Hi ESB,
I am just beginning the process of wedding planning and I am stuck on finding a venue (duh, right?) Anyway, I am torn between picking a venue that has an all-inclusive package type deal or a venue that will require me to piece-meal shit together. So far, the one all-inclusive I have looked at seems a little janky and like we might have to be like "uh we don't want your weird lasagna tho" and then they'll be like "well fine but it's like $2000 extra then, guys."
Any thoughts on pros and cons of the two different situations? I want the whole thing to be as simple as possible, really, but I also don't want it to be gross.
Thank you,
Nah To Lasagna
*****
Pick Any Two:
[ ] As simple as possible
[ ] As cheap as possible
[ ] Good
Rachel Rutt By Bec Lorrimer For Yen (November 2011) via Le Fashion — Anyone know who did the collage?
truth.
ReplyDeleteI'm an event planner. Choosing the all-inclusive package wouldn't be the worst idea because it seems like you don't want to go through the extra hassle (who would?) If you go this route, make sure you know ALL of the details before you sign a contract... exactly what your menu options will be, details of bar, and all other things included. Get a final price for the options you want... because you're right, they could very well jack up the price for changes you make. Then you can see if it's still worth it.
ReplyDeleteJust make sure you go into it as informed as possible. I feel like many soon-to-be-wed couples are taken advantage of by the industry, but I think you can get what you want if you do your research and know what's standard practice and what's just a grab for money.
I agree - you just need to do your research. Do you have in mind what you might want for food, surely they will show you sample menu options? If you don't like what you see, ask about flexibility (and get answers in writing if you can - so you have that to go back to later if they do try to add on for extras).
DeleteAsk the venues questions, loads of them, ask about the food, the bar, the timings, set-up and break down, everything you can think of. Ask if the price is reduced if you don't want to include the obligatory all-inclusive programs or favours they are supplying, for example. Ask if you have to use the house DJ or if you can bring someone else in.
We found a place that took care of everything for us, and let us be completely free with the menu (we created a lush multi-course mezze style meal) and we were allowed to bring in our own desserts and snacks for the evening. But booze all had to go through them, which is fine if you know that up front.
Point is - take a good look at what each venue is offering - then question everything in order to shape it to what you want. If they are pushy or not helpful, move on.
I get here that you are looking for the stress-free option; I was definitely a very happy bunny at the end of the day knowing that I didn't have to set-up or take down decor (just dropped everything off with notes), and someone else was responsible for the day running smoothly.
saying all that - ours wasn't all inclusive. We agreed a price per head for the meal, the amount of booze to provide. We still organised the cake, music, photography, flowers ourselves. Not sure if that is considered piece-meal...
DeleteESB speaks the truth. Also, you could spend that $2,000 on a wedding planner, get the non-all-inclusive venue, and let the planner do the heavy lifting.
ReplyDeleteSmart advice. Do this.
DeleteI went with a cheap janky looking all-inclusive venue and I have no regrets. The food was actually pretty tasty (though the menu options were a total throwback to the eighties) and they were super flexible with us. They even let us bring in our own craft beer to serve at their bar since they didn't offer craft beer on their menu. Bottom line- talk to a few all-in places, see if you click with the management, and do some tasting to see how the food is. Ask for a sample contract so you can check for any hidden fees. You may find a diamond in the rough the way I did.
ReplyDeleteYES.
ReplyDeleteI went the piece-together-everything-myself route and thought it was going to be much cheaper, but realized (too late) that there was actually a lot of small/unexpected costs we didn't originally consider. This was VERY annoying during the planning stages.
ReplyDeleteOur wedding planner was shit though, and I so wish I splurged on a better one.
One plus side, that made it all worth while, was that your wedding will exactly to your liking. Our wedding was BOMB.
We went with all separate vendors, but we splurged on an amazing caterer with great connections who was really familiar with our venue. Whether it's the venue, caterer, or wedding planner, you definitely want at least one segment that's going to handle the bulk of the stuff and do some heavy lifting. We also went really simple with DJ, flowers, bar, etc. so it wasn't that overwhelming, just a lot of e-mails to keep track of. If you really think you want to go all-in-one take time to think about the stuff that's super important to you (we must have lilies, we don't want seafood, our signature cocktail is the mojito...) so that you can find out right away if the venue is going to be able to work a little out of the box from time to time.
ReplyDeleteSadly, there is no shortcut here. You are going to have to spreadsheet the hell out of this, and you'll still question your decision (until after the wedding, when you'll be able to convince yourself that nearly everything in your wedding was perfect and exactly how everyone else should do theirs*). Gather data, make the best decision you can with the info you have, and then try to let it go.
ReplyDelete*For proof, see all posts here.
I would like to cast one vote for the "lasagna is delicious" option. Is that an option? Because lasagna is delicious.
ReplyDeleteIs lasagna a metaphor?
THIS.
DeleteI know, right? I would be psyched to get lasagna at a wedding, particularly for a non-sad vegetarian option.
Deletehere's a morsel of advice ... it starts with E and ends with LOPE.
ReplyDeleteisn't this just called "research your venue", "read" and "ask questions"?
ReplyDelete