Hey,
"Save The Dates" still on hold (I know, I know) Mr Warehouse have been making other plans and desperately trying to negotiate that guest list down. As described in the post a few months ago "The Gluttonous Guest List", our original rough number of about 65-70 for day guests is creeping up and up and the majority of our wedding party was more "Warehouse=family-heavy". With our venue, a stunning village hall in Stagsden, nestled away in the heart of the Bedfordshire countryside, its pretty hall and ideallic gravelled garden I am sure will be plenty big enough for our guests. Although more recently, cutting down our wedding guest list is like Hercules battling Hydra – cut one person and two more seem to grow in their place.
However, with mine and Mr Warehouses most recent look at the serious swelling of our guests and that with the addition of kids, cousins, cousins kids and every man and his dog it is easy to see how things have quickly got out of control. Seeking out some advice online, I have yet again stumbled upon the website Bridebook.co.uk - Pretty much a one-stop-shop on all things wedding and getting married. Some advice they have on guest list has been really helpful such as cutting out children from the wedding party, for part or even the whole day! "This is a dilemma lots of brides and grooms struggle to settle within themselves, never mind with each other. But you’re not a bad person for requesting this – lots of couples do. Not only does it cut costs and numbers but it gives the parents a night off to enjoy themselves too if they so wish" Bridebook.co.uk says. Some helpful advice we have known about for a while. Mr Warehouse and I tried to broach this subject a few times however it always ended in disagreement as there are far too many children.
I suppose I sort of just thought that family is family and whilst I hate not being able to put mom, dad and kids, heck even the family hound on the invite it is something that we simply cannot afford. If we just work with the adults here, that is everyone over the age of 10/12 (with a few exceptions of the close family members) the numbers come to about 85-90. Introduce all those cherubs and darlings and you have a wedding party of well over a hundred. No problem and all fun and games until you realise these people need to eat and the cost of that is already a bone of contention as the "W" seems to increase the price several times over!
I mean we could always Billy bullshit an excuse, saying that we were not allowed to have any children at the venue, however, I very much doubt that this would have been the case since the Warehouses are very accustomed to the church we are going to be wed in. Instead, we have decided to be totally honest and upfront about our plans for our big day and have asked all of those family members that have children if they would mind us just inviting mom and dad. I was surprised (although I am not sure as to why) that people have been totally OK about it all, some of them relieved they can leave the kiddi-winks at home or with a babysitter and enjoy the evening letting their hair down. Truth be told they are all understanding that weddings can be and are expensive and so as much as we would love to invite all the children of our friends and family, it is only possible to accommodate the children of close family, mainly down to cost.
After reaching out I was glad and relieved at how many people had said that it was our special day and whatever we wanted they would accept. If it was children then great or no children still great. I was pleased with the relaxed attitude and feelings everyone replied with and truth be told good make me feel a little silly for sweating so much over it all. So does that mean that Mr Warehouse and I will be sending out our "Save The Dates" this weekend? Well maybe not as we have a few things planned and in the pipeline for home renovations and summer fun, however, I am sure that once we do get round to it in the next couple of months we will have a much better idea on numbers and therefore invites, favours and catering will all be much, much easier.
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Showing posts with label Venue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venue. Show all posts
Monday, 29 July 2019
Monday, 28 January 2019
The Gluttonous Guest List
Hello one and all!
Shocked and disgusted I ended the phone call to the caterer. I am beyond the words to describe the sort of supplier that would not just double but nearly triple the price for a wedding sit-down meal in comparison to the same event without such connotations. Mr Warehouse's and My wedding is, as I said before, essentially a "family event" and should have no rhyme or reason as to a catering company increasing their prices so drastically. I assured you all last week that I should get a resolve and indeed I have, although not one I wanted.
In response to a phone call with another young lady in the office as the main manager was conveniently unavailable for my phone calls, I was told that "further to your recent conversation with the Catering Department, unfortunately, it is not a viable option for us to provide catering for your Wedding due to the overheads involved as the waitressing staff alone cost £12 per hour. As discussed we are unable to provide other peoples food alongside our own and we only ever cater for an entire event. We feel it may be best that you go with the alternative catering company. We are sorry that we have been unable to help you further on this occasion."
Frustrated and annoyed I informed them that it was "unfortunate that I was not able to speak with the manager but that we will as a result not be using yourselves and would be hesitant to use your services or restaurant again but we will be sure to take our £1,500.00+ order and use a caterer that does not put up their prices by nearly treble the original when catering, no matter what the event be it wedding or small family affair as ours is."
And so the hunt is still on. For caterers and for Wedding suppliers or items alike. This week has left me a little blue since there is not much now left to organise, email about or call people to get quotes for. Most of the sourcing of suppliers has been done and the booking process won't be much far behind that. Since Mr Warehouse keeps insisting that we can't afford a holiday this year (I think we can with a variety of vouchers, money off codes and a good old haggle) I have thrown myself head first into Wedding Planning and some would say maybe neglect my gorgeous Hubby-To-Be, putting all of my focus and energy into planning our dream day.
After settling down to a rough number we realised that the majority of our wedding Party was more "Warehouse-Heavy". Our venue is stunning or at least will be by the time we put our stamp on it. Nestled in the heart of the Bedfordshire Countryside, Stagsden Village Hall is an old school house converted into a pretty hall with an ideallic gravelled garden and interior features. Large tall and wide windows will perfectly frame our top table and the wooden floors will be partied on all night long I am sure of it. With round tables, it was the perfect venue and ticked all the boxes including plenty of room for outdoors mingling and fun, plus extra space to bung the kids when they get rowdy or tired. The chairs are unsightly but I am sure that they can be tarted up.
However, with Mr Warehouse and I looking at was the guest list and how much it is swelling with each and every month that seems to pass with the addition of kids, cousins, cousins kids and every man and his dog it is easy to see how things can quickly get out of control. If we just work with the adults here, that is everyone over the age of eighteen (with a few exceptions) the numbers come to about sixty to sixty-five. Introduce all those under legal drinking age and you have a wedding party of nearly ninety already. No problem and all fun and games until you realise these people need to eat and the cost of that is already a bone of contention as the "W" seems to swell the price like an excited horse in a field of fillies!
I have a few ideas up my sleeve in respects of getting what I want. I always do. Well, most of the time. But if I don't then there are always a few good alternatives that are less costly but don't necessarily rely on the whole served-at-your-seat vibe, more of a DIY serve from the table kinda vibe. And so I suppose until next week wish me luck in finding a desperate supplier for a broke-ass Bride and Groom!
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Shocked and disgusted I ended the phone call to the caterer. I am beyond the words to describe the sort of supplier that would not just double but nearly triple the price for a wedding sit-down meal in comparison to the same event without such connotations. Mr Warehouse's and My wedding is, as I said before, essentially a "family event" and should have no rhyme or reason as to a catering company increasing their prices so drastically. I assured you all last week that I should get a resolve and indeed I have, although not one I wanted.
In response to a phone call with another young lady in the office as the main manager was conveniently unavailable for my phone calls, I was told that "further to your recent conversation with the Catering Department, unfortunately, it is not a viable option for us to provide catering for your Wedding due to the overheads involved as the waitressing staff alone cost £12 per hour. As discussed we are unable to provide other peoples food alongside our own and we only ever cater for an entire event. We feel it may be best that you go with the alternative catering company. We are sorry that we have been unable to help you further on this occasion."
Frustrated and annoyed I informed them that it was "unfortunate that I was not able to speak with the manager but that we will as a result not be using yourselves and would be hesitant to use your services or restaurant again but we will be sure to take our £1,500.00+ order and use a caterer that does not put up their prices by nearly treble the original when catering, no matter what the event be it wedding or small family affair as ours is."
And so the hunt is still on. For caterers and for Wedding suppliers or items alike. This week has left me a little blue since there is not much now left to organise, email about or call people to get quotes for. Most of the sourcing of suppliers has been done and the booking process won't be much far behind that. Since Mr Warehouse keeps insisting that we can't afford a holiday this year (I think we can with a variety of vouchers, money off codes and a good old haggle) I have thrown myself head first into Wedding Planning and some would say maybe neglect my gorgeous Hubby-To-Be, putting all of my focus and energy into planning our dream day.
After settling down to a rough number we realised that the majority of our wedding Party was more "Warehouse-Heavy". Our venue is stunning or at least will be by the time we put our stamp on it. Nestled in the heart of the Bedfordshire Countryside, Stagsden Village Hall is an old school house converted into a pretty hall with an ideallic gravelled garden and interior features. Large tall and wide windows will perfectly frame our top table and the wooden floors will be partied on all night long I am sure of it. With round tables, it was the perfect venue and ticked all the boxes including plenty of room for outdoors mingling and fun, plus extra space to bung the kids when they get rowdy or tired. The chairs are unsightly but I am sure that they can be tarted up.
I have a few ideas up my sleeve in respects of getting what I want. I always do. Well, most of the time. But if I don't then there are always a few good alternatives that are less costly but don't necessarily rely on the whole served-at-your-seat vibe, more of a DIY serve from the table kinda vibe. And so I suppose until next week wish me luck in finding a desperate supplier for a broke-ass Bride and Groom!
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Monday, 21 January 2019
The "W" Word
Hello everyone!
Following on from "The White, Lacy Condom Dress and Others" I have continued in my hunt for Wedding suppliers and items. As before, since Mr. Warehouse keeps insisting that we can't afford a holiday this year I have thrown myself head first into Wedding Planning and so all of my focus and energy is being put into planning our dream day. However, with still so much left to plan and organise I tried to focus my attention more on the bigger budget items, such as the catering.
One of the first things Mr Warehouse and I looked at was the guest list and how much it is swelling with each and every month that seems to pass. After settling down to a rough number we calculated a round figure and sent it out to as many caterers as we could find and think of within a thirty mile radius. Ideally we were, still are, looking for a sit down meal catering consisting of 2-courses and finishing with our wedding cake as dessert. The catering facilities at Stagsden Village Hall are minimal as it is a old school house converted into a pretty hall, however they do have two ovens with hobs and a fridge plus crockery, glasses and table wear we are able to use.
Now I was quite understanding, as was Mr Warehouse, that we were not going to get Foie Gras or Duck Breast for our wedding breakfast, however we were anticipating something simple yet effective. Starting with some ideas around starters my fiance and I looked at Pate, Bread and Olives, Soup or a Seafood Cocktail. For mains I was looking for something easy and cost effective also which would please many such as a Chicken Chasseur, Casserole, Pasta dish or Chilli Con Carne. Obviously it would be assumed that all the dishes are served with Seasonal Vegetables and a Potato product where appropriate.
Sending out the simple suggestions and stating that the event we were catering for was a "family meal" rather than the 'W' word as it seems to add on an extra thirty or forty percent to the total bill for no apparent reasoning. Essentially this is still true since the only difference between a genuine family meal and a wedding is that I am going to be sat in a fat white dress. With this we looked forward to the quotes that were to follow, however many came back stating that our budget would simply be too low to accommodate.
We were however lucky enough to find a few suppliers that were able to supply us with a quote and even some different food choices and sample menu's that were in line with the budget. My fiance and I had asked commonly requested things from anyone providing food for an event such as is the price inclusive or excluding VAT, if they provide the linens and how many servers would they suggest? Other easily answerable questions followed such as will the servers be uniformed, whether they work with fresh or frozen food and how would they handle last-minute requests or changes. Crucially we wanted to know if they charge a cake-cutting or serving fee as we wanted to have the dessert as the cake and also wanted to double check they have a current food license. On the day we needed to know for planning purposes how long they will need for setting up and if we can get references from others they had catered for. Obviously we needed to confirm when we should give the final guest numbers and what their menu choices would be.
Although after several back and forth emails asking for some of the above questions asked to the caterers we were sent the details on tastings and when we could potentially arrange a meeting so as to go through the exact menu and pay any holding fee or deposit. Then all of a sudden, Mr Warehouse and I received an email. In it the caterers stated that "After careful consideration and a discussion with the team [the catering company] are unable to catering for your event, as it wouldn't be cost effective for us to do so due to your requirements and budget."
Following a huge let down like that I battled on and I suppose like any normal person, you would ask many of the questions previously detailed when hosting an event; Be it a wedding, family event or birthday party all of which you would expect the same level of service and ergo the same price per head. But Ohhh No!
Yet again after sending the same list of questions to another catering company, again simple questions anyone hiring for an event would ask, irrespective of the occasion, a confirmed menu and details on how to place an order and make payments were sent. Although just before we had a chance to print, sign, scan and send back we were told that they could not provide a fabulous menu compromising of Soup for starters and a Chicken main course with the cake as a dessert as "Unfortunately we may have crossed wires throughout e-mails, as [the catering company] were unaware that the catering required was for a Wedding as no mention of this throughout the correspondence and that our Wedding packages start from £30.00 + VAT per head due to the preparation involved and the high standard of service we like to provide for our brides."
Furious at being asked to pay nearly treble the original cost quoted, for a menu Mr. Warehouse and I were extremely happy with, I emailed them back:
"Apologies we are slightly confused with the pricing as we were quoted for a very simple menu, which we are very, very happy with and ready to book and yet now it is different? I am honestly shocked that the price has jumped to more than double with just the mention of the "w" word. We are not sure what the difference is between a family event which is really what it is as we are not having a big thing made about it at all. My Fiance and I don't have a huge amount of money either, hence only having a small family meal. For a price increase of £18.00+ what would we get for that as we are not fussy about preparation involved as they should be the same regardless of the function and the standards still kept high as we only wanted a sit down meal for close family and a handful of friends? I have also noticed that after reading the below email, the address is a local business we know very well and have visited many, many times before as you are local to Bedford's Priory Park which is where we walk our dog Roxy most weekends. In fact my fiance actually proposed to me just round the corner in one of the meadows so it would really mean a lot to us to have yourselves cater for us. Again I hope you are able to help with this as again I am flabbergasted as to why the price has increased so much. We are ready to book and just needed a few questions answering and are happy to pay in advance."
With this the catering company came back to us and attempted to justify the price increase, stating that they "feel from the original enquiry we made, there was a different impression of the type of catering and service required for the agreed price and anticipated only sending a maximum of two members of staff to serve and prepare the food for a maximum of two-three hours. The price originally quoted didn’t include linen hire (not that we need it I must add), set up or clearing away and that clearly this type of service is not sufficient for a Wedding Reception. We understand when you have said that you would not be fussy about the preparation, but for a Wedding sit down meal there will be a lot more involvement to go towards making your Day a special occasion and we can’t offer this type of service for under our standard Wedding price of £30 + VAT per head."
I have yet to call them to discuss their pitiful offering, but I can just not believe that the mention of the word wedding would increase the price by nearly twenty-quid per head! Shocking and disgusting is beyond the words that I can describe but to be fair if I was some sort of supplier of goods and knew that I could get at least double if not triple the price for a wedding rather than the same event without such connotations then of course I would also be charging extra. However, the point I make is that I did not initially send out any queries or questions in relation to a wedding and only for a family event, which is as I said before, essentially what a wedding is. Rest assured I am sure that you will hear of the outcome soon as I rip them a new one ...
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
Following on from "The White, Lacy Condom Dress and Others" I have continued in my hunt for Wedding suppliers and items. As before, since Mr. Warehouse keeps insisting that we can't afford a holiday this year I have thrown myself head first into Wedding Planning and so all of my focus and energy is being put into planning our dream day. However, with still so much left to plan and organise I tried to focus my attention more on the bigger budget items, such as the catering.
One of the first things Mr Warehouse and I looked at was the guest list and how much it is swelling with each and every month that seems to pass. After settling down to a rough number we calculated a round figure and sent it out to as many caterers as we could find and think of within a thirty mile radius. Ideally we were, still are, looking for a sit down meal catering consisting of 2-courses and finishing with our wedding cake as dessert. The catering facilities at Stagsden Village Hall are minimal as it is a old school house converted into a pretty hall, however they do have two ovens with hobs and a fridge plus crockery, glasses and table wear we are able to use.
Now I was quite understanding, as was Mr Warehouse, that we were not going to get Foie Gras or Duck Breast for our wedding breakfast, however we were anticipating something simple yet effective. Starting with some ideas around starters my fiance and I looked at Pate, Bread and Olives, Soup or a Seafood Cocktail. For mains I was looking for something easy and cost effective also which would please many such as a Chicken Chasseur, Casserole, Pasta dish or Chilli Con Carne. Obviously it would be assumed that all the dishes are served with Seasonal Vegetables and a Potato product where appropriate.
Sending out the simple suggestions and stating that the event we were catering for was a "family meal" rather than the 'W' word as it seems to add on an extra thirty or forty percent to the total bill for no apparent reasoning. Essentially this is still true since the only difference between a genuine family meal and a wedding is that I am going to be sat in a fat white dress. With this we looked forward to the quotes that were to follow, however many came back stating that our budget would simply be too low to accommodate.
We were however lucky enough to find a few suppliers that were able to supply us with a quote and even some different food choices and sample menu's that were in line with the budget. My fiance and I had asked commonly requested things from anyone providing food for an event such as is the price inclusive or excluding VAT, if they provide the linens and how many servers would they suggest? Other easily answerable questions followed such as will the servers be uniformed, whether they work with fresh or frozen food and how would they handle last-minute requests or changes. Crucially we wanted to know if they charge a cake-cutting or serving fee as we wanted to have the dessert as the cake and also wanted to double check they have a current food license. On the day we needed to know for planning purposes how long they will need for setting up and if we can get references from others they had catered for. Obviously we needed to confirm when we should give the final guest numbers and what their menu choices would be.
Although after several back and forth emails asking for some of the above questions asked to the caterers we were sent the details on tastings and when we could potentially arrange a meeting so as to go through the exact menu and pay any holding fee or deposit. Then all of a sudden, Mr Warehouse and I received an email. In it the caterers stated that "After careful consideration and a discussion with the team [the catering company] are unable to catering for your event, as it wouldn't be cost effective for us to do so due to your requirements and budget."
Following a huge let down like that I battled on and I suppose like any normal person, you would ask many of the questions previously detailed when hosting an event; Be it a wedding, family event or birthday party all of which you would expect the same level of service and ergo the same price per head. But Ohhh No!
Yet again after sending the same list of questions to another catering company, again simple questions anyone hiring for an event would ask, irrespective of the occasion, a confirmed menu and details on how to place an order and make payments were sent. Although just before we had a chance to print, sign, scan and send back we were told that they could not provide a fabulous menu compromising of Soup for starters and a Chicken main course with the cake as a dessert as "Unfortunately we may have crossed wires throughout e-mails, as [the catering company] were unaware that the catering required was for a Wedding as no mention of this throughout the correspondence and that our Wedding packages start from £30.00 + VAT per head due to the preparation involved and the high standard of service we like to provide for our brides."
Furious at being asked to pay nearly treble the original cost quoted, for a menu Mr. Warehouse and I were extremely happy with, I emailed them back:
"Apologies we are slightly confused with the pricing as we were quoted for a very simple menu, which we are very, very happy with and ready to book and yet now it is different? I am honestly shocked that the price has jumped to more than double with just the mention of the "w" word. We are not sure what the difference is between a family event which is really what it is as we are not having a big thing made about it at all. My Fiance and I don't have a huge amount of money either, hence only having a small family meal. For a price increase of £18.00+ what would we get for that as we are not fussy about preparation involved as they should be the same regardless of the function and the standards still kept high as we only wanted a sit down meal for close family and a handful of friends? I have also noticed that after reading the below email, the address is a local business we know very well and have visited many, many times before as you are local to Bedford's Priory Park which is where we walk our dog Roxy most weekends. In fact my fiance actually proposed to me just round the corner in one of the meadows so it would really mean a lot to us to have yourselves cater for us. Again I hope you are able to help with this as again I am flabbergasted as to why the price has increased so much. We are ready to book and just needed a few questions answering and are happy to pay in advance."
With this the catering company came back to us and attempted to justify the price increase, stating that they "feel from the original enquiry we made, there was a different impression of the type of catering and service required for the agreed price and anticipated only sending a maximum of two members of staff to serve and prepare the food for a maximum of two-three hours. The price originally quoted didn’t include linen hire (not that we need it I must add), set up or clearing away and that clearly this type of service is not sufficient for a Wedding Reception. We understand when you have said that you would not be fussy about the preparation, but for a Wedding sit down meal there will be a lot more involvement to go towards making your Day a special occasion and we can’t offer this type of service for under our standard Wedding price of £30 + VAT per head."
I have yet to call them to discuss their pitiful offering, but I can just not believe that the mention of the word wedding would increase the price by nearly twenty-quid per head! Shocking and disgusting is beyond the words that I can describe but to be fair if I was some sort of supplier of goods and knew that I could get at least double if not triple the price for a wedding rather than the same event without such connotations then of course I would also be charging extra. However, the point I make is that I did not initially send out any queries or questions in relation to a wedding and only for a family event, which is as I said before, essentially what a wedding is. Rest assured I am sure that you will hear of the outcome soon as I rip them a new one ...
'Til next time, Love A.Lou xx
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