Posted by Amy Plennes on Fri, Apr 01, 2011 @ 02:07 PM
Here at Trattoria di Carlo we do a lot of different styles of catering from weddings to corporate parties and everything in between. We have seen a lot of different ideas through out the years. Some that work and others that don’t. We thought we’d take the opportunity to
share a little of our knowledge as well as offer tips to planning your special event.
One of the first things you need to after deciding on date for your event, is decide on a budget. Talk to ALL the people that will be involved in contributing weather it be just you or a group of people say a committee or your parents. You don’t want to get ahead of yourself with planning and then find out later that you don’t have as big of as a budget as you thought, or vise versa.
Next you want to do research. Research different venues some places will only allow certain things, and your idea of a perfect event may not fit into that. Also you want to be and research costs of different services you will need. Most likely if you are planning a wedding it is the first time and you may not know what to expect as far as prices of different things. Such as Dj Services, Limo Services, Catering services, Flowers and even dresses and Men’s wear. It is important to research these topics so you not only know if you are getting a fair competitive price but also so you know how to setup your budget accordingly. Courtesy of www.theknot.com here is a budget breakdown on what you can expect to spend your money on
Reception: 48%-50%
Ceremony: 2%-3%
Attire: 8%-10%
Flowers: 8%-10%
Entertainment/Music: 8%-10%
Photography/Videography: 10%-12%
Stationery: 2%-3%
Wedding Rings: 2%-3%
Parking/Transportation: 2%-3%
Gifts: 2%-3%
Miscellaneous: 8%
- To avoid stress, allot about 5% of your budget for a “just-in-case” fund.
- If you’re paying for your honeymoon yourselves, remember to budget for that as well.
It is also important to decide what is important to you. If you feel that flowers are going to make or break your event than be sure not to scrimp on this area. However, there are many people who just don’t think flowers are that big of deal and maybe think that Music is what makes a good event, well then this will be the area you do not want cut back on.