I am trying to come up with a good list of things to tell brides who really need to cut costs.
I have had a few come to me wth the dummy cake thing but to me that is not really a cost cutter.
Any ideas that come to mind?
CakeForte Frequent Member
Joined: Oct 21, 2004
Posts: 481
Location: Internet
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:10 pm
Don't buy two wedding dresses. Don't buy wedding favors, unless they are cookies and cupcakes. Don't buy cocktail shrimp. Offer a plated dinner instead of buffet. Choose a date that isn't popular.
Ok, so I know you were referring to cake, but seriously....if you look at the bridal message boards they spend bookoos of money on silly things and skimp on the cake. The 2 dress thing is more popular than you would think!
Kitchen cakes plus centerpiece cakes (for me KC are half the price of the big guys but I require 100 servings up front before incorporating them. they are also the same height and torting as the main cake).
indydebi Forum Matriarch
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 22143
Location: Indianapolis IN
Birthday: Jan 19
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 4:24 pm
CakeForte wrote:
Offer a plated dinner instead of buffet.
As a caterer, this is not cheaper. A buffet for 100, I can operate with me and 2, maybe 3, staffers. But if they want plated, the dinner is about the same cost PLUS they have to pay for the extra labor required to plate the food and servers to get the food to all tables at about the same time.
General rule of thumb is one server for every 10 guests, so that would be a staff of 10 for a plated affair vs. a staff of 3 for a buffet. A plated dinner is the same as a buffet except it's more work for the caterer ... more work for me means higher cost for the client.
But I do agree with CakeForte ... the question may have been about cake, but if we can show them how to NOT spend money unnecessarily on other stuff, then they find they CAN afford the cake of their dreams and still be inside their budget!
-------------------------
Get control of their headcount! (i.e. Debi's 60% Rule). This affects EVERYTHING.
Example: Bride invited 300 and plans for 250 to show. Figuring 8 people to a table, she's looking at 32 tables, tablecloths, 250 chairs and chair covers (lose the chaircovers as savings #1!). But if she follows the 60% Rule and plans on 200 guests, then it's only 25 tables and linens, 200 chairs. A tablecloth rents for $12 each so saving 7 is $84. If she has to rent tables and chairs (and many facilities charge per table/chair), it's approx $5/person, so for 50 people, she's saved another $250.
Plus many caterers charge extra for plates, silverware, glassware, linen napkins, etc. I worked it up once and for all the extra like this, it's like $7.95/person. 50 people at $8/person is another $400 saved.
Then there's the food. 50 people at a low-cost buffet of $15/person is $750 saved. A low cost plated dinner at $25 is $1250 saved.
In my Wedding Workshop, I have 3 examples where I show brides how to save $1000, right here, right now, with stuff like this. One slide, I save the bride $2700 ... right here, right now ... just by getting control of the headcount.
Don't have appetizers if the bride and groom will arrive at the reception within 30 minutes. Guests are willing to wait that long (have the bar open, though). Any longer than 30 minutes wait time and you better have food for them to munch on while they're complaining about how dang long the couple is taking. (I'm getting a lot of feedback on this on from my website's survey).
And I agree on the wedding favors. unless the favors are edible, they go right in the trash or are left on the table.
Dont' buy disposable cameras. You get a lot of butt shots and "oh look how cute MY kid is!" pictures. You've paid for a real photographer so use his pics instead of drunken Uncle Charlie's.
Speaking of kids ... does the facility/caterer offer a child's menu for kids? With 200 guests, odds are good that there are at least 15-20 kids under the age of 7 ... most child menu's are about half the cost of an adult meal. So assuming a savings of $8-$12 each times 20 kids = a savings of $160-$240.
If they are having a bar and drinks with dinner, then lose the punch that is usually served with cake. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I saw a punch bowl at a wedding. And on those weddings that I did provide punch with the cake (and the buffet and the other foods and drinks), no one really drank it. I took most of it back to the shop with me. So I tell brides not to buy it.
Time the reception to be at 2:30-ish. They can get by with finger foods such as veggie trays, fresh fruit and meatballs, instead of a full dinner.
If the facility will not charge a cake-service fee on cupcakes (meaning, no plates, no forks, no napkins for the cupcakes, no serving, no staffing needed), then they can save $100 or more ($1/person cake service fee) going with cupcakes.
Put "No kids" on the invitations. They'll pi$$ off most of their relatives who will then decide not to show up, so there's fewer dinners to buy! (ok ok I'm just kidding around with that one!)
And what the heck is this 2-wedding dress thing anyway? Geesh, some wedding dress marketing guy earned his bonus with THAT one, didn't he?
Sorry it ran so long .... but I've written a whole workshop on this concept.
christeena Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 19, 2006
Posts: 938
Location: IN
Birthday: Jun 08
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:22 pm
Debi, when I try to explain the 60/40 rule to brides, I always hear
"but you don't understand, I KNOW everyone we've invited is coming to our wedding!" These hapless brides always have way too much cake left over because their vanity kicked in and they spent needless $$$ on too much of everything! I cut my wedding cakes and I know very little cake hits the trash, but I always have to box up leftover cake for the family to to take home! Oh well, it's money in my pocket!
giraffe11 Frequent Member
Joined: Sep 09, 2007
Posts: 363
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:33 pm
Ummm......or sometimes the 60/40 rule is a bunch of ______.......depends on the family. I invited 250 and had 254. We were actually counting on a few of the distant relatives to not come, but they didn't keep up their end of the bargain.
I don't know.........most brides probably do go over the top. But if I had listened to anyone who tried to sell me on the 60/40 rule, I would've been in deep, deep trouble.
indydebi Forum Matriarch
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 22143
Location: Indianapolis IN
Birthday: Jan 19
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:35 pm
christeena, you're right. If you try to help them and they want to spend the money anyway, let them.
SOME brides just think they are way more popular than they really are. These are the ones who ALWAYS overspend, and then they get pi$$ed at everyone who didn't show up.
indydebi Forum Matriarch
Joined: Jul 07, 2006
Posts: 22143
Location: Indianapolis IN
Birthday: Jan 19
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 7:46 pm
prp, what I also always tell my brides is "....the one thing I cannot factor in is how your family usually responds to events like this." But then I follow up with questions on have there been any recent weddings or other events? What was the attendance at that one? Are there any of my exceptions in play? it's a guideline to help the bride who has no idea how many to expect .....
In my 30 years of doing this, it's worked 99.9999% of the time. The exceptions are just that .... "exceptions".
Those are incredible numbers from your wedding .... I'm sure you feel very blessed to realize how important you both are to so many people in your family and they all wanted to be there to wish you well on your wedding day. sounds like you have a very "exceptional" family.
Denise Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 11, 2004
Posts: 296
Location: The Republic of Texas
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 8:00 pm
LOL there is always an exception to the rule!
A couple of years ago I went to my cousin's kid's wedding. He was a popular young man and his wife to be had been a cheerleader and a popular girl herself (they are both DARLING people). I understood they had a guest list of 400 people. I believe they had a RSVP of 290 or so. BUT on the day of the wedding people kept calling "oh, we are in fro College Station (Texas A & M) and we are coming to the wedding!!! YOOO HOOO". Some of these Aggies hadn't even been actually invited. They had 384 people at the reception. (the lady there told me this later - biggest wedding they have had there).
The reception was literally elbow to elbow. It was so crowded it was crazy. There wasn't enough seating and my BIL ended up with chocolate from the chocolate fountain all over his white shirt!
I always tell my brides that they know their friends and family way better than I do when they ask "how many will come?" I tell them about this wedding and it is an eye opener!
giraffe11 Frequent Member
Joined: Sep 09, 2007
Posts: 363
Posted:
Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:34 pm
Oh ha! I don't flatter myself too much on wedding attendance! I have 34 first cousins, all with families of their own now, plus college friends and his side of the family....so pretty easy to get to 250. But I think it was as much an excuse for a reunion on everyone's part as it was the opportunity to come to my wedding. Still people are odd.....we had uninvited guests call us the night before to say they were coming from 4 states away and there were invited guests who brought taggers-on that we didn't even know. Actually, the only reason I know they were there at all, was b/c I saw them in reception photographs after the fact. they did a good job of staying out of sight.
I don't think food budget is the best place to make cuts, although there are some easy things. Having beer and wine instead of a full bar is one easy place, or if the venue lets you provide your own alcohol, that's a big savings. There is always a huge markup on alcohol.
Not having desserts in addition to the wonderful wedding cake...... Lightening up the options that are passed before the couple arrives. I hate the "kitchen cake" idea, personally. In my experience, that looks cheap enough to people that they'll still be talking about it when you see them at next year's family wedding.
I never heard of people buying two gowns. How ridiculous is that?
Last edited by giraffe11 on Fri Nov 07, 2008 9:47 pm; edited 1 time in total
On the two dresses thing, check out "Whose Wedding is it Anyway?" on the Style channel and "Platinum Weddings" on WE. ALL the brides on Platinum Weddings seem to have two dresses - one for the Wedding and one for the Reception!! They had a bride on there one time that had 7 dresses made for her wedding. It was an Indian wedding with many days of celebration. To say the least, this wedding was WAY over the top!!!
Leslie
CakesByJen2 Frequent Member
Joined: Jul 05, 2008
Posts: 324
Posted:
Sat Nov 08, 2008 7:14 am
Here are some things I tell brides:
First of all, limit your guestlist! You do not need to invite everyone you and your family have ever met! A small, nicely done wedding is much better to a large cheap one. Have a realistic idea of how many will really come. For most people, only about 2/3 of those they invite will attend, and many of those will leave the reception early. Of course there are exceptions, but by and large, most brides do not have nearly as many people come as they expect. Forget the open bar! That is probably the biggest, unnecessary expense, in my opinion. You do not need to get your guests plastered, and you will have a nicer reception if they don't, plus fewer drunk drivers on the road! Just have champagne for the toast, beer and wine with dinner if you must. Have you reception in the afternoon where a meal is not expected and just have appetizers, which are usually taste way better than most buffet dinners, anyway. Do not have a dessert bar. If you get a good cake, you don't need other desserts, maybe just some fresh fruit to accompany the cake.
To the cake itself, again, have a realistic idea of how many servings you need. In most cases, onloy 2/3 invited attend, and if you cut the cake late as many people do, at least a third of those attending will have left by then. Pick simple designs that do not have a lot of detail or colors, just have a few small clusters of flowers accenting each tier, rather than lavish cascades. Use piped icing flowers rather than gumpaste or fresh. Buttercream rather than rolled fondant. For larger weddings, supplement the main cake with undecorated kitchen cakes if possible. Use the groom's cake as the dessert at your rehearsal dinner. Stick with 1 or two cake flavors; more flavors may mean an extra charge, and some people will want to try a piece of each flavor, so you may need more total servings. If you find a design you love but is out of your price range, explain to the decorator just what it is about the design you like, and they may be able to suggest a simplified version that has the same overall feel, but is less time-consuming, therefore less expensive.
littlecake Forum SuperStar!
Joined: Sep 18, 2006
Posts: 2254
Location: the fine line between genuis and insanity
Birthday: Nov 21
Posted:
Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:14 pm
well...i have a couple of cakes i've done so many times, i can almost do them with my eyes closed.....very little stress, and i can knock em out very fast....if they let me pick the design, i'll knock some of the price off...
SeattleCakes Junior Member
Joined: Apr 02, 2007
Posts: 41
Location: seattle, wa
Birthday: Feb 03
Posted:
Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:07 am
I always tell my girls to low ball their guest count when I quote them a price, since it is usually about 6 months out. I also say that if when they get there RSVP's in they will be having more people than expected, they can always add to the serving of the cake (all these changes must be made 2 weeks before the wedding). usually guess right on their rsvp's, so they are happier... and every now and again, I get a little bonus (in my experience, the budget goes out the window the month before the wedding because people get to the "f*@k it... how much will it cost to make this problem go away?" phase... it happened to me... and about 90% of my brides... when will people realize planning a wedding is NOT fun? But I digress....) The rule with my shopp is we can always get you more cake, but will not decrease your servings (aka price) once you sign on the dotted line. This tend to rein in the delusional everyone-i-invite-is-dying-to-come-celebrate-me brides, and gives them a fair deal at the same time!
snarkybaker Forum Fanatic
Joined: Aug 14, 2006
Posts: 1649
Posted:
Sun Nov 09, 2008 7:17 am
The trouble with this post is that brides are not "realistic" people, or if they are, they are are a a particularly non-realistic phase of their lives right now. I mean, seriously, when else would you spend $2500 on a dress you'll only ever be able to wear once for about 4 hours.
When I have a bride who has a dream and a budget that don't match, I usually make really quick sketches of three ideas, one that is $4.50 a serving ( our minimum), one that is $5.50, and one that is $6.50 and let her work it out herself.
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Geesh, some wedding dress marketing guy earned his bonus with THAT one, didn't he?
(in my experience, the budget goes out the window the month before the wedding because people get to the "f*@k it... how much will it cost to make this problem go away?" phase... it happened to me... and about 90% of my brides... when will people realize planning a wedding is NOT fun? But I digress....) The rule with my shopp is we can always get you more cake, but will not decrease your servings (aka price) once you sign on the dotted line. This tend to rein in the delusional everyone-i-invite-is-dying-to-come-celebrate-me brides, and gives them a fair deal at the same time!
