Bartenders at the Inn at Little Seneca, Boyds MD

The winter months of each year are the times when wedding
vendors see an influx of new inquiries. “What does Menu #1 on your
website cost?”  “We are on a tight budget…” “We don’t want to pay more
than xxx for the reception”. 

Wedding receptions can be expensive, there is no argument
there.  Yet, if your guest count exceeds 200 guests,  you already have
an elephant in the room.  The #1 rule in keeping your expenses under
control is your guest count.  Most caterers are going to quote a per
person cost.  Of course there are couples who have extended families and
friends on both sides; food isn’t less expensive when there is more.

Typical expenses involved in a catering quote involve:
1. The menu.  A Teatime quote  includes not only the
appetizers, the main buffet items, but also the non alcoholic
beverages.  It includes a wedding cake at no additional charge.  It
buffers in when there is a major crop freeze in Florida and Romain
lettuce is three times it’s normal price.   It may very well have to
factor in the sky rocketing price of beef if the drought in the western US continues.



Teatime Delicacies Catering in Washington DC

2. The rentals.  The price of the venue you are using is a
separate expense from catering, and it can fluctuate wildly.  There are
venues in the Washington DC and Northern Virginia area that run from
several thousand dollars to nearly $10,000. What Teatime Catering provides for
rentals includes all the linens, the plates, cutlery, bar glasses,
champagne flutes, coffee cups.  Linens for food and bar tables, cake,
DJ, gift tables.  Napkins, bistro table linens.  A wedding reception for
100 guests may end up utilizing 30-40 table cloths alone.  You can
always opt to replace bar glasses with clear plastic disposable to help
reduce expenses, or even go with all disposable plates and cutlery, but
few people really want paper table linens at their wedding reception.

Wine and Beer Bar with Disposable Glasses



3.  The Service.  Unlike rentals, there are no
substitutions.  There is NO replacement for a well trained bartender.
Few venues if any will allow guests to self serve.  Any reputable
caterer is required to carry a minimum of $1 million in liability
insurance.  These are costs built into using a professional service. 
There is kitchen staff, wait staff, bartender(s) and a manager on duty. 

In many venues the catering staff is required to do all the
table and chair set up.  A typical booking time is an 8 hour chunk of
time.  A 100 guest reception can require a staff of 8 people.

WHAT WON’T WORK:
No, limiting the amount of food won’t save you money. 
Guests attend a wedding reception because they expect to eat, drink and
have a good time.  Limiting the amount of food selections only means we
need to bring more of each item. The LAST thing you want your guests to
remember is how the caterer ran out of food and they had to stop to get a bite to eat on the way home.
No, just serving appetizers won’t be the solution.  Read above.
No, limiting the amount of catering staff doesn’t work, it only means the remaining staff works harder to get the job done. Or worse:  your guests are ignored.
No, just because the bride and groom are bearing the brunt
of the expenses without family assistance – this doesn’t reduce the cost
of a wedding reception. 

What someone pays to have dinner at an all-you-can-eat
restaurant is apples and oranges with regards to off site catering. 
Much of a restaurant’s pricing is already built in.  Catering off site
is from the ground on up.




Wedding Ceremony on the banks of the Potomac River, Alexandria VA

Be open and flexible, yet still strive to maintain a
budget.  Realize the budget you start out with may not be realistic. 
Each venue provides it’s own unique set of circumstances.  Some venues
would require additional staff, some would require more tables and
chairs.  Don’t box yourself in by saying “we don’t want to pay more than
xxx” until you educate yourself with all the options available.
Teatime maintains a philosophy of trying to help you
determine what your priorities are and to help you save when possible. 
After all, we are all in this together in that we want a GREAT party!!
www.cateringbyteatime.com