De Mystifying the ++ in Wedding Planning

I see a lot of confusion regarding the “++” for Brides and Bar/Bat Mitzvah families when they are faced with planning their own Weddings and Mitzvahs.  When researching venues and caterers the ++ seems to roll right off of the tongue of the skilled banquet manager as he mentions it and then deftly moves onto other subjects and information.

I have discovered that the ++ is the single, largest hidden charge that you are going to have to deal with when planning your wedding or special event; and the only reason it is “hidden” is because no one wants to ask what it stands for so it gets ignored      until you have to pay your bill. 

The ++ stands for tax and service charge.  Here’s where it gets confusing: there is no standard when it comes to the service charge, and tax is regulated by the state or city in which your event takes place. The typical range for a service charge is 18-22%  of the cost of goods sold.

Therefore, when you fall in love with the perfect wedding venue and their Saturday night minimum charge is $40,000.00 you need to ask if this includes the ++ and if it isn't included, you can count adding approximately $12,000.00 in fees.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

The #1 Secret to Slashing Your Wedding Costs

 

You just got engaged! You are so excited and of course you now want everyone you know to be come and share in your special day.  After all, this is the happiest time of your life.

You begin to make your guest list and suddenly you find that you have over 200 people that you must invite to your wedding.  Seriously, how would you live with yourself if don’t invite the girls you went to High School with or your Mother’s bridge group; they came to your house every week for years. Not inviting them would be unthinkable. Then there is aunt Sally, who moved out of state when you were 10 and she has 5 kids and those 5 kids are now all married and they each have their own families and……  The list can be endless! Where do you draw the line?

Of course, if you have an unlimited budget and all the money in the world to spend on your wedding then who you include in your day is not really a problem. But, if you are like most people, you do have to pay attention to the cost the cost of your wedding and therefore, managing your guest list and who you do invite is the single thing that you can do to help you stay within your budget.  It is important to realize that you will be providing food, beverage and seating for each person who attends your wedding.  It is likely that you will want to have a centerpiece on every table, an escort card and invitation for each couple or person, a party favor, a slice of wedding cake and….. All these costs can add up; before you know it you are spending double what you wanted to spend.  What might seem like only a few people more can end up costing thousands more than you are prepared to spend.

It is a fine line to draw and oftentimes a very difficult decision, however if you truly want to stay within a budget the best and most important cost effective, money saving tip would be to have a smaller wedding.

If you found this article helpful or interesting please leave a comment.  Let me know your thoughts, If you have any questions or need any information or would like to see me write about a topic you need help on let me know.  If you don’t want to leave a comment below you can always email me: Julia@eventuresinc.net or simply visit our website at www.eventuresinc.net. Subscribe to our list for your free ebook “Make it Your Own! The Ultimate Guide to Personalize Your Day”

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!