Stunning decor,
singular centerpieces, exquisite food and drink, and fabulous gifts
typically come with equally impressive price tags. What to do if
you and your client or organization have Neiman-Marcus tastes but a
Target budget? Following are suggestions for stylish yet affordable
alternatives to elegant meeting and event elements. (Note: Prices
are estimates and might vary by season, location and other
factors.)
Fine French champagne, perhaps Moet
& Chandon Vintage Rose 1999, about $100 per bottle
vs.
A French sparkling wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region, like
Saint-Hilaire 2004 Blanquette de Limoux Blanc de Blancs Brut, left,
about $10 per bottle; www.wine.com
Jumbo shrimp, starting at $2 apiece
vs.
Scallops, about 50 cents apiece (caterer Bill Hansen recommends
serving them on a seashell and garnishing with seaweed salad and
soy sauce)
For buffet carving table: prime rib, left,
about $9 per pound
vs.
Rolled chicken breast, stuffed with cranberry and sage, right,
about $4 per
pound, from Barber Foods,
(207) 482-5500; www.barberfoods.com
Floral centerpiece with packed roses, left,
about $160
vs.
Floral centerpiece with packed hydrangeas, right, about $80, from
Planet Flowers, (011) 44-131-539-7781;
www.planetflowers.co.uk
Illuminated bar of carved ice with logo, left, about
$2,000
vs.
Illuminated bar of acrylic with logo, right, about $800, from
Atlanta Arrangements Inc., (404) 443-5944;
www.atlantaarrange.com
Gift certificate for a treatment like the Super
Blissage massage, $195 at a Bliss spa
vs.
Best of Bliss set of spa products, $45 per kit, (888) 243-8825; www.blissworld.com
White suede cloth-backed chair, about $22 each
for rental
vs.
Fanfare chair, $9.75 each for rental, from Chameleon Chair
Collection, (310) 973-8200; www.chameleonchair.com
TRICKS OF THE
TRADE
For insider advice on how to get the
look (and taste) of big-budget items for less, M&C
queried some top industry pros. The experts:
* Jaclyn E. Bernstein, DMCP, president
of New York City-based Empire Force Events Inc.;
* Bill Hansen, owner of the eponymous
Coconut Grove, Fla.-based catering firm;
* Greg Jenkins, founder/partner of Long
Beach, Calif.-based Bravo Productions;
* Michelle Lend, senior vice
president/partner at Atlanta Arrangements Ltd.;
* Vince Steffan, president of the
eponymous New York City-based event and destination management
firm.
Prices given below are estimates; costs
will vary based on location, season and other factors.
Cocktails
While a full cocktail bar with martinis
can run about $40 per person, offering a single signature cocktail
(the least expensive, according to caterer Bill Hansen, are
rum-based drinks, such as mojitos) upon arrival, along with a beer
and wine bar, will run about $25 per person.
A fine French wine, such as Chateau
Pontet-Canet Pauillac 2004 Bordeaux, costs $80 per bottle. For a
more reasonably priced alternative, try Chateau d’Armailhac
Pauillac 2004 Bordeaux at $35 per bottle.
Fine Scotch, such as Highland Park
30-year-old single malt, costs approximately $500 per bottle. A
nice substitution is Glenlivet 12-year-old single malt Scotch at
$73.
Food
Stone or snow crab claws are priced at
about $5 apiece, while the more humble but still tasty blue crab
claw runs 20 cents each.
Mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat will
cost about $2.50 apiece, vs. mushrooms stuffed with a
pistachio/brie filling, about 75 cents per.
If you’ve been ordering beef
tenderloin, at about $12 per pound, try top sirloin cap at about
half the price.
What’s in the bread basket? Individual
rolls cost about 30 cents apiece, while slices of focaccia bread
run just 15 cents per serving.
Table settings
As with the categories cited above,
table settings are yet another area where smart alternatives can
save significant dollars, without compromising the look and feel of
a somewhat more lavish event. (Prices given below are for rentals,
except as noted.)
For example, Ricci Silversmith
gold-plated designer flatware costs $20 per piece, vs. King Arthur
gold-plated utensils at $1.25.
Waterford Siren stemware runs about $75
per glass, as opposed to very thin, 24 percent lead crystal
stemware at $3 per piece.
Gold-rimmed or tinted glassware costs
about $3 per piece. For a similar look on a budget, use mostly
plain, clear glasses, accented by just one tinted or gold-rimmed
piece, such as a champagne glass, at each place setting. The cost:
about $1 each for plain, plus $3 for the accent piece.
Fancy plates, such as a Chainette
charger by French designer Regis Dho, cost $220 each, vs. an
Italian art glass charger or a clear glass charger with gold beads,
about $8 each.
A Belgian flax custom tablecloth can
cost $250, while a Sorrento damask covering can be had for $45. A
custom-made damask linen tablecloth with matching overlay costs
about $125 each, vs. a Bengaline (shimmery, slightly ribbed fabric)
counterpart for just $35.
An illuminated table rents for about
$110. Get a similar look with a standard round table topped with
$65 illuminated centerpieces.