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What comes first . . . the date or the venue?

Congratulations on your engagement!  If you are a newly engaged bride planning a spring or early summer wedding, I'll be honest you have a lot to accomplish in the next few weeks.  If you have been engaged for a while and have been looking but haven't made any commitments, it's time to lock in your date with vendors.  Forty percent of engagements happen this time of year, so all of the sudden there is another whole group of brides competing for the same vendors you have been talking with.  Some of them will be looking toward 2014, but some will be looking at dates only 5, 6, and 7 months away. 

So where to start . . . it kind of depends on what is more important to you, the date or the venue.  Some venues like Ashley Inn, Talon Winery, and Buffalo Trace Distillery fill up fast.  If you fall in love with any of these picturesque locations, at this point in the year you will probably end up with what they have available, and that may mean considering a Friday or a Sunday - the advantage to these non-traditional days is they may come at a reduced rental rate.  And as the weeks pass, the same will be true for more and more venues.   If you decide you want to get married Memorial Day weekend, you probably should have been booking 8 months ago.  This doesn't mean there aren't any venues available, but the picking is getting slimmer every day.

(Top Left: Ashley Inn, Lancaster, KY; Top Right: The Ca"barn"et Barrel Barn at Talon Winery, Lexington, KY; Bottom: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY.  All photos courtesy Danelle Alexis Photography - www.danellealexis.com)

So once you have your date and a venue, what's next - probably your photographer.  Most photographers with a few exceptions, do only one wedding a day.  That means once they are booked, they are off the market for that date. 

Next comes the caterer (and rentals), the florist, and the cake.  The numbers vary, we'll do two (occasionally three) weddings on a single day.   Some florists will do two or three, some more, the same with cakes.  But all of this depends on how big and elaborate your wedding is, and how big and elaborate the other weddings we have scheduled on that date might be.  And as far as rentals, if you need a tent, or tables and chairs, and china and glassware, we need to get that reserved so that you have the most options available.  Right now I can still pick any china pattern, but if I want a specialty table or a specific size of tent, those two are starting to be unavailable for certain weekends. 

Beyond vendors, your other major to do it your dress.  Some dresses can take three to six months to come in, and bridesmaids dresses will also need to be picked out, especially since you may have to figure the logistics of out-of-town attendants and their fittings. 

For all the other pieces, you have some time, not a lot, but a little time to catch your breath.  It will be crazy, but before you know it your wedding day your will be here.

Good Luck and Happy Planning,

Diane

 

 

 

Reception Venue Arithmetic

There is an often quoted statistic that 40% of engagements take place between November and February.  What this means for me, is that I will spend the next four months talking to brides, meeting with brides, and writing catering proposals.  What that means for you, if you are newly engaged, is that it is time to start planning your wedding.  With that in mind, I thought I would spend the next few weeks writing about planning basics from a catering standpoint. 

I almost named this post comparing apples to oranges, because when comparing venues and services, that is exactly what you are doing.  For instance, at first glance, you might look at a hotel or full-service banquet facility, and think the number you are quoted for your reception seems high.  What you aren't seeing, are all the little fees and services that add up to get to that larger number.   

One local hotel has a basic package that starts at $40 per guest.  So where does that number come from, well let's start with the meal.  I charge $16 per person for a buffet dinner with two entrées.  If you look closer at that $40 per person, you will see that that price also includes a vegetable presentation as well as a fruit and cheese display during cocktail hour.  So add $7 to your $16, and now you are at $23.  And that $40 includes your basic service staff, the waiters and bussers,  so add another $5.  Poof, you're now at $28 per person.  Also included in that fee, is your china, glassware, and basic linens.   A trip to the local rental company will reveal that it costs approximately $7 per person to rent china, glassware, and flatware.  And a basic polyester floor-length linen, not that beautiful lamour satin you have have pinned on Pinterest, is going to add $3 to the total.  Add a linen napkin per guest, salt and pepper shakers, a silver bread basket, salad dressing boats, etc., and you're oftly close, if not over the $40 the banquet facility is charging.

And then there is that little matter of plus, plus.  If you've just started looking, you may not have come across this, but plus, plus refers to the taxeable service charge and sales tax that is billed on top of that $40 per person.  At Lone Oak, we charge 20%.  I have seen service or administrative fees as low as 18% and as high as 24%.  What is this fee you may ask, especially if you noticed I already attributed $5 per person to the waitstaff?  It is the fee you are charged for the person that gave you your first tour, and the person that answered your phone call everytime you had a question about timing, setup, etc.  Most importantly, it is the fee facilities charge for setting up and cleaning up the space.   

When my staff arrives at Talon Winery or Buffalo Trace to cater a wedding, my timeline is based on arriving at a reception facility where the tables are setup, the linens have been dropped, and the centerplaces have been placed on the tables.  My staff will set the tables and setup up the buffet, but most of the heavy lifting has already been done.  And at the end of the evening, we clear the dishes and worry about collecting all the glassware and the linen napkins, but we are not responsible for the actual cleanup, which may or may not include breaking down all the tables and chairs.  That is usually left to the families of the bride and groom.  

At this point you may be wondering why I would write a post that seems to encourage you to use hotels instead of venues that allow outside caterers.  Well first of all, I do manage a full-service banquet facility.  At Lone Oak Golf Course, we manage a 130-seat banquet room.  There, we are responsible for setup and cleanup.  I take care of the linens and provide the china, flatware, and glassware.  I have a pastry chef on staff who does cakes, and I have a floral designer who does custom centerpieces.

But more importantly, this post is about educating you, the bride.  Some brides want that ballroom esthetic that banquet facilities and hotels can provide.  Some want the more rustic look that is all the rage right now, with burlap and wood which fits in well at many of the winerys.  Or perhaps you want a garden feel, like at Bodley-Bullock or the Headley-Whitney Museum.

At the end of the day, my hope is that if you take anything away from this, it is that there is more to comparing venues than meets the eye. 

Happy Planning,

Diane 

Top Photo: The Banquet Room at Lone Oak, Five by Five Photography + Design.  Lower Photos; Left: www.rusticweddingchic.com. Right: www.mywedding.com.

 

 

 

 

The cocktail hour dilemna

Every bride has a budget, and I consider it part of my job as the caterer to provide not only fabulous food, but to help my brides stay on budget.  So, my first meeting always starts out with a question  not about food, but photography.  Are you doing none, some, or all of the wedding pictures beforehand?  The more pictures you're planning to take after the ceremony, the more likely I am to recommend a cocktail hour.  Your guests can mill around smartly with drinks in hand and a little something to nibble on, while the wedding party is off saying "cheese" for the camera. 

But, cocktail hour adds to the catering budget.  A nice display of vegetables, fruit, and cheese, plus two passed appetizers keeps your guests happy while waiting for dinner, but will add about $8.50 to that budget. 

Here's a sample cocktail hour menu:

This menu works well if you're having a reception with either a dinner buffet or plated entrée.  What do I recommend, however, if you're already having a “cocktail” reception?  You can either 1) Serve two-three items, and leave the more substantial offerings, such as the carving station or pasta bar, until you arrive, or 2) allow you guests to go ahead and eat.  If you decide to have guests begin eating, be aware that you'll arrive in time to be announced by the DJ, then cut your cake, and have your first dance.  While your guests are eating cake, you can have a quick bite.  Between pictures and greeting guests, however, it's not uncommon for the bride and groom to eat very little of the food they spend so much time choosing, so we always try to make sure that you leave the reception, with a basket of goodies to enjoy in your hotel room.

The third option is, or course, to offer nothing.  In my experience,however, if it's near the dinner hour, and photographs take a long time, you'll have unhappy guests and/or guests that leave.  Guests don’t mind waiting on photos, if they have something to eat and drink.  One way to keep the budget in control is to choose a less expensive dinner option and apply those funds to a cocktail hour. 

Below, find some of my favorite cocktail hour options:

 
 Have a great day and bon appetit,

 Diane

Bourbon Bar

So I love Pinterest.  We recently returned from a trip to Florida to see my in-laws.  And while we were away, as to not feel disconnected from the world at home, we only took 1 laptop, 1 ipad, 1 kindle fire, and 2 smart phones.   The laptop was my husband's.   Really it isn't a laptop, it is a mobile workstation -  the thing ways easily ten pounds.   It is his work computer, so I don't spend a lot of time on it.  And I definitely won't be spending time on Pinterest because somehow he has made it so that the pictures won't load.  I asked him about it, and all I got was this innocent smirk.  I think he has don't something to it.  But oh well, I'm home and I have been getting my fix.

The thing I love about Pinterest in the inspiration it provides.  From something as simple as what we are going to have for dinner . . .

 

 Maple Dijon Chicken from www.wittyinthecity.com.  Can you say hello Trader Joe's and their antibiotic-free, boneless, skinless chicken thighs!

But I digress.  One of the things that recently caught my eye was this bourbon bar.

Now mind you, we don't exactly have a lot of sand and ocean here in Central Kentucky, but we do have a lot of bourbon.   And people that like to drink bourbon.   And out-of-state guests who are interested in tasting bourbon.  But were it not for Pinterest, I would have never seen this photo which is from www.gardenandgun.com, not exactly my normal reading material.

Or this photo from www.socoevents.blogspot.com 

Or this one from www.marthastewartweddings.com.  We're ignoring that this is whiskey, not bourbon.  You get the idea. 

 So perhaps instead of a signature drink or two, or a serving a full bar, a bourbon bar might be the thing for you and your guests.  Something to keep in mind. 

Have a great day and Bon Appetit,

Diane

 

 

So I've never hired a caterer before . . .

When I was a little girl I didn't plan to grow up to be a caterer.  In fact, when I first started catering I said I wasn't going to do weddings.  That just goes to show how it is never a good idea to say never.   Today, weddings make up about 80% of my business, and so I spend a lot of time talking with bride's about their special day. 

My job as a caterer is to provide the food, but in many ways, I end up doing much more.  I end up talking with couple's about the time of day.  If they are having a morning wedding (yes, people do, and there are many reasons, that we will get to in a later post), an afternoon wedding, or an evening wedding. 

We talk about photos.  Not who is my favorite photographer (I do have a few), but more importantly, we are talking about if the couple is doing photos before hand.  If you are, fabulous.  If you are not, that is fine too, but we need to make arrangement to entertain your guests while you are off getting your picture taken. 

We talk about budget.  Let's be honest almost no one has a "price is no object," attitude, and even if it is there in the beginning, by the time we get closer to the day of, most people's wallets are a little shell shocked. 

We talk about the venue.  We have caterered at most of the venues available in central Kentucky, and the facilities vary tremendously.   Some have running water, some not.  Some have fabulous catering kitchens, some require we bring in everything from tents, to tables, to ovens. 

It is my job as a caterer to help my clients make informed decisions that make sense for the wedding they want.

So here are a few of my favorite inspiration weddings:

 

I love the barn.  This isn't from central Kentucky, but there are dozens of venues that will give you this wonderful feel.  I love the food.  It is a perfect early summer menu, berries, watermelon.  I love it when we can be seasonal.  It is a good decision for the budget but even more so for the flavor.  Nothing beats local berries and melons.  I hate it when a bride is set on having fresh fruit in January.  It's just not the same.

And I love this from style me pretty.  The bright citrus colors are fabulous and the food looks divine.  And who doesn't love breakfast.

Have a great day and Bon Appetit!

Diane