Bemidji Wedding

I’ve been to a lot of weddings.  And lets be honest most weddings have chicken in some form.  Don’t feel bad if you too are planning on chicken.  It’s a costs effective way to feed 200+ people.  The sides with chicken vary but normally contain potatoes of some kind and a veggie.  Whether it’s a buffet or a platted dinner you can feel confident that guests will enjoy your chicken and potatoes meal and that you won’t break the bank.

I’ve read somewhere that almost no one remembers what was for dinner at your wedding even just a month later.  Does this mean the meal is unimportant?  Certainly not, but you shouldn’t be stressing about the figs on the salad either.  Some questions to keep in mind are:

1. Buffet or sit-down dinner
2. Finger foods or hearty fare
3. Catered or cooked by relatives or friends
4. Indoors or outdoors
5. Any appropriate themes for cuisine, i.e. Polynesian, SouthernBBQ, Coastal seafood, etc.
6. Dietary restrictions
7. Mobility of your guests (elderly people may have a harder time at a buffet)
8. Cultural traditions
9. Cost
10. Number of guests
11. Time of day
12. Decor (flowers, candles, ice sculptures, or whatever you fancy)
13. Logistics of serving and/or buffet lines
14. Beverage options
15. Wedding cake and/or other dessert

There are cheaper ways to serve food to hundreds of quests at one time.  For instance pasta if home cooked is always a cost effective way to serve quests.  It can also be really tasty with little to no added ingredients.  You could also cut the meat out of the equation and serve more sides to make up for the loss.

Perhaps one of my favorite weddings meals was a large croissant that we were able to make into a sandwich.  It was delicious and i’m sure cost effective.  The toppings were sliced deli meat, cheese, and other sandwich items.  I also always enjoy tacos, while perhaps not the most elegant meal you’ll be sure to have something your quests haven’t had in a while if you serve tacos.

I’ll post a second to this hotly asked question.

(A lot of information was taken from http://hubpages.com/hub/Wedding-Food)

This question is perhaps the hardest question you will never ask.  I’ve been told that magazines put the national average at $20,000.  That’s a lot of money here in Bemidji.  While some weddings I have DJ’ed easily met this limit, most of them didn’t.  I would say average for in the Bemidji market is $5,000-$15,000.  I’ve given you a sliding scale because the venue and food can effect your pricing more than anything.  If your reception is to be at an upscale place it would be hard to get by spending less than 10k.  Most nicer places have minimum requirements on food and beverage and charge quite a premium for alcohol.  They make a lot of there money on alcohol sales.  What should you expect for 10k in the Bemidji market?  I competent photographer, a skilled DJ who will lead many things, and a venue with at least 5 staff members serving and clearing dishes from you.  If you want to have chair skirts and the whole shebang, plan on spending more like 20k in the Bemidji market.

A ruff sliding scale for upscale services could be as such:

1. Photographer $1,200-$3,000
2. Disc Jockey $800-$1,200
3. Venue rental $1200-$3000
4. Dress $800-$3,000
5. Flowers $700
6. Cake $550
7. Dinner $15 per person

All of these are for the Bemidji market with some information taken from http://www.costhelper.com/cost/wedding/wedding.html.

You can see how having a wedding is a big expense and you should plan wisely.

If your having a wedding outside, good they are a lot of fun.  You of course wouldn’t want one outside any earlier than April or later than October.  It can still be cold the other times of the year, but don’t let this deter you.  You should of course have a backup.  Again you should of course have a backup.  I have seen weddings moved last minute because of tornado warnings.  Be careful about planning a backup and take it seriously.

Outdoor weddings are picturesque, beautiful, lively and full of mosquitoes.  That last item was a joke, but if it’s going to be anywhere close to water, better yet if it’s in Minnesota; there will be mosquitoes.  You can spray, provide bug spray, and/or get those mosquitoes magnets.  Your guest will all appreciate all the planning ahead.

You will have to provide food somehow.  Soon i’ll right a post on catering services.  Until then you’re stuck with weeding through the good and the bad.  I would think year of service are a good benchmark for comparison.  And again private companies should be chosen over conglomerates or large corporations.

Weddings outside in the Bemidji area have seen a rise in the past 10 years.  People are realizing we have an amazing location for weddings, in the future i see people from Florida coming here for a destination wedding… Not really but it’s pretty amazing the yards and lake shore people own around here.  Good work Mom, Dad.

Another think you should seriously consider is providing sound for your ceremony if that too will be outdoors.  I have attended a few wedding with and without sound.  The ones with sound are way better.  It’s nice to hear everything, regardless of where you are.  For one outdoor wedding i was in the back, and honestly had no idea what was happening in the front.  It was unfortunate.  There are DJs that will provide sound reinforcement, and they are reasonably priced.  Look for them…

Make sure you have a tent, if it sprinkles even a little you’ll be glad you did.  A pole shed or large building counts too.  Check with the photographer and see if there is anything you can do to make it easier for them to take photos in the tent.  Parking, it’s a big concern.  You can use a yard, it might get scuffed up.  You can use the street, but be conscious of how far some people will have to walk, and consider handicap parking.

In conclusion outdoor weddings are a lot of fun, but be careful with the cold, mosquitoes, sound, and parking.

Your wedding reception location and dinner will be your biggest cost.  I enjoy playing at the Hampton Inn and the Country Club the most.  The staff at both locations in competent and helpful.  They provide superior service in the Bemidji area and have good food.  Both have things that could be changed about them, mostly layout of the rooms, but all in all are the best places to have your wedding in Bemidji.  This does however come at a higher costs than other alternatives.  Here is a list of some places in Bemidji to have your reception, I’ll add an average cost to each place soon.

• Hampton Inn
• Country Club
• New City Ballroom (Not recommended)
• Event Center (Availability unknown)
• Eagles Club
• American Legion
• Elks Lodge (Not recommended)
• Armory
• Curling Club
• Diamond Point Park
• Outdoor Reception
• Church Fellowship Hall

I don’t recommend New City Ballroom because they have a huge room, but didn’t plan any space for the DJ.  They do offer amazing screens for the slideshow but your slide show will last about 10-15 min your DJ will be at your entire reception.  To build a room of that size and quality and to not allow a specific spot for the DJ is poor planning.  They also don’t have a view of anything, except for the back of Home Depot.  For the kind of cash you will spend book the Hampton, Event Center, or the Country Club; You’ll have a much better view!

I don’t recommend the Elks Lodge because they don’t have an elevator, this makes it nearly impossible for wheelchair bound guests and is hard on your vendors such as caterers, and DJ’s, who both have a lot of equipment to bring up.

If you have your reception at the following you will need to hire a catering service:

• Elks Lodge
• Curling Club
• Armory
• Outdoor Reception
• Diamond Point

Choosing a Disc Jockey is an important task.  It may or may not be high on your list of things to do, but it should be.  Your DJ is important because they will more than likely be the coordinator for your wedding day unless you have a wedding planner.  They will probably not be at your ceremony unless your wedding is outside and you would like sound reinforcement.  But once the reception has started almost everything will involve the DJ.  Most DJ’s in our market will also be your MC.  They should Announce the wedding party when they arrive, make general announcements, and guide your guest from dinner to dancing.

A good DJ will cost anywhere from $600-$1000 in the Bemidji market.  For this price you should expect to receive some form of light show, a talented MC, and a trusted reputation.  If your not looking at spending this much you might not receive any of the above.

If you are looking at skimping a couple hundred dollars on the DJ just think about this, a good DJ may be able to sell your garter for more than a bad one and make up the price difference.  You should also consider that a DJ will be in front of all of your guests more than once, so make sure what your guests see is someone professional.

When comparing price quotes you should be looking at what is included in the service, don’t compare just numbers.  Maybe a DJ has old equipment and so they can charge less, maybe one carries insurance and must charge more.

Some things you should look for are,

• Reputation
• Insurance
• Lighting package
• Hours that they will work
• MC skills
• Quality of equipment
• Professionalism
• Appearance
• Referrals
• Website

A good DJ will have all of the above and be able to tell in you in depth about any one topic you choose to hone in on.  Choosing a DJ is hard work.  A professional DJ shouldn’t let you come to another wedding and see them working.  How would you feel if your DJ was trying to sell services to someone else, at your wedding?  In the Bemidji market you should be booking DJ’s for wedding season (April – September) at least 9 – 12 months in advance to ensure you get the service you want.  And in the slow time of the year (October – March) you should be booking from 3-6 months in advance.

If your venue has a house catering service you may not have an option.  Check to see if you can cater your own meal, you can save some money but it will mean more headaches.

If they don’t provide house catering you should check with as many caterers as you can.  One thing to keep in mind when picking any vendor for your wedding day is their reputation.  In my opinion the worst thing that could happen is they don’t show up.  Don’t think this worst case scenario can’t happen to you.  Ask questions like “What happens if you are sick?”  ”How many weddings have you catered?” “Do you have any references?”

You should of course taste the different food combinations.  You should also ask how the caterer plans on keeping the food warm while it is served.  Cold food is not good food.  There are a lot of private catering companies in Bemidji and the surrounding area.  I like to believe that small private companies (run and operated by the owner) provide better service than a catering service from say a grocery store.

(I base this opinion on what i have seen.  In my experience the grocery store caterers show up Just In Time.  They are hired help who are working a JOB.  They often know little about the food, where it came from, what is in it, how to make it.  They often don’t dress in the most professional clothing.)

The price may be higher but the owner has more at stake because it’s their reputation on the line.

If you hired a grocery store service, don’t fret many of the things i mentioned can be quickly fixed by requiring the help where a certain color shirt.  Buy asking that the people who will be serving food are the veteran staff and not the newbies.

Wherever you get your food, keep in mind few people will remember what you had for dinner even a month after the wedding.

It’s wedding season in Bemidji and that means many of you are stressing.  If you are don’t worry, most of you have been planning this for many months now.  In the unfortunate event you haven’t been planning for months, you may want to work quickly.  One of the best things about a long engagement is the ability to have the vendors you want for the day.  Vendors like your photographer, venue, disc jockey, flower service and all the others.  If your plans are rushed, then you have an advantage too.  You might have fewer choices but you could get services for cheaper.  A vendor should be willing to give you a deal if you haggle, it’s better to sell the day then to not sell it. 

One thing to keep in mind, the thing i see most often go wrong, is that there is little communication between services.  You should get in writing what each vendor is going to provide for the day.  Who will take care of your slide show?  How will sound be provided for the slide show?  Whose microphone will you use?  Who will release the tables at dinner time?  Who will be in charge of making sure everything gets done on time?  It’s the little details that are easy for a seasoned vendor to handle but if your risking it with new businesses make sure you plan everything to a T!

Being prepared is the key.  Your wedding only happens once, and while it may be stressful to plan, keep in mind it will be over before you know it!