Here are the basic points you can easily tick off straight away when planning a wedding, the wedding date, the wedding venue and your guest list. But what really takes a little longer is when you are deciding for your wedding style.
Celebrating on a budget
We have spoken to several engaged couples who are choosing between a sit-down wedding reception and a stand-up cocktail party. Both loves the idea and we also do love creating these type of reception however, when it comes down to budget, there are some factors to consider and a little pricing differences to keep in mind for your furniture and décor hire.
The furniture hire for stand-up cocktail vs. the sit-down reception are completely different and when it comes to budget, we say, it depends! It depends on how many meal courses you will be having, what type and style of event furniture do you have in mind and how big is the space do you have to work with.
To be honest, it is quite impossible to give clear answers with different things to consider. But Host Events are happy to talk you through the considerations for both, so you could picture your whole wedding reception and hopefully you’ll figure out which wedding style perfectly suitable for you!
The dependent factors lies in the number of your guests, food & beverage service’s price, venue and the furniture styles you have in mind. Our tip is focus on the look and the ambiance you want to create at your wedding. You may start with a checklist of furniture requirements then find the supplier. Our teams are professional and experts to bringing your ideas to life that works within your budget too. Just simply get in touch for enquiries.
Traditional Sit-Down Reception
We are going to start with the traditional sit-down wedding reception which is very popular. It is quite easy to choose the furniture and decorations for this type of wedding reception once you have the rough idea of the number of guests, because the requirements are the same across the board.
You’ll basically need dining table hire and dining chair hire for your guests. Tables can be a banquet or a circle type which comes along with table linen, napkins, plates, cutlery and glassware. The next things to consider are the vases, candles, center pieces, charger plates and other styling details.
So where does this leave you when it comes to pricing?
For a 100 guest wedding, you will be needing 100 x chairs, 10 table at a minimum because it depends on how the table layout, and then 10 x sets of plates, cutlery, glassware & napkins. For a furniture order with these basic requirements, based on a feasting menu with one set of catering items each guests, you would be looking at a ballpark figure of around $1840 for a 100-guest wedding.
We say that rough estimate because there are few variables to keep in mind like if you are hosting a 3 course meal which means that would require extra sets of cutlery and plates per guests. You can see why feasting menu can potentially help save your budget in this area.
Have you ever wonder what’s happening before the dinner- are guests spending time mingling for pre-dinner drinks? During this time, it is best to add some cocktail pieces like dry bards, stools, lounges or extra glassware.
On the final note, the actual furniture items you choose will have an effect on your overall pricing. For instance, there are different dining chairs at different price points. Choose your chair style that works within your budget. Here’s a tip, invest a little extra in your dining tables and chairs as these will have the biggest impact on the space- you can then save money on table decorations and smaller styling details.
Trendy Cocktail Wedding Reception
Cocktail wedding reception has become a trend to many couples nowadays because of the relaxed style brought by this kind of set up but somehow it can challenge to get your furniture and décor with the ideal price. In comparison to the sit-down wedding, the cocktail wedding has a flexible furniture choices but the pricing is not ideal due to many factors to consider.
In setting up the furniture and decorations, we highly recommend to create a mixture of seating options for at least 50% of your guests. But it will depend on the habits of your guests and their age too. Having said this, consider the basic furniture order and it looks like this: 2 x lounge, 5 dry bars with 5 stools around each, and 3 pieces of low dining table with at least 20 to 30 chairs. This is the rough estimate for around 50 guests.
The next on our list is the mobile bar hire and the glassware. For a 100-guest wedding, you might as well include a bar and around 100 each champagne and wine glasses. Based on these mentioned, the estimate cost for this is around $2361. So far for the basic requirements and it’s going to work out roughly the same as the sit-down reception.
Take in to consideration the additional pricing that comes from a furniture perspective. These are the rugs, umbrellas, extra furniture to accommodate the elderly guests and to fill some empty spaces. Just like the traditional sit-down reception, the style will all depend on the furniture too. Based on your preference, you can choose to have some beautiful high-end decoration or choose the more casual and simple look. The cocktail wedding reception’s flexibility allows you to mix and match until you find the best combination that fists your budget and styling taste.
