Manguso/Brennan Coordination

One Saturday afternoon, while I was snug in my pj’s and reading a good book, my boss calls me in a panic explaining that she had been in an accident and needed me to cover her wedding for her.  The only catch was – it was to begin in 30 minutes!  I got dressed as fast as I could, and headed straight to work.  I arrived just in the knick of time – guests were being seated and the bride was ready to go!

I checked in with the wedding coordinator for the bride and groom, did a quick walk-through of the ceremony room, and checked on the status of the reception room.  The ceremony went off without a hitch, but much to the guests surprise, we were forced to kick them out of the room so we could do a very quick one-hour turnover.  We turned half of the room into the other half of the reception room – with a partition now open connection the two rooms.  Let me tell you…it was utter CHAOS!  But we have a fantastic staff, and they were ready to accommodate this group with ease. 

My clients or not, I am ecstatic I was able to be part of such a wonderful gathering of guests.  Not to mention, I ran into one of my old collegues, Beth Snook, who happened to be one of the bridesmaids.  Hi Beth!   

Enjoy the pictures…this was one of the more finely decorated weddings we’ve had.

Brown/Wilson Wedding Ceremony and Reception

Tashunda contacted me a few months ago needing a venue for her wedding ceremony and reception.  I have only had a ceremony take place under my coordination one time at the venue I work for, so I was genuinely excited to start the planning with her.

The ceremony was small and perfect – about 50 guests attended.  The reception had a bit more guests, about 75, and this group knows how to party!  I had a fantastic time.  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Wilson!

When To Negotiate Pricing At A Venue

Negotiating the price of an item, whether it be food and beverage, room rental, set-up fees, equipment rental, or any other item you are purchasing for an event, it is important to keep one thing in mind:

ALMOST ANYTHING CAN BE NEGOTIATED IN THIS BUSINESS!

With the exception of tax, there are many ways you can negotiate a fair price for any of these items.
When You CAN negotiate:

• Repeat client.  This means that you have been giving this company/venue your business for quite some time now.  If you have regular weekly luncheons at the same venue, or you hold the a conference at the same venue every year, you should NOT be paying full price for anything.
• Another group of the same size is getting a better deal. If you have spoken to other clients that share the same venue as you, or people who have worked with this venue in the past and realized that you are paying more money for what you are getting, ask your sales rep why, and always have them itemize everything in your settlements.
• Large Groups.  Many a time hotels and venues will give group discounts to groups of a certain amount or more.  Always check to see if you qualify for special rates, especially in the off-season.
• Off-Season.  If you are aware of your facilities “off-days” you can generally get a great deal.
• Prices for similar facilities are much lower.  Sometimes this works, and sometimes it doesn’t.  Venues that have a great location, amazing aesthetic qualities, cleanliness, friendly staff, and many other factors will generally raise their prices regardless of the size of the facility.  However, if you threaten to go elsewhere, you can sometimes get them to lower the price.

When you CAN’T negotiate:

• Non-Profits.  As much as all of us want to do some good in the world, unless the facility is planning on sponsoring your event, they need to make money, too.  Don’t expect any give-a-ways if you are hosting a charity event.
• Food and Beverage.  It is unlikely that the venue will bring down the price of F&B (for other reasons than listed above) because food is usually a set price.  Meaning, if they lower the price, they won’t make any money.
• Relationships with your Sales Rep.  It is BEYOND tacky to ask for a discount if you know your sales rep personally.  If they offer, take it.  If they don’t, leave it alone.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ask for the best price possible — but your argument should not have anything to do with your relationship with one another.

Make sure that you are constantly aware of the current rates for everything you are purchasing.  Always ask if the venue is planning on raising their prices in the near future.  If you’ve signed a contract before they raise their prices, you can usually get the prices that were advertised before the change was made.

Choosing a Venue with Catering

So many times I’ve had clients call me and ask about catering for an event — What is a reasonable price and what should I expect to pay for catering?  What is the best kind of food to eat for certain types of event? 

I think the main question to ask is:  Does my venue offer in-house catering?

The reason why this is such an important question is because most people don’t know what a great deal you can get at a venue if they decide to go with the catering that is offered.  Most venues offer a wide variety of choices, and can most likely offer you more of what you want because all of the food is prepared on-site.  Although catering companies can be a great resource for events held outside or in other areas that a kitchen is not readily accessible, venues with catering have chef’s and kitchen attendants on-site so you are rest assured to get some really great and really fresh food.

Many venues with in-house catering also offer discounts on room rental if you purchase a certain amount of food for your event.    These venues very often to do not allow any outside catering to bring food into the building – mostly because it would put them out of business. Check with your sales associate or event coordinator to see if any special offers are available and what the contract states regarding outside catering. 

These are the types of questions you should be asking your sales representative from the venue:

• Is there a minimum number of guests allowed for a full-meal event?
• What are your service charges?  Is it possible to lower the charge after the event takes place if the service was not up to my standards?
• How many waitstaff personnel are scheduled to work my event?
• Do the waitstaff personnel have a dress code?
• When will you be opening our buffet/serving our guests?  What if we need to change this time because our program is running behind/ahead?
• What is your policy regarding outside food being brought in such as cakes and favors?
• Can you prepare something that is not on your menu?
• Will I be able to taste the food before I purchase it?
• May I have a tour of your kitchen? (This is sometimes not an option due to health codes)
• May I meet the catering manager/food and beverage director/head chef?

If one thing is for certain, you should always…I repeat ALWAYS ask if there are any hidden costs or fees associated with going over your guarantee of guests or with any other hidden charges.  Many times venues will ask for a guarantee of guests – or a number of guests that you are expecting to attend your event – around 5 days from the start of your event .  This number cannot go down at this point, but it can certainly go up.  For instance, if you ordered food for 100 guests, even if 35 people show up, you are still being charged for your guarantee of 100 guests.  However, if the number goes UP, you could be paying some pretty hefty fees for whatever percentage you are over.

Check with venues during the off-season months (varies depending on where you live, big and small cities, etc.) to see if they are offering any specials or discounts as well.  If you are knowledgeable about your venue and the services they offer, you are sure to have a very memorable event.