Am I gonna get a shock??

[malibustacey]

So we are planning for Nov 18, 2010. Originally we only wanted a small wedding but now it seems the invitee list has grown to around 50 + 8 children approx. We really do not want all 50 people to turn up, but we feel like we have to invite them (will cause rows if not!)

I hope i dont sound cheap here but- i emailed Diane, our wedding consultant to send me some proposals that could cater for that amount of people. AM I GOING TO GET THE SHOCK OF MY LIFE because of the price? (i am asking because she said it will be different to what we expected it?)

Well, we plan to have a SBP ceremony, followed by a small dinner in the Whitehall Room (buffet or plated-whatever is cheapest) - i sort of want to know what the price this would be alone- catering for 50 odd people (if i think 50, then it makes me prepared so then when people start saying the cant go, then the price wont seem that bad) after we realise how much SBP and the reception food will cost, then we will look into an extras!!

What sort of price am i looking at? I have been on here for months now and i have seen plenty of BEO's but nothing that i can relate this to...

can anyone help me / give some advice before Diane makes me faint with shock!??

 

[Desnik]

I am having a vow renewal in Nov in the Whitehall room. We are having a plated dinner at 6pm. We were told we have to spend $125 per person 21 and older. I believe the kids are $24.99. Also add to that 21% gratuity and 6.5% tax. We don't go to our planning session until June so we haven't picked the menu yet so I don't know if we will be spending more than that. I do know that the cocktail hour and cake count towards that $125 per person. Like you we will probably end up with around 50-55 adults and 8 kids. It is a big expense, especially adding entertainment, linens, centerpieces, etc...

 

[malibustacey]

the problem with the guest list is that i cannot justify spending $125 per person to eat- especially when i dont really want half the people there! haha!

Do you have a cost of it all in your mind at the moment?

 

[disprincessatheart]

I beleive for the whitehall room the only way for the minimum to be lower is to have the event before 2pm - not sure if that's starting before 2 or ending before 2. Even at that I think the min is $100 ppn. That can include the cake, beverages and cocktail hour - basically anything to eat or drink that will be served in that location. Also there will be the Disney service charge and taxes, fees, etc added to that amount. When we were looking at a reception for 40 people, with a ceremony in the wedding pavilion and dinner with a $100 ppn charge, we were budgeted at about $13k with disney. That was for a 2007 wedding though, and did include a DPS package for pictures and video, plus busses because our reception was planned for EPCOT. For your guest count I'd imagine you're looking between $15k and $20k without a lot of extras.

Keep in mind, you can always make it a challenge to yourself to stick to the Disney minimum expenditure like Lurkyloo did - she's the queen of that around here! Plus if it makes you feel any better, we had a wedding with 19 people and we spent $7500, so if you can do 50 people for $15k that wouldn't be too bad.

 

[tiggersam00]

Ok relax Stacey, you will get a small shock but there are plenty of ways to cut down on your costs. We will all help you I promise

For 50 people I agree, I would plan for about $100/head but that will add up quickly and cover a lot of things (food, liquor, cake). I think you could do a nice wedding with photo, video, plenty of food and a DP for around 15K as mentioned. But if that is too much $$ then you can certainly work with DFTW to cut the cost... keep me posted on what Diane says

 

[CharacterFan]

I know you had planned a dinner, but if you do a morning wedding, you only have to spend $75 a person on food, for a brunch. Then maybe only offer a dinner for just your family. Or do an at-home reception for those that you feel you need to invite, but you don't want to invite to your Disney wedding.

 

[malibustacey]

aww i know you will all help with advice! lurkyloo will be my inspiration for $$$ when it comes down to my wedding! (it would help if i wasnt the queen of loving bargains!) i sound like i am constantly complaning about the cost haha!!

could the food prices be cut down for different locations? i thought the whitehall room was the cheapest for food pp? i was hoping for around $70-$100 pp (i am not sure about liquor, i'd pass on that until right at the end) but i just keep seeing $125 pp for everywhere!

im sure i remember reading somewhere where someone had a buffet for around $65 pp but i cant remember if i read right nor can i remember who's wedding it was? am i wrong in thinking this price?

there definately wont be 50 there- i am just using that as a figure so when the number is smaller, i will be okay! i do want a DP too, but for the moment, i dont want to get too into that idea if we cant afford it..

 

[CharacterFan]

While you can cut food costs down. With a Wishes wedding you have to spend a certain amount per per person between, food, drink, and cake.

For a ceremony starting at 8,9, or 10am - $75
For a ceremony starting at 12pm (and i think 2pm)- $100
For a ceremony starting after 2 - $125

Children under a certain age count, and I know it's at least 9. but it might be 12. I don't remember.

 

[malibustacey]

this is a really crazy question - my youngest sister will be 3 when we get married- will she count as 1 guest?

those prices are okay i think...

 

[Pirate's Princess]

While you can cut food costs down. With a Wishes wedding you have to spend a certain amount per per person between, food, drink, and cake.

For a ceremony starting at 8,9, or 10am - $75
For a ceremony starting at 12pm (and i think 2pm)- $100
For a ceremony starting after 2 - $125

Children under a certain age count, and I know it's at least 9. but it might be 12. I don't remember.

Is that for reception starting times or ceremony start time?

 

[Lindsay22]

Okay.
First, I believe that the GF has higher mins for food and things so I would look at other locations so that you can get a lower min. Also, if you have something at Boardwalk or Epcot then you won't need to pay for a bus. So that's another cost saving option.
We had the $100 pp min at AAR. We had the Lady and the Tramp Rehearsal buffet, but modified. We removed the spaghetti and meatballs, added a beef carving station, removed the cake that comes with it and added the cindy slipper dessert. We also took the antipasto display that is included in the meal and served that at cocktail hour with mickey roni and cheese. We did BOC bar and came to JUST $100 pp.

Paying guests are guests who are under the age of 3. So if your sister will be 3 by the time of your wedding, she will count, but as a child. I think the kids meals are about $25 each.

On top of this: We invited 200 people. Only 100 came because of the economy. We were actually inviting people at the last minute just to be sure that we would meet our minimums. So even though you invite a lot, doesn't mean they'll all.

To end this: Diane was SPECTACULAR for us. She won't lead you astray

 

[malibustacey]

thank you so much, that really helps, although i only know The Attic as a small enough venue we could have for our party.

Its good to know that you got it down to $100 pp with all that included.

Diane has been really amazing so far, so im sure she will not dissapoint!

 

[PirateBride08]

You can also look into St James room at the Boardwalk. We had our rehearsal/Welcome Party at the Grand and the prices were higher than what the Boardwalk Chef's gave us. I don't think it was the food we had either.

In any event, I made up my own menu and it was $66 a person. I had a full open bar which was close to $35 a person (I think) and then the cake broke down to $11.50 a person. I had lots of extras that I added on but you can take the $100 min per person and have it count as both the bar and the food. You can definitley get the cost down!

 

[gibsi53]

Brandy- that's awesome! What was on your menu?

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Are the 50 guests definitely coming Stacey?

I wanted some idea of costings as well, so I sent out our STDs with a 'preliminary rsvp' so I could get an idea of who was coming - I had 'definitely', 'unsure', and 'no' boxes. I think we invited around 50ish people also. We've had around 18 definites (inc. us!) and 15-20 maybes (most of which I think were just too polite to put no!) - hopefully we'll end up with around 16-20 which I think is a nice number and I can spoil them a bit since there won't be many of us.... OK I'm rambling, long story short, the RSVP helped me eliminate some people for definite so now I'm only budgeting for the Yes and Maybe people.

 

[Eeyore's Tailfinder]

Are the 50 guests definitely coming Stacey?

I wanted some idea of costings as well, so I sent out our STDs with a 'preliminary rsvp' so I could get an idea of who was coming - I had 'definitely', 'unsure', and 'no' boxes. I think we invited around 50ish people also. We've had around 18 definites (inc. us!) and 15-20 maybes (most of which I think were just too polite to put no!) - hopefully we'll end up with around 16-20 which I think is a nice number and I can spoil them a bit since there won't be many of us.... OK I'm rambling, long story short, the RSVP helped me eliminate some people for definite so now I'm only budgeting for the Yes and Maybe people.

 

[malibustacey]

we have a list of 50 we need to invite to be polite - i know for a fact all of them wil not turn up - i hope around 35 will -

i will make sure on our pre save the dates that they must try to confirm if they are coming by october

i have emailed Diane and said we are open to different reception venues if that helps us stay towards our minimum!!

 

[lurkyloo]

Just to clarify, the overall minimum expenditures of $75/$100/$125 per person apply no matter where you have your reception. Having an event at the Grand Floridian no longer requires a higher overall minimum expenditure per person.

These overall minimum expenditures include ANY food and beverage on the day of your event -- the cake, drinks, cocktail hour and/or dessert party. So you could have a dinner that cost $50/person and still meet the $100/person requirement when you factor in all the other food that day.

Location only comes into play at non-convention center venues, many of which have a separate minimum food and beverage requirement for just the food served there. For example, at the Attic, you have to spend $2,000-$2,500 on food and beverage there. So, obviously, dessert party food is not going to count toward that. The cake almost never counts toward that (it only counts at the Grand Floridian, but none of the Grand Floridian ballrooms have a specific food and beverage minimum, so the point is moot).

Does this make sense?

 

[malibustacey]

Hehe yeah kinda!?

I knew you would know exactly what the rules would be - i thought i read you was on vacation!?

So if we used Whitehall room- we could have $50 on food + $8-11 pn cake + drinks + extras = the minimum $100 or $125?

What is that other St James room look like and what are the rules in that venue? & what about the Attic? Its going off topic a bit but i thought i'd ask because you are queen b. hehe!

 

[lurkyloo]

So if we used Whitehall room- we could have $50 on food + $8-11 pn cake + drinks + extras = the minimum $100 or $125?

Exactly!

What is that other St James room look like and what are the rules in that venue? & what about the Attic? Its going off topic a bit but i thought i'd ask because you are queen b. hehe!

I think you mentioned you have my book, so - because I am lazy - rather than re-type all the info about St. James and the Attic, I'm gonna point you to pages 69 and 80. (There are pictures there too!)