Frustration Friday

Fair warning: if you don't want to hear about my wedding problems-that-might-not-be/seem-like-real-problems, you're welcome to skip today's post. I am feeling like Crazy Wedding Lady today, which is extra upsetting because I have been working pretty hard not to be her. At the very least, it's tiring.

Wedding "problem" the first: The Tasting.
The menu that we have chosen for the wedding is what qualifies as "mid-range" at our venue, with passed appetizers during our champagne cocktail hour, whatever salad we end up choosing, four entree choices, and a cake. I love that the cake is included, and it was pretty easy to select what we wanted. I am happy that we will have passed appetizers, so that people can mingle while the reception is being set up (in the same space as our ceremony, so we'll see how that goes). As our date creeps ever closer (163 days, what the hell), I thought it would be a good idea to try to set up a tasting, so I emailed the "new" catering director (the old one had retired, unexpectedly. Maybe there was some sort of catering coup?) to see what we needed to do. She replied to my email, telling me that a tasting could be arranged for two people (rather than the at-least-three that we will need), and that these two people could taste two appetizers and two entrees. Now, I am not a math whiz...but that is half of our total entrees. We are not paying $85 a head for me to have tasted half of the fricking food. When I brought this up in a recent in-person meeting, she said they would "see what they can do." I hope that "what they can do" is let us sample the food we're paying for...or someone is going to get slapped.

Wedding "problem" the second: The Room Block
I was excited to plan the wedding in a hotel, not just because this particular hotel is cool, all historic and art-deco-y, but also for the major convenience factor. Just imagine-- our out-of-town people might not even have to get cars! Ceremony, reception, brunch...all at the same place! How exciting. My stepfather, being an excellent haggler, looked into the rates for blocks of rooms at the hotel back in January, and was quoted two fairly decent prices, one that included breakfast and one that did not. When I inquired a few days ago about the prices (not knowing that StepDan had already asked), I was quoted prices that were...higher. Not astronomical, but...higher. I was also told that all of our guests would have to be at the same rate-- that is, we would have to decide whether all of them would be required to pay the rate that included breakfast, or have to pay $14 per person extra for the breakfast. Now, I have never worked in a hotel, so maybe this is more complicated than I think...but how hard is it to allow people to pay two different rates, that allow for different amenities? I'm sure that regular guests do this all the time, right?

Overarching wedding "problem": Am I a Crazy Person?
My biggest issue (or, if you are as Completely Over Planning Your Wedding as I am, and just want to Be Married and Go On a Honeymoon) is that this woman is in charge of basically my entire wedding day. Sure, we are hiring hair and makeup people, a photographer, a dj/pianist, and a florist, but at the end of the day, she is the Boss of the Space. She could be licking my cake, or cutting off my pigtails while I'm taking a spelling test, or whatever other evil things her mind might come up with. I have worked in customer service, so I get that there is likely a good deal of annoyance with Certain Customers. But I'm trying really hard not to be Certain Customers! I need some consistency, and reasonable accommodation with regard to preliminary wedding stuff. Jebus lady, just let me taste all my food and not charge my flying-across-the-country-in-a-shit-economy guests eleventy billion dollars to eat a breakfast they don't want. Is it possible to assertively ask for the things that I think I reasonably deserve without being seen as Crazy Bitch Bride?

I know you have opinions, internets...lay them on me.