Wedding planner Jamie Wolfer says venues eating more than 20% of your budget are a trap. He describes how venues force specific caterers, hide fees, and lock you in. One couple walked away from a $10,000 deposit rather than overpay.
I don't care how cheap that venue seems to you or if it feels like a splurge. If the venue is more than 20% of your budget, gives me a red flag, and that makes me wonder how much is everything else going to cost because of how expensive that location is. Okay, you sign with the venue that has a required caterer, you get yourself into something called the venue trap, and then you get to a place where you don't know what to do. I am extremely proud of this bride because what she said— her and her fiancé went, you know what, we would rather bow out and lose $10,000 than commit to staying at this venue. Like, she's asking what should she have done? Nothing.
