Congrats Dad! Now that your daughter or son has made the biggest decision of their lives all that has to be done is finding the money to fullfill their dreams - and don't you know you're the one who always told them to dream big!
There are plenty of ways to save money without compromising those dreams! Below is a simple suggestion (more to come) for you to keep in mind (some that won't be offered to you by those wonderful vendors!) when you're wheeling and dealing with vendors who have been in the industry for years!
- Beverage Costs: The bride and groom are most likely going to want to offer their guests an open bar during their reception and this can work out very cost effectively.
Most hotels or restaurants will ask you to buy a bar package per person (per hour!!) which can add up very quickly! When the hotel or restaurant asks you to pick from a list of bar packages you will see they are around $35 per person (most, not all, are PER HOUR! Be sure to read the small print).
- Ask them if they have different levels of liquor brands that you can choose from and ask if you could see that list. These different options are going to be separated into tiers which will effect the cost.
- Once you decide which level of liquor you would like to offer (guests will be just fine with Beefeater instead of Bombay!) ask the hotel/restaurant if you can base your bill on consumption instead of doing a bar package per person. This is where you can potentially save money! This way you are paying for what is actually being drank instead of assuming everyone is going to drink $35 an hour!
- Also, when you choose the cocktail and dinner wines, go for a less expensive bottle. The based on consumption payment method gets you to buy the bottle, not the glass. (Liquor too) - this way you are paying $20 for the bottle and not $6-7 per glass. (There are about 5 glasses in a bottle so you are saving $10-15 per bottle of wine!)
There is of course nothing wrong with buying the bar package if you just don't have a group who drinks a lot - just make sure you read the fine print and ask as many questions as you can until you understand exactly what you're paying for!!
Cheers!
There are plenty of ways to save money without compromising those dreams! Below is a simple suggestion (more to come) for you to keep in mind (some that won't be offered to you by those wonderful vendors!) when you're wheeling and dealing with vendors who have been in the industry for years!
- Beverage Costs: The bride and groom are most likely going to want to offer their guests an open bar during their reception and this can work out very cost effectively.
Most hotels or restaurants will ask you to buy a bar package per person (per hour!!) which can add up very quickly! When the hotel or restaurant asks you to pick from a list of bar packages you will see they are around $35 per person (most, not all, are PER HOUR! Be sure to read the small print).
- Ask them if they have different levels of liquor brands that you can choose from and ask if you could see that list. These different options are going to be separated into tiers which will effect the cost.
- Once you decide which level of liquor you would like to offer (guests will be just fine with Beefeater instead of Bombay!) ask the hotel/restaurant if you can base your bill on consumption instead of doing a bar package per person. This is where you can potentially save money! This way you are paying for what is actually being drank instead of assuming everyone is going to drink $35 an hour!
- Also, when you choose the cocktail and dinner wines, go for a less expensive bottle. The based on consumption payment method gets you to buy the bottle, not the glass. (Liquor too) - this way you are paying $20 for the bottle and not $6-7 per glass. (There are about 5 glasses in a bottle so you are saving $10-15 per bottle of wine!)
There is of course nothing wrong with buying the bar package if you just don't have a group who drinks a lot - just make sure you read the fine print and ask as many questions as you can until you understand exactly what you're paying for!!
Cheers!
