Get It In Writing...
With each stage of your wedding
planning, it is critical that you and your vendor reach a point of
total agreement and understanding on what products and services you
have purchased and expect to receive. The best way to achieve this is
to follow up each major conversation with a letter summarizing your
understanding of what has been agreed. By "major" conversation, I mean
one in which substantive decisions were reached.
Even when this conversation is the
third such one you've had with that vendor, and the services agreed to
have changed each time, you still want to follow the conversation with
a formal, written representation of what you believe was discussed. In
fact, it's almost MORE important to write these formal letters when
you've made changes to the plan than it is to do so for the original
plan (but both are important).
Letters such as these are of benefit
to both you and the vendor. You'll be surprised at how often two
people can participate in the same conversation and yet come away with
differing impressions of what was said. Your written summary will help
you to mentally review the conversation, elaborate on points you think
need clarification, and provide specifics about your expectations.
This results in less confusion on both sides and greatly increases the
likelihood that the end result will please both you and your vendor.
A sample letter, to a catering
manager, is provided below for you to edit and add to for your
personal circumstances and for different types of vendors. You'll
notice that the letter includes several questions that may have
occurred to the writer during the composition of the letter (but
obviously not during the conversation that proceeded it). Once the
answers to these questions has been ascertained, another letter,
specifying the answers, will be necessary. Remember to keep your
presentation friendly and professional.
The Date
Ms. Jane Doe
Director of Sales
Gorgeous Hot Springs Lodge
Beautiful, MT 59065
Dear Jane:
This letter is to confirm our
conversation of last Wednesday, August 23rd, 2000. I am so pleased to
be able to have Gorgeous Lodge catering the food at my wedding
reception. My culinary experiences at the Lodge (in addition to the
mouth-watering descriptions on your catering menus) fill me with great
anticipation for an exceptional meal.
As we discussed, the reception food
theme is "enough hors d' oeuvres to make a meal." The headcount will
fall between 35 and 40 people. The items and amounts I ordered are
listed below.
Garnished Vegetable Crudités Platter
(serves 25)
___________1
Platter___________________________________38.00
Cold Poached Salmon Display (serves 35)
___________1 Display__________________________________70.00
Imported Cheese & Grape Display
(serves 50)
___________1 Display_________________________________140.00
Assorted Finger Sandwiches
___________20_______________________________________20.00
Smoked Duck w/ Peach Cashew Chutney
___________40_______________________________________80.00
Maple Pecan Glazed Chicken
___________40_______________________________________60.00
Smoked Turkey/Cranberry Walnut Cream Ch.
___________40_______________________________________60.00
Peppered Buffalo Skewers
___________40_______________________________________80.00
Baked Artichoke Spinach Parmesan (serves 25)
___________1 Dip Display______________________________40.00
Total Price:__________________________________________$588.00
Question: Do your hors d'
oeuvres prices include tax or will tax be added?
My understanding in talking to you was that your catering service
includes:
tablecloths
napkins
plates
silverware
glasses
chaffing dishes for the hot items (2)
set up
clean up
Question: Do any of these
involve an additional charge? If so, how much would it be?
Additionally, you suggested that a
second table would be needed to display the buffet of hors d' oeuvres,
and we discussed getting about 10 extra chairs for guests to use
during the reception (guests will stand during the actual ceremony).
I'm wondering if it would also be possible to get two smaller tables,
one for displaying the cake and one for gifts. Could we get
tablecloths with these smaller tables as well?
If possible, I'd like to have the
extra tables, tablecloths, and 10 chairs delivered during the
afternoon of Friday, September 26th. We would then be able to utilize
them during the rehearsal dinner as well as during the reception.
Question: Is there a charge
for the use of extra tables, tablecloths, or chairs? If so, how much
would it be per day?
Our timetable would then include the
following:
Afternoon, Friday, September 22nd
Delivery of ten (10) chairs, one (1) large buffet table, and two (2)
smaller tables with tablecloths to Mt. View
Saturday, September 23rd, 5:30
p.m. Delivery and set up of buffet hors d' oeuvres at Mt. View prior
to wedding ceremony at 6:00
Late night, Saturday, September
23rd Clean up of buffet, tables, and chairs will take place when
someone from Mt. View calls the Chico front desk to request it.
We also discussed the rental of two
(2) silver table-top candelabras for decoration of the buffet table.
I'd like to have two candelabras per buffet table, however, so in
light of the necessity for a second buffet table, let's increase the
order to four candelabras. My understanding at this point is that the
Chico Lodge obtains these items through Montana Party Time in Bozeman
and passes the rental costs on to me.
Question: How much will the
rental of four (4) silver table-top candelabras cost?
Please feel free to contact me if
you want to discuss any of the information I've outlined above and
when you have the answers to my various questions. I've enjoyed
working with you and your co-workers at the Gorgeous Lodge and look
forward to meeting you in late September.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
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