Planning
Buyout vs Banquet: How Palace Bookings Actually Work
What 'full buyout' means, room-night minimums, force-majeure clauses and how to negotiate.
Every palace contract comes with two pricing models and a stack of clauses most couples sign without reading. Here is the field guide we wish someone had handed us.
Buyout vs banquet, plainly
Banquet = you rent function spaces, share the property with other guests. Buyout = the entire palace is yours, no other bookings, full staff at your service. Buyout typically costs 4–6x banquet but is the only way to get fireworks, drone permits, and after-midnight functions.
The room-night trap
Most palaces require a minimum room block at published rack rate — usually 30 to 60 room-nights. This single clause is the difference between a ₹2 Cr and ₹4 Cr wedding. Negotiate the room rate (not the count) and ask for unused rooms to release back to the palace 30 days out.
Force majeure — read the fine print
Post-COVID, palaces tightened force-majeure clauses dramatically. Many will only refund 50% if you cancel for any reason within 90 days. Ask for date-shift rights to a comparable date within 18 months instead of a refund — it's almost always granted.
The negotiation order that works
Lock the date first, then negotiate rental, then per-plate, then room-block last. Couples who negotiate in this order save 12–18% on average. Couples who lead with 'what's your best price' get the rack rate plus 5%.
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