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!

Wedding Budget Blues- 5 Money Saving Tips to Try Now

You just got engaged!  You are so excited till you start to look at wedding venues – then suddenly you find yourself in a panic.  Everything costs so much! You want a fabulous, beautiful wedding like the ones you see on TV; but you don’t know how you are going to pay for it all. 

Try these money saving strategies:

Give yourself a long engagement. 

Set up a separate bank account – call it the wedding fund and each week put in a minimum of $100. 

Everyday before you go to bed empty your change purse into a jar or piggy bank. Include all the 1 dollar bills that you have in your wallet.  Do not touch this money till you are ready to count it out.

Every Friday evening take whatever money from your purse that you did not spend and put it in an envelope marked wedding fund.  Then put the envelope in a place you will forget about.  Do this every single week, without fail.

Apply for credit card that gives you mileage and use it to help pay for your wedding.  The mileage you accrue can be put towards airfare or hotel for your honeymoon.

Set up a pay schedule with your wedding vendors.  They will be happy to get their money in advance and you will not be hit with a large bill in the week prior to your big day.

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!

Hiring a Caterer to Cook for Your Wedding?

Before you decide to have your wedding at a private venue or your home I think it is very important to understand how caterer’s charge.

Typically, private caterers break down the cost of the meal as follows: food per person, and an hourly fee for their staff inclusive of: head chef, assistant chefs, scullery, managers, waiters and bartenders.

The size of the event and the scope of the menu will usually determine how large a staff is required to service your event. In general most catering and staffing companies require a 5-hour minimum per party. In addition to the food and labor fees you can expect to see a tax and a service charge on your bill.

Generally the per person food charge will cover the cost of the food and the initial food prep at the caterer’s own kitchen. The hourly fees kick in once the caterer arrives on site at the venue where the wedding or party will take place. Typically, your caterer will base their estimate on the following: average event is 5 hours which consists of 1 hour for cocktails, and 4 hours for the reception. Additional hours may then be added for the set up/installation and clean up at your location. By and large, for a small event of 200 guests or less with a minimal amount of set up the caterer will frequently add 2 hours for installation and 1-2 hours for cleanup. These times are a guideline and may differ based on size of the wedding, the menu and the party’s overall flow of events. Furthermore, if you have a killer party that goes into overtime expect to pay additional sums of money to the staff.

Additionally, when choosing to work with a caterer at a private venue or home you should be aware that you will have to rent everything that will be used for your event to take place. It is a good idea, especially if you choose to not work with a planner, to schedule a walk-thru of the venue space with the caterer, prior to your wedding. This will allow the caterer to scope out the site and know how best to use the space. They will also be able to help you create a rental list of items that they may need to best execute the menu.

I hope you found this article helpful and informative. If you have any questions or need any help please feel free to contact me or leave comments. I look forward to helping you have a stress free event.

Grace, Gratitude and Happy Planning!

Shopping for the Perfect Wedding Venue

So you just got engaged and you think to yourself I need to find a place to get married. You begin to surf the internet for venues, feverishly making calls and you begin to feel overwhelmed. After what seems like a gazillion appointments and endless salespeople, beautiful presentation folders with prices and menus and preferred vendors you think to yourself; how do I interpret all this? It can all be so overwhelming.

Time to hit the pause button. Take a deep breath and make yourself a cup of coffee. Then sit quietly and list the pros and cons of each of the venues that you visited. Then create a cost comparison spreadsheet. When comparing locations it helps if you compare apples to apples, meaning; if the “really cheap” venue is offering 2 appetizers and the really great venue (the one you think you can’t afford but love) is offering 6 appetizers in their package see what the cost would be to upgrade to 6 tray passed appetizers at the inexpensive location. If the great place offers valet in their package price see what the valet would be at the less expensive location and write it down. How many courses are each of the places providing. Which one will let you choose a cake vendor, which one charges for the ceremony and what is the charge for an on site ceremony. Once you have your prices for each of these venues listed out by category simply add up each column and see if the less expensive place is still less expensive.

If something seems too good to be true that is because it usually is too good to be true. Be weary of the places that hide their costs and break them down and spread them around their presentation folder. I know when I look at a proposal my eye automatically goes to the largest numbers on the page or the final number/total at the bottom; afterwards, I pause to see what do all these costs really mean and stand for. Then, I too do a cost analysis. So, do yourself a favor and take the time to actually understand what you are getting and what it is going to cost before you commit. These few minutes can save you a lot of tears.

If you liked this post or found this information helpful, please let me know. I am here to help and guide you. Any questions or comments please feel free to contact me.