Hi all. Hoping you can help. Son and fiance hope to have a beach wedding in Florida, Caribbean or other coastal location that is easy to get to. (We all lice in NY.)
Looking for those that had recent affairs at a venue they’d recommend that has a beach or nice venue for the ceremony and a cocktail hr and 4 or so hour reception with open bar. Need per person plate cost. (We will have to figure out added cost for ceremony and reception room which seems often and expensive at many of these places. Can be an all inclusive or not. Everything the couple is looking at seems high end and very costly just for the per plate without adding all the other costs involved. I’d like to find something less expensive and are sure not everyone in these places, especially Florida is paying such high costs. Maybe I’m just out of touch since we made 2 Bar Mitzvahs on Long Island (NY).
Please list venue and location. Cost per plate (And anything else you can add as per added costs and if you’d recommend we look at it.
My son flew in for a wedding in South Beach, Fl. At Palms Hotel. The marriage was in n the beach, but the rehearsal dinner was in the hotel, in the Tiki huts.
A couple of years ago now we went to a wedding on a pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC, followed by a reception at a restaurant owned by the restaurant where the pier was. It was fairly inexpensive, from what I inderstand. We drove to the reception, but the restaurant at the pier also does receptions. I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s a small place and should be easy to find.
Tampa Bay Watch is a nice facility and proceeds go to marine education. I also listed one vendor. You can contact the facility and they can also offer suggestions.
On the beach, Grand Plaza and Sirata Beach host many weddings with ceremony on the beach and casual receptions outside on their grounds or formal receptions in the ball rooms. There are so many weddings that take place at these locations. I have seen simple, but lovely receptions.
Last March, during a wretched winter in Boston, we fled to Florida (and we really don’t like Florida) just to get someplace warm quickly. We stayed at the Grand Plaza Hotel in St. Petersburg Beach. It’s a perfectly hideous hotel, but it was very comfortable and there was a wedding on the beach every single day of our stay. They were all very lovely and fun to watch from our balcony. We kept running into various hotel guests in the elevator, gym, etc., and they were all happy to be there, so you might want to check out this hotel.
Two suggestions although one is a lake not a beach. I was at the Sagamore Hotel in Lake George in June and there were two weddings taking place the weekend I was there, one on Friday night and one on Saturday early evening. Gorgeous setting.
The other was a weekend in Ogunquit in Maine. I saw several weddings taking place at the hotels with the grounds that face the Marginal Way… the beautiful walk along the cliffs above the beach and the ocean. Perfect setting.
Could anybody give a rough estimate of the total cost? (say, if the number of guests is 50? Or, 100?) For example, the total cost is 50 times 100 + 3000 = 8000 for 50 guests, and the total cost is 100 times 100 + 4000 = 14000 for 100 guests, for a “high end” venue. Maybe a half of the above cost for a mid-range venue (i.e., 4000 for 50 guests and 7000 for 1000 guests.)
The above is just a random example. I do not have any clue about it.
After all, the title of this thread is “WEDDING … COST”.
I sincerely hope, for everyone involved, that mcat’s son elopes.
OP, I doubt anyone is going to be able to give you a cost estimate because it’s going to vary wildly by time of year (among other factors). Remember that if you’re having a wedding out of the country you have to take into account the fact that not only is it going to be expensive for guests to travel to, but many might not have passports.
It was not me who tried to change the topic here! I just tried to remind everyone here that the title of this thread includes these two words “WEDDING” and “COST”. I think OP may be interested in a rough estimate of the cost as well.
(It is no guarantee that their relationship will be a success in the end. It is up to them to decide. – For me, I do not mind if they take the bribe and run (i.e., elope.) Also, it will be quite many years before DS will make any real money. He is deeply in red now.)
Different sorts of weddings at different venues, with different flourishes, in different locations, cost different per person. Steak dinner or just small appetizer plates?. Just a handful of guests expected to travel? Sometimes you can google ‘inexpensive wedding venues’ and come up with more casual places. Sometimes, out of town, you can call the visitor bureau and get ideas.
I’d love mine to have a getaway wedding, close family and a few friends, a little vacation thrown in- then the bigger reception party back home, where we could customize.
Several of our friends just out of law school had backyard receptions with punch and wedding cake. I don’t think it cost much more than the outfits folks wore, bouquets, and cake + punch. Others have $200+ per person meals and all of the forgoing, plus some have an open bar for even more $$$$$. My cousin had a potluck picnic in the park, which was very low budget. It’s best to call places you’re thinking of using and asking them for estimates for dates you prefer.
I’ve helped 2 daughters plan weddings and am mid-planning with #3. One of the most frustrating things is trying to get prices without making contact with each individual vendor. What a time suck. My d is going to stick to her budget, and if a vendor is out of that range, she won’t choose that vendor. But she had to search online, peruse each website, discover that most vendors want a personal email or phone call, and contact them that way. Then wait for their reply, which was inevitably to ask for more detailed info with the assurance that the wedding could be customized as she liked. Then wait for the reply to THAT email, etc. If she knew she’d be looking at a $35K reception going in, she’d just cross them off her list, but often it’s not possible to know without several emails.
Another issue is that many vendors structure their packages in a confusing way. Some will tell you the cost for food, beverages, and dinnerware - but if you want linens, that’s extra; some will include linens but not chairs for the ceremony, which are extra, etc. Many vendors have a big old asterisk after the cost of food and beverages, which is that tax and tip are not included. So don’t forget to tack on an additional 24-33 percent, depending on the required amount for taxes and gratuities.
This calculator might be helpful to you, @crazed: http://www.wedding-spot.com/ It’s not inclusive of every venue by a long shot, nor is it all that detailed, but might be a good starting place.
We did find some package prices online, including this one: http://rosemont1811.com/weddings/first-lady-wedding-packages/ Can’t decide whether it’s beyond funny or so stuck in a certain mindset as to be tragic. But you, too, can be a Mamie Eisenhower bride.
^^Ugh. Going through this right now and SOO true. I almost want to say “first one who responds with complete information/prices/choices up front gets the job!” - we are choosing a caterer not connected with the venue and it’s like pulling teeth getting info.
Costs of a wedding can be all over the place and will depend on the couple/family’s budget. Obviously a wedding with a reception in the church hall is going to cost less than a wedding at venue like a historic home with a sit-down dinner. The only way to find out is to start calling venues and ask questions. My daughter found this website helpful in planning.