Friday is "Bride"day: Venue Rental and Catering

Welcome to the Friday is "Bride"day series in which I will introduce the latest DIY tip, wedding day idea, or major wedding decision I am facing in my quest for the perfect big day!

I mentioned in an earlier post that if we found a reasonable caterer, we could justify the price of the GWU venue. The base rental fee is $3000 for 8 hours, and the University requires the renter to get the room insured, which they estimate at $300. Hopefully, our renter insurance or my mother's homeowner's insurance will allow us to insure the room. And the University requires their police to be on duty; they will pay for four hours, but the renter is responsible for the other four at $40.04 per hour. That brings the grand total for the venue to $3460.16.



Yes, we are paying for this beautiful view of the city! {photo from elaineathon on bios.weddingbee.com}



The venue only provides tables and chairs. That means I would need EVERYTHING: linens, china, glassware, bar, servers, food, wedding cake, and outdoor chairs for the ceremony on the terrace. On the bright side, the venue has a full kitchen, so I am sure any caterer would be happy about that. The venue says they can hold 104 guests comfortably, which is perfect for our ideal guest list (which we will discuss in another post).



I am trying to turn the space from a conference room (left) to a WEDDING RECEPTION (right).
{photos from http://www.gwu.edu/~capstone/symposium/2006/FB.htm and elaineathon on bios.weddingbee.com}



So, what should I look for in a catering company? Is it cheaper to buy/rent the linens separately? Or should I pay for the convenience of not having to worry about it, and let one full service catering company handle everything?