Wedding Cakes & Food Forum

$10,764.00 just for food?!

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Re: $10,764.00 just for food?!

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    And this is why we need the location put back under the username so that we can use their location for reference when talking about prices.  For instance, for my wedding in Baltimore the price OP listed is reasonable.  But for a bride in a small town with a much smaller cost of living the original price would seem crazy high.

    san diego ca. it was the first and highest price ive recieved from a caterer. i am scalling down my wedding to adults only and finding a diffrent caterer.  thanks for the adivice ladies or gents. it really helped me decide to scale down.
  • I think that price sounds about right, but it doesn't hurt to shop around.
  • WonderRedWonderRed member
    5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper First Anniversary
    edited August 2013
    Seems on track to me.  We just set our food & drink menu this week and it came to about $95 per person before tax and gratuity.    That's all inclusive for a specialty drink when guests arrive for the ceremony, appetizer buffet, plated dinner of  two meats, desert buffet, traditional cake, open  premium bar for four hours, champagne toast, all non alc beverages, and cake cutting.   But we also do not have to pay any additional grounds fees so our per person covers  all the coordination services, set up, all everything, plus exclusive use of the grounds for the ceremony and cocktail hour before they open to the pubic for dinner and we move into a private dining room.

    ETA: We're in a major metropolitan area and our venue is on the low side of higher end for this area.
  • melbelleupmelbelleup member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment First Answer
    edited August 2013
    At my venue it's 48$pp but thats not including gratuity and our extras . it does include open bar, plated dinner.

    IMO, it sounds like a good price especially because of your location.
    Daisypath Wedding tickers
  • That sounds about right. I got a quote for about that for 100 people and no cake.
  • 10K covers 150 people having filet mignon with stuffed chicken or stuffed shrimp, soup, salad, green beans almondine & twice baked potato, bottle of wine on each table, 5 hrs premium bar, appetizers (3 hand passed), tax & gratuity. That's average for my area.
  • jcwrdh94 said:
    10K covers 150 people having filet mignon with stuffed chicken or stuffed shrimp, soup, salad, green beans almondine & twice baked potato, bottle of wine on each table, 5 hrs premium bar, appetizers (3 hand passed), tax & gratuity. That's average for my area.
    Where is "your area"? In my area (a major Northeast/New England city) that amount/level of food&drinks could easily be $30,000 for 150 people. My venue is charging $75/person, and that doesn't include drinks, tax, or gratuity, and that was after a fair amount of negotiation to get the price down by $25! And to quote a PP, my venue is "on the low side of the higher end."

    Man, I sometimes wish I lived in a different part of the country! 
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • That sounds about right to me. I'm in california on the central coast, and most places here are 35 - 80 pp, depending on the food choices and plated vs buffet.

    We're having 3 apps, salad, 2 choices of meat for the entree, green beans, rice and potatoes. It's a buffet, for about 100 people, and right now our cost is about $46 pp.
    But we also have to buy 2 cases of wine from the winery we are using as our venue.
  • cideficidefi member
    5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper First Anniversary
    edited September 2013
    I'm up to about $13,000 on the cocktail hour and dinner service which includes the bar, the food, the linens, china, flatware, glassware, labor, tax, and a stupid venue commission fee.

    We're having a buffet style meal with 3 entree's choices, 2 veggie choices, 2 starch choices, a 2 hour cocktail hour, with simple ho'serves.
  • IMO- spending almost 11 grand on food for one night is ridiculous and a waste of money.  I would cook chicken for 150 guests for you for half that.. again this is just my opinion. 

    With that said, $10,000 to me, could be only $1,000 to you. Depends the financial situation of the parties you're asking.  My whole wedding cost less than half of what you may be paying for just your food. 
    Exactly. From my perspective, I would NEVER spend that much on food. I am cheap and also that is money that could go towards my down-payment on home. But if you have the money and desire for a big dinner then go for it
    Wedding Countdown Ticker


  • For that many people, the type of food service you're getting, and where you're located, that's reasonable.  We got lucky in that ours in about $61 per person before fees and taxes (that includes the booze) in the Washington DC Metro area.  I know some in the area that it's been $100 easily after all is said and done.  

    But in all fairness, you should make sure your guests are properly hosted.  If that means cutting the number of guests because you don't want to reduce the service, then that's what you should do.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • lfk2013 said:
    For that many people, the type of food service you're getting, and where you're located, that's reasonable.  We got lucky in that ours in about $61 per person before fees and taxes (that includes the booze) in the Washington DC Metro area.  I know some in the area that it's been $100 easily after all is said and done.  

    But in all fairness, you should make sure your guests are properly hosted.  If that means cutting the number of guests because you don't want to reduce the service, then that's what you should do.
    please read at least some pp by the op before commenting.
  • lfk2013 said:
    For that many people, the type of food service you're getting, and where you're located, that's reasonable.  We got lucky in that ours in about $61 per person before fees and taxes (that includes the booze) in the Washington DC Metro area.  I know some in the area that it's been $100 easily after all is said and done.  

    But in all fairness, you should make sure your guests are properly hosted.  If that means cutting the number of guests because you don't want to reduce the service, then that's what you should do.
    please read at least some pp by the op before commenting.
    Not quite sure this was really necessary or understand why you felt the need to comment in such a way.  This person gave you good advice in a very nice and polite manner and nothing in your PP led me to believe that anything like this was discussed before.

  • no and my other half shotdown a buffet. however, i found a diffrent caterer for about 1k cheaper that includes open bar and cake.

  •  

    And this is why we need the location put back under the username so that we can use their location for reference when talking about prices.  For instance, for my wedding in Baltimore the price OP listed is reasonable.  But for a bride in a small town with a much smaller cost of living the original price would seem crazy high.

    san diego ca. it was the first and highest price ive recieved from a caterer. i am scalling down my wedding to adults only and finding a diffrent caterer.  thanks for the adivice ladies or gents. it really helped me decide to scale down.

  • As people have alluded to, pricing is all about your geographic location, and what kind of food and drinks is more of a secondary driver.

    I'm paying 20K for premium everything for 150 people, and I think i'm getting a great deal.  Where I live, $35 a person would be impossible, or bottom of the barrel at best, but i'm sure there are places where that gets you great food.

    You should pay what works for your budget, and that's it.
  • There are too many variables here for us to decide whether or not its high.  Its a lot of money yes but be more specific on what you are getting for that price. 
  • I live in the Washington DC area, one of the most expensive areas in the country, and most caterers that quoted in that price range offered the venue for free and various other perks for free.  Unless it's a top end country club or restaurant, I think that's crazy.

    To be fair, I think that's crazy overall, since that's more than my entire wedding budget, and I've found amazing caterers for much less.
  • There are too many variables here for us to decide whether or not its high.  Its a lot of money yes but be more specific on what you are getting for that price. 

    I've stated what exactly it includes in the op. That's all it includes. No venue. No drinks. No alcohol. No linens. Nothing but the food and service staff.

    So far I've postponed. I'm not sure we are getting married. We are trying to work on our relationship first before we decide to go through with it in 2015. If we do get married my guest list will be 70 people max.

    Thanks everyone for their input.

  • Trust me the sticker shock of $14000 for 110 seemed bad in the beginning but then I realized that included linens and other things. The real shock was that buffet was $3000_5000 was more. We choose plated anyways.
  • wow! Thats really expensive!! Im paying maybe $100 for about 50 people for dessert. 
    Married 11/12/05 ~ Renewed Our Vows 11/9/13. 

    "The LORD will fight for you, you need only be still."


  • @jacsquared

    I'm another DC bride. Sooooo nuts around here. We ended up picking Army/Navy CC b/c the room rental was so cheap. We almost backed out after seeing the $190/head price tag. After some thinking though and price comparing it ended up being more bang for your buck than we thought. Tables, chairs, food, booze, tax, service fee, champagne toast, etc. are all included. The photographer and DJ were the only major other expenses.

    You can def save money with an outside caterer, but you need to price out all the other things you need too: flatware, plates, tables, chairs, linens, etc. My parents learned that lesson after trying to give my brother a backyard barmitzvah. The rentals set them back about $6K.

  • For reference: I'm in San Diego and we are paying about $55 a head, $72 with tax and gratuity. However, that includes the room, tray passed apps and open bar for cocktail hour, salad, dinner, champagne toast, cake cutting service, choice of linens, napkins, chair sashes, all labor/clean up and the dance floor.

    With all the different packages you have to consider all the "extras" built into food costs. It starts adding up quickly if have to pay a la carte for everything.
  • For reference: I'm in San Diego and we are paying about $55 a head, $72 with tax and gratuity. However, that includes the room, tray passed apps and open bar for cocktail hour, salad, dinner, champagne toast, cake cutting service, choice of linens, napkins, chair sashes, all labor/clean up and the dance floor. With all the different packages you have to consider all the "extras" built into food costs. It starts adding up quickly if have to pay a la carte for everything.
    good tip
    what venue is this?
  • I really think it depends on where you are.  I am in NY and our food - for 40 people - is over $7,500 - and doesn't include the cake, although it does include staff (some caterers charged extra for staff). We are also foodies and it is important to us that we serve an awesome meal. ;-)  So it really depends - we aren't comparing apples to apples in most cases so it is very hard to say.

    In general though, I think that is a great price for a plated dinner for 150!
  • Nope, that seems normal depending on the region & the venue and what is all included. That is the regular price of where I went but it included all of the following: bar, chair covers & sash, linens, all taxes & grautity, family style dinner w/two meats, pototato, veggie & salad, cheese/cracker & veggie appetizer table, dessert table which had pastries, mousse, fresh fruit, chocolate covered strawberries, our wedding cake, card box and centerpieces (I just had to bring in candles for centerpiece).

    So condsidering what is all included, I thought it was a good deal.

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