Of course all of we wedding bloggers will be talking about The Royal Wedding today!
As many of you know from reading my posts, I am a big fan and advocate of wedding and event planners. When the wedding date was announced, I was a little surprised and found myself thinking, "How are they going to pull off a royal wedding in such a short time?"
Well .... they did it. And they did it in spectacular fashion!
The details, the invite list, the security, the secrecy, the transportation, the street closings, the timing. Executed like fine clockwork with pomp and circumstance fitting for a future king.
Wow. My congratulations and admiration to all of those behind-the-scenes people who make events like this happen!
While many American brides won't have to worry about details at this level, there are still numerouis details that need handled for a wedding to take place.
So again .... brides, I strongly encourage the use of an event/wedding planner. Even if its just Day Of services, you won't be sorry! You are "Queen for a Day", so allow yourself to be taken care of so you can enjoy your celebration with family and friends!
Showing posts with label wedding planner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedding planner. Show all posts
Friday, April 29, 2011
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Venue vs. Wedding Coordinator
I'm a big advocate of having a wedding planner. In this day and age, with the cost of weddings getting more elaborate and expensive, I believe a bride needs someone on her side who is looking out for every detail on behalf of the bride.
Many brides choose to skip the cost of the planner because "the venue has someone who does that." I'd like to caution brides to take care in this decision. The venue coordinator works for the venue, not for the bride. The venue coordinator will probably not be at the church before, during and after the ceremony, nor will they be there between church and venue during the photography shoots.
I could go on and on but I'm just going to refer you to this wonderful article from the Get Married blog. They list it out perfectly.
http://www.getmarried.com/articles/index.php?id=143
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Many brides choose to skip the cost of the planner because "the venue has someone who does that." I'd like to caution brides to take care in this decision. The venue coordinator works for the venue, not for the bride. The venue coordinator will probably not be at the church before, during and after the ceremony, nor will they be there between church and venue during the photography shoots.
I could go on and on but I'm just going to refer you to this wonderful article from the Get Married blog. They list it out perfectly.
http://www.getmarried.com/articles/index.php?id=143
.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Your Reception Venue Can Cost You More Than You Think
Picking the dream location for the perfect reception is a big decision. Location, parking and of course price all come into play in the decision making process.
But you've found the perfect location. And the price is in your budget.
Or is it?
There are things to consider when selecting a reception location.
Are you locked into to using their vendors (in-house or preferred caterers, DJ's, etc) or can you select your own vendors? Especially on the caterer decision, this can be a major impact on your budget.
When choosing between venue A and venue B, the caterer choice can be huge. Venue A is $1500 cheaper but you have to use the in-house caterer, who has a minimum of $10,000. Venue B will cost you $1500 more for the use of the room, but you can bring in your own caterer who is only charging you $6000. You've saved $2500 by getting the more expensive room.
Are there hidden charges? I say "hidden" tongue-in-cheek because the charges are available to you somewhere. One example is the kitchen access fee. Many facilities charge the caterer a fee to have access to the kitchen. This can be a flat fee (I know one place that charges $450) or it can be a percentage of the catering bill (one place charges 10% of the catering invoice with a $300 minimum). I've recently been told about one place that charges a flat fee PLUS a percentage of the catering invoice.
Before you think "wow, that's a lot of money for the caterer to pay", let me remind you that the caterer is NOT the one paying it. You are. These fees are usually added to the catering invoice.
I had a client call me just a few weeks ago and he was eligible for a couple of discounts that I offer. I told him I was calculating the discount before adding the venue's percentage fee which would reduce the venue fee for him. The client was very upset to hear about this charge and told me, "If I had known they were charging you, and in effect charging me, that fee, I would have negotiated it when I booked the place!"
An event in gramma's big back yard, by the pond, may sound dreamy and romantic, but many times there are additional fees involved to assure a pleasant and safe catering event. There is usually limited or no kitchen access, which means the caterer must bring extra ice to keep cold foods cold, extra equipment to keep hot foods hot, portable hand washing stations, and extra staffing for the extra work involved in an outdoor event.
I even have a short list of venues that I will not work in because of the super limited access. *IF* someone can convince me to work at what I refer to as a "non-vendor-friendly" location, trust me .... they are going to pay me for it! I have a lot of heavy equipment to transport and it is not worth it if I have to park 2 blocks away and carry everything to the tent or the building in the backwoods. (Yep, had one of those. Won't have one of those again!)
So as you shop for the perfect location, please remember that the price for the room rent is not the only cost you pay. Your vendors may have some additional costs to pass on to you based on the location you've selected.
This is where a wedding planner comes in handy .... they know the questions to ask and they know what to look for, because they know what the other vendors need so they can make your event a success.
As I tell folks, "If you're going to pick a silly place to have a reception that causes more work for everyone else .... then you're going to pay for it one way or the other."
Debi Brim can be reached via email at info@cateritsimple.com
Our websites: www.cateritsimple.com
www.bannascookies.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/.
.
But you've found the perfect location. And the price is in your budget.
Or is it?
There are things to consider when selecting a reception location.
Are you locked into to using their vendors (in-house or preferred caterers, DJ's, etc) or can you select your own vendors? Especially on the caterer decision, this can be a major impact on your budget.
When choosing between venue A and venue B, the caterer choice can be huge. Venue A is $1500 cheaper but you have to use the in-house caterer, who has a minimum of $10,000. Venue B will cost you $1500 more for the use of the room, but you can bring in your own caterer who is only charging you $6000. You've saved $2500 by getting the more expensive room.
Are there hidden charges? I say "hidden" tongue-in-cheek because the charges are available to you somewhere. One example is the kitchen access fee. Many facilities charge the caterer a fee to have access to the kitchen. This can be a flat fee (I know one place that charges $450) or it can be a percentage of the catering bill (one place charges 10% of the catering invoice with a $300 minimum). I've recently been told about one place that charges a flat fee PLUS a percentage of the catering invoice.
Before you think "wow, that's a lot of money for the caterer to pay", let me remind you that the caterer is NOT the one paying it. You are. These fees are usually added to the catering invoice.
I had a client call me just a few weeks ago and he was eligible for a couple of discounts that I offer. I told him I was calculating the discount before adding the venue's percentage fee which would reduce the venue fee for him. The client was very upset to hear about this charge and told me, "If I had known they were charging you, and in effect charging me, that fee, I would have negotiated it when I booked the place!"
An event in gramma's big back yard, by the pond, may sound dreamy and romantic, but many times there are additional fees involved to assure a pleasant and safe catering event. There is usually limited or no kitchen access, which means the caterer must bring extra ice to keep cold foods cold, extra equipment to keep hot foods hot, portable hand washing stations, and extra staffing for the extra work involved in an outdoor event.
I even have a short list of venues that I will not work in because of the super limited access. *IF* someone can convince me to work at what I refer to as a "non-vendor-friendly" location, trust me .... they are going to pay me for it! I have a lot of heavy equipment to transport and it is not worth it if I have to park 2 blocks away and carry everything to the tent or the building in the backwoods. (Yep, had one of those. Won't have one of those again!)
So as you shop for the perfect location, please remember that the price for the room rent is not the only cost you pay. Your vendors may have some additional costs to pass on to you based on the location you've selected.
This is where a wedding planner comes in handy .... they know the questions to ask and they know what to look for, because they know what the other vendors need so they can make your event a success.
As I tell folks, "If you're going to pick a silly place to have a reception that causes more work for everyone else .... then you're going to pay for it one way or the other."
Debi Brim can be reached via email at info@cateritsimple.com
Our websites: www.cateritsimple.com
www.bannascookies.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/55969028@N00/.
.
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