Post # 1
Member
18 posts
Newbee
Hi everyone! We’re doing a brunch buffet for about 50 people in the DC Metro area. Part of the reason for doing a brunch was to hopefully save money since we’re paying for this 100% ourselves. Our venue has a specific list of caterers we have to choose from and most of them are giving us estimates of about $100-105 per person. I think that’s pretty high, especially since we’re not doing passed hors d’ouevres or liquor (venue is beer & wine only), and we’re not getting our cake from them.
I’m curious if anyone from the area, or a comparable suburb has done a brunch buffet and how much you paid per person?
Thanks Bees! 🙂
Post # 2
Member
3459 posts
Sugar bee
- Wedding: September 2017 - Poppy Ridge Golf Course
Not in your area, live near SF which is fairly expensive, but that sounds crazy high to me. When we were planning a brunch wedding the quote was $34.24 pp which included appetizers, food, dessert, service charge, taxes, set up and pick up. Drinks weren’t included but I don’t see how the total cost would have come anywhere near $100 pp. Our venue is all-inclusive and its about $109 pp for rental fee, service fee, taxes, bridal suite, all decor, set up, DOC, appetizers, plated dinner, open bar etc., Unless thats truly the norm for your area I’d consider switching venues. Have you already given them a deposit or are you still searching?
Post # 3
Member
738 posts
Busy bee
I live in Canada in a popular destination wedding town and prices here can get sky high (especially during wedding season). We’re having our wedding in the off season but our quote was around $55 per person. I would keep looking personally because $100+ seems way over priced.
Post # 4
Member
74 posts
Worker bee
100 sounds way over priced for what you’re getting included in that. I’m in the chicago area which is pretty expensive, and right now I’m being quoted about $78 for two brunch stations, champagne toast, three passed hors d’oeuvres, cake, and coffee and tea service. So not alcohol included but still really good!
Post # 5
Member
452 posts
Helper bee
Fiance were quoted at about $80-100 pp for passed hors ‘douevres, four-course dinner, open bar, bridal suit, banquet captain on day of, set up of favours/centrepieces, etc. So…I would look at a different venue as that seems ludicrously high for a brunch wedding.
Post # 6
Member
248 posts
Helper bee
We are having a brunch wedding in Howard co MD and catering is by Puttin on the Ritz and $53pp before alcohol. They have sample menus on their site and we just used their book of other food options at our meeting to tweak things a little. We will have chicken and waffles, fruit, made to order omelet station with sausage/bacon and breakfast potatoes and a deli station with various breads, meats and cheeses with a side of potato salad. $100 seems a bit steep.
Post # 7
Member
836 posts
Busy bee
Yep, that seems crazy-high. We got a really fantastic deal, and our brunch (without wedding cake, but with buffet & 2 servers) worked out to about $14 per person, in a suburb of Atlanta.
(Cost of plates, silverware, glasses, etc was in addition to the food price above, and probably added another couple dollars pp. Alcohol was also separate.)
Post # 8
Member
276 posts
Helper bee
That sounds ridiculously high to me. My wedding was in a popular destination city at peak season and filet mignon was $100pp. This price didn’t include alcohol. The next morning we did brunch for $15-20pp. i would keep looking.
Post # 9
Member
18 posts
Newbee
Thanks everyone! I thought it sounded pretty high. Unfortunately we’ve already booked the venue since it was the only one in the area within our budget rental-wise. Hopefully they’ll come down since we haven’t even discussed specific menu options yet, they just asked our overall budget (which is about $60pp) and said it was low.
jerzgrlnmd : Omg your menu sounds amazing btw, this is almost exactly what I was thinking food-wise.
Post # 10
Member
670 posts
Busy bee
Pull banquet menus from a few hotels in the area and compare the breakfast costs – then use that to negotiate. Breakfast buffet at at 5-star hotel in a popular area near me is about $40 pp.
Post # 11
Member
433 posts
Helper bee
maryc20 : that’s almost dinner price. Why don’t u ask ur venue if there is any possibility for u to use anyone other than the preferred vendor, sometime they are flexible. They might charge certain percentage though but I think u will still save tons.
Post # 12
Member
248 posts
Helper bee
maryc20 : what venue are you using if you don’t mind sharing. I love our menu and they had even less expensive options more breakfast leaving. Even all you can eat buffets around here range from $30-45 pp with bottomless mimosas so I agree that you should ask to negotiate price.
Also we have a DMV brides thread here if you wanna join us. There’s a few of us active in there but some have gotten married so it would be nice to have some new brides join me since I have 8 more months to go lol http://boards.weddingbee.com/topic/dmv-dc-md-va-brides-and-weddings/page/33/#post-10841765
Post # 13
Member
18 posts
Newbee
jerzgrlnmd : We’re having it at a small winery in Virginia – I’m hoping we can make it work! The actual venue prices are very reasonable, not sure what’s up with their caterers. I’m wondering if it’s typical to jack up the prices when you have exclusivity deals with a venue.
And yay! Glad to find a DMV thread 😀 I still have about 7 months to go and we’re still scrambling to get everything together in time, ugh!
Post # 14
Member
18 posts
Newbee
So the $100 pp is including the equipment rental/staff – idk is this normal? I have no idea.
Post # 15
Member
248 posts
Helper bee
Our contract says $X per person plus 6% sales tax for the entire cost of catering (food and labor) so I guess that’s the same thing as what you notated. I would ask them to see some menus closer to your budget and then see what they come up with.
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