Planning For the Wedding Reception Is All a Matter of Organization
It is determined by the wedding industry that the biggest expense for any wedding is the wedding reception. It takes roughly 45% of the wedding budget to cover the overall expenses for the wedding reception. However, with careful organization, attention to detail and proper planning, it is possible to bring the expense percentage down while boosting the success percentage up.
The first step is to determine where the wedding reception will be held. There are many different venues for wedding receptions, restaurants, large hotels, art museums, aquariums, churches, parks and just about anywhere else that you can get permission or a permit to hold an event the size of your wedding reception. Once you have determined the location, you must make decisions about the menu. There are two types of caterers, the in-house and the off premise. The in-house caterer works out of the facility itself and comes as a package deal. It is therefore your job to figure out exactly what type of deal comes in the package, is there a wedding cake or can you bring one in from outside, is the food of quality in both taste and quantity, what are your menu choices and is it possible for you to attend a sample tasting of the items that you are considering for your reception. Expect to pay a small fee for this service but consider it an investment in having prior knowledge of the menu items before your guests are actually eating at your wedding reception.
The off premise caterer is a bit more competitive that the in-house version because the in-house has the job once the location is booked. For the off -premise caterer, it is important to create menu items that are outstanding when compared to the competition. These caterers bring the food into an existing site; they can be limited to food or can coordinate the whole event providing things like table linens, ice sculptures, wedding cake, and anything else that you might choose to coordinate with them. Keep in mind that most quality caterers' work by word of mouth, they actually spend very little on advertising as the business is so plentiful just on referrals.
As you begin to visit different locations for your wedding reception ask those that do not have an in-house caterer to provide you with referrals of local reputable caterers that you might interview. Once you have received the list, inquire as to whether the hotel get a financial kickback for providing you with these names, if the answer is yes, take your business elsewhere. This practice is considered highly unaccepted within the wedding industry.
