*Rental items not included in the sale

**Cakes ordered without Full Event Catering not included in the sale

Wedding Warriors
JWG Photography
Cedar Bend Event Center
Sweet Sunday Rentals
Bittersweet Cakes & Catering

We all look forward to helping make your next event Memorable and Beautiful.

1)Share with the caterer your food budget. This may change eventually, but a starting point is necessary.
2)What is the budget for the Bridal & Grooms cakes.
3)What venue are using for the reception?
4)Expected guest count
5)Are there any food allergies for you or your guests
6)Do you need China, stemware, flatware, etc.

Please keep in mind that caterering menus can have a wide range of prices–$20-$70pp. If you are on a
relatively tight budget here are a few tips that will help you keep the cost down:

1)Have the Cocktail hour and the dinner served buffet style. Passed Hors D’oeuvres and plated dinners
need twice or three times the amount of servers and this will significantly add to the total cost.
Buffets can be very beautifully presented. In fact 95% of the weddings we do are buffet style and are quite beautiful.

2)Choose less expensive menu items. Shrimp and Salmon are delicious, but are also significantly higher
in cost than Chicken, Brisket or Pork Loin.

3)Keep the cake decorations simple. A simply decorated cake can be around $4+pp. Very intricate design
work on a cake can cost $6-$8pp or more.

4)Consider using plastic ware instead of China. There are very nice plastic ware options in the market
these days and this can save quite a bit of money.

Just remember we are here to help make your day a wonderful and memorable for event for you.

Happy Tastings!

Laura Eliel
Bittersweet Cakes & Catering
512-917-5223
www.bittersweetcakesandcatering.com

9)Please remember that a photographers work is mostly done after the wedding is over and that these images become the most important part of your wedding memories. THey spend days in fromt of the computer going through images, retouching selections, enhancing and styling the final images, backing up files, formatting, creating an online gallery, etc…. Let them know that you appreciate all of the work they are doing.

By following these tips you will find that it is possible to get quality photography services foryour specific budget.

Joey Gallahan
JWG Photography | Design
Imaging and Photography Services
(512) 589-9807

Once you have a budget, then decide what is most important to you for your big day. If it’s food, find the best caterer you can afford, and have them customize a dinner for you. If it’s décor, splurge on linens and flowers. Specialty pieces. If it’s your grand exit, charter a hot air balloon flight.
But make it personally, yours.

When it comes to the rentals for your wedding, you should first figure out what your needs are. Visit with your venue and caterer to find out what they provide. If your venue provides tables and chairs and your caterer supplies the dishware, flatware, and glassware, you can check these items off your list.

Once you’ve determined what your needs are, then the fun can begin, and yes, you guessed it, it goes back to what is most important to you. To get the biggest bang for your buck, we often recommend splurging a little on your linens. For just a few more dollars per table, you really can change the entire look of the room. From a pin-tuck overlay to make the room more elegant to a burlap runner to add a little rustic elegance to the table, linens really are an inexpensive way to give your wedding a punch of color and style.

Most rental companies will either allow you to pick up your rental items, or you can pay to have them delivered and set-up. To be a super-saver, wrangle up some close friends and relatives and have them pick up the items for you for free. If this isn’t an option, or if you want as stress-free day as possible, work with the rental company and your venue to see if they will allow you to deliver and set-up the items during the rental stores business hours. This is always the least expensive route to go, and most venues in the area are easy to work with as well as long as they don’t have another event the day before or the day after.

Always look for deals. If you give yourself plenty of time in the planning process, you can wait for wedding vendors to run specials. Many vendors run discounts during bridal shows and during the non-peak seasons (roughly late June until August). So plan ahead, book early, and save.

Happy Planning!

Justin
Sweet Sunday Events
www.sweetsundayevents.com
512-869-7941

You may have had the vision in your head since you were 4 of what your big day would look like. Or you could be suddenly overwhelmed by all of the things that just got added to your “to do “list. Let’s be honest here….it is a big list. So lets start with the basics and you will suddenly see the 10 mile “to do “list shrink down to, oh’ about a mile.

First the guest list. Believe it or not the hardest task on the list. I always suggest to have you’re A, B, and C list. From here you can use your list to help you decide on a budget.

So you have a good idea of where you’re budget stands and the size of space you need to be searching for. Now it’s time to create a list of locations that fit in the high end and the low end of your budget. I say high end and low end because you will find that even if it’s in the high end it still might work for your budget.

Look for what is included in the rental rate of the location. If time in the space is all that your rental rate covers, then you will have added expenses for chairs, tables, linens and other items. By choosing a location that includes these necessities then you are saving a big chunk of you budget. It is also a big added bonus when “smaller” items are included such as votive candle holders, bathroom baskets. etc. All those “smaller items” add up and often are not thought about till the last minute.
How many hours are you able to use the space? Will you have time to get ready, have a ceremony and a reception? If you wish to have more time, what is the hourly rate to add hours? Do they allow you to provide your own alcohol for a fee? If you plan on serving alcohol, then being able to purchase it yourself can save you hundreds. You will always need to pay a corkage fee of some sort that is required by the location, but look for other perks that the venue offers when it comes to your bar. Do they provide a space or table for the bar, is the bartender included?

Vendor selection is a crucial part of the planning process. Being able to choose your own vendor can be very beneficial to your budget. Look for packages deals. Vendors will often team up to offer special priced packages that are all inclusive. Packages are always a great deal and it allows you to cross off several items from your “to do” list in one swoop.

Staffing. Even if you are on a budget you don’t want the guest experience to suffer. Let’s also be honest, no one you know wants to take out trash, mop floors or bus the tables, after your wedding, no matter how much they love you. You want to look for service staff that is included in your package or in your catering contract, in the end it is priceless. These are the folks that keep your reception going and you and your guests happy.

Deposit and Payment Schedules. No one wants to think of a cancellation for any reason, but sometimes things happen and a date needs to be cancelled. The majority of locations have a non- refundable deposit, in the event that a date cancels. However, if that is your $1,000 never to be seen again it can be very upsetting. Look for smaller deposit requirements so in the unfortunate event that you have to cancel you are not loosing your mortgage payment. I also think that setting up a payment plan where you decide what the amount will be is a great way to chip away at the bill. We let our clients set up their own payment schedule and then send out reminders that record the payments and balances.

In a perfect world the word “budget” would never be used in the same sentence as wedding. But, let’s face it…nowadays a lot of us are paying for our own weddings. However, even on a budget, you can have the beautiful and perfect wedding of your dreams.
Happy Planning!
Jillian Findlay-Laage
Cedar Bend Events Manager
512-653-6289
www.cedarbendevents.com

Sat. July 23rd 12-3pm

You will have a chance to experience some wonderful menu items and cakes

Look forward to seeing everyone!