Many factors should be weighed when deciding on the right amount of food for your event. Of course, first you must know the number of people attending. However, the length of the event is also very important, as is the type of event and the type of food you plan to serve. For example, an evening cocktail party requires considerably less food than an entire afternoon or all-day event. The longer guests remain, the more they’ll consume. It’s funny, but over time people get hungry and thirsty over and over again. When estimating, always round up to be on the safe side. Some will eat more, others less. It will all balance out in the end. Try to anticipate which foods/drinks are most popular and will disappear quickly. Order more of these selections. 
 Their tagline is, "Scooterhinge, A Nostalgic Rental Hall." But this venue in Mead, Colorado is more than nostalgic. It's eclectic, it's strange... it's downright a museum of the odd and unusual! The My Big Day team went on a site visit of Scooterhinge to get an idea of what future signature events might makes sense in this space. We also receive requests for affordable event spaces where clients have the option to bring their own caterer and alcohol. This place offers all of that and more! So we wanted to get a feel of what this venue is all about before we make referrals to our clients. Located between Loveland and Longmont, Mead is a town of less than 4,000 people. The owner of Scooterhinge is a collector of sorts. He purchased this building and started bringing in his collectibles (old motorcycles, classic cars, vintage dolls, nostalgic toys, the list goes on.)
 My Big Day is a BIG fan of any event that benefits people and businesses in multiple ways. Great Plates is one of those events. The Fort Collins Downtown Business Association puts on this event every year, and it's benefits are three-fold: - Restaurants receive business from potentially NEW customers that have never tried their restaurant before - Customers get to try these restaurants at a great, discounted price - The Food Bank of Larimer County benefits from this event, and in turn, raises enough money to serve thousands of meals! The only problem we have is that the event only lasts two weeks, and we don't have enough time to try each restaurant!
For more information on this event, visit DowntownFortCollins.com --- but don't wait too long! The event this year is from March 1-14, 2014. And to learn more about one of our favorite non-profits, visit the Food Bank of Larimer County website: FoodBankLarimer.org CLICK HERE for a list of participating businesses!  Looking for that needle in a haystack for your meeting or event? A good, affordable, flexible, centrally located venue is hard to find! My Big Day receives requests from friends, clients and complete strangers weekly to pass on our 'little known secret' venues. While we can't promise any of our favorite venues are secret, we can say that the places below do meet much of our commonly requested criteria. Check out our recommended venues in Northern Colorado below. And... to pull your event off without a hitch, consider hiring an event planner!
 Let's face it... weddings can be expensive. From the gown, to the food, to the venue, to the photography, to the flowers... every detail costs money. If you aren't properly prepared, you can be in for quite a shock. Many websites offer budgeting spreadsheets to help couples plan for their BIG DAY. Unfortunately most of them don't add line items for all the miscellaneous things that can pop up, or aren't obvious on your contracts. My Big Day has come up with a list of items that you may want to consider budgeting for when planning your Big Day. Not all items are necessary, but they should certainly all be considered. This way, you'll be able to breathe easy knowing you planned for anything unexpected. For example...
 Hiring a great caterer can help eliminate so much unnecessary event stress. The best team will help with some of the small, yet very important details. Often when considering a variety of caterers, people base their decision on one of two things: a sample tasting, or the price. Of course, there is so much more to consider outside of those two things. Ensure you get the best of the best by asking your potential caterer the following questions in your interview process.
 A big, chocolate-covered thank you to all our Pinterest and Blog followers!
Our Pinterest page, and blog posts have been blowing up! We're happy to know that our social media has taken off. Keep following My Big Day for more on:
-Cheers!  Whether you are planning a corporate event, a baby shower, a bridal shower, a birthday party, or a wedding... you have a number of vendors out there to choose from. How to you pick? While referrals are great, how to you widen your options, and easily narrow down the vendors who you'll trust to pull your event off with grace? Easy... You do your research You ask them carefully prepared questions You go with your gut! Here Are The Top 10 Things You Should Consider When Interviewing Vendors: 1. Will the vendor commit to your budget and not push you in the direction of things you simply can't afford? 2. Will the vendor pay attention to the smallest of details? Are they prompt and articulate? (You can gage these things by their promptness in returning phone calls and emails, showing up for your meetings early or on time, and by giving you more information that you even asked for) 3. Can the vendor give you thoughtful and original ideas, showing that they are not only invested in their industry, but experienced? 4. Is the vendor familiar with multiple florists, photographers, caterers, planners, bands, and DJs in your price range? Can he/she explain their strongpoints to you briefly? 5. Can the vendor score you some discounts with any other vendors, help you negotiate pricing, or in the least, speak of general pricing for other vendors in the industry to help you with your negotiations? 6. Is the vendor legit? Do they have a website, a Facebook page, a Pinterest page, etc? Can you find reviews about their company online? Can they give you a list of referrals? 7. Can the vendor counsel you on industry etiquette matters and speak to hot trends on the horizon? 8. For the day of the event, can the vendor commit to working with only YOU (not juggling multiple clients)? 9. Will the vendor act as your advocate, conveying your visions and desires to others when you don't feel up to the task? 10. PASSION. Does the vendor have it? If you ask them about their favorite part of their job, do their eyes light up? If you ask them to tell you about why they got into the industry, do they have a compelling story they love to tell? If they can’t tell you why they love their job, will they put passion into your Big Day? Probably not. Note: A professional should have plenty of questions for YOU too. They should easily be able to determine your wishes, needs, level of maintenance, budget, scope of imagination, and more! 
 Quite often we get the question, how much should I tip my vendors? Honestly, tipping suggestions vary from person to person, and expert to expert. Based on our research, and years of event experience, here is what we recommend. Be sure to download our handy tipping sheet for future reference! My Big Day Guide to: Tipping Vendors and Weddings and Events Tips are never expected, but always appreciated. Tips are meant solely as an expression of appreciation for especially good service. Unless the service provided was less than satisfactory, it is customary to show your gratitude by tipping many of the people involved in making your event a success. My Big Day Tipping Tips: Check Your Contracts & Agreements Many gratuities are built into quotes for major items, such as, catering. This will appear as a ‘Service Fee,’ a ‘Service Charge,’ or any amount that is approximately 15 - 20% of the total contract. Read your contract carefully to avoid unnecessarily double-tipping. Don’t Tip the Venue /Owners If your photographer owns the studio, there’s no need to tip them. The same goes for bands not booked through an agency, the owner of a wedding venue, and the beauty-shop owner who does your hair. Reward Extraordinary Service Beyond the customary tips, when someone goes out of their way for you―the DJ digs up that old recording that will make your Grammy misty-eyed… the florist finds you that rare flower not in season… the event planner goes above and beyond adding little touches not contracted, etc… consider thanking them with a gift certificate, a bottle of wine, or another thoughtful token. Put Someone in Charge Assign someone you can rely on… one of the fathers, the best man, your super-organized maid of honor - to hand out envelopes with the non-contract tips in cash, either at the time of service (hair and makeup people), at the end of the wedding (which allows you to adjust the size of the tips to reflect the service), or at the beginning. Simple Tip Chart: Bartenders: 10 percent of the total liquor bill (to be split among them) Band or DJ: $20 - $25 per musician; $50 - $150 for DJs Photographer/videographer: If you’re paying a flat fee with no overtime, $100 Catering manager: $200+ or a personal gift Makeup artist: 15 to 20 percent Event/Wedding planner: 15 – 20 percent of fee Hairstylist: 15 to 20 percent Waiters: $20 and up each (distributed by the catering manager or maitre d’) Wedding Musicians: 15 percent of fee for ceremony musicians; $22 to $25 per musician for reception Delivery Staff: Cake, Flowers, Rentals, Etc. $5 to $10 per person Bathroom attendants: $1 to $2 per guest Chef: $100+ Coat check attendants: $1 to $2 per guest Hotel chambermaids: $2 to $5 per room; $10 to $15 if you used a suite as your dressing room Limo or bus drivers: 15 percent Valet or parking attendants: $1 to $2 per car; 15 percent for valet parking Maitre d’hotel or headwaiter: 1 to 3 percent of food and beverage fees
|
Search our blog
About MBD
Making Business Personal. We pride ourselves on giving you something to look forward to. We are a connected collective of creatives - owned an operated by outstanding women. Want More?Never miss an event or opportunity. Sign up for our newsletter!
Disclosure: *All content produced by My Big Day; DBA Big Deal Company, including websites, are the property of My Big Day LLC and protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, transmit, modify, create derivative works, or in any other way exploit any part of our materials without the prior written permission from My Big Day LLC. Search Categories
All
Monthly Archives
April 2023
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
RSS Feed
Never miss an event or opportunity. Sign up for our monthly newsletter.
My Big Day Company LLC 2006-2023 www.MyBigDayCompany.com
970-613-1455 or 303-886-3068 EMAIL US
We serve the entire Front Range; Denver, Southern Wyoming, the CO Mountains, and Northern Colorado: Loveland, Fort Collins, Greeley, Windsor, Berthoud, Estes Park, Lyons, Longmont, Boulder, Wellington, Johnstown, Evans, Severance, Timnath, Mead, Frederick, Firestone, Milliken
Where We Are & Where We've Been:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|