As much as I don’t want to, it looks like I may need to compromise on my Saturday preference. There’s a place I have in mind that allows outside caterers, is big enough and can hold the wedding and the reception. Problem is, they don’t have any Saturdays available next year…at all.

Despite the disappointment, I think I can get over it. I’d much rather have to compromise on the day of the week, instead of compromising on the budget, or cutting the guest list.

So basically, the ceremony would start around 7 and the reception will immediately follow. Since they’re held in the same place, there is no wasted travel time.

What do you guys think? Friday okay?

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Technorati Tags: Caterer, Ceremony, Detroit, Dinner, Food, friday, Reception, saturday, Venue

Ok. First of all, thank you everyone for your suggestions about venues. I’ve looked into all of them but I still don’t have a venue. So, I’m thinking of changing our tactics. We’ve already cut the guest list, I think as much as we’re willing to.

Here are some things we might try next:

• Have the ceremony and reception at two different places
• Find a restaurant to have the reception at
• Think of any people I know personally who own a big space and are willing to let us use it
• Have the ceremony and/or reception outdoors

Stuff we don’t want to budge on:

• Having dinner as opposed to lunch
• Having an open bar
• Staying within our budget
• Having the wedding on a Saturday

This is more of a task than I ever could have imagined. In a city like Detroit, where the economy is is limping and the cost of living isn’t really that high, wedding venues should not be as expensive as they are.

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Technorati Tags: Caterer, Ceremony, Detroit, Dinner, Reception, restaurant, Venue, venues

Why is it that baked chicken at a mid-level restaurant (where someone serves you), which tastes pretty good costs about

$15 +6% tax + and 15% gratuity

But

Baked chicken for a wedding (where you serve yourself), which is usually dry, rubbery and flavorless costs at least

$34 +6% tax and 18% gratuity

This just doesn’t add up!

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Technorati Tags: Banquet, Caterer, Chicken, Dinner, expensive, Food, Reception, restaurant, taste

So, I recently found out about this place Forte Belanger. They do event catering in the Metro Detroit area. The food looks soooooo good. The problem is it looks likes one of those places where, if you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it. I know this is supposed to be all about doing the wedding on a 12k budget but I can’t help but wonder if they could help me.

I mean, I don’t have to have the most exquisite meal on the menu. I’m willing to bet I’d be happy with the least expensive thing the menu. I just don’t know if even the least expensive thing will fit in our 12k budget.

The nice thing is, they don’t really go by a set menu. It looks like they’re willing to create a menu especially for the event at hand. Which is my only hope.

So, I’ll be calling them soon with my high hopes and low budget and I guess I’ll just wait to see what they say. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

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Technorati Tags: Budget, Catering, Dinner, Food, Inexpensive, Reception

Although this is a 12k wedding, there are a few things I don’t want to compromise on. The food is one of them. I know what I don’t want. I don’t want baked chicken, potatoes au gratin, cold hard rolls or dry roast beef. No offense to any brides who will be having that, but I happen to consider myself a lover of food and I’d like to share that with my guests. Baked chicken and cold hard rolls don’t quite come off as great. Both of us love seafood whether it’s shrimp, crab, lobster, crawfish or fish. So that should be incorporated somehow. We also both really like a good steak from time to time. So maybe a surf-n-turf kinda thing?

I know I’m asking for a lot here, considering the average cost per plate in my area is somewhere between $25-$35. And that’s for the usual fare listed above in my “don’t list”. I know we’ll have to make sacrifices in other places, but to me there’s nothing better and more comforting than a good plate of food shared with good company. I love it especially when you can provide people with food they love that they might not otherwise eat on a regular basis.

So basically, I have myself in a big pickle. How do I provide excellent food at a digestible price. In other words, I have champagne tastes on a beer budget.

Any suggestions?

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Technorati Tags: Catering, Cheap, Dinner, Food, Inexpensive, Reception