What Your Venue Contract Isn't Telling You

In 23 years of reviewing wedding contracts, I’ve seen couples sign away thousands without knowing it. Venue contracts are written by the venue’s solicitors, not yours. They’re designed to protect the venue, not your interests.

Here’s what to look for before your pen touches paper.

The Minimum Spend Clause

Many venues quote a room hire fee that seems reasonable. What they don’t emphasise is the minimum spend requirement — often €15,000-€25,000 on food and beverage alone.

If your guest list is 80 people and their minimum assumes 120, you’ll be paying for 40 phantom guests. I’ve seen couples locked into spending €6,000 more than they planned simply because they didn’t do the per-head calculation.

The Exclusivity Trap

Some venues have exclusive supplier arrangements. Their in-house florist. Their approved caterer. Their DJ list.

This isn’t always problematic, but it removes your ability to shop around. When there’s no competition, there’s no incentive to offer competitive pricing. Ask what happens if you want to bring external suppliers and what corkage or service fees apply.

The Weather Clause

For outdoor ceremonies or reception drinks, what’s the backup plan and who decides when it’s triggered? I’ve seen contracts where the venue decides at 2pm whether the outdoor ceremony proceeds — leaving couples with zero input on their own wedding day.

The Cancellation Ladder

Most contracts have a sliding scale of cancellation penalties. But read carefully: some venues keep 100% of deposits regardless of how far out you cancel, even if they rebook your date.

Others have reasonable terms that return partial deposits if they can resell. The difference between these two approaches can be €10,000 or more if circumstances change.

The Service Charge Question

Is service charge included in the quoted prices or added on top? A 15% service charge on a €20,000 food and beverage bill is €3,000 you might not have budgeted.

And crucially: where does that service charge actually go? To staff or to the venue?

Before You Sign

• Calculate the true per-head cost including all minimums
• List every supplier restriction and its impact on your choices
• Understand exactly what triggers each cancellation penalty
• Get the weather backup plan in writing
• Clarify all service charges and where they’re allocated

A venue visit tells you whether you love the space. A contract review tells you whether you can afford to love it.

That’s the difference between Page One and Page Two.