Weddingbee Blog

Note: I wrote this back in March, but decided not to edit it too much––you get to see more of my bride fury this way!

If you think hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, don’t even think about the fury unleashed by a bride scorned. In this case, scorned not by the groom, but by the venue: R2L restaurant & lounge in Philadelphia. Buddy, get ready because this bride scorned will take you through all the streets of fury-town.

Here’s the breakdown: after a long search through area venues including vineyards, parks & museums and restaurants, our sights were set on brand-spanking-new R2L restaurant on the 37th floor of 2 Liberty Place.

We approached them the day after their grand opening, spoke with the event coordinator Brenda Mendte, and were giddy with excitement over the prospect of saying our vows at the top of the city we love. Their space is beautiful for events and it would make our wedding incredibly special.

When negotiating time came around, we were ready: Nineteen Restaurant down the street had offered us a package worth $11,450, all inclusive of tax, gratuity, food and beverage, so that was an excellent starting point for us. R2L, originally saying their minimum was $15,000, came down to a $12,500 minimum.

In our minds, it was not only doable, but it was so very worth it. We loved everything about R2L and we wanted to make it work. We went ahead and asked for a contract to be drawn up, and that’s when the trouble started.

After service charges, taxes, gratuity, set-up fees, and outside rentals needed, the grand estimated total on the contract came out to a whopping $18,540. Not unreasonable for some, but it’s a far cry from the seemingly affordable minimum we got so excited about.

Jacking up prices with ridiculous and unheard of fees is a norm in the wedding industry, but what got me the most was the mixed signals from R2L’s event coordinator Brenda and their General Manager David. Brenda seemed open to negotiating, so we thought it was just a matter of the right phrasing to get David on our side.

Being the naive optimists that only a young couple in love can be, we got creative with the numbers. Instead of a full hour for the cocktail hour, why don’t we make it a cocktail half-hour (less food & drink=less money, right)? Can we include the set-up fee in the minimum? Can we shop around for lower prices on the outside rentals?

No, no, no.

What if we did the cocktail half-hour and then made up the rest of the minimum by buying gift cards to use at a later date? Now at this, Brenda thought it was a reasonable idea. We could take my parents and our bridal party out to dinner to show off R2L, we could come back on our anniversary, and our birthdays… but General Manager, David Sturno, did not see the virtue in this.

After only three attempts to get him to budge even an inch, David Sturno, GM of R2L, told us to take our business elsewhere.

Now, in my opinion, we didn’t take this too far, we negotiated the same amount as any bride or groom would who is on a budget (and who isn’t right now?). After receiving the $18,540 contract, we attempted to speak with David about the price three times, each time giving a little more and trying our hardest to make it work for everyone.

Apparently for David, it was three times and we were out.

Here’s why David should have had our wedding:

1. R2L is the new kid on the block and frankly, who doesn’t need the business? He was recently quoted in an article on Philly.com saying “We’re trying to signal that we’re here at ground level,” when speaking about his greatest challenge. Well, David, I am one of those underlings on the ground and I happily would have spread the word about your space.
2. We offered him his minimum. We offered him all of the money he asked for, albeit in a slightly creative way. He, of all people, should know that sometimes, all that matters is that the deal gets done.
3. Sometimes, it isn’t about making a bajillion dollars on a single night, it’s about creating a buzz and excitement about your restaurant, especially if you’re new.

So here’s the deal: If you can easily spend 30 grand on your wedding, R2L is the place to do it, no question. Brenda, their event coordinator, would probably be great to work with once you get past the David gate. But brides who want to negotiate… don’t bother. David Sturno isn’t interested in any negotiating, and it seems that if you even try, he’ll hold a grudge against you for it.

Could we scrimp and save and eat mac and cheese for the next seven months to pay for the wedding? Absolutely. But at this point, we don’t trust David. The contract states that other taxes and fees could be applied, that $18,540 might not be the final price, and from what we saw, David didn’t even have an interest in trying to work with us. If he had shown an ounce of sincerity or regret over the fact that he just couldn’t go any lower, we probably would have found a way to make this work.

Does my little bride heart feel smashed to pieces? Yes. Was I embarrassed for telling everyone I know about R2L as our wedding destination? Definitely. Was I sick to my stomach about starting the venue search process again with seven months to go? You betcha. Was I feeling a level of failure and inadequacy I haven’t felt since I had that crush who was SO out of my league in high school? Strangely, yes. Did I eat my sorrows away with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s? Absolutely.

If David wanted to spread the word on the ground that R2L is up there, he started out by spitting on two of his biggest fans.

Did you ever walk the streets of bridal fury-town like I did with a vendor?