We ended up booking in St. Augustine Beach even though Daytona Beach is closer because we couldn’t find a venue in Daytona. So expanding your range to 20 miles may yield more results.
Post # 5
Member
2203 posts
Buzzing bee
ugh that sucks, i totally understand! luckily, i was searching for venues 2 years before the wedding, so i had completely open availability. i just couldn’t find a venue that fit what i wanted! anyways, we eventually ended up with a venue about 25 miles away from my hometown, but it works well because it’s somewhat in between my FI’s family and my family… i think if you expand your area that you are looking at, you should have more choices at least. we ended up picking a fishing club because we loved the lodge and beautiful scenery! even though it will be a little more complicated to decorate/plan, we are really excited about not having a banquet hall.
Post # 6
Member
162 posts
Blushing bee
I’m not stuck on a banquet hall at all, hotels are def a good idea however there are not many in my area that offer a ball room/banquet room. I wanted to be close to a hotel for my guests…….
Post # 7
Member
2861 posts
Sugar bee
June weddings are popular, have you thought about changing your date?
Post # 8
Member
162 posts
Blushing bee
@mixtapehearts, I already have my church so i’d really rather not change my date. Fiance knows how much of a “planner” I am and I think that is why proposed 18 months before the date! lol I sat down with my folks last night and my wonderful, amazing father had some great ideas. I’m going to look at two other venues on Saturday with him and Fiance. One of them would be pretty neat since my dad is a firefighter and it is a fireman’s hall and the other is a golf course/country club and both have a hotel within 5 to 6 miles. I’m sure my guests will not balk at 5 or 6 miles. I wouldn’t be freaking out about the hotel so much but I’m in Missouri and my fam is coming from North Dakota. I was on the verge of changing my date but I decided not too since the church has had a huge impact for me and Fiance and I it is one aspect of my wedding that I just won’t bend on so for that reason I’ll bend on the reception venue. Thanks bees for all the wonderful suggestions! 
Post # 9
Member
670 posts
Busy bee
It’s sad to say but money talks. Places may say they will hold the day for you but if someone calls and puts a downpayment down or a room hold fee, then you will be sol. We booked our hall and paid 1000 downpayment right away otherwise it would have been gone, we are doing a June wedding too. It’s just sad but true.
Post # 10
Member
7365 posts
Busy Beekeeper
Sorry your having a hard time, but with the popularity of that month, verbal holds don’t hold any water when they have paying customer in front of them. And let’s be honest, these venues hear it all the time, “oh I’ll be in/please hold” only to have customers never return, so you can’t exactly blame them. I wish you luck with the upcoming site visits. Once you book I know it will be a big burden off your shoulders.
Post # 11
Hostess
2555 posts
Sugar bee
@alleycat1984: +1 — I would be shocked that there are any venues out there that would hold a date for you before you even looked at the place. The wedding industry is about money, so unless you’re putting down a deposit, I doubt you’ll find anyone to hold the place.
I gave venues one week to contact me. If they hadn’t contacted me they were taken off my list forever. I still have 3 places that haven’t called me back since December. I guess you could be persistent and keep calling or even stop in one day, but my rationale was that if they couldn’t bother to get in contact with a potential customer, what would they be like once they’ve gotten my money and a signed contract?
Good luck! Like PP have said — expand your search. Different cities and different venues. You’d be surprised at what exists out there that few people know about. I found my venue (a barn) through my FI’s friends who are getting married this year (the venue didn’t have their date available). I went to grad school in the city our venue is located and I had NO idea this place even existed. Also try public libraries, sporting venues, concert venues/theatres, etc. I was shocked to learn of the places that offer (beautiful!) wedding facilities. They make revenue in other ways, so they dont’ need to advertise like the typical banquet halls and hotels do.