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May 2012 Weddings
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im having caterer problems...

soon to be mrs phamsoon to be mrs pham member
100 Comments
in May 2012 Weddings
its a long story but to keep it short a family mamber was going to cater not they cant... should have stuck to the origional plan and gone proffessionally but...thought i could save money...

anyways now i have no caterer. what is typical to pay a caterer and what should i look for?
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Re: im having caterer problems...

  • evenundomielevenundomiel member
    Seventh Anniversary 100 Comments
    That sucks...sorry you're going through that! As for what you should expect to pay, it really depends on what kind of food and service you're expecting. Also depends on how many people you have. I'm having a large wedding (about 220 people) and it's formal. We opted for stations because out guests like to mingle and it has come out to about $45 a head (includes all food, also cocktail hour, and labor)
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  • soon to be mrs phamsoon to be mrs pham member
    100 Comments
    more of a casual wedding with around 96 guests
    as far as what type of food something that tastes really good but isnt going to be outragously priced. 
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  • Tully16Tully16
    100 Comments
    Ours is through our venue.  We're paying approx $42 per person.  This includes 4 hours of open bar.  We get a discount for kids ages 10-20 (since they can't drink), so they're about $32 each.  Kids under 10 are $10 each.  I feel like this is pretty reasonable for a plated meal with appetizers & alcohol included.
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  • court115court115
    100 Comments
    I would start calling places around your area or see if your venue has any suggestions for caterers. The price really depends on what kind of food you want. Good luck! I'm sorry you have to deal with this!
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  • dori851dori851 member
    1000 Comments Combo Breaker

    I'm sorry about your catering situation. It's always risky to do business with family members unfortunately :(

    As far as typical costs, it completely depends on what area you live in & what type of food you want. We are paying $27pp for a buffet dinner. This price also includes appetizers. It doesn't include alcohol though which is an additional $16pp. But, I do know that a plated meal is more expensive, & depending on what type of food you want, that could make it more or less expensive. I know a "pasta bar" type meal is usually a good way to cut costs because it's on the cheaper side. I would start researching some catering companies & have taste testing appointments & see which one best fits your needs! GL!

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  • bpphoto785bpphoto785 member
    1000 Comments

    That sucks! I would contact your local board. They might be able to give you the names of some places. Good luck!

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  • FutureMrsW9FutureMrsW9
    100 Comments
    Uuugh that stinks this close to your wedding - but it'll all work out!  Our venue is our caterer and we're paying $115pp plus 20% service and 7% tax (yes, service is taxed in NJ grrrr) - so it ends up being $147.66pp.  That includes cocktail hour, salad/app combo course, 4-choices of entre (filet, fish, chicken, and vegetarian), custom wedding cake, cookie/pastry stand on each table, coffee/tea, 5 hours of premium open bar, champagne toast and guest greeting, and of course the cost of labor/service.  And I agree with pp - your local board might have some suggestions for local caterers. 
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  • mancila60mancila60
    1000 Comments
    I agree with the other ladies about checking out your local board or just calling around. As everyone here lives in different areas so pricing runs differently.

    We are doing a buffett style dinner. We opted to do a more casual dinner menu and have less options than most. Plus we asked to do fruit and veggie trays ourself to save money which they are allowing us to do. It came out to be about $15pp. That is also including the bar/bartenders.
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  • gpapale1gpapale1
    1000 Comments
    It definitely varies from caterer to caterer, but I found several in my area that were extremely reasonable.  Ours is charging $10.95 pp for a buffet dinner that includes 3 entree choices, tossed salad, one vegetable, one potato, rolls and relish, coffee, and mixed cookies/brownies.  Adding in the cost of 4 servers, tablecloth rentals ($5 each), service charge, and tax, our bill will be about $2500 for 160 people (our anticipated attendance).  We are providing our own alcohol and other beverages, so that will be extra.  Good luck!
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  • mandi921vhmandi921vh member
    Eighth Anniversary 2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    It really depends on your area. We are paying about $100 per plate ... which is normal for my area. I would call different caterers for pricing to get an idea, or try your local board.
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