Is this a good price for wedding reception?

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The K of C Hall charges $36 - $39 per head all inclusive – hall rental, linens, china, beer, wine, soda, coffee, tea, 2 entrees, potatoes, veggies and salad. It’s a lovely hall.

The deposit is only $300 w/ the balance due 5 days before the event.

This seems good to me, but it’s my first time planning a wedding! We’re going to meet w/ them on Saturday. What questions should we ask?
 
Excellent price for all that.

Congrats by the way. Sounds exciting.
 
KCT said:
What questions should we ask?
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Ask them if you can sample the food. At $5 or $50 a person - it can be amazing or it can taste like garbage. And believe me - no matter how beautiful the rest of the day, if the food is bad, THAT is what everyone will remember.

Cost is important, but remember that quality needs to be at the top of the list, even if it means you cut your guest list a bit.

Also - ask who sets up and cleans up. Do not assume ANYTHING.

~Liza
 
That is a good price. Remember, the “average” price varies by location. “Average” in New York would be “out of this world” in my little rural town.

I suggest you get a copy of the book Bridal Bargains by Alan and Denise Fields. Here’s their website.

You can get used copies at places like Half Priced Books. Most bookstores carry the latest version in their Wedding section.

I used this book extensively when planning my wedding, and it has a section for each type of vendor and the questions you should ask. I highly recommend it.

As I met with each vendor I would read the section on that type of vendor beforehand.
 
I have Bridal Bargains. I’ll read up before Saturday.

The gentleman I spoke with says they clean up, but we’ll double check.

Thanks!
 
KCT said:
I have Bridal Bargains. I’ll read up before Saturday.

The gentleman I spoke with says they clean up, but we’ll double check.

Thanks!
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Get everything in writing down to the last iota.

Read the sections on Catering and Receptions.
 
I think it sounds like a great deal considering it seems to include pretty much everything.
 
Ask about gratuity. That can frequently be an automatic 20% charge on the total.
 
Another question to ask is whether the price includes cutting and serving the wedding cake. I asusme you’ll be getting that from a bakery and having it brought in. Don’t be surprised if they have a per slice cake cutting fee.

Just make a detailed list-- the Bridal Bargains book goes over a lot of these little things you might not think to ask!
 
1ke said:
Another question to ask is whether the price includes cutting and serving the wedding cake. I asusme you’ll be getting that from a bakery and having it brought in. Don’t be surprised if they have a per slice cake cutting fee.

Just make a detailed list-- the Bridal Bargains book goes over a lot of these little things you might not think to ask!
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:eek: someone other than your Aunt slicing the cake? 29 years ago when we got married it was a special honor to ask someone to:
  1. Cut the cake
  2. Pour the coffee
  3. Serve the punch
  4. Be responsible for the guest sign-in table etc.
As a matter of fact my much younger s-i-l’s followed this “etiquette” when they got married 10 or so years ago. Perhaps it is just where we are from 👍 'cuz it had nothing to do with Faith - I am Catholic they are Lutheran.

Found out recently that our KofC hall can be rented for a reception with a maximum of 275 people, if you rent both rooms:D. I don’t know if they cater though. I thought the price was very reasonable but you can’t have any alcohol which for us would not be a problem.

As for the price they are charging, ask what they fix, they may be charging mostly for supplies (what the Altar Rosary society did for my Wedding), or just a bit more to support their favorite fund raising effort (one of which is the Special Olympics).

Brenda V.
 
At that price it sounds to me they are limiting the number of alcohol beverages one can have, you might want to clarify that too
 
I second check the quality of the food. Ask if you can come to another event that they are having to sample. Many times they will allow this.

In my experience with KofC Halls. The beer and wine is free up to a certain time after dinner is served and then it becomes a cash bar.

When I was married 8 years ago, my aunts and cousins served the cake and punch and we are all Catholic. We have always called the group of people who serve the cake, punch, and main the tables the “House Party”.

Sounds like a good price, the probably also have a minimum and maximum number of people. Might want to check that out also.
 
That’s a really, really, really good price. Is any type of breakage insurance included? And I’m with Liza on this one as far as food goes. In another Illinois “city” that’s nearby, there is a hall owned and run by the Serbian Orthodox church. It is quite lovely. It has a great sound system. The table linens are wonderful. The service is not bad. The bar was open and flowing. But more than once at events there, I have had what was supposed to be hot food that wasnt quite reheated from the freezer. :bigyikes: It was icky.
 
Brenda_V said:
:eek: someone other than your Aunt slicing the cake?
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Yes. Guests are not free labor.
Brenda_V said:
29 years ago when we got married it was a special honor to ask someone to:
  1. Cut the cake
  2. Pour the coffee
  3. Serve the punch
  4. Be responsible for the guest sign-in table etc.
Click to expand...
That is quite regional in nature. In some places this is normal and in others would be not be considered an “honor” at all, in fact it would be considered quite gauche.

Also, these days it might be a violation of the KC Hall’s liability insurance to have non-employees running around with large knives. If Aunt Susie cuts her finger off, the KC Hall might be in trouble.
 
Your deal sounds very good, but other posters have made excellent suggestions about tasting the food, how much beer and wine are provided, etc., and any other extras.

We’re in the midst of wedding planning right now; we are using our lovely, large parish banquet hall and WITHOUT linens, beer and wine, it will be about $20.00/person for a very nice seated dinner (3 hors d’oeuvres, salad, breads, carved steamship round of beef with grilled shrimp, smoked gouda mashed potatoes, roast butternut squash, iced tea.) Tables and chairs are included, as are china, glassware, flatware. We will provide beer, wine and soft drinks, and the wedding coordinator will help with cutting the cake. We have a clean-up fee and small insurance fee and refundable security deposit, but that is all pretty minimal. We do live in a part of the country where costs are very low, and wedding buffets are much pricier than seated meals, which are rare for weddings here.

Good luck with things! Sounds great.
 
KCT said:
Was yours Elegant Wedding for $5000 or Less or
How to Plan the Perfect Wedding Without Going Broke?

I have both but forget which was yours :o .
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Yes, that was the one. Sigh The one I never used…:rolleyes: I probably should have read that book, because in hindsight we spent a lot of moolah.

BTW, I think the price the hall is charging you is a good deal.
I had my wedding in a renovated, historic barn and we had to supply everything. Tables, chairs, tent, table cloths, DJ, you name it! The cost of the food was $17 per person (lunch reception) but we had the caterer coordinate the day which cost more money. In the end we spent as much as a hall would have costed.

It was still an awesome wedding, I loved it, and everyone had a great time which is what’s really important. 🙂
 
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