Dinner reception Swan and Dolphin HELP!

[hrhamanda]

My fiance and I are booked for our ceremony at the end of May. Invitations are out. I am so excited. More people are coming than expected. We will be having about 50 guests! I planned on having a nice dinner at Bluezoo and then having a DP. Bluezoo has a $3600 minimum without tax and gratuity for 50 people! Its about $4600 with it. I was really hoping on only spending about $50 per person for dinner without tax and gratuity. I have no clue what I am going to do with all of my guests.

Do you guys have any creative ideas for me? I really want to have a nice event!

 

[minniebride]

My fiance and I are booked for our ceremony at the end of May. Invitations are out. I am so excited. More people are coming than expected. We will be having about 50 guests! I planned on having a nice dinner at Bluezoo and then having a DP. Bluezoo has a $3600 minimum without tax and gratuity for 50 people! Its about $4600 with it. I was really hoping on only spending about $50 per person for dinner without tax and gratuity. I have no clue what I am going to do with all of my guests.

Do you guys have any creative ideas for me? I really want to have a nice event!

Would you consider doing a lunch reception in one of the reception rooms at the Swan? That is what we did and the meal itself was way less than $50 per person. Lunch is WAY cheaper than dinner. We had 55 guests in total & we had a beautiful reception room and the food was fantastic!

We hired a DJ who was only a couple hundred dollars, but if you are not interested in that, you could always just do an IPOD and play a nice music mix in the background.

There are several other meal options and the Swan caterers will work with you and your budget. We were originally looking at a catered lunch at Fresh, which has a really nice dining room, but we chose to upgrade to a more classic reception when our guest list started to grow.

Do you have a Just Marry planner?

 

[hrhamanda]

Ahhh, Thank you for your reply. Our ceremony time is 4:30. Lunch is out .

Swan catering comes out to just over $100pp for dinner. I have emailed the Fresh restaurant about minimums to be open for dinner but they are only open for lunch.

Karen is our planner

 

[Jilian]

We're using Il Mulino, for 2 private function rooms the minimum is $3000 and that is for up to 48 people. We're going with the lowest menu (which we tried and it was GREAT) and it is $55/person. Bluezoo was our first choice but the woman who handles their booking was horrible and basically ignored me until I told her we were thinking of booking elsewhere. I have some pictures and ifo in my PJ linked in my sig

 

[minniebride]

Ahhh, Thank you for your reply. Our ceremony time is 4:30. Lunch is out .

Swan catering comes out to just over $100pp for dinner. I have emailed the Fresh restaurant about minimums to be open for dinner but they are only open for lunch.

Karen is our planner

Ooh-lucky girl! Karen is wonderful!!!! I have no doubt she will be able to work with your budget and come up with something great!!

 

[minniebride]

We're using Il Mulino, for 2 private function rooms the minimum is $3000 and that is for up to 48 people. We're going with the lowest menu (which we tried and it was GREAT) and it is $55/person. Bluezoo was our first choice but the woman who handles their booking was horrible and basically ignored me until I told her we were thinking of booking elsewhere. I have some pictures and ifo in my PJ linked in my sig

Love Il Mulino-it's so pretty!! That's where me & my bridal party gathered before we walked down the aisle!

 

[hrhamanda]

Ooh-lucky girl! Karen is wonderful!!!! I have no doubt she will be able to work with your budget and come up with something great!!

Karen plans dinner? Is this for an additional charge.

 

[minniebride]

Karen plans dinner? Is this for an additional charge.

No. what I mean is she will work with you and the Swan and help put you in contact with the necessary people over at the Swan. She is also full of ideas and experience so it does not hurt to ask what she would suggest with your budget.

 

[Jilian]

She doesn't plan dinners. I'm planning our dinner through the Il Mulino myself and working with Erica Yerton. She's just as great as Karen and always gets back to me right away. Kare co-ordinates with them though, to make sure everything goes smoothly.

 

[MrsDuck]

I'm having my reception at the Garden Grove and love the venue (and the food and the price!)

 

[minniebride]

She doesn't plan dinners. I'm planning our dinner through the Il Mulino myself and working with Erica Yerton. She's just as great as Karen and always gets back to me right away. Kare co-ordinates with them though, to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Yup-that's what I meant to say!

 

[hrhamanda]

I'm having my reception at the Garden Grove and love the venue (and the food and the price!)

Ohhh, I have some questions for you! Is there a private dining area? Who did you go through to book this option?

I would have loved to have the Fresh private dining area but they are not open for dinner.

 

[quandrea]

Ahhh, Thank you for your reply. Our ceremony time is 4:30. Lunch is out .

Swan catering comes out to just over $100pp for dinner. I have emailed the Fresh restaurant about minimums to be open for dinner but they are only open for lunch.

Karen is our planner

I had an afternoon tea reception in the West Courtyard (same locale as the ceremony). That came in at $35 per person and was absolutely beautiful. The food was delicious. Sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, pastries, iced tea and hot tea. You could also add a cake.

 

[tinkerbell 766]

I had an afternoon tea reception in the West Courtyard (same locale as the ceremony). That came in at $35 per person and was absolutely beautiful. The food was delicious. Sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, pastries, iced tea and hot tea. You could also add a cake.

You know, Andrea sweetie, we really need a report on how this all went (preferably with photos )
Any chance?

 

[hrhamanda]

I had an afternoon tea reception in the West Courtyard (same locale as the ceremony). That came in at $35 per person and was absolutely beautiful. The food was delicious. Sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, pastries, iced tea and hot tea. You could also add a cake.

Ahhh, If I had known that a reception would be so much less expensive during the day I would have switched my ceremony time. I have already sent out invitations.

 

[minniebride]

I had an afternoon tea reception in the West Courtyard (same locale as the ceremony). That came in at $35 per person and was absolutely beautiful. The food was delicious. Sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, pastries, iced tea and hot tea. You could also add a cake.

Quandrea: Are you the Swan bride that did an afternoon tea with an Alice theme? Tea sandwiches, etc...? I remember reading a thread where a Swan bride was describing that & it sounded LOVELY!!! I remember thinking if I had a smaller guest list, I would have loved to have done that very same thing for our reception