Real Planning: I Chose The Wrong Venue

Posted by Khris in Wedding Planning

DIYer, “L”, wrote in with this pressing issue:

How can I get out of a venue that I don’t really like, even if I’ve already paid for it. Is it even worth trying? In a rush, I chose a venue that would be more economically satisfying, and now all I can think about is pulling out. Is this normal?? It seems I’ve been having this attitude with everything…including my dress. Please help.

Yes, it’s normal to feel this way. I think you’d be surprised by how common these feelings are. The vast majority of couples feel some sort of buyers’ remorse at some point in their wedding spending. And why wouldn’t they? Weddings are expensive and most of us aren’t used to paying that kind of cash for anything.

The first thing you should do is look at your contract. Most venues will have their cancellation policies written in the contract. In most cases you can cancel but be prepared to lose your deposit or a large percentage of the rental fee. The venue will likely have a minimum number of days before the event when cancellation is possible without forfeiting all of your money so check into that right away.

The next thing is to evaluate why the venue is no longer working for you. Do you have cold feet or are there irreconcilable issues with the venue/management? You didn’t say in your email but there are some things you can do to work through both scenarios. You’re welcome to email back and we can open up the conversation about strategies.