Negotiating with Hotel…Anyone?

Around this time last year, me and my fiancee were desperately searching for the right hotel for our wedding.

We emailed about 50 hotels and only 25 replied and from these 25 hotels, we shortlisted them based on prices, accessibility and the number of tables they could accomodate.

I'm not saying the hotels' ballrooms were too small to fit our wedding. The opposite is in fact the case. Not many hotels can accomodate to only 18 tables or less.

At that point in time, being new to the wedding industry, we were absolutely clueless of what to do in planning our wedding. Luckily, my friends were willing to help out.

They helped me to negotiate. They have strong negotiation skills.

Seriously, we were not very good negotiators and that was why we needed help.

These were the times I found it helpful to ask for more perks or freebies.

1. Before signing the contract, ask for more free corkages and any other freebies or special requests you have. If the sales manager is unable to compromise, just bring your business to other hotels.

2. There will be a time when you and the hotel coordinator will sit with you and your spouse-to-be to discuss the programmes in details. So this is time you can tell your coordiantor your requests…

Some requests that you can make:
1. More free corkages
2. More helpers room
3. More guest book
4. Free wedding cake AND bottle of champagne
5. In any case if the given helper's room is not to be used on actual day, ask for the days to be shifted to some other days when you can come back for a holiday.