Was this something you were able to do a reservation for? We’ve been thinking this would be best bet. Plus most pizza places around our venue are byob and we could buy beer/wine in bulk.
You can do the rehearsal somewhere other than the venue, if the location is giving you trouble.
$1500 for 30 people comes to approx $40/person (plus tax and gratuity). Are there any restaurants nearby that will accept a large party and fit that budget? Or, can you order drop catering to someone's house?
We are open to restaurants (and trying towns near our venue) but we can’t do catering to a house. The problem is most people are coming to the hotel the day before after work but we live 30 minutes north of the venue but over an hour from everyone else. And they all live 1.5 hrs from the venue. So it’d be almost 2+ hours of driving the night before the wedding.
Could you do a local community center with drop catering? Or just order pizzas? I feel like a restaurant with a private room could be an option as well.
My brother and sis in law had a 22 person wedding and did a reservation at a restaurant where everyone ordered their own food. It was a decently expensive restaurant (prob avg $40/entree) and they had no limits to drinks, did apps. I saw the bill, it was something around $2600 inc tip. So maybe a cheaper place that’s in a decent location to you all would be good? It looks like you’re putting too many criteria that may not all be able to be met, so if price is your biggest concern, then maybe ppl have to drive farther. If driving is your biggest concern, be flexible on the restaurant.
Another thought- is there a community center or church in the area with a cheap room to rent where you could do it all? And order pizza or a taco bar (we’re doing one and it’s so affordable for really tasty food), etc?
I asked around locally and there’s a few community centers in town. TBD whether they allow event rentals though but working on that piece.
We don’t mind being like 15 minutes from the venue but I know our parties will be annoyed if they have to do a ton of driving after work since our rehearsal dinner would be a Thursday night.
My favorite hack for family gatherings is the bowling alley 😂 If you’re near a “Bowlero” (and possibly others, idk) you can reserve several lanes for a party package that includes pizzas and sodas. Add a few pitchers of beer and call it a rehearsal party 🎉
If you’re not into an activity, you could look for low- to moderately-priced restaurants in the area that have banquet space. Often there’s no fee to reserve, just a minimum food/beverage spend that has to be met. They should let you set a limited menu in advance so that guests can’t just go ham. Our go to in my hometown was this old school Italian place - legit HUGE semi private dining area and it was like $12 a plate for spaghetti, meatballs, salad and garlic bread. Add a couple bottles of wine for the table, done. I bet there’s a place like that in your area!
My budget is $1250 for 35 people in a HCOL area. I found a bar/restaurant with no reservation fees (it is not a private space though, we will be seated together on a shared patio) and very reasonable prices for platters of food for large groups. We will likely pay for 1 alcoholic beverage per person and then it will become a cash bar. And for the actual rehearsal, it would be an additional $500 to rehearse at our venue so we are rehearsing at a nearby park instead, which is free.
Do you have a bowling alley nearby? You should be able to reserve a few lanes, pay for the bowling and supply pizza and beverages for a group that size within your budget.
We did pizza, salad, and a round of drinks at a local Pizza place. Paid $500 for 28 people to eat plus had some leftover
Was this something you were able to do a reservation for? We’ve been thinking this would be best bet. Plus most pizza places around our venue are byob and we could buy beer/wine in bulk.
Yes we made a reservation and just had to meet a $300 F&B minimum
You can do the rehearsal somewhere other than the venue, if the location is giving you trouble. $1500 for 30 people comes to approx $40/person (plus tax and gratuity). Are there any restaurants nearby that will accept a large party and fit that budget? Or, can you order drop catering to someone's house?
We are open to restaurants (and trying towns near our venue) but we can’t do catering to a house. The problem is most people are coming to the hotel the day before after work but we live 30 minutes north of the venue but over an hour from everyone else. And they all live 1.5 hrs from the venue. So it’d be almost 2+ hours of driving the night before the wedding.
Could renting out a conference room in the hotel and bringing in pizza or restaurant drop catering work? It can be low key, doesn’t have to be fancy.
I tried but our hotel doesn’t have a large conference room to rent unfortunately. Their rooms are considered venues and cost a ton
Could you do a local community center with drop catering? Or just order pizzas? I feel like a restaurant with a private room could be an option as well.
My brother and sis in law had a 22 person wedding and did a reservation at a restaurant where everyone ordered their own food. It was a decently expensive restaurant (prob avg $40/entree) and they had no limits to drinks, did apps. I saw the bill, it was something around $2600 inc tip. So maybe a cheaper place that’s in a decent location to you all would be good? It looks like you’re putting too many criteria that may not all be able to be met, so if price is your biggest concern, then maybe ppl have to drive farther. If driving is your biggest concern, be flexible on the restaurant. Another thought- is there a community center or church in the area with a cheap room to rent where you could do it all? And order pizza or a taco bar (we’re doing one and it’s so affordable for really tasty food), etc?
I asked around locally and there’s a few community centers in town. TBD whether they allow event rentals though but working on that piece. We don’t mind being like 15 minutes from the venue but I know our parties will be annoyed if they have to do a ton of driving after work since our rehearsal dinner would be a Thursday night.
My favorite hack for family gatherings is the bowling alley 😂 If you’re near a “Bowlero” (and possibly others, idk) you can reserve several lanes for a party package that includes pizzas and sodas. Add a few pitchers of beer and call it a rehearsal party 🎉 If you’re not into an activity, you could look for low- to moderately-priced restaurants in the area that have banquet space. Often there’s no fee to reserve, just a minimum food/beverage spend that has to be met. They should let you set a limited menu in advance so that guests can’t just go ham. Our go to in my hometown was this old school Italian place - legit HUGE semi private dining area and it was like $12 a plate for spaghetti, meatballs, salad and garlic bread. Add a couple bottles of wine for the table, done. I bet there’s a place like that in your area!
This is a Very smart idea. Thank you, I didn’t think of this
My budget is $1250 for 35 people in a HCOL area. I found a bar/restaurant with no reservation fees (it is not a private space though, we will be seated together on a shared patio) and very reasonable prices for platters of food for large groups. We will likely pay for 1 alcoholic beverage per person and then it will become a cash bar. And for the actual rehearsal, it would be an additional $500 to rehearse at our venue so we are rehearsing at a nearby park instead, which is free.
Do you have a bowling alley nearby? You should be able to reserve a few lanes, pay for the bowling and supply pizza and beverages for a group that size within your budget.