Eating your money - Making the most of your event catering bill

Believe me, as an event planner I have seen that it is EASY to blow through $20,000+ by feeding (and giving alcohol to) 185+ people. For privileged couples this type of budget allowance is available. But, for those unable or unwilling to shell out that much money, may I suggest the following tips:

• Understand the correlation between the cost of catering and the number of mouths that you feed. Although the ‘quality’ of food that you serve your guests will increase or decrease the cost of catering for your event, you must first understand that the number one factor for enormous food bills is number of mouths that you are feeding.  If you are planning on inviting 100 guests to your reception then you need to plan to feed those 100 people.

If after doing the numbers with your caterer you do not have the funds to feed everyone on your invitees list, then it is time to re-evaluate your guest list. When it comes down to it, if you don’t have the money you don’t have the money. There is nothing to be ashamed about. However, you will need to modify your list to include only the most important persons.

"But we HAVE to invite everyone on our list to the reception!" Not true. Consider throwing a party where hors d’oeuvres and drinks can be served. When it comes down to it, a big reason that hurt feelings happen may be because people want to have an opportunity to share in your moment and in your joy. Creating a moment for those that you cannot afford to have at the reception is perfectly acceptable.

• Go heavy on the hors d’oeuvres . Although you may be serving a meal at the reception, consider adding a one-hour long cocktail party to allow guests to quench their post-ceremony hunger. Guests that eat before dinner will eat smaller portions and are less likely to go back for second portions. Go "fancy" and have butlered hors d’oeuvres passed to the guests, alongside "do it yourself" hors d’oeuvres stations.
• Filler, filler, Filler. Filler foods are foods that fill stomachs fast and for little money.  Have you ever eaten at a restaurant that first serves bread? Bread is an excellent filler. As for class, try using an exotic pasta, bruschetta + toppings, and other such foods that will take-up room in a guest’s stomach. Another helpful tip is to have the filler foods waiting at guest tables for the guests, so that they can get started with their eating before the food line opens or wait staff begins their service.
• Control your guests’ portions. Even (and especially) if you are offering a buffet, ask your caterer (or volunteers) to stand behind the foods to dole-out portions. Portion control is an easy way for you to save big dollars on large amounts of food that would otherwise not be consumed because most guests would not eat so much unless it were free.
• Post-dinner pickins. Especially when serving guests alcohol you may wish to consider erecting a few small hors d’oeuvres stations posted throughout the ceremony space. Guests that are dancing and drinking are likely to search the venue for a few crackers and cheeses, fruits, or sweets to munch on. As a bonus, giving guests reason to munch will allow for [slightly] less alcohol consumption. Keep in mind that for convenience sake you may not want to serve foods that require refrigeration or constant heating. (Food poisoning guests = icky.)
• Plan for the staff gratuity. In many situations the gratuity for the wait staff, bartenders, and food captains will be directly added to the food bill that you endorse from the caterer or venue. However, some companies will allow you to add-in your own gratuity based upon your experience. In either case make a decision that you are going to plan for the staff gratuity instead of being shocked or put-off by it. After all, the staff gratuity helps the people behind the wait staff uniforms to feed their own families.

Happy eating!

Best,
Alisha Forrester Scott, Owner
La Ruche. event design studio.

You can e-mail AFS at: studio@enterlaruche.com

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ChrysQ’s Luxe Slipcovers

I love pretty things. But then again, who doesn’t?! Weddings are all about pretty things, no matter what a couple’s exact tastes are. But most of all I love the “pretty” that can be found in the unexpected. If you’re a wedding professional, you know how important it is to showcase your previous work to potential clients, whether it’s on your website, brochures, other promotional items, or simply your portfolio. To really impress those potentials, try taking your portfolio presentation to another level. That’s where ChrisQ’s Luxe Slipcovers comes in.

Christina contacted me about the creations she designs and makes, that have become really popular with photographers. I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for fabric (having worked at a fabric store during high school and loving to sew). So when I saw the little works of art, I asked if she ever did them for wedding planners (because hey, we like to show off our work too!). She liked the idea, and created one just for me! See it just below. And on another note, I told her my company uses shades of pink and circles a lot - and look how cleverly she worked both in!

Is it not just the classiest, yet fun and chic, thing you have ever seen? I wish you could feel it. The fabric is thick and luxurious (I believe a nice upholstery fabric for the outside and a lining of dupioni silk - to die for). When I pulled it out of the fabulously wrapped packaging, I couldn’t put it down!

So let me tell you a little more about ChrisQ. Christina started making these slipcovers for her husband’s clients (he is a fabulous photographer in the DFW area). They were a hit with his brides and she has been creating them ever since. If you’re wanting to get your hands one one (which you should!), check out her selection of standard and deluxe slipcovers. Want something different? Something that you and you alone will have? Go custom. Christina makes the process simple.

Here is a photograph of the designer herself. I definitely recommend contacting her if you’re looking for a way to showcase your work (for the wedding professionals out there) or if you want something extra special to keep your memories in (for the brides out there). These would also make wonderful gifts from photographers to their brides or just to a couple from a loving friend or family member. Check out her site, ChrisQ.com, or shoot her an email, christina_quintanilla@yahoo.com. You won’t regret it!

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To keep in mind as you work with a wedding planner…

1. She* can’t read your mind. Just like your fiance couldn’t give you one good reason why you’re mad at him, your wedding planner won’t know exaclty what you want unless you tell her. She may be able to figure some things out, but, unless you’re giving up all control to her on this important day, make sure she knows about all of your expectations and all the little details she needs to take care of. (Bottom line: Good communication is key. Keep the paths of communication open and functioning. Don’t be afraid to tell her what you don’t like or what needs to be changed. Don’t be afraid to call or send her an email. She is there to answer your questions. Also, don’t hesitate to ask her for updates. It’s her job!)

2. She asks to meet with you and for certain information for specific reasons. Your wedding planner doens’t want to waste your time or hers. When she asks to schedule a meeting, it’s for a reason. Perhaps she wants to make positively certain that she has the day’s schedule of events down or wants to tripple check the list of songs, or a plethera of other minute details that have very likely left your mind completely. So meet with her that one last time, and don’t be late! (Some planners will charge you for being late to appointments, so ask in advance, just incase time slips away from you easily.)

3. She is your advocate, but can’t get you absolutly anything you want. While yes, she may be able to pull all of her strings for you, she still can’t get Michael Buble to sing at your wedding for a mere five grand. Also, she is working for you and wants to make you a very happy customer, so if she is any good, she’ll go above and beyond to get you what you ask for, but at the same time, when she says something just won’t work, listen to her. Chances are, she’s already tried it.

4. She can’t keep some things from happening. Like rain. Or an ice storm. However, you’ve hired her to make sure if these things do happen, you’ll have a back up plan. So, while it’s easy to be upset that it’s raining on your wedding day (which some believe is good luck!), don’t take it out on your planner. Be happy that she arranged for a back up tent to be set up or that she has made special arrangements for an attendant to be ready and waiting with an umbrella and other rain-repellant objects to transport you from the limo to the reception building.

5. Assistance are more than just good company. Weddings are a big ordeal. If you’ve hired a wedding planner, you’ve probably already felt the weight upon your shoulders that a wedding can bring. Now imagine you are the only one that needs to set up for the reception and ceremony and check in with all the vendors and make sure day progresses with as little hiccups as possible. Yeah! Stressful! That’s where assistants come in. They do more work than you see and are definitely a necessary helper.

6. She puts in more work than you’d think. You may only meet five or six times before your wedding day (if you’ve hired her for weekend-only coordination), but that doesn’t mean that she’s only putting five or six hours into your day! Before you met for the first time she made sure she was prepared to meet with you and answer your questions. Between meetings she contacted vendors, built schedules, organized people and various other little details. And even after the event, there is follow up work involved. So while you may not have a lot of face time, she is definitely hard at work.

All in all, if you have a wedding planner that you just click with, things will go a lot more smoothly. But even then, as the wedding date approaches and nerves raise, remember the things above to keep your relationship with her great!

*Or he

*The oh-so-popular Wedding Planner, J.Lo. She put wedding planners in a new light!

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Nobody Moves and Nobody Gets Hurt

So, you have the weight of the wedding world on your shoulders, not to mention the expectations of family and friends, and best of all, the in-laws. One more delay in gown alterations, one more meeting with the caterer, one more critique of the wedding invitation, one more late vendor appointment. What’s a bride (or groom) to do?

STOP and take a deep breath. Everything is going to be okay.

The first thing you MUST realize about your perfect day is that no matter how much you have to do, or force others to do for you, there are some things that you just can’t control. Maybe the flowers from South America aren’t growing as beautifully as usual from certain pesticides. Maybe the company that your baker gets its fondant from is running low on its special sugar. There are so many things that you can’t make happen or keep from happening. But there is hope! Realizing this important bit of information can help you prepare yourself to roll with the punches. Take things as they come and then think of your options, which is the second thing you should do to keep calm in those stressful wedding situations.

That’s right! You do have options. Believe it or not, your “wedding day vision” can be carried out a number of different ways. Perhaps your rental company is out of ivory cloth napkins, the ones you had your heart set on, but they do have more then enough cream napkins. Try them out and see what the cream looks like on the place settings before flipping out and threatening to rip up your contract. Maybe the place you had always dreamt of having your reception is already booked on the date you want to get married (which is much too important to change). Take the opportunity to look around and see what the area venues have to offer. You might just find a place you like much better, or has more to offer. The best part in all of this? No one will know (unless you complain to them) that you have to go to plan B or switch to choice C. Your guests will only see the final product, not all the little bumps in the road along the way.

Another thing you should pay special attention to is your organization. I find that what scares a lot of couples is that they feel like they are forgetting something or they are worried because they think things won’t be finished in time. Staying on top of your organizational game will help you to relax and reassure you that you’ve got a good grip on things. How do you stay organized? Let me count the ways! Surly you have some sort of wedding planning checklist. Create a special calendar with your tasks on it and write when they are “due”. Then take yourself seriously. Don’t think to yourself, “Oh, the invitations can wait another week”. If you need to have your invites ordered by the 7th of June, then make sure they are ordered by the 7th of June! Or if you already have a planner/organizer that contains your entire life (like me) get a special pen (try picking one that’s one of the colors you’re using in your wedding) and write in all the tasks with that pen. That way you can easily see wedding-related tasks and have less of a chance of skipping over them. In the end, do whatever you need to stay organized. We all have our different ways, do what works best for you!

Although there are other things you can do to help stay calm and relaxed during the planning process, here is the last one we’ll talk about today. Don’t forget the reason all of this planning and excitement is taking place! You’re getting married to the love of your life, the person you will spend the rest of your life with! That shouldn’t stress you out at all. If you’re feeling weighed down by wedding things, take a day or two off to just relax with your future spouse. No wedding planning. No post-wedding plans. No work. Nothing stressful. Do something the two of you enjoy together and just let yourselves rest. The time together should help you stay attached and remember the reasons why you’re getting married.

Bottom line? Hire a wedding planner. Okay, okay, so I have a biased opinion, but lets be honest. Planning a wedding can (and should!) be fun. If you’re feeling stressed or just don’t know what to do, hiring a planner might just be the thing for you. A good planner should be able and willing to do just about anything wedding-related for you. Of course, there is a cost involved, but it is well worth it for piece of mind.

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A Common Misconception

Just because you don’t want or can’t afford a fancy wedding, doesn’t mean you couldn’t use or benefit from the use of a planner or that a planner wouldn’t be interested in helping you.

Just because a service isn’t listed on their site or in their pamphlet, doesn’t mean they don’t offer it. Just ask. Many might say no if they are too busy with bigger projects. Your asking about something may add to the list of services they provide, if they don’t already offer it.

The title “Wedding Planner” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone.

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