What happens if you don't hit your wedding venue minimum?
When guest count or spending falls short of a venue contract minimum, couples face panic-driven pressure to invite unwanted guests just to hit the required threshold. However, some venues allow couples to make up the difference by adding extra items to their package.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Paying a partial plate fee for the missing guests
- 2Adding menu upgrades, extra appetizers, or late-night snacks to meet the minimum spend
- 3Inviting acquaintances or people you do not actually want there just to hit the numbers
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“So our venue has a minimum of 150 people for our Saturday date and with all our declines (so far) we are projecting at about 138.”source ↗
“My parents are panicking and trying to invite folks that we don’t necessarily want at the wedding so that we hit our 150% minimum”source ↗
“We were under our minimum spend amount (we had way less guests than anticipated) and our venue let us add items.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2Why is nobody ordering from classroom book clubs?
- 5Why won't students do the reading assignments?
- 2How to handle guests who haven't RSVP'd by the deadline
- 3Getting disciplined at work for missing billable hours targets
- 5Why do small businesses miss incoming phone calls?
- 2Why won't HVAC contractors follow my Manual J report?