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OH-EM-JEE. I don’t even want to think about catering for at least two more days. I’m going to have to promise my firstborn child to Angelina Jolie in order to actually get what I want. Why does five hours of hot hors d’oeuvres cost over $xx,xxx? It absolutely makes zero sense to me, and my head is pounding.
Ryan says, “Honey, we’re not getting married in the middle of nowhere. We’re getting married in Napa. There’s a difference.”
Even shopping around, we still were given about the same price range at each company. The food cost is appropriate, but adding the servers, the linens, the clean-up and trash disposal, the California state tax, the service charge, and the we-need-to-make-profit-so-let’s-jack-it-up-because-we-live-in-Napa charge, the company we really want is going to come in at A LOT. *Cue tears*
For a slightly smaller price we can do less hors d’oeuvres and more of a buffet style thing, which I can deal with, but then I’d have to do table seating. I’ve been trying to avoid that. So really at this point, I’ve given the whole thing up to Mr. Barrettes. I will more than likely barely eat anything other than bread…nerves, ya know? I don’t even eat cheese and I’m the one fighting to keep the huge cheese table.
I’m sure everything will be okay and I’m overreacting. I’ve never thrown a party for 150 people before, so maybe these costs are just normal and I’m having sticker shock. My biggest priorities are the invitations and the photography, so as long as I can have what I want in those areas, I’m willing to give a little in other areas. With all the wine flowing and people dancing and everyone in various states of bliss, I doubt anyone will be upset with the food. Even the pizza in Napa is amazing.
Did you have sticker shock about the cost of catering?
YES! We first looked in Charleston, SC and we were SHOCKED at the prices! We were just in awe of how much people could charge. It sucks!
Oh, completely! Some things were reasonable, like our $40/plate for fillet mignon dinner cost. Others were ridiculous! Our venue wanted to charge us $500 for a cheese plate for 25 people, and $125 for chips and salsa for 25 people. I could’ve gone to the grocery store and bought enough cheese, chips and salsa for an entire school for those prices…
In the end, we sucked it up and went with it. Our venue does its own catering, so we didn’t have a choice, and since we wanted the reception there, we had to play by their rules…
To be fair, when we decided to plan an event at a restaurant, we were willing to make it all about the food. But for my own sanity, I am not even discussing what the price per head is going to most likely amount to. So yeah, sticker shock happens. I just console myself by remembering that we’re actually getting a bit of a deal and it totally could be worse.
we’re doing a $xx/person which includes all the food, bar, chair covers, linens, & centerpieces–pretty much everything. i justify it by telling myself i will just drink enough to cover the cost. hah 
Umm yeah…big time. And what’s worse is how quickly it goes from reasonable to insane when you see everything line by line. We’re not looking for black truffles and caviar here, people–just simple and delicious. It’s driving me nuts.
I was completely blown away by how much catering costs. We booked our venue before contacting their preferred catering list, and we definitely had a moment of “oh holy god what did we just agree to?!”. Dinner for 80 people at the next to cheapest caterer on th elist costs more than a year of tuition at my undergrad school. I went to a public university, but still….that’s a LOT of money!!
Yes. Our venue is gorgeous, but super pricey (as are most things here in the metro-NY area). I wouldn’t mind as much if more things were included in the ppp cost. I have to pay an extra $8 pp for the freakin cheese tray! How is that not included??? I can’t get married without cheese!! (for real, fiance understands and is ok with it)
Food is not expensive, but “catering” is. What starts out as a reasonable per plate price becomes ridiculous once you add servers, dishes, and a huge operations fee (which somehow does not include the tip). Ugh!
Sticker shock for catering? Try sticker shock for EVERY THING!
YEs, I had sticker shock for the catering, so we made our own food!
Seriously. For ours, the food is reasonable. It’s the servers/bartenders/set-up, etc that make my head spin!
PS - That picture, the way Mr. Barettes is looking at you, is totally adorable.
yes! i just sent in my deposit today and it was gut-wrenching. my FI really wanted the xpensive guys. in their defense, they have their own warehouse and own all of their supplies, so they can even contribute to the centerpiece set-up in addition to the already covered linens, silverware, etc. they are $xx,xxx and i learned to deal with it until i remembered that the 4hr open bar by the venue is $xx/pp too!! ahhh!!
yup. the wedding cakes. ummm… huh? to me, it’s just a fancy cake. sorry, not paying $400 for a cake!!!
as for the catering… I’m one of those lucky girls who’s marrying someone who has done catering on the side. He’s done catering for (I think) the Discovery Channel or one of those cable channels, so he knows what he’s doing. if he wanted, he could do a 5-star type meal for a fraction of the cost from a caterer, so I’m leaving ALL of that up to him! well… except the shopping… I’m gonna go shopping with him! LOL! (what? I like shopping!)
Yes, I was shocked at the price per piece for passed hors d’oeuvres! I had never imagined it could be so much. For something so small (but good)!
I found that the actual food charges were mostly the same from catering company to catering company–it’s definitely everything else that adds up.
I hope you find something you love that is more reasonable!
Definitely had sticker shock. Definitely cried. It’s sad that after awhile you just adjust to the cost like it’s perfectly normal to pay $3239422935 for butlered appetizers
What companies have you looked at? Or do you have to work with one particular company that the the venue designates? Elaine Bell in Napa is very good and I’ve found them to be fairly reasonably priced. However, be aware that they can sometimes take a while to get back to you. (Like, a week will go by before someone responds.) We tasted both with Elaine Bell and Park Avenue Catering (in Cotati). We liked the hors d’oeuvres slightly better with EB, but the overall meal better with PAC, so ultimately decided to do PAC. You might also consider Preferred Sonoma Caterers (in Petaluma). The owner, Amber, is awesome, and we use them almost exclusively for all our catering needs at work.
Just wondering… what kind of seating are you planning? (You said something about trying to avoid table seating…) Just making sure you’ll have some place for people to sit - standing (and wrangling plates) for five hours gets old really fast. And I hear you on crazy prices - our catering costs were well over $100 per person. (And I mean, WELL over.)
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Mrs. Barrettes, Tumon, Guam/Napa, CA Age and Occupation: 29, Dancer Fiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Licensed Building Contractor Engagement Date: November 16, 2008 Wedding Date: October 2010 Venue: V. Sattui Winery About Me: I'm an East Coast girl, living on a tiny little island in the Pacific, twirling, leaping, and shimmy-ing my way through life, and now, wedding planning! I'm equal parts nerdy and cool... okay, mostly nerdy. I love satin bows, red lipstick, black & white graphic anything, the shine of sequins and the sound of a champagne "pop". My favorite books are The Portrait of a Lady, by Henry James, and Tender is the Night, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I can also conjure a pretty good Patronus Charm. I started my appreciation for good red wine while traveling on the high seas, and it's only fitting that my passion for wine drinking led me to my Napa-bred honey. We bonded over bottles of Cabernet on my oceanfront porch and haven't looked back since. We're sealing the deal at a winery in the Napa Valley on a 'perfect ten' of a day!
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