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Catering costs?

SoI have some questions about those of you who have hired a caterer. My first choice as a venue is the Academy of Natural Sciences. Naturally as a museum they are not equipped to do food for an event like this so they have a contracted caterer.  While talking to this caterer I have received the following numbers

$74.95 per person for dinner
$25-$35 per hour for servers and bartenders
$35 per hour for chefs
and linens, chairs, plates/flatware, glasses all must be rented at an additional cost to the tune of $1200
I will also have to buy my own alcohol that they will server along with the mixers and sodas ect. 

Soooo what am I paying 75 bucks for? because its clearly not labor, or the use of dishes or linens or alcohol. I know rib eye and crabcakes don't cost $75. Is paying for chefs and servers outside of the price per head norma?l

Re: Catering costs?

  • edited December 2011
    I love the idea of having a museum as the venue... and I guess it makes sense for it to cost a lot. But I just got sticker shock! What ARE you paying $75 for?

    Better be damn good food. And even then........ I would still say that's terribly steep since it doesn't include ANYTHING else.

    Add it all up. How many guests are you having? How much per person does that all end up? Is that price worth it for you?

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  • edited December 2011
    Wow, that's a lot! I guess the $75 might also include the fact that they are catering at a place they don't own. They might have an extra insurance cost or something (I don't know for sure).

    The museum is a really cool venue. If this catering is within your budget, go for it. If not, there are many other cool venues I'm sure!
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  • edited December 2011
    I asked my parents this same question and my dad said it was something about covering the cost of bringing in the outside equipment and setting it up. But yeah, it still is marked up insanely. Why? Because it's a wedding and they can! I too am in the Philly area and every caterer I've looked into is about the same as that. Must just be a standard thing. It's also good that you can buy your own alcohol - you can save a lot by doing that! No one needs to know you're buying it for a wedding and automatically tack on an extra 50 bucks a bottle!
  • loopy82loopy82 member
    Ninth Anniversary 1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Have you checked into other caterers and venues to see if this is the going rate in your area?

    Around MN that would be really high (unless there was a lot included). I am paying $24/ person. This doesn't include drinks, hors d'vors (I know this is not spelled right) or dessert. It does include use of venue, tables, dishes, etc.
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  • Ana_2985Ana_2985 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    That does seem pretty high to me too, but I guess that's the price you pay for a really cool venue.

    I agree with Jeana- add everything up (food, drinks, cake, servers, etc) and see how it compares to the prices of other all-inclusive venues in the area.  Philadelphia can be pretty expensive- I think it's very common for weddings to be in the $100-$200 per person range even in the suburbs.  So yours might still fall in that range depending on how many people you're having and what the cost of your beverages will be.
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  • edited December 2011
    Actually that sounds like a pretty fair price to me for a big city like Philly.
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  • paintgirlpaintgirl member
    1000 Comments Third Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    Actually, I wonder what you're paying $1,200 for linens and the other stuff. Does that crap really cost that much? THAT seems steep to me.

    More good news on BYOB - make sure the bartenders don't open bottles until they actually need them. Most liquor stores will let you return un-opened bottles!
  • desertsundesertsun member
    5000 Comments Fifth Anniversary 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited December 2011
    Paint, why would you ever return un-opened booze instead of drinking it up???? Wink

    I looked at some venues that were about $75/person, or even $100/person, but those prices included at least some of what is extra in your quote. Granted, Tucson is a relatively small city.

    To me, it was worth it to go with a beautiful venue that had less expensive catering, basically b/c it enabled me to have more of our loved ones there, and that was more important than having gourmet food. And the venue is still incredibly beautiful.

    I would encourage you to explore as many venue/catering options as possible so that you can make a decision with confidence. It doesn't matter what you decide as long as you feel good about it, and the best way to do that is to know your options.

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  • edited December 2011
    I'm in NYC (an outer borough).  I'm paying $80 per person for 6 passed apps, 2 carving stations, dinner, dessert, beer, wine, soda.  Linens in different colors are included as are tables and chairs.  I'm providing the cake (with no cake cutting fees) and centerpieces.  Even in expensive areas, deals are out there.

    Is there another museum that will allow you to bring a caterer of your choice?  Also, what about having a cocktail reception?  That would be awesome in a museum.  
  • lzimm13lzimm13 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Thank you ladies for all of your input. I  was starting to feel crazy for a minute there.

    We're looking at 100 guests so thats why the rental costs are so steep 100 dinner plates @ .50 each +dessert plates+salad plates+silverware+chairs ect. it adds up

    And the $75 does include 3 passed apps and 2 stationary, soup OR salad 1entree choice and dessert BUT STILL!? wtf! I understand that $75 is probably the going rate but I feel like it should include something more! If the 2 of us went out to dinner at our favorite fancy smancy restaurant we'd probably spend $150 but that would include at least 2 $11 martinis and paying the chefs! I don't get it!

    We crunched some numbers estimating 12 tables, 1 server per table, 1 chef per table, and 2 bartenders for 5 hours. It comes out to be $13,133 after the 8% sales tax that they have in the city (bite me Philly!) which is about $130/pp which sends us soaring about a thousand dollars out of our top end price range. BUT WAIT, THERES MORE! That ridiculous amount doesn't  include booze or the $1200 worth of rentals!

    oh and the cake isn't included either

    UGH! we really hadn't seriously looked at any thing else yet because when we initially started talking to this guy $75/pp was the only # we had and it was affordable. Our reaction was "Dinosaurs for $75!?! I'll take it" we reevaluated all the other venus on our short list and prioritized them by what we like the most. I think it comes down to me having to take a saturday off and we just head into the city and talk to all these venus. Maybe we can make a deal with this guy at the AoNS. He keeps telling me that they don't have the plate-ware ect. to accommodate a party of this size but he hopes they will have more soon and I won't have to rent. He says "your wedding is a long ways off, a lot will change between now and then"
    Great, lemme know when that happens kthxbai
  • edited December 2011
    Yeah, you really can't count on that. I mean, I'm sure he intends to have it.... but what if he doesn't? You just can't COUNT on that.
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  • lzimm13lzimm13 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Yea thats where I'm at right now because even if somehow we knock $1000 off the actual price of the dinner the rentals are the difference between us having this and not and he's not really giving me any inkling of whether or not this is actually going to happen.
  • Ana_2985Ana_2985 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Have you thought about choosing a venue in the suburbs?  It's still relatively expensive compared to non-big cities places, but it's definitely cheaper than center city.  You won't have the same taxes outside center city.
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  • loopy82loopy82 member
    Ninth Anniversary 1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    In the Minneapolis - St. Paul area, the suburbs cost the same as in the city, unless you are in a 3rd ring suburb that is quite a ways out and is on the verge - or is rural (not that that is a bad thing, it's just a ways out). I of course can only speak for my area, but outside of the city may or may not be any cheaper.
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  • Ana_2985Ana_2985 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Sure you can still have expensive places outside the city, but you are more likely to find affordable options in the suburbs than in center city Philadelphia.  And the tax thing is still true.
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  • lzimm13lzimm13 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    We definitely could look outside the city we're just looking for a unique venue, not your average wedding factory and there is  a much larger concentration of them in the city...and I loooooveee the city. I mean, if it really comes down to it we could have the reception in the backyard under corrugated plastic just incase it rains, but dinosaurs are just SO MUCH COOLER! In the end, as long as we end up married nothing else will matter.
  • lzimm13lzimm13 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    HALLELUJAH!

    I just got an email from the caterer and we'd only need TWO chefs not the TWELVE I estimated for! That drops the cost from $13,133 to $11,840! I still have to rent stuff but they decided to go ahead and buy sugar bowls and creamers so that will trim down the rental $$$! This is looking better!
  • edited December 2011
    Ohh! Congrats on the good news! Don't just settle-- see if there is anywhere else you can trim! Dinosaurs would be awesome, I ain't gonna lie. :)
    Anniversary
  • lzimm13lzimm13 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Thanks!
    Oh there will be no settling! FI is a cheap bastard! Thank god for him cause I have expensive taste! lol   AND I magically got off on Saturday so we're going to do a wedding venue search bonanza! I'm going to call everyone on the short list tomorrow and try and set up appointments!
  • loopy82loopy82 member
    Ninth Anniversary 1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    Good luck! I hope you get exactly what you want!
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  • lzimm13lzimm13 member
    10 Comments
    edited December 2011
    aw! Thanks!Smile
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