There is all sorts of advice today in Bridal Magazines and on the Internet on "How To Plan a Wedding on a Budget!" Some of the articles have some great advice, some of them, not so much. A lot of the tips they give you involve a lot of "Do it Yourself Projects", which no bride really wants to do! Ideally, you want to show up at the church the day of your wedding and have everything perfectly set-up to your specifications. And then you want to proceed to the reception site and walk-in to the reception of your dreams! Who wants to have to assemble centerpieces, and prepare your own food, and buy and deliver all of your alcohol to the bar site, and put on your own table linens, etc. It is your big day! All you should have to do is put on your dress, walk down the aisle, smile for pictures and ENJOY YOURSELF! So, I have assembled a panel of experts in this blog to give you all sorts of advice on how to do the least amount of work, save the most amount of money, and still plan the Wedding of your dreams!
Now, let's be realistic though...you cannot always put on a royal wedding with a waitress' paycheck. But, if you are smart, saavy, and employ the right people, you can create a beautiful and magical wedding day!
This page was built solely to expel some of the myths about wedding planning and how to go about "saving money". Because remember the saying is true "you get what you pay for." The real key is to hire the right vendors who have your best interest in mind. If you hire knowledgeable, experienced, and truthful vendors they will always be willing to make the right suggestions and help you achieve as much of your dream as possible. In this blog, we will hear from event venues, caterers, photographers, wedding planners, videographers, DJs, etc. on how to economically plan your dream day. All we ask in return is that if you are looking for one of their services that you please check out their websites listed in their sections. If they are willing to take the time and write out some general suggestions on how to save money, then we are confident they will be more than willing to sit down and talk with you one-on-one in preparation for your wedding day!
Please feel free to comment on these blogs, and contact the vendors if you would like additional information!
1. A Step-By-Step Approach on How To Cut Back on Catering & Bar Related Expenses
Written By: Lauren Brown, Sales & Events Manager
The Catering Company of Louisville
(502) 243-0000
WWW.GREATFOOD-WINE.COM
Let's face it...Like it or not, your catering & bar bill will be the two highest expenses for your wedding day. It is just a fact these days. 20 years ago you could get away with putting out a few mini sandwiches, some chicken tenders and meatballs for a few hundred people and only spend a couple of hundred dollars. Back then people ate before they came to a wedding and didn't expect a 3-course meal when they arrived at the reception. Well, not anymore! Just like everything else in the wedding industry, things have gotten bigger, more grandiose, and much more expensive. Whether you want to feed them, or not, your guests will come expecting a full meal. Luckily, there are several little tricks & tools of the trade when planning your catering & bar budget to keep you from breaking the bank. After 11 years in the industry I have found these tips to be very helpful and beneficial from my brides. Most caterers should be more than willing to work with you on your budget and offer you suggestions to fit your needs.
1. SET A BUDGET UP FRONT. Know what you are able and willing to spend and communicate that to your caterer.
A big mistake that brides & their parents (aka the financer) make is to tell the caterer they don't have a budget or don't know what that budget it. Typically, that simply isn't true. Everybody has a budget they are willing and able to spend. TELL THIS TO YOUR CATERER and/or BAR PROVIDER. If we know what your budget is, we can make suggestions. We may not be able to give you exactly what you want, but we can make suggestions that are comparable within your budget.
Common Myths: Pricing for similar items should be comparable between caterers and restaurants.
Fact: This is not always true. Keep in mind that a caterer is not a restaurant. You don't order 1-2 servings of something and have it brought right to your table 20 minutes later. We have to make things in large quanties (e.g. most weddings are 150-500 guests), cook it at our facility, and transport the cooked food to another facility. This requires a lot of additional staff to load the truck with all of the food & equipment, transport all of the materials, unload the truck at the facility, set-up; we may need additional or specialty equipment to prep your food on-site and make sure it is transported at the right temperature, and then clean-up, reload the truck and transport it all back to our site at the end of the night. Catering is a lot more labor intensive and time intensive than running a restaurant. This is why other less expensive suggestions could be made that you may not be aware of.
2. A BUFFET IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN A PLATED, BUTLER-SERVED MEAL.
Let me first define the difference between the two. A buffet style meal is pretty self explanatory. It is usually a few table lined up with your food displayed on them. These are either self-serve, or you can have attendants serving the options to your guests when they come up to the buffet. A plated meal is when the plates are already made up and served to your guests at their table (similar to the type of service when you would get in a restaurant). So, why is a buffet cheaper? Easy Answer...Because it typically takes twice as many servers to service a plated meal than it does a buffet. For a buffet all you have to do is set-up the buffet and refill it, as needed.
Now, let's be realistic though...you cannot always put on a royal wedding with a waitress' paycheck. But, if you are smart, saavy, and employ the right people, you can create a beautiful and magical wedding day!
This page was built solely to expel some of the myths about wedding planning and how to go about "saving money". Because remember the saying is true "you get what you pay for." The real key is to hire the right vendors who have your best interest in mind. If you hire knowledgeable, experienced, and truthful vendors they will always be willing to make the right suggestions and help you achieve as much of your dream as possible. In this blog, we will hear from event venues, caterers, photographers, wedding planners, videographers, DJs, etc. on how to economically plan your dream day. All we ask in return is that if you are looking for one of their services that you please check out their websites listed in their sections. If they are willing to take the time and write out some general suggestions on how to save money, then we are confident they will be more than willing to sit down and talk with you one-on-one in preparation for your wedding day!
Please feel free to comment on these blogs, and contact the vendors if you would like additional information!
1. A Step-By-Step Approach on How To Cut Back on Catering & Bar Related Expenses
Written By: Lauren Brown, Sales & Events Manager
The Catering Company of Louisville
(502) 243-0000
WWW.GREATFOOD-WINE.COM
Let's face it...Like it or not, your catering & bar bill will be the two highest expenses for your wedding day. It is just a fact these days. 20 years ago you could get away with putting out a few mini sandwiches, some chicken tenders and meatballs for a few hundred people and only spend a couple of hundred dollars. Back then people ate before they came to a wedding and didn't expect a 3-course meal when they arrived at the reception. Well, not anymore! Just like everything else in the wedding industry, things have gotten bigger, more grandiose, and much more expensive. Whether you want to feed them, or not, your guests will come expecting a full meal. Luckily, there are several little tricks & tools of the trade when planning your catering & bar budget to keep you from breaking the bank. After 11 years in the industry I have found these tips to be very helpful and beneficial from my brides. Most caterers should be more than willing to work with you on your budget and offer you suggestions to fit your needs.
1. SET A BUDGET UP FRONT. Know what you are able and willing to spend and communicate that to your caterer.
A big mistake that brides & their parents (aka the financer) make is to tell the caterer they don't have a budget or don't know what that budget it. Typically, that simply isn't true. Everybody has a budget they are willing and able to spend. TELL THIS TO YOUR CATERER and/or BAR PROVIDER. If we know what your budget is, we can make suggestions. We may not be able to give you exactly what you want, but we can make suggestions that are comparable within your budget.
Common Myths: Pricing for similar items should be comparable between caterers and restaurants.
Fact: This is not always true. Keep in mind that a caterer is not a restaurant. You don't order 1-2 servings of something and have it brought right to your table 20 minutes later. We have to make things in large quanties (e.g. most weddings are 150-500 guests), cook it at our facility, and transport the cooked food to another facility. This requires a lot of additional staff to load the truck with all of the food & equipment, transport all of the materials, unload the truck at the facility, set-up; we may need additional or specialty equipment to prep your food on-site and make sure it is transported at the right temperature, and then clean-up, reload the truck and transport it all back to our site at the end of the night. Catering is a lot more labor intensive and time intensive than running a restaurant. This is why other less expensive suggestions could be made that you may not be aware of.
2. A BUFFET IS LESS EXPENSIVE THAN A PLATED, BUTLER-SERVED MEAL.
Let me first define the difference between the two. A buffet style meal is pretty self explanatory. It is usually a few table lined up with your food displayed on them. These are either self-serve, or you can have attendants serving the options to your guests when they come up to the buffet. A plated meal is when the plates are already made up and served to your guests at their table (similar to the type of service when you would get in a restaurant). So, why is a buffet cheaper? Easy Answer...Because it typically takes twice as many servers to service a plated meal than it does a buffet. For a buffet all you have to do is set-up the buffet and refill it, as needed.
