less is more: tips for negotiating with your wedding caterer

lil' tip: caterers usually ask for a final head count a week or so before an event. word to the wise, it's smart to say slightly lower than anticipated. inevitably 1 or 2 people call last minute to cancel. you never know who's going to break up with their boyfriend, get locked in a bathroom or flee the country due to reasons unknown. case in point: we told our caterer 2 less than our actual count & wouldn't you know it, 2 people didn't show! their loss if you ask me, but seriously, it saved us money. if we had told our caterer the actual count, we would have paid for 2 untouched plates! caterers always have extra food for a few more & will just add to the final bill. don't think, just do it.

is this thing on?

{via afterglow photos llc}

this is not a wedding blog. well, it's not a blog solely dedicated to weddings. i planned my wedding from across the country last year and relied pretty heavily on a handful of amazing blogs. while they seemed to cover most of the bases, there were things i learned along the way that i thought could be super helpful to others. not simply for planning a wedding, but any old event that involves gathering some of your favorite people together. figured i'd throw out a few helpful tips, post some inspiration, answer questions and mostly just goof around. frankly, i'll most likely veer off topic and spend a few months talking about my love for san francisco or farmers markets, but that's the glory of a blog, right?! hope you're along for the ride...