Christina Formico 12/28/21 Christina Formico 12/28/21

Let's Talk About Venue Coordinators VS Wedding Coordinators

If your venue comes with a coordinator and you are wondering if you also need outside help, this blog is for you!

It has been a minute since we wrote a blog, but we wanted to come back with one that gives some clarity to a question we get all the time.. Do you really need a wedding coordinator if you have a venue coordinator? This topic was so easy for me because I have personally done both rolls, I worked for a number of years as a venue coordinator, and I had a scope of work that I handled, I saw time and time again, couples needing additional help, something a hired wedding coordinator would take care of that didn’t fit into my roll at the venue, that was a big reason we started Dos Goats Plans, we saw the need, and over the years, we have never not been needed at a wedding, reguardless of the venue coordinators. Every venue and every planning comppany sell different packages, we wanted to lay out what we see the most here in Minnesota. So if you have questioned this very topic yourself, just keep reading!

What Does a Venue Coordinator Do?

Your venue coordinator will be your person who you might meet with throughout your planning process after you book your venue. Your venue coordinator is going to get the details about your timeline, room layout, vendor information, and all the details that you have planned. A venue coordinator is great because they are the experts with the venue, and they know what to do and what not to do, they are typically there throughout your wedding day, ensuring everything with the venue is secure.

If the catering and bar go through the venue, then your venue coordinator is most likely helping with these things as well, assisting the bar, making sure catering is staff is doing what needs to be done. Non glamourous things are their duties as well, making sure the bathrooms are stocked and the venue is looking good for guest arrival. They should

Wedding Coordinator, Day of Coordinator, Month of Coordinator, Wedding Management…

Every planner out there has a different name for the service, but the gist of it, we are there to be your buddy during the planning process, run your day for you, be your point of contact, be your voice to the other vendors. Your coordinator, is the most important part of your wedding vendor team! One thing is for sure, your coordinator / planner is going to in most cases be your go-to person from the moment you hire them.

The reason why “Day of Coordinator” is outdated is because a coordinators job never starts on the “Day of” Any good coordinator is going to want to have a meeting with you at least 30-60 days out from the wedding to nail down the timeline, get an game plan in place for the decor, attend your final walk through, and solidify your vendors with you. Here at Dos Goats, we go a few steps further, doing an initial detail meeting and even a meeting 6 month out meeting, ensuring you have access to our recommended vendors, get your timeline started early, and show you access to our decor before you go and do that stuff on your own. We find that our meetings allow for a more vibey wedding planning experience, and to make sure you are as stress free as can be! We are also there to run your rehearsal, lining up the wedding party and making sure everyone knows where to be and when to be there. So you see, the term “Day of Coordinator” is just simply silly!

What does the Coordinator do on the day of the wedding?

Your coordinator is going to be at the venue while you and your peeps are getting ready, they will be there to oversee all of the vendors getting set up, as well as setting up your specialty tables (place cards, gift table, other specialty tables.) They will set up your center pieces, make sure the layout is perfection, and everything is set up the way you envision. They are also your advocate on the day, making sure that everything is done with you two in mind! They are running your timeline throughout the day, making sure all of the things get done in a timely order. If there are any hiccups, they make sure that you don’t have to stress about it. They are there for clean up, and making sure your gifts and decor go in the appropriate persons car. We like to say we are your stress shammies throughout the day, allowing you to be fully present on your day, not having to worry about a thing!

So do you need both?

The main difference between the two, one works for the venue and the other owns their own business, someone that owns their own business is going to always give you a more personable experience.

First, check with your venue, if they have a coordinator, ask for a breakdown of what the coordinator is actually responsible for. Most venues might actually require you hire an outside coordinator, while others will say that they handle everything for you and you don’t need one. We say, be diligent in your research. If the venue coordinator is in fact meeting all of your needs, you could possibly skip the outside coordination help, but if your ceremony is off site, you would benefit from both! Plus from our research and prior experience, we have always been an asset to a wedding day! One thing we tend to see with venue coordinators, the turn over is high, and often a couple will go through 2 sometimes 3 different coordinators through the planning journey… Sometimes this can be a bit of a pain because notes don’t always get transferred correctly, where as your Wedding Coordinator is by your side from the moment you hire them, and will be with you throughout the planning process.

Remember your friends at Dos Goats are always here to answer any and every question you have!

Christina Formico 12/8/20 Christina Formico 12/8/20

Our Favorite Sweet Spots in Twin Cities!

There are so many amazing bakeries in the Minneapolis / St. Paul area, but we wanted to give you a list of favorites incase you are planning a wedding or looking to get some sweet treats from a local shop this time of year! So if you are in the market for some sweets, keep reading!

FEED ME SWEETS AND TELL ME I’M PRETTY!

We love wedding desserts; it is definitely one of the top 5 reasons we love being planners haha! Our couples often come to us asking for suggestions, and we are always looking at the best places to send them to. Because life is too short for gross desserts am I right?

The number one question we get is “What are couples doing for desserts now a days?” Our response is “Whatever makes you happy!” Because today, there are no rules! From 5 tiered cakes, to groomsmen cakes, cupcakes, bars, cookies, ice cream, cotton candy, donuts, and more, the options for wedding desserts are endless!

Every small town has a great bakery, we can tell you where to get the best donuts in Glenwood Minnesota, but if we talked about our favorite bakeries around Minnesota, this would be 10 pages long, so today, we will talk about our favorites from the Twin Cities / surrounding areas!

1. Thirsty Whale

I don’t think it is a secret how much we love this little hidden gem in North Minneapolis, Thirsty Whale does it all, and we have never had a bad thing from there. Specializing in Donuts and cakes, they love to throw some flair on their cakes! You can get mini desserts from them as well! Most of the time, our couples will get a small cake to do their cake cutting photos, along with a mix of donuts & mini desserts. Need gluten free options, they got it! Looking for a funky and wonderful small bakery, Thirsty Whale is your jam! Thirsty Whale Website

Fun Fact: We had Thirsty Whale for our wedding and did 500 mini cupcakes plus maple bars, plus, a cake for us!

2. Café Latte

If you have not tried their Tres Leches cake, stop what your doing and go there right now! Café Latte specializes in gourmet cakes, tarts, and cheesecakes. Located off of Grand Avenue in St. Paul, if you want something special for your guests, this is the place! Cafe Latte Website

3. Amy’s Cupcake Shoppe

I remember the first wedding where we had Amy’s Cupcakes at, I think Adam ate like 3 of them that night, the flavors are always a hit! While yes, cupcakes is the game, they always have fun treats like mini cheesecakes, pies, tarts and more! Located in Hopkins, MN, this gem is always a great option! Amy's Cupcake Shoppe Website

4. Hey There Cup Cake

If you want a Pinterest cake that is also mouth watering good, Hey There Cupcake is your spot! Chelsea creates simply amazing cake creations, often times way to pretty to eat, but once you dig in, you won’t want to put it down! Hey There Cupcake Website

5. ‘Sammy’s Sweets

We have so much love for Sammy’s Sweets! These mini cupcakes are made by Sam & his Mom out of their home, they have the cutest little garage set up like a cupcake shop! These things are seriously so drool worthy, the blueberry pancake is YUM! If you haven’t heard of Sammy’s story, we urge you to go read more! Sammy's Website

6. Heights Bakery

Unless you grew up in Columbia Heights, Heights Bakery might not sound like something you were going to try, but this hometown bakery has some of the best donuts around! If you are looking for delicious simple donuts, Heights Bakery is it!

7. Nothing Bundt Cakes

Everyone loves NBC, when we have a wedding that has the bundtlets, those babies almost need a security guard of their own! They have a variety of different flavors, and they are simply to die for! Nothing Bundt Cakes Website

8. Patrick’s Bakery

Alright, so the desserts at Patrick’s Bakery will make you cry with joy, you want to wow your guests, get some of their mini desserts an create magic! Patrick's Website

9. North Mallow

We are huge fans of enhancing your guests experience, and this is how you do it! Obviously smores are always a hit, but how about fancy smores, with gourmet chocolate & marshmallows (that do not burn btw). The stand is super cute, and it comes with a host to assist guests in making their smores! Seriously you cannot go wrong with North Mallow! North Mallow Website

10. Fletcher’s Ice Cream

Handmade ice cream, custom flavors, its perfect! Fletcher’s is our go-to ice cream shop, but for weddings, we could not recommend them enough! Jason is the owner and master ice cream maker, when I say that his blueberry ice cream changed my life, I am not kidding, legit blueberries the size of marbles throughout, fresh and refreshing, his ice cream is out of this world! Why not change it up a bit and serve your guests ice cream!?! Fletchers Website

11. Muddy Paws Cheesecakes

When we think of super good cheesecakes, we head to Muddy Paws! You can wow your guests with their decadent cheesecakes, if you want to really enhance the guest experience, they also have trucks!

Christina Formico 7/24/20 Christina Formico 7/24/20

Let’s Talk Wedding Day Timeline Tips!

As wedding planners, it is our job to create timelines for our couples, and after 5 years, we have gotten really good at making them, so we wanted to share some tips for you incase you need help creating your timeline! We talk about things to think about like how long should your dance be?

Is there anything worse than a poorly timed wedding? Have you ever been standing around after a ceremony, not knowing what the hell is going on, and just twiddling your thumbs, waiting for dinner to start? Weddings have many transition periods that if not thought out properly can leave your guests feeling a little lost.

We strongly believe that everyone deserves a curated timeline for their wedding day, one that takes all your vendors individual timelines and puts them all into one, neat little sheet. While this is something that your wedding planners will do for you, we realize that not everyone might have little angels like us, so today, we are giving you tips and tricks on how to curate your wedding day timeline.

Start with the Ceremony!

When we are building your timeline, we think that the ceremony time is the most crucial time on there. This dictates basically the rest of your day, it helps us figure out when hair and makeup need to arrive, when pictures need to start and when you two will have some alone time after the ceremony… We always recommend starting with your ceremony start time and working backwards to create the first half of your day, then going ceremony and beyond to finish up the night! A well prepared timeline leaves no detail untouched, it notes when you need to be dressed, to what time the sunset is, so that you know when the best time is to get those dreamy shots!

Some things to think about when deciding on your ceremony start time…

Some venues have it laid out by blocks of time because they have multiple weddings in a day. Make sure you check with your venue!
How much decor will your ceremony space have, and what time can that decor be set up? Knowing what time you can get into the space is super important, and will dictate when things can get set up.
If your ceremony is outside, you will want to consider when the sunset is that day. You can look up sunset times on specific days on Google! If you are getting married off season when the sun sets early, you might want to consider an earlier start time to ensure you have enough daylight!
Is your ceremony and reception in the same place. If your ceremony is inside, does the space need to be flipped for the reception? If so, you might want a bit earlier of a ceremony time, because your social hour might be an hour and a half, compared to a typical hour.

Variables to your wedding can be endless and to stress about them is silly. We can only control what we can and for things we can’t we just roll with it and make it work! There is no need to get sad on your wedding day as long as you have a plan in place and professionals by your side.

Make sure you allocate enough time for hair & makeup and getting dressed!

Typically, the bride will get ready either 2nd to last or last, ensuring she looks mighty fine for that first look! Always make sure to ask your Hair & Makeup artist how long they predict each person will take.

We will make lines on our timeline for times that the wedding party needs to be dressed by, as well as the couple. This helps them stay on track!

Pro Tip: The more people getting ready, the earlier you must be awake! If you have more than 5 people getting Hair and Makeup, it isn’t a bad idea to have additional artists there to help!

Have designated times for snacky snacks! No one needs a hangry couple!

If you are getting ready at a venue, they may have snack options for you to order while you are getting ready, but beware, sometimes it is crazy expensive! Always ask if you can bring your own getting ready snack, sandwich platters, fresh fruit, and nuts are great snacks to keep you fueled! Don’t skimp on the water! Mimosas are great for getting ready, but hydration is fun!

Make sure you know what time vendors & people setting up can get into the venue.

Setting up a wedding takes quite a bit of effort, time, a good plan, and some patience. Having a timeline of not only what time everyone can be on site, but when each vendor plans on showing up, will be so helpful when it comes time to start setting the space.

We time out when the place cards will be set out, to when the gift table gets set up, this helps us allocate enough time between each activity, but if the tables for these activities is being delivered and not on-site, that can throw a wrench in setting those items up. If you have a room of 250 people, and you are setting up the napkins, favors, place settings, center pieces, lighting candles and so on, this can take on average 2-4 hours, depending on how many people are working on it. Your florist will need to know when the tables will be ready with linens so that they can set the center pieces. They will also have to know when they have access to your ceremony location to set that up.

Your vendors typically try to show up 2 hours prior to make sure they have things set up properly, but if you have décor and floral that is more extensive, you may need to add extra time to the venue rental.

Pro Tip! If your caterer is providing linens, you may need them earlier than they plan on arriving so that your other vendors can set stuff up. If you work with us, we will always pick these up for you so that our day gets started nice and early!

Extra Pro Tip!!! If your wedding is on a Weekday, ask the venue if no event is happening the night prior to your wedding, if you could possibly get into the space early and set up!

Deciding on having a first look or waiting to see each other at the ceremony, will determine what kind of social hour you are going to have.

We will never push you into doing a first look, if it is your dream to wait till the ceremony, but, there are many befits to doing a first look. Our main reasoning is because your day goes by FAST, and a first look allows you to spend time with your partner more on the day of! You will have more time during the social hour to enjoy with your guests, or wedding party if you chooses, and you can have some cute private moments together! If you want to wait till the ceremony that is ok as well, just make sure to allocate enough time during the social hour to ensure you get all your photo needs taken care of!

Consider guest arrival time and the ceremony start time.

If guest arrival is 15 mins prior to the ceremony start time, but they have to find parking, pay for parking, and walk to the venue, this can push back the start time, or even worse, they can miss the ceremony all together. We once assisted at a wedding that the guests had to take a tractor ride to the ceremony site and the turn around time was about 15 minutes and this wasn’t really allocated into the timeline, needless to say, that ceremony started a few minutes late. If you are worried about guests being late, indicate on the invites or your wedding website what the parking situation is, if there are shuttle options, and when guest arrival is and when ceremony start time is, that way no one has excuses!

How many hours do you have your photographer for?

Most photographers have packages that can be 6, 8, 10, 12, or full day coverage, knowing your package and hours of coverage will help determine certain aspects of the day you might want photographed. Let’s say you hire your photographer for 6 hours, but you want pictures of your wedding party before you get dressed, photos prior to the ceremony, and pictures of dancing, and sparkler photos… You will not have enough coverage to do all of this because your photo timeline would be starting at 11am and going till at least 30 minutes into dancing, so let’s say 8:45, that is almost 10 hours of coverage. Something to keep in mind when you are envisioning what photos you want captured on your wedding day!

Your ceremony is going to be no more than 20-25 mins unless its being held at church and it’s a “traditional ceremony.”

A receiving line after the ceremony can sometimes last 25-35 minutes.

Your social hour will typically be a 1 hour to 1.5 hours.

This time is used for photos after the ceremony, the signing of the marriage license, bustling your dress (this can take up to 20 minutes if you do not know what to do.) Time for the couple to enjoy being newly married and spending 5 minutes alone, and in the case of your venue needing a flip this will allow for plenty of time to get that done as well!

Make sure you have ONE-point person who oversees your timeline.

There are a lot of egos running around on a wedding day, and we have seen many times where a photographer or other vendor, might just try and push everything back an hour… AN HOUR! Having someone make drastic changes like this last minute can ruin your wedding day. Imagine pushing everything back an hour and BAM, you now cut your dance time in half because everything ran so behind. P.S. This is where wedding day management comes in real handy.

Speeches, Couples Cake Cutting, Sunset Photos, and Special Dances, and sparkler photos, should all have a spot on your timeline. (But are also easy to move around)

We will typically have the couple get seated for dinner and once the last table is served, we will start speeches. After speeches wrap up, we like to get the cake cutting photos and first dances out of the way, and then have the couple go off to do sunset photos because this will allow for the dance floor to open up for everyone. This is not always the way it goes, but it is the way it works best. Having it laid out on the time line, allows for someone to be aware that the special things will be happening, the point person will be the one to decide which one might be moved around. Checking to see how late your photographer will be on-site will also help determine when it is best to do these activities!

How many hours do you want to dance?

You want to keep the dance floor a vibe but no one really knows (or can agree on) how many hours the dance party should be, we believe a few things will determine this!

Are you doing a DJ or a Band…

For bands, you will probably do 3-4 hours of coverage, but they will take breaks in between that time, so you will want to make sure you can fit that 4 hours in…

For DJ’s

2 1/2 to 3 hours seems to be the amount of time a dance floor stays packed. If you have several people working on your timeline, they will all put their idea’s in, but what it really needs to come down to is how long do you have your photographer for? Because I know DJ’s like to start when the sun goes down, but if the photographer is only there till 8:30, dances need to get started by 8, and in Summer, that sun stays up till late. So if you start early, and want to stick to that 2 1/2 - 3 hour rule, you can always end the party before midnight. Have dancing 8-11:30pm. If you really want it to go till midnight, look at extending your photographers time.

Bonus Tip: Make sure you are giving yourself time to mingle with guests, after speeches, while desserts are out, is a great time to mingle!

Make sure you are clear on when everyone needs to be out by the end of the night.

Typically, last call is 45 minutes prior to the end of the night. The Wedding will end at midnight, and vendors have till 1am to clear the space. SOMETIMES, a space will have the event ending at 11 and the vendors have till 12am. Just make sure it is clearly stated on your contract!

We take timelines very seriously here at Dos Goats, and pride ourselves on keeping them flowing pretty much down to the minute, but we always let our couples know, this is our guideline for you and if you would like to change something up we totally can! And this is due to preparedness in the timeline and communications to all the relevant vendors(who are located one the timeline and will also have their own copy) to watch this or that because we may be running behind because of pictures, people showing up late…the list goes on.

We would like to remind anyone who reads this to know…this is YOUR DAY and to spend it how you want to!!! But as professionals we like to see a well planned out timeline!

But the day will flow how it will flow, a timeline is only really a suggestion to stay on track and ultimately make your day smoother being that you know where all the time is going, and remember to breathe throughout the day and not to get wrapped up in it and allow yourself to be present.

Need more timeline help? We now offer hourly consulting and can help you curate your perfect timeline or show you some samples as well, or maybe the thought of all of this is way too much and you are interested in our planning services, you can learn more about working with Dos Goats here!

Much Love, Christina & Adam

Christina Formico 1/2/20 Christina Formico 1/2/20

Wedding Management - What it is, and Why it is Better than "Day of Coordinator"

Your wedding day is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a day completely dedicated to you! After months and months of planning, you start to envision the day and you hope it is going to be perfect! Good news, there is a service out there that is meant to do just that, give you a flawless wedding day! It is called Wedding Management, and today we are here to dish all about it!

https://www.thestoryteller.media/

Planning a wedding is no joke! With roughly 260 hours of planning and the average cost in Minnesota being $33,000, its no wonder people want to run away and elope!

The term “Day of Coordinator” is almost boundless, there are over 200 “Wedding Planners” in the Twin Cities, and every one of them offer a different version of “Day of Coordinator”. We believe there is the perfect person out there to be by your side on your wedding day, because let’s be honest, we are not everyone’s cup of tea. We try to offer our clients the best experience possible, so what most call “Day of Coordination” We call our package “Wedding management” because in all honesty, the term “Day of Coordinator” is a bit outdated, Even with our wedding management package, we are by your side to some capacity, because we would never just show up on your big day and run everything, that is silly business!

So, if you are newly engaged, soon to be married, or just genuinely curious about wedding management, just keep reading!

Weather it’s your first wedding, or your third, we truly believe everyone deserves to fully enjoy their wedding day. You put hours of blood, sweat, and tears into this amazing day and its time you get to celebrate it!

It’s true that most of our clients will say after the wedding that hiring us was the best investment they made, that’s because having us run your wedding is basically insurance that allows for you, your hunny, and your family to be completely present! Yes the day goes extremely fast, but when you don’t have to worry about anything, you actually get a chance to remember all of the beautifully orchestrated chaos!

We have always had the philosophy of being as helpful as we can be, which is why, even with our Wedding Management package, we have at least 2-3 meetings prior to the wedding with our clients. Ensuring they are on the right track and coaching them along the way as well! Not only does the ensure everyone is on the right page, we get to know our couples more, making the wedding day extra special!

Here is a small list of what Dos Goats does for you during the wedding planning process:

Image Brynn Wheatly — Image Brynn Wheatley

Give you guidance and advice through the planning process
Give you vendor recommendation
Set you up with our Dos Goats Guide to Planning, filled with planning check lists, and tips & advice for an easy planning process
Meet with you through out the planning to make sure you are on the right track
Be involved with the final venue walk through, ensuring you ask all the right questions
Create a full timeline starting from the week of wedding activities, till the next morning
Manage the wedding party on the wedding day
Running the timeline and acting as the main point of contact
Assist with setting up special tables and decor
Taking down decor at the end of the night
Take gifts & cards to the proper persons car at the end of the night
Manage the vendor set ups and tear downs
Run the wedding ceremony
Manage transitions
Facilitate speeches
Fluff and bustle your dress for you
Hand out gratuities at the end of the night
Assisting with sparkler photos
And so much more. .

We pulled some of our most asked questions to help give you a bigger glimpse into what we offer!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What if my venue comes with a coordinator?

This is a great question! I use to be a venue coordinator, so I know more than anyone, how important it is to have both! We work great along side of a venue coordinator, allowing them to focus on their main job, running the venue. Venue coordinators take care of a tons of back of house details on the day of the wedding, usually they are helping the staff as well. So while they are extremely helpful, we can provide a little more hands-on help to make the day extra special. While we are with you through the entire process (When you hire us) The venue coordinator is there for you for a detail meeting, and on the day of to turn on lights, make sure the room is set properly, make sure the staff knows what is gong sure catering is getting set up, among other things. These positions also have a high turnover, so there is a likelihood that you don’t end up with the coordinator that you started with.

Will both of you be at the event?

Absolutely! Part of the reason Adam & I started Dos Goats, was so that we could spend all of our time together! While we plan on hiring interns in the future, all events will have us both there. Occasionally, we have a wedding on the same day that we are helping run a rehearsal ceremony, in that case, we have an assistant on staff while one of us goes and runs the rehearsal.

How did you come up with your name?

You will have to hang out with us and we will tell you! We love Fletcher’s Ice Cream!

Do you set up all of our decorations?

With in reason! We are usually a two man team, so we will do the appropriate amount of setup that will still allow us to serve you through out the morning. If it is something larger that you want us to take care of, we are always willing to add one of our assistants to help out! We always go through this during our consultations!

Do we have to book with people on your preferred vendors list? Do you get a kick back if we do book with them?

A. Our number one priority is to create your dream wedding! Our preferred vendor list is full of vendors that we have personally worked with and we know that we work well with them, and they produce work to our standards. That being said, the wedding industry is vast and we love finding vendors of all shapes and sizes for our clients! We always encourage them to ask us for other recommendations if they don’t find someone they like on our list. Our list is always growing as we create such amazing vendor friendships through out the Mid-West!

B. No we do not get a kick back, often times, these vendors will give a discount to our clients, but we make no money off of you booking with them.

When it comes to wedding planning, it’s never a bad idea to have a professional by your side to help you out through the process. Seeing happy people on the most special day of their lives is our passion! Maybe you just got engaged, or you are a month out and want some last minute expert help for the big day, we can help! Let’s schedule a consultation and chat all about your vision!

Nameste!

Christina Formico 10/29/19 Christina Formico 10/29/19

Let's Talk About What to Ask During Venue Tours!

Touring venues can be stressful, we are here to make it easier for you! We came up with 14 questions you should ask while you are on your venue tour! Keep reading to learn more!

Image by Love Big Live Small Photography

One of the first things you need to do after getting engaged is, hire a planner (umm hi!) and start your venue search! Venues book out sometimes 2 years in advance, yes that is crazy pants, but the venue game is strong here in the Midwest.

Allow yourself time to sit with your partner and get a basic idea of what you are going to be interested in. Deciding your budget, estimated guest count and most importantly, a date, or at least a time of year that you would like to get married, is going to help when it comes to looking for venues.

When you start the touring process, it can sometimes be overwhelming, it doesn’t have to be! If you hire us, we can sit with you and get a good idea of what you are looking for and we can set up those tours for you as well as come with so we can ensure all the questions are asked. Or if you don’t have the budget for a planner, we offer venue consulting at an hourly rate as well! If that is not in the cards, we still want to make sure you are set up for success, so we have come up with a list of questions you should be asking during your venue during tours, if you are starting this process, keep reading!

1. What is the max guest count?

If you are having a seated dinner, you want a clear max guest count number. So often we have couples who say “The max guest count is 250 and we are inviting 300, hoping that 50 people wont come.” While it is true that 20% typically will decline or not show up, we never suggest banking on that to accommodate max guest count. Our advice, cut back on the guest list or create a no stranger rule to cut back on the guest list. Why should you have to pay for someone to be there that you have never even met?

2. What is their catering policy? Who does the Bar service?

Every venue has different catering requirements. We always recommend checking out the catering before booking the venue.

Some venues offer exclusive catering, if they do, you want to get a quote on what that cost is going to be before booking the venue because it could be more expensive then you might be looking to spend on food, this could make your budget skyrocket!

Some venues have open catering, which offers tons of freedom, but with open catering, you have to be careful and make sure they come with serving staff, and everything you need.

Some venues have a list of caterers that they work with, so you get a little more choices.

Some venues don’t do catering, but the bar service runs through them, they will typically just have a bar minimum that you have to hit.

Extra Tip: If it is an in-house caterer, can you bring your own dessert? Do they have a fee for outside bakeries? Dessert plating fee? Cake cutting fee?

You can learn more about the kind of catering your venue offers by clicking here.

3. What is the food and beverage minimum? Is there any other fees?

When venues and caterers have minimums, it is simply a minimum amount of money that has to be hit.

If the venue is working with an exclusive caterer, they typically have a food minimum, if the venue is not handling the food, but they are handling the bar, they might have a bar minimum.

Sometimes they have both. We have also seen catering fees and bar fees being added on to bills, so we always tell our clients to look at every line item and don’t feel bad asking questions, because sometimes these fees and minimums can add up to thousand of dollars!

You can learn more about what to ask your caterer by clicking here.

4. Are tables, chairs included? If so, who sets them up? Does the room needs to be flipped? Is there a fee involved in flipping the room?

This is very important because it can make or break your budget if you not only have to rent the space but you have to rent everything that goes into the space. If you have a backyard or private home wedding, this is often the case, tables, chairs, linens and tents all have to be brought in.

Remember you don’t only need tables for the guests, you need place card tables, gift table, memory table. So if these need to be rented, make sure you are not forgetting those specialty tables.

You also have to make sure you like the chairs, some venues have ridiculous looking chairs!

5. Do they have a separate ceremony spot?

Some venues will have everything in one space and there is a time in between the ceremony and reception where the staff flips the space. If your venue does a full flip, its a good idea to do a 1.5 hour long social hour, because it will take time to set everything up.

Another thing to ask, is who sets up the ceremony chairs. Some venues will have housemen to set those up for you, others leave that task to the couple and they have friends and family set them up.

6. If the ceremony is outside, what is a rain backup?

Don’t just assume it will be 72 and sunny on your wedding day. Always… ALWAYS, have a back up plan for rain. Asking when that needs to be determined is also important. Some venues have a 24 - 48 hour policy, some will let you choose the morning of.

7. Are table Linens and napkins included? If so, are they floor length? Do you get a choice of colors? Who sets them up?

8. What is the House fee/ Service charge? Does that include gratuity for the staff?

There are often service charges as well as other fees that are associated with the venue. Be sure to have a clear understanding of what those charges are.

Always ask what the service charge goes towards, some use it to pay their staff gratuity and sometimes that is something they don’t.

9. Is staff included?

It is good to get an idea of what the staff is responsible for taking care of as far as set-up and tear-down go. Do they set up the ceremony chairs? What about tables, chairs in the reception space? Do they assist with tearing down decor?

If they are in charge of bar, do they clean up all the bar glasses or is that your responsibility? We run into this all the time, the venue runs the bar but they don’t clean up the bar glasses and leave that to either the wedding party or catering, but sometimes catering doesn’t do it either, so making sure you have a clear understanding on this is always important.

Pro tip! Your coordinator or wedding planner is not going to clean up bar glasses, that is not their job, so if your venue doesn’t do it, you might want to consider hiring extra staff!

Who stays until the end of the night?

10. Do you hold more than one event in a day?

If your venue has multiple spaces, they most likely will rent all of them out for events. We have seen some venues hold 3 weddings at a time! Just make sure you get a clear answer, to ensure you don’t get any unexpected surprises on your wedding day!

11. Are there any other charges that get added on to the rental fee?

Sometimes the rental fee will not include the getting ready rooms, additional bathrooms, bar set up, making sure the trash is taken out at the end of the night, just to name a few. Always look through the contract in depth as well as the invoice that they give you.

Photo by Eileen K | Floral by 651 Studio Floral

12. Is there an venue coordinator included – If yes. What exactly will they do for you the day of?

Just because your venue says they come with a coordinator, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still consider hiring someone like us! We are there from the moment you hire us and we are ALWAYS your biggest advocate! The venue coordinator has a job to assist you in figuring out the logistics at the venue, but they are not going to go outside of the venue parameters. I will also touch on the high turn over rate that venue coordinators have, (I know because I was one of them once.) I would say 9 times out of 10, a couple we are working with has at least one venue coordinator change through out their journey with a certain venue. So while we always say to find out what the scope of work a venue coordinator will do for you on the day of, don’t also look at hiring someone like us to help make your day perfect!

13. Is there separate places for both people to get ready? Is there an extra cost for using those spaces?

Having a getting ready space for the morning is lovely! Some venues have designated getting ready space for both partners. Others might have a bridal suite, leaving the guys to fend for themselves. (Don’t even get me started on same sex couples and their limited options.)

Another question is to ask when you need to be out of the getting ready rooms, some venues make you get your stuff out before the ceremony, some let you have access all day. Always have someone in charge of clearing out the getting ready rooms, it’s a great job for a personal attendant!

Pro Tip! Maybe your venue doesn’t have a getting ready space, but they have a room that you could use, instead of bringing in your own mirrors and things like that, look into Dream Day Dressing Rooms and see how they can transform any space into a luxurious getting ready wonderland!

14. What time does the party have to end? What time do vendors have to be out?

Usually, the party & music have to end at a certain time and guest have to be out, then the vendors have an hour after that to clean up what they need to and clear the premise.

15. What time can vendors get on-site?

If you are planning to do a hefty decor set up project, make sure you have enough time to do so! Some venues will let you pay hourly for extra time.

16. Is there any noise ordnance that we need to be aware of?

Most weddings will go till midnight, some venues have an 11pm cut off and on some occasions, there are venues where you have to have the music done even earlier because of city or building ordinances. Have a clear understanding of this in your contract so that there are no surprises on the big day!

17. Do you have any decor restrictions?

Can real candles be used, or LED? Do they have to be enclosed by glass? Can you do sparklers or fireworks outside? Are there any dried floral restrictions? If we are hanging anything from the ceiling does it have to be from a licensed and insured vendor?

If you are dreaming of a fun hanging ceiling decor, or pampas grass, you might want to check with your venue to make sure that you can do it. Most venues will not allow confetti or loose glitter.

Photo by Eileen K | Floral - 651 Studio Floral

18. Do you have on-site parking? Is there a cost involved? If there is not on-site parking, where are the nearest ramps?

Extra Tip: Can we leave our cars here overnight?

19. Do we need to hire security?

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Helping couples choose their wedding venue is one of our favorite parts of being wedding planners! We have been making a venue master list that can help you find that perfect fit for you both! If you feel stuck or confused, don’t be! Get in contact with us today and we can get you on the right track!

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Namaste

Christina Formico 7/1/19 Christina Formico 7/1/19

Wedding Food - Working Through the Different Styles of Food Service.

Today on the blog we are talking about the different styles of meal service that you can choose to have at your wedding!

As wedding planners who love food, our goal is to guide you through the process of catering, so that when it comes time, you don’t have to go in as a newbie, you can go in with confidence! In today’s blog, we want to break down the different types of meal service options that are out there, plus give you pros and cons to each of them. Now-A-Days, there are a TON of options when it comes to how and what you can serve for wedding food. You have appetizers, plated meals, and buffets, but have you thought about others like food trucks or interactive stations?

There are some factors that play a roll into the type of meal service you can have at your wedding, when you book with your venue, you will be told what the catering options are. Once you know what those are, you can start thinking about what kind of meal service you want to have. One of our earlier blogs talks all about the different types of catering venues offer, you can read more about catering options by clicking (Here).

We want to mention that not every caterer will offer all these options, most of the time (not all the time) you will have a food and beverage minimum to meet. (you can read all about food and beverage minimums in our last catering blog by clicking (Here)). So, work with the caterer that you have and let them guide you in the direction that works best for you.

Plated Meals

The most popular of the bunch, having a plated meal is classic, timeless and elegant. You and your guests get to feel fancy while people serve your food to you.

Most of the time, wedding meals come in three courses. Salad, entree, & dessert. Sometimes a couple might decide to not have cake served and opted for a dessert station in which guests would then help themselves. That is something that you can discuss with the caterer or your planner (Hi)

If you want to give your guests choices, plated meals are a great option. I would say most of the time, a caterer will let you have a Chicken, Beef, Fish or Vegetarian option as well as accommodate any food allergies.

Plated meals require extra effort in that you must have the meal options on the RSVP cards so that guests choose ahead of time what meals they will have.

You also will have to provide place cards with the guest’s name on it and meal option. When making the place cards, make sure you have the food choice be clear as day on the card. This will help catering staff see it while they are serving food. Something to remember, the lights usually dim for dinner so it can be hard for the staff to always see the options.

You can get creative with this or keep it simple by just writing “Chicken or C” “Beef or B” (You get it). Just don’t be silly and do gemstones that are similar colors... (Like black and navy) or something so silly that it slows down food service. I once had a wedding that did origami animals that indicated what they were eating and, when my staff went to serve dinner, no one had their origami still intact nor could they even tell what was what.

Pro Tip: Print out a list of each table with the guests’ name and their meal choice that matches the place cards. Your catering staff will love you for being so organized and dinner service will be more efficient.

Things to consider. Do the caterers keep the food in a hot box until its ready to be plated? Or will they plate the food as they serve?

Think about the layout of your venue. Do they offer a full kitchen or is only a small prep space that they must work with? Your planner and caterer can help you determine if plated is the best option for you considering your venue space.

Pro Tip: If the kitchen space is not convenient to where the meals are being served, skip the plated meal!

Food Stations:

I love food stations! My most successful event to date was for BMW and we had a mix of interactive food stations as well as butler passed and stationed food stations. This event was very focused around food and it was a huge success. Guests LOVE Food stations, they love watching chefs out there toasting things with blow torches! They love the idea of having a huge variety of foods and its usually super fresh and made to order give you some flexibility to get super creative and give your guests more of an experience with their food! When I worked in catering, food stations were my favorite and it also was a way to save money as well. (This was just in my case, might not be the same for every caterer)

Maybe you want to combine your heritages and have a mix of both cultures’ foods?

Pro Tip: Have the catering staff set the tables, and have salads served to them, this way, everyone has a minute to gather. You will be able to do the welcome speech or blessing and explain the different stations that are around the area. That way, guests don’t all flock to the same station at once and leave others.

Pro Tip #2: Don’t overwhelm your guests with too many options, we suggest 3-4 stations depending on if you have a plated salad or a salad station.

Buffet Style

Some people have a real hard time with buffet dinners. We personally don’t get it… We understand that buffets are a more casual style of dining, but sometimes it just makes more sense and depending on the caterer, it could be more cost effective.

Your guests get to serve themselves portions so if they don’t really want a ton of meat but love mashed potatoes, they can take what they are going to eat.

A con to buffets is that you might have to provide your own china, glassware & flatware. Always check these costs because some caterers might charge $6.50 per place setting, whereas a rental company might charge $3.50. That is a huge cost difference.

Also note, if you rent place settings, ask your caterer if their staff will set the tables or if you will need someone else to do it.

Pro Tip: Confirm with your caterer that flatware and goblets will not just be rolled at the buffet. Ask your caterer to still set the table with silverware and add chargers to glam it up! That way the tables are still set nicely and will look great in photos!

Family Style:

Family style meal service is not my favorite if I am being completely honest. We will never discourage you from doing something that you are set on doing, but we will explain why we don’t like it.

Family style takes up WAY TOO MUCH space on your table. If you want extravagant centerpieces, you add 4 platters of food to each of those tables, it’s going to get tight.

Yes you can get two meat options so that if someone wants a little chicken and a little beef, they can do that, but also some people can take more than a healthy serving and leaves some of the rest of the table with not a lot of a serving.

Make sure that your caterer will have extra food, this might increase the food costs, but that is better than running out of food.

The guests must serve themselves, so they have to grab the platters and pass them around. I have seen spoons being flung through the air and whole platters fall into laps. It stresses me out just typing it!

Heavy Apps

Depending on the caterer, they might have different options when it comes to how appetizers are served. Butler Passed and stationed apps are what we are familiar with. When apps are butler passed, a server will walk around with a tray and asks guests if they would like to try xyz… This is awesome because they are well versed in what they are serving and so the guests can ask questions. Stationed apps are where they are set up on tables (just like stations) and you can pick and choose what you want. You can do a mix of butler and stationed apps as well, which can help you save money and its fun for the guests.

If you are having a smaller wedding, you have a unique venue that doesn’t allow all guests to be seated in the same room, or you are having a later in the evening reception, heavy apps are a great option.

If your wedding day starts at 2 and ends at midnight, we suggest giving them more meals throughout the day.

Pro Tip: Do a mix of interactive food stations and apps. Like salad shooters, build your own pasta station, mini gourmet burger display & French fry bar, along with some butler passed apps.

Food Trucks

Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about food trucks! Food trucks are all the rage and for good reason! You want to show your style, investigate food trucks! There are so many of them out there, it might be hard to choose which one you want, our option is ask a professional for their thoughts (raising our hands) get a list of them and start asking questions! You might want to do a couple so that you can give your guests options, or you might want to keep it simple. Just make sure it is one that will be able to handle your guest count and they have a reputation for working weddings.

If your venue doesn’t allow food trucks, ask them if having one as a late-night snack could be an option? You could do late night tacos, mini donuts, or so much more!

A pro to food trucks is that it can cut down on food waste because it is usually made to order.

Another positive to food trucks is the options are endless

The downside to some food trucks is they might not have a serving staff. You will need people there to make sure trash and food is thrown away.

Catering is going to be one of the biggest expenses of your wedding. Don’t skimp, don’t just go with the basic, cheapest option. Let your dinner service mirror your personality, don’t be afraid to get creative and never hesitate to reach out to us if you need some ideas! We love food and we love discussing food!

Cheers!

Christina + Adam

Christina Formico 5/15/19 Christina Formico 5/15/19

REAL Wedding Budgeting Tips & Tricks

Today we are giving some advice on how to determine your wedding budget. Here are 7 things to consider when making your budget! Happy reading!!!

We like to create our blogs to give you advice in the places where it is sometimes needed most. Budgets are one of those things that some people are rock-stars at, and others, need a little help. So lets talk about the subject that makes everyone want to hide under a rock when it comes to wedding planning, drum-roll… Lets talk budget!

There are the basic questions that we ask our couples to help them layout their budget as well as their payment schedules. Who is paying for this, who is paying for that? How are you keeping track of your budget? Do you have money now to start making deposits, or are you saving up? (this will determine when you should start booking your vendors, because all vendors will require a deposit to secure their services for your big day.)

As a couple, come up with 3 of your TOP priorities and 3 of your least important priorities. Some people want to spend money on a really high end photographer, some want floral and decor, others could care less about flowers, but they really want a band or a really awesome DJ. We try to get couples to pick 3 or 4 things that are at the top of the priority list for them, this will help when we allocate funds to certain vendors.

2. Who is contributing – Gone are the days of tradition where the brides parents pay for everything. I hate using terms like “Average cost of wedding” because the average can vary depending on the location, and the time of year, and we have seen costs of vendors going up lately, so what may have been average a year or two ago, is not. One thing is for sure, couples are getting creative when it comes to paying for there wedding. Older couples might be paying for a majority of it themselves, While some have parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles that pitch in. Sometimes, the groom’s parents are more financially stable, and they pitch in more. So first thing first, once you are engaged, start talking to your family and see who is going to contribute.

3. Being intentional with your guests count!

Your guest count will be the biggest impact on your budget. 8 guests can be an extra $1000 dollars if factor in everything that goes into having those 8 guests there.

8 people is 1 more table, which is 1 more linen, 8 place settings, 8 dinners, drinks, desserts, that can add up quickly!

4. Getting advice from people who have been there! Asking friends, siblings, and co-workers for their advice, how they came up with their budget. Ask them what things WISH they had spent money on, and what they REGRET spending money on. Asking people who have been through this before will give you a great perspective on what you need to prioritize when it comes to determining your budget.

5. Hiring a planner – Yes, I know, hiring a planner when we are talking budgets? Wedding planners offer a wide variety of packages, each of them offer a little more service then the other, so while you might not be able to afford a full blown wedding planner, there is also partial planning and wedding management that you could look in to, the most important part of a planner, they run your wedding on your day so that you don’t have to!

Some other perks of wedding planners, they often come with a vendor recommendation, they are super organized and can make a very detailed timeline for you, they are professionals and they can help when shit might hit the fan!

Pixel Dust Photography | Muse Event Center | Crave Catering

6. Researching your venues: Venue & Catering will take up a ridiculous percentage of your budget. We always suggest looking at the catering list before booking with that venue. We all have those dream venues in mind, and I know that the venue to some is the most important part of planning, but we would argue that the most important part is being happy that you get to marry your best friend and spend the day with your friends and family. Sometimes choosing a less expensive venue, can leave more room in your budget for decor, and any venue can be gussied up with some nice decor!

Food is a huge portion of your budget and if you have a strict one to keep, you might not be able to get that dream venue you desire unless you up your budget. We never discourage our couples from touring these venues and getting to know the catering list, but we do like to be somewhat realistic when the budget is in play.

7. Have a timeline of when payments are due. This is where an organized spreadsheet comes in hand. You will know what payments are due when. Keeping track of when the big payments are due. Always ask if you get a discount for paying in full. Again, hiring a planner will help you keep this all organized!

8. Liquor Budgets!!! This can sometimes be such a touchy subject that it requires some booze at the meetings just to talk about it. No lie, I have had parents get in full blown arguments over if the alcohol was going to be hosted or cash. As a planner, we always want our couples to be happy, but if you are the ones that are going to end up paying for all of this, we also don’t want you to have to take out a credit card just for liquor bill at your wedding. Things to keep in mind when you are putting together your liquor budget

a. Does your venue have a beverage minimum? In our last blog (click here) you can read all about food and beverage minimums.

b. Pricing out kegs and bottles of wine vs. hosting per hour

c. Consider your crowd. You know your guests best… Are they beer and wind drinkers? Or are they vodka & whiskey drinkers? Would you benefit from hosting beer and wine while having your guests pay for liquor or is your guest list small enough that hosting the whole thing won’t break the bank.

9. Lastly, Pro Tip: Don’t just go with the flow and think that you will just come up with the money as time goes by. Figuring out a clear and accurate budget, prior to starting your wedding planning will save you heartbreak and stress!

Hopefully this gives you some starting points when it comes to coming up with your budget. As always, we are available for consultations and advice anytime! Click here to read more of our blogs and stay tuned for next week when we are back with the third installment of our catering series!

Namaste!

Christina Formico 4/30/19 Christina Formico 4/30/19

The Ultimate Guide - Questions to Ask Before you Hire your Caterer!

Are you swimming in a sea of catering quotes? We have made a list of 17 questions you should be asking your caterer, so that you can sort through the ones you want to move forward with easily.

If you have met Adam & I, you know… We love food! If you are looking for a specific type of food, we can usually tell you about a place and if you are open to anything, well… We can give those too!

With both of us having a decent background in catering, its always a priority for us to make sure our couples are asking all the key questions when scouting a caterer as to make sure things don’t get left out. We thought we would make a list, so the next time you are on the search, we got your back!

In the last blog, we talked about the different types of catering options most venues offer. Did you read that one? If not, you can read that (here). Today, its all about those hard hitting questions that you may not have thought about. So if you are interested in questions to ask your caterer, just keep reading!

1. What is your food & Beverage minimums?

Most (not all) caterers will have an F&B minimum. This is usually the lowest dollar amount that you will have to spend in order to use their catering services. Depending on the venue and caterer, this can range from $1000-$15000.

Some things to note about food and beverage minimums…

Some places may offer a lower f&b minimum on a Weekday, Friday or Sunday. Be aware that yes, the minimum might be lowered, but if you are having 300 guests and the food menu prices are the same as always, that minimum is not going to matter. Most places are not changing the menu price, so the only time a lower f&b minimum actually benefits people is when they have a smaller guest count and might want a certain venue.

For example…

A Golf Course might have a discounted f&b minimum on a Friday. Originally $10,000 but they lowered it to $7000 for appeal. Their base meal starts at $42 per plate and you have 250 guests. It doesn’t matter what the f&b minimum is, you are still paying over $10,000.

If you want a killer space like the Machine Shop and you have a smaller guest count, this is when a lower f&b minimum can actually help you. If they give a discount for Thursday weddings and you have 150 guests, this can save you from having to be stuck with a $10,000 minimum.

It is also a good thing to ask what is all included in the minimums. Sometimes it is everything that you are quoted on. Sometimes it is strictly food & beverage. Any additional fees like servers, bartenders, chefs, linens.. Those are not included in the minimum. Again, this differs between caterers so its always a good idea to ask.

2. Do you provide linens, and napkins?

If they do provide linens, make sure the size will match the size of the tables at the venue. Typically if the caterer provides and sets up the linens, this will happen two hours prior to the reception start time, or during the social hour if the space needs to be flipped. If possible, ask the caterer if you can pick up the linens the week of the wedding. This is where we come in, we will pick them up and set them up for you so that we can get the center pieces set up as well. (always have to plug our services in somewhere)

3. Do you provide glassware, plates and utensils?

Every caterer is different, some only provide plastics, some provide compostable, and other provide glass china. It is important to know which is going to be provided, because you can never assume they are bringing china.

Also, we personally love plastic and compostable for weddings! There are tons of options to make it fun and easy!

4. What is your server fee and how many servers would we have?

I used to have people that wanted to save money anywhere they could, and they would ask if we could take a few servers away. My advice, listen to your catering contact and do what they advise. Without the correct number of servers, this slows down the entire process and makes it stressful on the other catering staff and vendors. Servers are a vital part of any well functioning wedding!

5. What is the service charge and does any of that go to the server gratuity?

Often the service charge (generally 18%-25%) goes to administrative fees. Sometimes a portion of that goes to the servers as a gratuity.

6. What is the average cost per person?

There is going to be the per plate charge. But that doesn’t include appetizers and then when you divvy up all the additional fees, you should be left with an over all “per person” price.

7. What are some of your favorite dishes?

I was very honest when I was in catering. If there was something I didn’t like on the menu, I would explain what I didn’t like about a certain dish, but I would also encourage them to try it for themselves so that they could determine if they liked it. Everyone has different tastes and visions when it comes to their wedding dinner.

photo Sea Circus Weddings | Desserts Thirsty Whale Bakery

When it comes to appetizers, this is where you want to get real answers from your caterer. There are some options that seem innovated and delicious, but they might not hold up well for your venue.

8. Do you have cake cutting fees?

I would say, 99% of caterers are going to have a fee to cut and serve your cake.

“But I am not doing cake, I am doing xyz…”

Does “xyz” need plates, napkins, silverware? Does it need to be set up and maintained? Then there will be a fee. I don’t blame them; it is an overhead cost that they need to cover. But when they spit out a number like $2 per person, it can be a little shocking.

9. What do you do with left over food?

I personally don’t like to ask this question because, Per health codes, the caterers are required to dispose of all food. You can ask if they use pig buckets. Honestly, I have never worked at a place where it was ok to package up food at the end of the night. So, while it never hurts to ask if you can take home any left overs or if it can be donated. Don’t be surprised when they say no. I wouldn’t even ask, but there are some smaller mom & pop shops that might allow it.

10. Never ask if you can take the tapped keg home at the end of the night either.

If you are providing your own booze, then sure, take it home. But if you are getting married at a venue that is providing the alcohol, you will not be able to take any of that home.

Story time…. I once had a drunk bride at the end of the night get very upset with me because she couldn’t bring her have tapped keg home.

11. Will you set up a water station?

While its classy to have water glasses on the tables, it never hurts to have water stations set up as well. Esp. during the social hour. You don’t want to have your guests wait in line at the bar just to grab a water. Nor should they have to pay for a water when the bar or catering can easily set up a station.

12. Does bar service go through you?

Sometimes they require bar service go through them, and other times, you can look into other options. There are tons of bar options now, so it is nice to have options!

The pros to having catering handle bar service – That will go towards your food and beverage minimum.

The cons – You are stuck with their prices.

Photo by Heather Hanson | Bar Service | With a Twist

13. What are the bar options?

Do they take care of the bar? Or will you have to find outside bar service?

Do you have to host the bar? Can you have a cash bar? Do cash bar sales go towards the f&b minimum? Can you do a split – Hosting the bar for the first few hours and switch to cash bar?

14. How many bartenders will there be?

I would always suggest 1 per 75 adults.

15. Do we have to get desserts from you?

Its nice when your caterer is a Rock star at desserts as well. But its also nice to have options. Most caterers will allow an outside licensed vendor to provide desserts.

16. Do you offer coffee & Tea? Table side or Station?

- I always prefer stations for coffee and tea. That way, people can get up and mingle, it is less clutter on the tables and it eliminates the waste when there are carafes of coffee on all the tables, some guest might not want any. Some guests might want more than one cup. If you have a station, you get to please everyone.

17. How many events do you do in a night?

Some catering companies are huge and they work events all over the state. The last company I worked for was the biggest catering company in the area and they serviced some of the the most amazing venues out there. They would service as many events in one day as possible, because they could. Smaller caterers might only service 1 - 2 weddings a day. This is why you shouldn’t wait until 3 months out (I have seen it) to choose your caterer.

Another question to ask is what their backup plan is when they are short staffed, we have noticed that with all of the weddings moving from last year to this year, catering companies are seeing it with being short staffed. You want to make sure that doesn’t effect your event.

18. Do you cook the food on-site or off-site?

Also, its always good to know where the food will be prepared. Some venues don’t have kitchen spaces, so they set up makeshift kitchens and work from hot boxes and warmers. I know from experience that this is a totally normal way of serving food and it has always worked for me in the past.

19. How many servers stay till the end of the event? Will they clear dishes and bar glasses?

Some catering staff leave right after the dinner service, leaving you and your guests the responsibility to clean everything up! This happens more often then not, so it never hurts to pay extra for the staff to stay till the end. Usually you only need 2 people. We never recommend just assuming your guests will throw pick up their mess, because we have seen it week after week, and we can tell you it rarely happens!

I think we will leave it at that. This is a pretty decent list for you to start out with, and if at any time you are looking into catering and have random questions, we are always around to give you advice and help you along the way! Stay tuned for the final series to the catering blog, where we talk about the different types of dinners you can have at your reception!

Cheers!

Christina Formico 3/25/19 Christina Formico 3/25/19

Getting Your Guy to be More Present During the Planning Process!

Today on the blog, we are giving guys a list of tips for helping guys get more excited to start wedding planning!

So, my wonderful girlfriend and I run a wedding planning business and as the male counterpart, it’s kind of funny that when I respond to e-mails, the client knows there are two of us and the signature is my name and the only one ever addressed is Christina, which I’m okay with and we joke about all the time! It’s always funny during our initial consultation, sometimes we get the comment of… oh you must “be along for the ride.” Again, this is so far from the truth, and they soon find that out when I’m throwing out design ideas and color pallets and logistical details that no one was thinking. We never take offence to this, living on a high vibe and educating them that guys can be wedding planners too.

Just writing this blog out, we realized that most guys are not looking at wedding blogs, so we are writing this in hopes that you brides out there are reading it and giving it to your guys to read.

When it comes to wedding planning, you always notice the bride is putting in more passion & effort than the groom, it is rare that the guys ever give too much input. We want to see guys get more involved which is why we created a list that men can read through showing them the awesome aspects there are to planning a wedding.

Planning is a GOD DAMN BLAST!!! The venue tours, all be it sometimes eat up your nights and weekends, can be a lot of fun, there’s something special about finding a place that you both feel a connection to instead of just her and the venue manager. Other planners can attest to this, when you show up the day of and the groom is all, oh I don’t remember that, or can we do this instead of that. All of these things were already covered and now that it’s the day of and your soon to be wife is about to rip your head off because you’re talking out of your ass since you don’t know what the plan is and now as planners we have to make sure you both make it to the alter and also the day. Men! Being present is so important in this process and you’ll be able to learn and make sure the budget is also somewhat intact at the end! If you want to see some awesome reasons to be present during planning, then just keep reading!

1. Venue tours!!! I know we kind of touched on this in the beginning, however this is very important. Don’t you want to have a say in where this special day will be going down?! I know that guys get left in the dust but do a little list of ones you find online just so you have an idea what’s out there. Guys unless you’re getting married every five years things have changed when it comes to where people are getting hitched and finding out what’s out there is so much fun!

2. Holy shit man the desserts!!! Weddings today are getting creative with desserts and we are here for it! The game is changing, and it isn’t just cake anymore! There’s everything from donuts on walls to cookie carts, and even custom ice cream (we know a guy). Dessert tastings are some of the most fun parts of the planning process. Below, the wedding cake was one flavor but the groom really wanted cookies & cream, so the bride surprised him with his own cake!

Photo Vow House Studios | Cake Sugar Rose Bakeshop

3. Color Schemes – This is one where guys usually don’t pay attention, but think about this, the colors are going to dictate what you wear and what you will be looking at all day. If periwinkle isn’t your jam, you should make that known, being a part of the process will make the color choices and décor reflect both of your personalities instead of just hers. To be totally honest, you may not get exactly what you want but at least you’ll know that you did your job by being present and throwing input into the ring.

4. Food, food, food, don’t be sitting there at your wedding wondering why you’re eating what you’re eating and it not tasting good. Now guys are usually present for this being that food is involved and hey don’t get me wrong it’s my favorite thing too. And with catering if you want to ask a question about off menu things, you aren’t going to be able to have any input after the contract and menu have been finalized.

5. The Bar – This is a place where you can really

6. The music!!! Do you want a band or DJ? The music selection really can make or break a wedding. You will either be dancing the night away or everyone will be hanging outside or at the bar and all be it a great evening if people are exchanging war stories all night along the bar but ultimately you will want to be able to cut a rug and have fun with everyone at your party (wedding) but its really a party!

7. Your clothing! Make sure you have a say in what you are wearing, we are huge fans of guys getting custom suits made for their wedding. You look more polished and you tend to be more comfortable. Ask us for some great vendors!

8. Hire a Day of Coordinator! You’ve done all this planning, sacrificed hours and hours to make sure you have everything you want on your day, all the vendors are paid, her dress is fitted and the wedding party and guest list is finalized…now let me ask you…do you want someone from your family who may or may not be able to be responsible all day and don’t you want to have everyone enjoy your day with you??? Encourage hiring some form of wedding management! Be it a wedding planner to help you throughout the process, or a wedding manager to help you with the last few weeks leading up to the big day and the day of. Coordinators are so helpful to ensuring you both get to fully enjoy your big day. You’re dropping a down payment on what is ultimately a party so don’t you want to have it go off without a hitch?! Any one of your friends that has been through the process, you can ask them, and if they didn’t have one, would they have liked to have one? We always find the answer to be yes if they didn’t have one.

The list could go on, but we know attention spans are short. We want make wedding planning fun, sexy and something that you two can do together, we will continue to spread the love and hope to see some guys during the planning process soon!

Christina Formico 3/8/19 Christina Formico 3/8/19

What Catering Does Your Venue Offer? A Blog about Catering...

We are trying to simplify catering for you! Breaking it out into a few blogs, we will dive into catering and give you some advice on what to look for when booking your venue and caterer!

Eat! Drink! & Be Married! Food is the foundation to any good event, a wedding is no different!

Let’s be real, it is usually what guests are most excited about, besides the bar and watching their cool humans tie the knot. Catering can be confusing, but we are here to break it down for you! We have decided to do a series that dives into catering. Today, we are breaking the venue catering options.

We often have clients that are a little shell shocked by catering prices. They might have unrealistic expectations, or they might just be unaware of all the extra costs that come with catering, but I know from experience, catering tends to be quite a big chuck of your budget, think 30-50% of your budget can go towards the catering. When you are going through the process of choosing vendors, it’s important to choose a venue first. Wedding Venues will usually have one of four options for their clients when it comes to catering. In-House, Catering List, Exclusive caterer, or Open Catering. We wanted to go over those options more in-depth, give you some pros and cons to all of them, so that you can better understand what they are talking about when you start your venue/catering search! If you need help, or just a general idea where to start, just keep reading!

Photographer: Shane Long | Minneapolis Wedding Venue : The Beach Club

In-House – This is where venues provide the catering with rental of the space.

When we think of in-house catering we think of establishments that are not just venues to hold events, my idea of in-house consists of hotels, golf clubs, country clubs, restaurants (just to name a few) they will most likely have an in-house kitchen that does the catering.

Pros:

You don’t have to go through the process of emailing a million caterers.
They have kitchens on-site with a chef on-site. If you need to store flowers or cake in the coolers, there is usually not a problem with that, and having a full kitchen is HUGE!
Having an in-house kitchen, and chef means that they are dedicated to you and your event. Your food will be made on-site and most of the time, not sitting in a hot box for an hour. (While I say most of the time, I always suggest ask how they prep the food because you never know if they pre-cook and have food sit in a hot box till dinner service, its always better to ask.)
Most provide tables, linens, china & glassware and service staff included in the pricing.

Cons

You are limited to that specific caterer. The menu is going to be basic and and food is going to be your typical wedding food. While these in-house caterers might be willing to do custom options, if you have a certain taste in mind, it might not be what you are hoping for.

Exclusive Caterer – Some venues may use an exclusive caterer, think of Bavaria Downs, Nicollet Island Pavilion, or Mississippi Gardens, just to name a few. These venues have a catering company that they work exclusively with and they either have a kitchen on-site that they work out of, or they may prepare the food off-site at the catering company and deliver it to the venue.

Pros-

Having an exclusive caterer means it is their space and they are familiar with the space. This is huge because they are the only caterer that works at this space and they take pride in the weddings there.
They may be more open to creating custom menu options for you.
They are well versed in the space, they know the best layout options and they usually have a specific person working that space.

Cons-

Just like having in-house catering, an exclusive caterer means you do not get to choose that caterer. They might be out of your price range, so you will have to look at adjusting your budget.
They may be the exclusive caterer for that venue, but that does not mean they have a full kitchen at the venue. It’s always nice to know how & where the food is going to be prepared.

Catering List – Some venues will offer a catering list, this is a list of vendors that are approved by the venue to cater there. Some venues have a wide variety of caterers, like Three Rivers Park District, There catering list has almost 20 caterers on it, ensuring you will be able to find someone you love. Some only have maybe 3-8, and that could be because they don’t want to overwhelm people with caterers, or they want to set a certain tone for their venue.

Pros-

Having a preferred catering list means that these caterers are familiar with the venue and have worked there at least once. They will know their way around the property and will be seasoned in catering the space.
This gives you options when choosing a caterer, you can be more creative and you can find one that fits your budget.

Cons-

While I just stated that with a catering list, you will be able to find someone that you’re your budget, that is not always the case, sometimes, there are not any caterers on the list that fit into your budget, so if you don’t check around with the catering companies prior to signing contract with the venue, you might be stuck picking a caterer off a list that is far out of your price range.

You are most likely going to have to pay extra for staffing, linens, glassware and silverware. In our next topic we talk all about the hidden costs that you have to look at when hiring a caterer.

When there is a preferred catering list, there might not be a lot of ethnic options to choose from. Sometimes the catering company will work with you to create a custom option, but this is something you always have to make sure of when hiring them. I will be real here, if you are having a catering company work with another catering company to co-create an ethnic menu, it is always going to cost way more than you think it is.

Open Catering – This is when the venue does not have a required catering list, They just have to be licensed. This leaves the option open to any catering company out there.

Pros-

Your options are endless, you can do food truck, catering, pizza, tacos, BBQ, whatever you choose! An open catering list, ensures that you will find a caterer that fits your budget.
Most catering companies will be willing to work with custom options.
This gives smaller catering companies the opportunity to work weddings. We are all about supporting other small businesses!

Cons-

Your options are endless! While this sounds appealing, if you are one of those people who can not make up their damn mind… There might be too many options for you to make a choice.
The catering company might not be familiar with the space. This shouldn’t be an issue because any good caterer is going to familiarize themselves before the event. It is just always something you want to communicate with them prior.
These spaces don’t tend to have kitchens for the caterer to work out of, most companies are equipped with everything they need to work with no kitchen, it just takes proper planning.
Again, we will mention, linens, glassware, china and silverware, just make sure to see what the costs are.

Our intention is for every couple to have a stress free time planning their wedding. Catering can be a topic that seems overwhelming, but our goal of breaking theses out into a series is to educate you so that you go into the planning process like a rock star! Want additional help, Contact us! We work with some of the best catering companies around, and we would love to help you in your planning venture, food is our jam and we enjoy chatting with couples (usually centered around pancakes!)

Somethings to keep in mind when starting It is always important to figure out what is most important to the both of you and start from there. If you are dreaming of getting married at your family’s country club, then you probably are not even thinking about what the catering options are going to be, because you know that this is your venue and the rest will work its self out. That is awesome! It alleviates so much stress and we are all for it!

On the other hand, if you have a smaller budget and you want to get married at a fancy historical venue that is currently all the rage, but their catering only offers high end catering options, you might not be able to realistically make that work for you. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a unique and creative wedding, it just means you have to look at alternative options (This is where we come handy).

We are always here to offer advice and give you lists of some of our favorites to work at! So, if you read this and still have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out! Stay tuned for part 2 where we talk about all the questions you should be asking your caterer and hidden fees to watch out for!

Namaste friends!