eXperT Q&a
ening
een 5pm and 8pm
W
ed
ding Ev
ask the
y 4th October 2009 betw
eXperT
Sunda
bláithín o’reilly Murphy is head wedding planner and
owner of Distinctive Weddings, one of ireland’s most sought
after wedding planning companies. she is also the author of
Distinctive Weddings – Tying the Knot without the Rope Burns,
the fi rst wedding planning book in the irish market written by
an irish wedding planner.
Q
i am getting married next
month and i’m having
problems planning the table
layouts. as my fi ancé is scottish,
we will have a lot of guests sitting
together that do not know each
other – can you suggest a fun way Q
i am getting married in february
2011 on a tight budget. We hope
to help people break the ice and to have 100 guests and want to hold
mingle during the meal? the reception in a hotel near the
a
Mixing family, friends and work church. however, the hotels i have
mates can be a toughie alright! approached have quoted me upwards
here are two ‘ice breaker’ games of €65 per meal which is beyond our
that will get the party started: budget. how can we reduce costs
Who knows the Bride and Groom without reducing the number of guests
best? prepare a short quiz full of or having to move to a venue far from
questions about yourselves, with questions that at least the church?
one person at each table will know the answer to and leave on
the dinner tables for guest to answer. a
Your wedding reception will
consume about 35% of your
Year of the Coin: at each place setting, place a one cent wedding budget. When negotiating a
coin. guests introduce themselves and tell the rest of the table price per head, have your homework
something interesting that they did the year the coin was minted! done. Be clear and focused on what
it is you want and calculate what you
Q
i am getting married in rome estimate the venue stands to make from
in august 2010. i don’t speak a your wedding. once prepared, arrange a
word of d of ititalian so i walian so i would like to hire a meeting with your chosen venue(s).
wedding planner edding planner in in rrome tome to o help with help with 1. ask them what is the best price they
some of the arrangements. ho. how should can do on your preferred menu
i go about sourcing a good, reliable 2. ask about any special deals they have
planner, and what can i what can i eexpect to pay? coming up or midweek reductions
a
use the myriad of online forums 3. ask about the costs of buffet-style
and ask brides for recommendations meals or serving three courses
of planners that they have used or instead of four or fi ve
are using. Focus on wedding planners 4. state the price you would actually
who deal specifi cally with rome as a be prepared to pay (leaving yourself
destination wedding location and who some wiggle room) and see what
have been in business a number of menu they can prepare for this.
years. The cost of services will differ Don’t be afraid to remind them of the
from company to company and also on the package you go for. number of out of town guests who will
Cheaper is not necessarily better and while some quotes can be require accommodation, your alcohol
as low as €400, on average you can expect to pay between €700 drinking friends and the engaged couples
and €1,500 with help in planning a church or civil ceremony and who will be in attendance – these all act
reception for approximately 30-50 guests. as negotiating tools!
128 The WhiTe pages
TWP_87-132-EM.indd 128 28/07/2009 16:16:55
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