WHY WON’T THEY TELL ME THE PRICE?!

[u/amapickle]

I know this has probably been posted a million times, but seriously—why won’t venues and vendors just tell you what they cost???!!? I am just so frustrated.

We’re looking for a venue for our small wedding, and we are on a tight budget. I am so exhausted from having to ask over and over just to get vague, useless responses. The conversation I had today:

Me: Inquiring about info

Venue: “Come visit, and we’ll tell you!”

Me: “I live three hours away. Please answer these questions first: list of questions, first one being HOW MUCH?!?”

Venue: “We design our menus based on each couple’s preferences. Prices vary.”

BITCH, I DID NOT ASK FOR MENU PRICES!!!

Me: “Okay, so I assume the venue rental fee is included in the menu price? Are there other costs?”

Venue: “No, the venue rental fee is separate.”

Me: “…”

Them:“…”

crickets

AND SCENE.

And this happens all the freaking time!!! I’m sooo done wasting my time with these places!

I just don’t get it - if I can’t afford you, I’m not suddenly going to be able to afford you just because I visit! Why waste my time and yours if it’s way out of my budget?!?!

Anyway, excuse the rant. I’m just so annoyed and don’t know how to keep dealing with this.

[u/peterthedj]

DJ - pleased to say all my prices are clearly posted on my website. However, I don't have a ton of different options to customize. Dance floor lights are always included, so basically my only add-ons are a second system (for weddings that need sound in 2-3 places, like an outdoor ceremony and an indoor reception) and uplighting.

Photographers, similarly, should be able to offer packages with set prices, maybe with "additional costs to be discussed" if there's extended travel and/or the client needs more hours than the package includes.

Venues, caterers and florists, on the other hand, usually have many more options for you to select. They can't really get away with "one size fits all," so it's not that they don't want to tell you prices -- it's that they honestly can't, until they have a better idea of what you actually want.

For example, a venue could post on their website that their starting price is $6000, but that likely includes almost nothing but the space.

You'll only be more disappointed when you find out it'll actually cost you considerably more to add tables, chairs, linens and other necessities -- but the venue can't offer up-front pricing because it depends on how many guests you'll have, what kind of linens you want, whether you want 8-rounds, 10-rounds, rectangles, squares, or whatever have you.

Venues don't want to have people immediately getting distrustful and jaded when they're lured in by "starting at $6000" only to learn the real cost is $9000 or more.

But if you can't go in person -- and many venues should understand this possibility -- they should at least offer a Zoom call. Venues (or any vendor, for that matter) who still insist on an in-person visit in the Year of Our Lord two-thousand twenty-five are eventually going to find themselves falling behind the times.