Your venue is usually the biggest line on the budget. The fastest way to save real money—without shrinking your day—is to force a clean, all-in comparison for the same brief across different dates.

The one question to ask

“Can you price our exact brief three ways—(1) a peak Saturday, (2) a shoulder date (Fri/Sun or off-season), and (3) a weekday—and give me the all-in total for each, including every mandatory fee and tax? Please also show which line items change and by how much.”

Nine times out of ten, the shoulder/weekday number is lower for the same wedding—often by a couple of thousand euro.

What “all-in” means (your six non-negotiable numbers)

When a venue prices your brief, you need these exact figures so the totals are comparable:

Wedding day package (per-person) starting price.
If drinks reception Champagne and dinner wine aren’t included, how much extra per person?
Exclusive venue-hire fee (or minimum spend).
How much of that hire can be offset by guest accommodation fees? (Spell out the rules.)
Ceremony-on-site cost (incl. sound/PA if required).
Other fees (late-bar licence/extension, room-flip charges, using specific spaces, AV/PA, security, cleanup).
Bridal suite cost if it isn’t included.

If any of those are missing, the quote isn’t comparable.

Copy-paste email script (use it exactly)

Hi [Name],
We love [Venue] and want to price the same brief across a few date options. Could you share all-in totals (VAT and all mandatory fees included) for:

A peak Saturday in [month/season]
A shoulder option (Friday/Sunday or off-season)
A weekday (Mon–Thu)

For each option, please itemise these lines so we can compare like-for-like:
• Package per-person price
• Drinks reception Champagne & dinner wine (if extra), per person
• Exclusive venue-hire fee (and whether guest accommodation offsets any of it)
• Ceremony on site cost
• Other fees (late bar, specific spaces, AV/PA, room flip, security/cleanup)
• Bridal suite (if not included)

Also note which items change by date (and by how much).
Thanks so much,
[You]

Compare across dates and seasons (Irish specifics)

Season bands are venue-specific in Ireland. Many hotels treat April–September and December as peak; others include October in off-peak or “winter special” pricing. Always ask your venue to define peak / shoulder / off-peak in writing. Expect December to behave like peak at many properties; October swings between shoulder and peak depending on the venue.

How to use the Venue Comparison & Questions Bundle (with the new Date Compare tab)

Fill the “Date Compare (same venue)” sheet with three columns:
Peak Saturday | Shoulder (Fri/Sun or off-season) | Weekday (Mon–Thu)
Use your six numbers above to complete each column. The sheet totals all-in and shows the difference vs. Saturday.
Fill the main comparison tab for different venues on the same date (apples to apples).
Decide with clarity: “Is a Saturday worth €X to us?”

Add this note to your Instructions tab:

“Always compare different venues on the same date and the same venue across different dates/seasons. If the venue won’t include VAT/mandatory fees, assume the total will be higher.”

Red flags that inflate the “real” total

Quotes given ex-VAT to consumers. Ask for VAT-inclusive totals.
“From €…” packages with the compulsory bits (late bar, ceremony fee, PA) missing.
Corkage that doesn’t count toward any minimum spend.
Late-finish charges that automatically apply even if you don’t need them.
Room-flip or specific-space fees not mentioned up front.

TL;DR

Ask every venue to price your exact brief three ways (peak Saturday, shoulder, weekday) with all-in totals and a note on what changes. Then run those numbers through the Date Compare tab in the bundle. That single step can surface €2k–€8k in savings without touching your guest count or design.

The One Question That Can Save You Thousands on Your Venue