Staff photos by Angie Baan
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Budget Secrets
The party can be just as glamorous with fewer expenses.
Ruthan Brodsky
Special to celebrate!
We all want our special event to be memorable, regardless of the economy or the stock market.
The good news: It can happen. Weddings, bar mitzvahs, anniversaries, birthdays and dinner par-
ties can be affordable celebrations with planning and a touch of creativity.
"A major mistake, for either an expensive bash or an afternoon tea, is not making a budget
for the party," says Dee Dee Hoffman, an event planner in Bloomfield Hills. Establishing a bud-
get sets the stage for decisions: guest-list size, party location and type of party.
Finding the right place also takes homework. Start searching as soon as the date is set
because locations offering great value are booked well ahead of others.
"You want a venue that offers you everything so you don't have to rent linens or chairs,"
says Marla Spaulding, food and beverage manager at Tam-O-Shanter Country Club in West
Bloomfield.
"Ask what their policy is on serving alcohol. Bringing your own liquor cuts costs dramatically.
If you can't, find out what liquor they do stock or request the brands you want," says Spaulding.
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"Premium brands cost more, so consider house brands.
"Ask how they price their drinks: by the number of open bottles or by the number of people?
If it's by the number of people, diet Cokes may end up costing you $25 each. Be aware, how-
ever, that even when charged by inventory, if a bottle of vodka is opened, you pay for the entire
bottle [even though you can't take home what's left]."
"Food is usually the major expense at a party," says Spaulding. "When creating a budget,
don't consider food stations as less costly than a sit-down dinner. Food stations require over-
quantities be prepared because there's no way to predict which stations will run out of food. For
a sit-down dinner, the host knows exactly how many meals will be served."
Be well-organized before you hire a caterer. When caterers have to muddle through every
detail with a client, it takes away from planning something truly remarkable. Before you even
interview any caterers, you should know how much you want to spend on food, how many people
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