Is it possible to have a dinner reception for $85 per person?

[Starseeker1221]

We have been crunching some numbers this week, and are really hoping to keep food costs as low as possible (There are just so many other things we want to include!). Ideally, we'd love to have dinner come to around $85 per person including pre-reception. We know we don't want a lot for pre-reception, maybe just a cheese or fruit display... so that leaves about $75 per person for the actual meal. Is this a realistic goal, or are we most likely going to end up with something higher?

(Right now, we're flexible between buffet and plated meal, and we would just like a salad and the meal, not an appetizer or soup course.... )

 

[purple250]

I'm not sure if you are having an escape wedding or a wishes, but i'm having my reception at Shula's steakhouse at the Walt Disney World Dolphin. We are having a sit down dinner for $80. The food is awesome there. They have a menu that they offer for $78 which includes a salad, a choice of 5 entrees and dessert. You can also take the dessert off if you are having wedding cake and the price drops to $73. The food is great there and they give you great portions. The only problem is if you are having a wishes wedding it won't count towards you food/beverage minimum because the hotel is on Disney property but not owned by Disney.

 

[macca77]

Hi we are having are reception at the grand floridian and are meal is 75$ per head, and $8 head fruit display pre reception. We are having soup as a starter and a steak and chicken combi as the main course, with wedding cake as desert. If your having salad as a starter then that should work out cheaper than the soup aswell, so you should be fine.

 

[Starseeker1221]

I'm not sure if you are having an escape wedding or a wishes, but i'm having my reception at Shula's steakhouse at the Walt Disney World Dolphin. We are having a sit down dinner for $80. The food is awesome there. They have a menu that they offer for $78 which includes a salad, a choice of 5 entrees and dessert. You can also take the dessert off if you are having wedding cake and the price drops to $73. The food is great there and they give you great portions. The only problem is if you are having a wishes wedding it won't count towards you food/beverage minimum because the hotel is on Disney property but not owned by Disney.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I'm having a Wishes wedding, with the reception in the Living Seas.... that dinner sounds awesome though, and I would definitely check it out if I wasn't doing Wishes!

 

[Starseeker1221]

Hi we are having are reception at the grand floridian and are meal is 75$ per head, and $8 head fruit display pre reception. We are having soup as a starter and a steak and chicken combi as the main course, with wedding cake as desert. If your having salad as a starter then that should work out cheaper than the soup aswell, so you should be fine.

okay... that makes me feel better... its so hard to tell when looking at all the menus what the pricing would be like if you take away the appetizers, desserts, etc... your menu sounds very much like what we'd want, and it seems to fit perfectly in our pricing!

 

[Stephie77]

Hi we are having are reception at the grand floridian and are meal is 75$ per head, and $8 head fruit display pre reception. We are having soup as a starter and a steak and chicken combi as the main course, with wedding cake as desert. If your having salad as a starter then that should work out cheaper than the soup aswell, so you should be fine.

Macca77-are you having a wishes or escape wedding? where in the grand floridian is your reception? this is exactly what i would love to do and in my price range. let me know. thanks!

 

[twiu]

Oh goodness! It's definitely possible! Ours wasn't even close to that and we also had just a cheese display for the pre-reception. I think with open bar (the cheapest one) and our dinner it came out to exactly $100. You can do it, just don't order the lobster

 

[Starseeker1221]

Oh goodness! It's definitely possible! Ours wasn't even close to that and we also had just a cheese display for the pre-reception. I think with open bar (the cheapest one) and our dinner it came out to exactly $100. You can do it, just don't order the lobster

Can I ask what you had for your dinner choices?

 

[twiu]

Had a buffet...

-parm crusted chicken & mashed potatoes
-salad (don't remember what exactly but it was a basic salad, 2 dressings, tomatoes, croutons, etc...)
-carving station with sirloin in a medeira sauce
-pasta station (with a vegetable pasta & penne a la vodka)
-vegetable medley

and then there were rolls and all that stuff...

I don't remember specifically and don't have my BEO since I'm at work.

Um... cake and the cheapest of the open bars. Mind you, I also am a CM, so I got a little bit of a discount, but it's not that much. Our wedding was late at night 7:30 pm ceremony and I didn't put too much emphasis on our food - yet all my guests raved about how delicious everything was! Also, this was last year, I'm sure prices have gone up. But, still... you can get creative with your food and do basics. You don't need 4 different entrees!

 

[IrishLily]

I just had the chef price out some buffet options since the menus they give you are at least $98pp. Here were what we asked to be priced, and all were $65pp (No dessert included as we were serving cake, and this doesn't include cocktail hour):

Option 1:

Salad Station: Medley of greens with cherry tomatoes, bacon bits, cheese, croutons, cucumbers, onions. Salad dressings: ceasar, balsamic vinaigrette, and ranch.

Sourdough and other rustic breads with butter and spreads

Parmesan crusted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce

NY strip steak with black pepper reduction and roasted shallots

Olive Oil grilled veggies

Option 2:

Same as above but instead of NY Strip, sub in the two pepper-rubbed beef strip loin with sweet onion sauce.

Option 3:

Same as Option #1 but sub parmesan-crusted chicken with roasted chicken with applewood bacon with garlic mashed potatoes.


Our reception menu is from the Boardwalk Resort, so pricing may differ. Also, I wanted to have a carving station just to liven the buffet up a little. I was told this would be extra, but they didn't state how much extra.

Hope this helps!

 

[OceanGdss]

We skipped the pre-reception so we could spend more on the reception meal. None of our guests missed the pre-reception. Disney makes it sound like its mandatory...but its not. We had a wonderful buffet meal for $80/pp, and that was with a live action station, salad, 2 appetizers (both seafood), 2 entree options, 3 sides, and bread/etc.

 

[orangetiggs]

ours was $87 per person for our reception last year at the whitehall room.

 

[macca77]

Macca77-are you having a wishes or escape wedding? where in the grand floridian is your reception? this is exactly what i would love to do and in my price range. let me know. thanks!


Im having it in the whitehall room and its a wishes wedding, about 34 guests, so should be fun, but was happy that it worked out so cheap for the food.

 

[Stephie77]

Macca77-are you having a wishes or escape wedding? where in the grand floridian is your reception? this is exactly what i would love to do and in my price range. let me know. thanks!


Im having it in the whitehall room and its a wishes wedding, about 34 guests, so should be fun, but was happy that it worked out so cheap for the food.

Sounds fun! That is a great price. I am waiting for my wedding coordinator to get back to me b/c i am confused with the prices. It says $85.00 per person for steak and chicken. Does that include the appetizier and salad? On the menu there are no prices under the Appetizier and salad selections. THanks!

 

[orangetiggs]

for $87 we had appertiser, glass slipper lighted sorbet, coconut almond crusted chicken and filet duo plate. For dessert we served our wedding cake and that was $450 plus tax for two tier mad hatter

 

[tinks_1989]

ours was $87 per person for our reception last year at the whitehall room.

right i want to make sure i understand this correctlyyou had all that food for $87 pp wow

did you ahve to a site / venue rental fee as well

 

[orangetiggs]

for $87 we had appertiser, glass slipper lighted sorbet, coconut almond crusted chicken and filet duo plate. For dessert we served our wedding cake and that was $450 plus tax for two tier mad hatter

you could do it much cheaper by only having one meat and a salad instead of the slipper

 

[orangetiggs]

no rental fee for the whitehall room we only paid rental fee for wp and uk lower for our dessert party

 

[tinks_1989]

no rental fee for the whitehall room we only paid rental fee for wp and uk lower for our dessert party

is that because you had a wishes wedding though if i were to try anf book that when having an escape wedding would i have to pay to have the room

 

[orangetiggs]

oh i dont think you can have it for a escape wedding as its a convention space so i only think its wishes weddings