When couples are choosing what to wear on their wedding day, there is one big hurdle they very often run into right at the end. It is the “bring-in fee” the venue charges.
“I’d like to have a suit made at an outside shop, one that actually fits me properly.” When you said that to your wedding planner, were you told something like this?
“If you bring in your own outfit, there’s a fee of ¥30,000–50,000 per outfit to cover storage and dressing.” And then: “But if you choose from one of our hotel’s partner shops, there’s no bring-in fee at all!“
Hearing that, plenty of people start to waver: “It seems a waste to pay a fee just to bring something in. Maybe renting from the partner shop is the safer, cheaper option…”
Every venue is different, of course. But I used to supply bridal wear as one of a venue’s partner shops myself, so let me tell you a little about what sits behind this arrangement.
What Lies Behind “No Bring-In Fee at Our Partner Shops”
Officially, the reason venues charge a fee for outfits brought in from outside is “the work of receiving, storing and looking after the clothes”. That is certainly part of it, but there is also a structural, business reason.
I won’t say every shop works this way, but in my own case, when I was a partner shop, the contract said that every time a customer rented an outfit, I paid the venue roughly 30% of the rental price as a referral commission.
A partner shop has no choice but to set its prices with that commission already in mind.
So even when you’re told “No bring-in fee at our partner shops, what a bargain!”, in quite a few cases that fee is already built into the partner shop’s rental price from the start.
The Smart Groom’s Choice, and the Bring-In Hurdle
As I mentioned in my previous post, “I’d Do It All Again, If Not for the Planning (laughs): A Former Hire Shop Owner on Why Wedding Costs Spiral“, more and more grooms these days are making a clever choice: the rental tuxedo included in the package for the ceremony, then their own carefully chosen suit for the reception and the outfit change, and straight on to the after-party in it.
The catch is the bring-in fee for the suit you wear at the reception.
It won’t work for the bride’s dress, but precisely because a suit is an extension of everyday clothing, there is an ultimate move only the groom can use, and it’s one a planner will usually find easy to accept.
The Ultimate Move: “I Can Dress Myself, and I’ll Arrive Wearing It”
When a venue explains its bring-in fee, the stated reasons are usually “the work of dressing and attending to you on the day” or “storing and pressing the outfit from the day before”.
So plan your day like this, and talk it through politely with your planner.
- Arrive at the venue from home, already wearing your own suit
- Change into the package’s rental tuxedo for the chapel ceremony
- Change back into your own suit for the reception and the outfit change
In that order, the groom’s case is very simple.
“It’s a suit, so I can put it on myself. I won’t need any help from your staff.” “As for storage, I’ll be arriving from home wearing it, so there’s nothing to deliver the day before and nowhere it needs to be kept.”
Rather than refusing flat out, explain sincerely: “This is how we’d like the day to run, and it won’t cause you any extra work or trouble.” Quite often the planner will see that there are no storage or dressing staff costs involved, and will be happy to be flexible.
Crucial: Say What You Want Before You Pay the Deposit
And this is the single most important rule I want to get across today.
Whether it’s bringing in your own clothes or a particular idea for the day, tell them everything before you sign the contract and pay the deposit. Without fail.
When it comes to negotiating with a venue, the couple only holds the stronger position at one moment: when nothing has been signed yet and the venue wants your booking. At that stage, a request like “We’d like to bring our own suit and wear it at the reception. In return we won’t need any storage or dressing help, so could you waive (or reduce) the bring-in fee?” stands the best chance of being granted as a booking perk.
The one thing you must not do is bring it up after you’ve paid the deposit and signed.
Once the contract is signed and the deposit is paid, the positions are completely reversed. However politely you ask afterwards, you’ll most likely be told, “It’s in the terms of the contract, so the bring-in fee applies to everyone”, and that will be that.
What you want to do on the day, what you want to wear, what you want to bring in: lay all of it on the table before you pay the deposit. That alone can save you hundreds of thousands of yen in unnecessary spending.
Why Having a Suit Made Can Still Work Out Cheaper, Even With the Fee
Of course, depending on the venue’s rules, a bring-in fee may apply even if you ask before signing. Planners have their venue’s rules to follow too, so there’s no need to force a quarrel over it.
But even if you do end up paying ¥30,000–50,000, get the calculator out and look at it calmly.
- Renting one more outfit for the outfit change from the venue’s partner shop: ¥100,000–200,000 for something that can’t really be said to fit you perfectly. Once the day is over, you have nothing to show for it. The money is simply gone.
- Having a stylish suit made at L’ECRIN and bringing it in: a made-to-measure suit cut to your own frame, plus the bring-in fee. The total often comes to about the same as the rental, and is frequently even less.
Above all, a suit made here does not stop working after the reception and the after-party. It goes on to be your finest “big occasion” suit, the one you’ll wear for years to friends’ weddings and other celebrations.
A rental handed back after a few hours, leaving nothing behind, or a real suit you’ll wear with pride dozens of times over the rest of your life. Do compare what you’ll still have once the day is over.
Make a Choice You’re Happy With, and Enjoy the Best Day of Your Life
- Behind “no bring-in fee at our partner shops” there is sometimes a referral commission arrangement (in my partner shop days it was around 30%)
- The groom’s ultimate move is a natural flow: arrive in your own suit, change into the tuxedo for the ceremony, then back into your own suit for the reception
- Tell the venue everything you want, including what you’ll bring in, before you pay the deposit and sign
- It’s the one day in your life when this many people gather just for you, so it deserves a suit with no compromise on fit
Your wedding is the happiest day of your life. That’s exactly why I don’t want you to walk into it having settled for less, with a nagging doubt about how things work or an outfit that doesn’t quite fit.
“I’d like some advice on outfits and bring-in fees before we choose a venue.” “I want a suit that will make me the best-dressed man at the reception and the after-party.”
If that sounds like you, please come and see me at L’ECRIN in Sasa, before you sign anything or transfer a deposit. As a former hire shop owner, a former partner shop, and someone who held his own wedding with 120 guests, I’ll help you work out the choice you’re least likely to regret.
Related reading
I’d Do It All Again, If Not for the Planning (laughs): A Former Hire Shop Owner on Why Wedding Costs Spiral
Why a Loud Suit Gets Hard to Wear at 24: What Happens to Your Coming-of-Age Suit, and the Reversal That Comes with Your Second
Tuxedos we have tailored at L’ECRIN
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