Booking a Resort Wedding vs. a Private Event Venue

Selecting your wedding venue is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make as you embark on your wedding planning journey both mentally and financially. Allocation for a wedding venue can be anywhere from 15%-45% of your budget depending on what type of venue you select and what is or isn’t included under your contract. That’s why it’s so important to understand what types of venues exist and the costs and requirements associated with each.

The two most popular types of wedding venues are resort-based venues and independent, private event venues. Resort-based venues include most commercial hotels, vacation resorts, etc. Private event venues are stand alone facilities that are not part of a commercial chain (most are privately owned). There can be a huge difference in cost when it comes to resorts and private event venues, and you’ll want to pay close attention to the necessary expenses of each in order to select the best option for your overall wedding investment. 

So what are the biggest differences between a resort-based venue and a private/independent venue? The differences can be categorized into the following: contracting requirements, general inclusions, and overall costs. For your convenience, we’ve broken down the differences within each category below:

Booking A Resort-Based Venue

Costs:

Costs associated with resort style venues may include your venue rental fee, liability insurance, security, and/or parking & general resort fees. Additionally, you will be required to meet a food & beverage minimum. This is the financial amount you MUST agree to spend in order for the resort to contract out their event space. Many resorts will have an in-house food and beverage team (F&B for short), and you will not be allowed to bring in your own choice of caterer.

Don’t be misled by the F&B minimum! This is NOT the exact amount you will spend on F&B, it’s the MINIMUM amount you MUST spend on F&B. The resort will base your F&B minimum on a few variables: projected guest count, desired event space at the resort, event date. The resort knows you’re likely to exceed the minimum so it’s more important to understand the projected per person cost. The per person cost is the number you’ll want to incorporate into your overall budget to determine if this venue fits within your financial goals. 

Generally, one can estimate spending between $450 - $650 per person on F&B at a resort-style venue. Resorts also charge a service tax and gratuity so make sure you understand the per person cost with ALL factors included. Bringing in outside F&B is a breach of resort contracts, so you need to be certain that you are comfortable with the per person cost and the menu options available to you.

And finally, another additional cost to consider is resort pricing in general. Resorts have a huge mark up on F&B (it’s part of how they generate revenue beyond booking out hotel rooms). A $7 cocktail at a local restaurant could easily cost $14 at a resort so set your expectations accordingly. Things simply cost more because you are at a resort.

General Inclusions:

Typically, resorts provide the general event basics such as tables, chairs, basic linens, and tabletop items such as flatware, glassware, china, barware, etc. On occasion, AV equipment is included however, some resorts charge additional fees for any AV needs (but will require you to go through their in-house AV provider). 

If you have an eye for design and envision a specific look for your event, you may need to budget for rentals from outside vendors (different chairs, tables, custom linens, lounge furniture, bars, etc). While it is typical to use the tabletop items resorts provide, you may also decide to bring in a specific style of flatware, china, and/or glassware. 

Contracting Requirements:

Beyond the required F&B minimum, most resorts also include lodging requirements in their contracting process. Meaning, you’ll likely have to commit to booking at least 10 rooms for a minimum of two nights in order to contract your event with the venue.

Booking an Independent/Private Event Venue

Costs:

Most private event venues charge a flat rental fee. Typically, private venues do not have an in-house catering team to provide F&B services. As such, F&B costs aren’t part of the rental contract. When it comes to catering services, a private venue generally requires you to hire an outside catering company that you will select from their preferred vendor list. Because independent caterers don’t have F&B minimums, you will have more flexibility in your F&B budget to build whatever custom menu you want with your selected caterer. That said, you still need to determine what overall projected costs will be in order to determine what caterer is the right fit for your budget. 

In general, it’s safe to estimate spending anywhere from $250 - $350 per person on F&B. That number may or may not include service, tax and gratuity so you’ll want to have an in-depth understanding of what your preferred caterer charges per person as a whole. Ask for “all in” costs as you evaluate your options.

Most private event venues will also require some form of wedding insurance, but this is typically a simple policy that can be added onto an existing policy through your agent. Costs will vary depending on who your provider is. Click here to read our blog post regarding wedding insurance.

General Inclusions:

Some private venues include the basics such as tables and chairs while others do not. And most do not include tabletop items such as china, glassware and flatware (your caterer might include these items in their contract, or you may have to bring them in via an outside rental company). You’ll also want to find out if AV equipment is provided for your use.

In general, you’ll most likely spend more on rentals at a private event venue than you would at a resort due to the lack of certain inclusions. Read your contract thoroughly in order to gain a firm understanding of what is and isn’t included in your venue rental, and embrace discussions with the expectation that outside items WILL need to be rented (which may even include restrooms, lighting, and/or additional power).

Contracting Requirements:

Private event venues typically don’t have lodging options associated with their event space. Therefore, you won’t be required to have a room block. Not having a required room block is great financially, but logistics-wise, you may feel pressured to provide your guests with options, especially if you are planning a destination wedding. We suggest coordinating one to two courtesy blocks somewhere close to the venue where guests will receive a discounted room rate, but still be financially responsible for their own lodging costs.

In summary, both resorts and private event venues are great options when it comes to booking event space, but they do not offer an apples to apples comparison in many ways. From the vast differences in associated costs and overall investment to the variables regarding different inclusions and contracting requirements, this investment and decision is not one to make based on aesthetics alone. Make sure you’ve done the necessary research (and the math) before signing on the dotted line, because once you’re under contract with a venue, you’ll be financially responsible for a non-refundable deposit (and likely more).

And, once you’ve booked your venue, you’re going to hear common terms like “venue coordinator” and “wedding planner” (some venues even require you to hire a planner). But what’s the difference between a coordinator and a planner? Click here to learn more!