How to cut the cost of the sit down meal?

Donk_2

Hi everyone,

Wedding date hoped for summer 2012. Been looking at venues for ideas and the sit down meals are 25+ per guest. We have wittled are list down and still expect to invite around 100 guests to the wedding which we just wouldn't want to do without. But £2500 is just such a huge expence!!!

I want it to be sat down and some-what formal as I would like to have the speeches and hand out the gifts etc, and have a bit of an opportunity to network with those that have made it before another 100 - 150 turn up in the evening.

We're only pondering with ideas at the moment, but as the venue is one of the first things to book I think we need to consider it. Been pondering about Hog Roasts etc but not sure if venues would allow?! Any ideas?

hayleythedaisy

Hog roasts provided by a venue will probably come in around £15 to £20 a head.
You could look at hot buffet. Or skip starters. And have wedding cake for pud

pretzelnut

If you find the right venue with a more than willing chef, he will happily sit down with you and discuss your budget and design a menu to fit what you have to spend. Real chefs like to create menu's as it allows them to use their creative skills.

Cut out the drinks package - people will by there own and no one expects a drink.

Also think about what you and your guests will enjoy eating, i once went to a wedding that the bride had chose such a fancy over the top posh menu that most of us had no idea what most of it was and didnt eat it - again another waste. You should have seen the queue outside the local take away at 6.30.

When my mum got married she had a formal sit down meal but had coissants and orange juice for starter and a full english breakfast for main followed by cup cakes. Every thing was eaten and all the guests were more than full and happy.

Use your wedding cake as the desert. Most brides refuse to cut into it until the evening guests arrive at which point not many people are interested in eating it which is a waste.

If you dont want to demolish your cake as you want all your guests to see it have cupcakes.

Then you can tier the cakes up. As you use cakes for the fomal meal you can remove tears and it will still ''look'' the same only smaller.

Or if you do insist on a wedding cake - try something diferent like chocolate fudge cake or carrot cake, this is then more of a dessert cake and can be cut and put on plates with cream.

Most venues will allow you to do this.

For comparision 1 venue we choose got their own caterers to do a hog roast for 75 guests it was £1450 - that was just for the hog, bread buns and apple sauce. Any salads or side dishes were extra.

We contacted a local compnay who gave us a quote of £7 per head for hog, bread buns, sauces. Salads and side dishes were an extra £20 per head and deserts wer an extra £3 a head.

Both hog roasts were uoted for a full set up including staffing to carve the roast.

TediousPhoenix

We're ignoring the bucks fizz for the reception and the coffee after. That saves us £7.50 per head.

We're also having two meal options. One is the option that we want, the other is a cheaper option that I'm hoping most people choose (we're only having a small wedding and the venue said as long as we tell them before hand it'll be fine)! So starters there's a choice of leek and potato soup (£5.80) or melon and mango slices (£6.70), main will be chicken stuffed with peppers and onions (£18.85) or lamb noisettes with mushrooms (£25.35), and for desert a choice of crumble and custard (£5.80) or summer pudding (£7.50). The difference between the two is nearly £10, but I'm sure no one will notice.

But it's still a huge amount of money for one meal.

frannyann

Donk wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Wedding date hoped for summer 2012. Been looking at venues for ideas and the sit down meals are 25+ per guest. We have wittled are list down and still expect to invite around 100 guests to the wedding which we just wouldn't want to do without. But £2500 is just such a huge expence!!!

I want it to be sat down and some-what formal as I would like to have the speeches and hand out the gifts etc, and have a bit of an opportunity to network with those that have made it before another 100 - 150 turn up in the evening.

We're only pondering with ideas at the moment, but as the venue is one of the first things to book I think we need to consider it. Been pondering about Hog Roasts etc but not sure if venues would allow?! Any ideas?

I have to say, sit down meal for 100 for £2500 is actually pretty good, well done on such an MSE price!!! The best thing is to check any children are being catered for at a much lower cost, for example our venue is charging £67.50 per adult, but only £25 per child (before anyone tells me off that is for a heck of a lot included!) Look at the drinks package included, I don't think getting rid of the drinks is a goer, you don't want people having to get up and down through the meal. Maybe look a just one drink with the meal plus sparkling wine for the toast.

yumyums

We're having ours in a restaurant (London) and it's working out at £16 per head for a 3 course sit down meal. We've got exclusive use of the restaurant for 4 hours and the guests get a selection of main courses. Bargain! The only problem with this is the venue isn't suited to dancing so we will need to go somewhere else afterwards.

mellymeep

Me and my OH are treating our families to a sit down meal at Malmaison, as we have booked our accommodation there we met with the Maître d' and booked the restaurant for early evening when it isn't open to the public, so it will be private anyway and we didn't have to splash out on the expensive room they hire for celebration dinners. We managed to get three courses from the Home Grown and Local menu with two meat options and a veggie one which the guests can chose themselves, for 16.50 a head, including a glass of fizzy wine for the toast. That includes all the table linen and silver which I think is an incredible deal, we're then moving onto a local club for the evening reception with all of our friends, which is run by my student union so the hire of that is free

Although as you're inviting so many people to the meal it probably isn't much help me suggesting that, maybe you could look into hiring out a local restaurant that can accommodate quite a lot of people?

talulahbeige_2

A few things I picked up when we looked for our venue

- we wanted a hog roast originally but the venue would charge us much more for hire and then there was the hog roast costs on top. Going with the hotel providing the menu was definatley cheaper.

-Venues will only do what you want if it isnt a peak day in summer. If we had our venue on a Friday in mid summer we would have had to have a minimum of 70 for a sit down meal and 120 at the night with a buffet. Were are getting married on a Friday in Novemeber and are having 65 guests at a straight through reception with a buffet. So if you want cheap you will need to be flexible about when you get married.

BabyFranny

Donk wrote: »

Hi everyone,

Wedding date hoped for summer 2012. Been looking at venues for ideas and the sit down meals are 25+ per guest. We have wittled are list down and still expect to invite around 100 guests to the wedding which we just wouldn't want to do without. But £2500 is just such a huge expence!!!

Think about it, do you really want 100 guests?
Honestly, would you see them all and speak to them all during the sit-down meal?
As someone suggested, be flexible about the date.
Don't have a starter.
If all else fails, order KFC for everyboby :D:D

superfran_uk

Darn I was just about to say go to KFC!
£25 each is very reasonable - a nice meal out would cost this even if it wasn't a wedding. Rather than cut down on the cost per head, try cutting down on the number of guests - I know it's hard (particularly if you have two families to please) but I'm having a no partners I haven't met to the meal rule - have to make cutbacks somewhere - and if people are snobby about that or don't think they can handle it without their OH then I don't want them there at all!
Also there are a disproportionate number of Frans on this board. Love it

BabyFranny

superfran_uk wrote: »

Also there are a disproportionate number of Frans on this board. Love it

I'm not actually a Fran, my mum is though