Is it too much?

[Hudson_Hawk]

So I''ve been communicating with a full-service planning and catering vendor today. They told me the following:

We find that for: cocktail hour with passed hors d’oeuvres, open bar, champagne toast, service personnel, salad, entree, cake, china, linen, flatware, wedding planning and coordination, the cost will run between 85– 100 per person. That price of course can go up or down based on what you would like and the options you choose.

Do you think $85-100 pp is high if it includes open bar, champagne toast, sit down meal, cake, linen, china, flatware, and a day-of coordinator? I forgot to mention, this is one of the better know Providence caterers, and I know their service and food are amazing.

I''m just so new at this, it''s overwhelming to think that just the food and tables are going to cost upwards of 10-12k...

100 @85 = $8,500
100 @100 =$10,000
120 @ 85 = $10,200
120 @ 100 = $12,000

 

[Independent Gal]

Not sure about your area, but when my dad and I were looking around at home, that was about right (in our currency). And my understanding is it's often WAY worse than that, particularly in the tri-state area.

At our venue, with tax and tip, we're looking at about $150/pp.

 

[neatfreak]

Can you do it for cheaper? Yes.

Is it outrageous? Certainly not.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

This is in the Providence-Newport area, which because of the close proximity and popularity of the Newport mansions (think Astor''s, Kennedy''s, Eisenhower''s, etc) it could probably be on-par with a big city in terms of cost.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I second neatfreak, you could do it cheaper, but it''s not outrageous.

We''re renting a private residence, so we''re pulling all of it together ourselves: food, table/linen/china rental, alcohol, bartender, cake. I am a cheapskate, so I did tons and tons of researching and negotiating on the prices. We did want good food, so we knew we''d have to pay a little more for that. Even with all of the negotiating and me spending days upon days trying to find cheaper prices, we''re still paying a little over $100/head. Our wedding is very small so we are okay with the costs, but I was really surprised that I couldn''t get the costs down to $75/head or less.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I definitely do not want to pay 12k, but the food is something that''s really important to us. Their quote was for open bar etc. we really only want beer and wine and maybe a signature cocktail or two. I would love to do this for less but everywhere I''ve looked is just as expensive with less amenities (like $85 pp with no cake, OB, etc.). I don''t plan to do much for the flowers or centerpieces, just candles on the tables. But I have no idea how much the flowers are going to cost or how much the DJ will be. So 10-12k may be totally out of our budget in the end. We''re hoping to keep it under 20k (not counting dress etc).

 

[Independent Gal]

You can easily manage for under 20K, minus the dress and rings (or even WITH them if you shop smart!)

Don''t know about where you are, but we''re getting a DJ for $600, flowers for $500 (bouts, my bouquet, two other arrangments... the venue provides flowers for the tables), photographer (my MOH''s sis) for $500 (you can find a student!), invitations for $350-400 (incl. postage, from invitesite.com DIY)....

So, that still leaves about 6K of wiggle room on top of the 12K for food. Just depends on how much stuff you ''just absolutely HAVE to have''. Decide what''s really important to you and your guests! Can the rest unless you can afford it.

 

[ephemery1]

Honestly, that price sounds great to me... especially if you love and trust the venue. Ours (in central PA) was almost double that, for the same options.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Here''s the run-down so far, though no signed contracts etc yet.

Guest list count 120

Ceremony-on the beach fee ???
Reception location- The Towers, Narragansett, RI fee $1600 for Fri/Sun and $2100 for Saturday
Chair and table rental-I have to check my paperwork for The Towers- $500?
Food, wine/beer/sig cocktail, cake, linens, china, etc fee $85-$100 pp depending on choices $10,200 or $12,000
Flowers-I just want bouquets for 3 BM and me (really simple arrangements) as well as 7 bouts and 3 corsages fee $300??
Favors- little lanterns mentioned on another thread today. If I can get them at the store mentioned, it''ll only be $100-$200 for the lanterns and candles.
Other decorations- Maybe $100 for additional candles etc?
DJ- I have NO idea how they''re priced. It looks like everyone is on a quote basis $600?
Transportation- $0 thanks to the brand-new classic car the bf just purchased
Gratuity-$1000
Invitations-$250??? God I hope it''s less than that!

What''s left
rings approx $1500
dress/accessories budget $1500
hair/makeup $150
Gifts for BM/GM/''rents $200
Suit for BF- $200 (but purchased in advance.)

All of that, with $12,000 for the caterer and the ''what''s left category'' comes out to just a little over 20k.

Yikes, it''s going to be TIGHT!!

 

[musey]

Does it include all taxes and suggested tip, etc.? I''m paying $95pp, but when all is said and done, it''s actually $119 and change pp.

That''s in Malibu, CA, and one of the least expensive quotes we go (within reason, while still good quality, etc.). Ours includes less than yours, what you said minus the hor d''oeuvres, open bar (ours is beer/wine/champagne only) and we provide our own cake.

Don''t know if that will mean anything to you, but there you go!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

The website says the following:

What other charges are there that are not specified on my wedding proposal? None. At the end of your custom wedding proposal we will give you a cost based on our understanding of your requests. The prices for food, service, alcohol, linens, etc… will be clearly defined and specified, as well as any other items you may have especially requested that we handle for you (such as rentals, florals, cake, etc…). The proposal, if accepted, acts as your contract with us. This is a happy time in your life, and one that we feel should be unencumbered with unpleasant "surprises".

What is the difference between a gratuity and a service charge? Some caterers add a "service charge" to their events. Typically, this can be as much as 18% - 20% which does not go to the employees working on your event. Unlike other caterers we do not include any ambiguous service charges. Your custom wedding proposal will detail all "service" charges as specific line items. Gratuities on the other hand, are discretionary. Should you decide to give a gratuity, we will be happy to guide you as to what is customary. (At XXX, our policy with regard to such gratuities is that they are divided evenly among the staff members participating at your event.)

So I''m assuming the tax is included, but I don''t know that for sure.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

CRUD!!!! I forgot the photographer! Add $2500 to the top!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Does the $12K include rental for the actual venue? I know that was a big cost for us.

The food/tables/cake/alcohol (for an open bar) was about 1/3 of our overall budget. The venue rental was 20%, so that was a big chunk. Other expensive items were the photographer, our wedding bands and my dress (plus shoes, veil, alterations). In all honestly, my FI and my attire (with alterations), plus our wedding bands were about 1/4 of the budget, which makes me feel really vain. And that doesn''t even include hair/makeup the day of.

For us, there were many things in the $200 - $500 that really added up:
musician for ceremony
flowers (just two bouquets + coursages + bouts)
invitations
officiant
hair/makeup
welcome bags for OOT guests

Our centerpieces were inexpensive--the lanterns, candles and cranberries are only about $10/table. But if you have a bunch of tables, that adds up (we don''t).

Also, we''re not having a DJ, so that saved us.

What I did when I started planning was create we financial spreadsheet with every expense I could think of, then figure out what we could budget. I had a "Projected" column, then an "actual" column and now I have what we''ve paid and what is left to pay.

You can definitely do something for under $20K, but I think if you do spend $12k on the venue/food/alcohol you''ll have to be careful with the rest of your budget. $8k goes fast when you still have to figure in all attire, wedding bands, alterations, a photographer, a DJ, centerpieces, an officiant, musicians, invitations, flowers. Plus I''m not sure if the original budget includes a rehearsal dinner or not.

I think it''s common to spend a bit more up front, then you start to feel the budget tightening the closer you get to the wedding--things definitely pop up!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Well I''m hoping that my stepfather (who is a judge) will stand for our officiant in which case he gets a big hug and an extra nice gift. The 12k was the top end of the average they gave me and it doesn''t include the venue, tables, or chairs. I''d say that''s an extra $2100-$2600 on top.

I guess I''ll have to wait until I get the caterer''s proposal and go from there.

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Good plan, it''s good just to have a general idea of what you have to spend on each item. I''m not a big fan of the knot, but the financial tool they have is pretty handy. Also, don''t be afraid to negotiate, I negotiated with every vendor--the caterers (who are in RI , the flowers, the dress, the alterations, the wedding bands, the photographer, the venue...

I just quickly added up the original price vs. my negotiated price and the difference is about $4,000, which helps towards the honeymoon. Even the most upscale vendors will negotiate with you, which really surprised me. I figured it was worth a shot and it almost always worked. Who knew!

 

[Selkie]

Date: 8/29/2007 5:03:46 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
...
Transportation- $0 thanks to the brand-new classic car the bf just purchased
...
Yikes, it''s going to be TIGHT!!

SWEEEEET MG, Hudson Hawk!

Sorry about the sticker shock, though.

 

[Pandora II]

Wow, prices in the US are soooo much cheaper than here!

I''m paying $17k just for food, canapes, venue hire, table hire and corkage.

The meal is a plated starter and then a buffet of cold meats and various different salads, potatoes etc and strawberries and cream to finish. It will all be locally sourced and organic - but it''s not steak or anything fancy!

I''m trying to stay under $28k (not including rings or honeymoon) - which is half the average wedding cost in the UK. Most of my friends don''t think I''ll pull it off for that much - but they don''t know how much time I spend on ebay!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Thanks! It''s going to arrive on Friday, we can''t wait. Hopefully I''ll have some SMTR pics next to it it''ll be a two''fer. I suppose you could consider the MG TJ''s engagement present (except I didn''t buy it myself). Ya, I wish we could have put that $$ in savings towards repairs on our house or the wedding, but I didn''t feel right coming down hard and squashing his mellow when he just coughed up 6k for my ring...c''est la vie

 

[zoebartlett]

As for the DJ, this seems to vary. We''re using one from the Boston area, and he''s costing us less than $800. Others in Maine and Portsmouth were charging anywhere from $650-$1100. The one we went with was the DJ at a family friend''s wedding in NH. I couldn''t attend the wedding but my family did and they said he was really great. I can give you the name of the company if you''d like.

 

[Kit]

My thoughts:

Your costs for reception rental fee and food/beverage are very low. Go for it!

Remember, officiants are usually not free so budget for that. You'll prob also need a permit for a beach ceremony, just a guess.

Also, my bouquet is $125 alone, and I understand that is a pretty reasonable cost...are you going for like all daisies, or are you doing calla lillies/peonies/lillies of the valley? Just something to think about. I think $300 for your flowers is not realistic.

ETA: Our budget breakdown is something like: $4500 for rental fees, $6000 for open bar, at least $10,000 for plated dinner, butlered hors d oeuvres etc. About 110 people. We are at a hotel, but still...I think for a Saturday night, dinner, open bar scenario that's pretty standard.

HTH!

 

[Gypsy]

Depends where you are. I assume it doesn''t include the venue. Just full service catering? Well, for DC it would be a a good to average deal. In Nor Cal, it would be a good deal. In NJ, average deal. Also, it depends on how good the food is. How many hours, does it include full clean up as well as a tasting. It''s overwelmning, but unfortunately, I think it''s about average if you live in a fairly expensive metro area.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Zoe, I''d love the company''s name. Thanks.

I got the proposal this morning from the caterer and there are definately areas that we can cut back on and save money. Such as serving dessert on top of serving wedding cake, not doing a full open bar, just having stationery hors d''ouevres etc.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 8/31/2007 11:17:42 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Zoe, I''d love the company''s name. Thanks.

I got the proposal this morning from the caterer and there are definately areas that we can cut back on and save money. Such as serving dessert on top of serving wedding cake, not doing a full open bar, just having stationery hors d''ouevres etc.

Sure, no problem. The company is Heart of Boston Entertainment: http://www.heartofbostonentertainment.com/. David and Donna Vose are really great, and if you meet them at their house to talk about using them, Donna might even make cookies for you.

I forgot to mention earlier that I think the prices you''ve given seem reasonable. We''re having an officiant do our ceremony and she''s fantastic! We''ve only met with her once but we clicked right away and pretty much hired her during our first conversation. She''s charging us $300, which I thought was a great price. I had nothing to compare it to but I was pleased with her fee.

 

[cara]

Making some assumptions about the costs in your area, I think it is reasonable. I''m in Norcal, which should slightly more expensive than your area, and we ended up paying about $95pp for catering and rentals (including tax and tip and beverage service) but that did NOT include the cake, day-of coordination, or any beverages. So our actual costs were probably more around $140 for what your company is providing, but we did spend around $30pp on beverage purchases.

If you are really concerned about the cost, however, you should get some additional quotes.

When we were deciding on catering, however, it was one of the most confusing vendors for price comparison because each company charged differently. Some charged a flat fee for each person, including a certain number of appetizers and service, with very little add-ons. Some provided the china for free and white napkins and rented the rest. Some rented everything. Some assumed that an average guest would only need 3 glasses during the entire 7 hour affair, others assumed that 7 glasses per guest would be needed. Some charged a deceptively low price of $25 per meal, but then added on hourly fees for the service and the CHEFS to prepare the food, in addition to tax, tip and rentals for everything down to the forks. Some claimed to include service in their quote, but with so few hours included that overtime was certain. Some provided a proposal with their lowest tier menu choices and others started with the medium options. Some had some many nickel and dime charges "to be decided later" that I was afraid the quote wasn''t worth the paper it was written on.

Finally I made a detailed spreadsheet of the quotes, and tried to equalize everything, comparing apples to apples. The same number of appetizers, server hours, glasses, medium tier menu options, etc. Turns out the quotes were all then within 10-20% of one another. We went with lowest priced option that seemed "all-inclusive" so that there wouldn''t be add on charges, and they turned out awesome!

As for your budget, I would make sure that you have actually priced things and that you can get options you are happy with for those prices. A lot of those little things can be found for the numbers you quote, but you might not want to make the compromises involved.

Flowers, for example. Might be more if you want an actual florist with a shop to do them, assuming you can find one willing to work for no minimum on a Saturday. I thought I found quite a reasonable florist for my area, and she would have charged closer to $500 for what you want with my medium-pricy flowers.

DJ, often charge set rate for 4 hours minimum. In my area, most wedding DJs were ~$1k. I''m sure you can find cheaper non-standard DJs, or iPOD it, but those were prices in my area.

Invites. Absolutely can be found for that price. But watch out! If you are a paper whore like me, it can be bad! And we spend a dollar per invite on stamps (58 cents for 2 ounce for invite and normal stamp for replay card).

Other paper products: we spend $130 on STD cards and stamps and a similar amount on other paper products for the wedding (programs, name cards, menus, drink list). All printed ourselves but on fancy paper with a little few unfortunate mistake purchases.

Gifts: we went way over here. Ended up buying the parents engagement pictures from our photographer, as well as overbudget, less cheesy gifts for the bridal party and readers. Just have something in mind that will keep you in budget before setting it in stone.

 

[larussel03]

I think your numbers sound reasonable, and really good for Newport.

My best friend is also getting married in Newport and for 120-140 people it''s looking like it''ll cost her around 30k, I think.

What she wasn''t prepared for though was how expensive the hotels are -- they''re giving us a reduced rate at a nice B&B for 300/night!! It''s usually about 550-600 per room per night, but for the wedding they gave a reduced rate. She did offer guests the option of the Travel Lodge though which is 15 mins away for 79/night, so at least there is an option.

Newport weddings are so beautiful, I"m sure that your day will be wonderful!! Sounds like you''ve got a great start.

 

[zoebartlett]

HH, I can''t remember if you''ve mentioned whether you''re looking for someone to do save the dates and/or invitations or if you''re going to DIY. We''re going with someone in Somerville, MA. She did my sister''s invitations and save the dates and she does great work! Her name is Shelley and her work can be found at www.albertinepress.com. Not that you asked but I thought I''d pass along the info. anway.