Not all wedding venues care about helping you host the biggest day of your life. To some, their bottom line matters more than your picture-perfect wedding. These venues often make it difficult to bring in your favorite vendors, limiting you to in-house services or lists of vendors willing to offer a financial incentive.
Fortunately, you can usually spot the signs early if you know what to look for:
“Preferred vendor” lists with financial kickbacks
Exclusive contracts that limit outside professionals
Extra vendor fees and strict insurance demands
Catering restrictions that inflate costs
Setup limitations designed for in-house vendors
If your preferred wedding venue limits your creative vision too much, consider choosing a new one for more freedom.
Key Takeaways:
Some venues purposely make it difficult to bring your own vendors to maximize their profits.
Look out for hidden fees to use your own vendors.
Review every contract carefully before signing.
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“Preferred Vendor” Lists with Financial Kickbacks
It’s not uncommon for wedding venues to have preferred vendor lists. We have them at Modern Moments. However, some venues only accept businesses that pay for placement or provide kickbacks.
This unscrupulous practice limits couples, restricting their ability to work with professionals who may better align with their creative vision or budget. It can also lead to fewer customization options and inflated pricing since the vendors and venues know couples have little choice but to go along with the plan.
If a venue advertises a vendor list, ask them about it. Good venues recommend these lists for convenience, but they also allow couples to bring their own teams.
Exclusive Contracts That Limit Outside Professionals
Some venues skip the pretenses of a preferred list and state that they have exclusive partnerships with certain caterers, florists, photographers, or planners. Exclusive contracts result in cookie-cutter wedding packages that limit a couple’s ability to customize their special day.
Exclusive contracts can be particularly problematic for couples looking to integrate their unique cultural preferences into the event or those who already have a list of trusted vendors they’d like to use. Prioritize venues that welcome outside vendors without penalties to achieve the perfect vision.
Extra Vendor Fees and Strict Insurance Demands
Some venues may advertise that you can bring your own team, but they create hurdles that incentivise couples to book partnered vendors.
They often add outside vendor fees that require you to pay extra to have your chosen team present. These fees can ramp up quickly, typically exceeding $500 for small service providers such as makeup artists or DJs.
Other venues may require excessive insurance coverage — well beyond what most vendors would reasonably carry — to unofficially prohibit them from the property. While it’s understandable that venues require insurance coverage for property damage, coverage upwards of $1 million is often unnecessary.
Before you sign a contract, ask for a breakdown of any vendor-related fees. Review them carefully and determine if they’re reasonable.
Catering Restrictions That Inflate Costs
Some venues may require you to use in-house catering. Others might allow outside caterers into their kitchens but add high access fees. This artificially inflates catering costs to make in-house services look more affordable.
These catering restrictions can limit menu flexibility, locking couples into a set number of dishes that might not align with their preferences. It can also eliminate the ability to incorporate cultural cuisine options or dietary needs into the wedding meal.
Be sure to ask your chosen venue about their catering policies if they don’t state them upfront. Look for hidden fees, such as service charges and gratuities, and ask whether you can bring in your own caterer and what corkage or plating fees might apply.
Setup Limitations Designed for In-House Vendors
Some venues may require you to use in-house lighting or decor teams due to liability concerns. Others might make it impractical to use your own vendors, offering tight setup and teardown time limits that are virtually impossible to meet without incurring late fees or causing delays.
Always review your venue contract for vendor access, storage space, and coordination before signing. Ask about timelines for setup and teardown, and raise any concerns you may have early on.
Experience True Flexibility at Modern Moments
At Modern Moments, you have the freedom to create the wedding of your dreams. Get in touch with our professional event planners to book your special day.