Would this work in your community?

southernbubby

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 4:42 pm

Our rebbitzen has a dream of building a hall in our shul that would be big enough for chassunahs. She also wants to make package deals that would help keep the prices low for these simchas. The package would be one price for a hall, food, flowers music, etc. I think it is a fantastic idea and hope that she is able to do it. Would such an idea work?

withhumor

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 5:19 pm

I know that vishnitz in Monsey has a very low fee for a wedding, and also Belz in Israel… etc. However many people today are part of chasunah plans where they can pick their own musician, photographer, all for one flat rate. People like choices, especially a kallah. It makes them feel good that they can pick from a list of vendor son the plan. What we need is more encouragement for more vendors to join this plan, and more sponsors to pay privately for tzedaka so that these plans can continue to function non-profit.

chocolate moose

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 6:45 pm

But what about the ppl who want to bring in extra cakes, or nicer centerpieces, or do something to make their simcha j ust a little bit more special?

I don't se that going over in CH at all.

shalhevet

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 6:54 pm

In Bnei Brak, Chasdei Naomi have recently built a beautiful wedding hall. The price is according to various criteria like number of children in the family, if father is in kolel etc. For orphans it is free of charge.

What is really beautiful is that no-one knows how much anyone paid to use it. There are a few catering options, and I imagine that for the very needy they pay for the food too.

southernbubby

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 7:04 pm

I think that the idea is that everyone can have an average but nice simcha that does not compete or make others overspend just to fit in. Someone who wants something more expensive would not choose it. For it to work, there would have to be a number of families willing to commit to using it and there would have to be influential people selling the community on the idea of having all simchas within the same price range.

Raisin

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 7:51 pm

The Aguda in London runs such a plan. (Maybe they also run the manchester one) I think you choose from a list of photographers, caterers, etc and you can only invite a certain amount of people - more if both Chassan and Kallah are from London. Your rebbetzin could probably call them for ideas of how to run it.

Mty shul also had a group of volunteers who would set up the Kabbolos ponim (you just pay for the cakes and food)

Quote:

But what about the ppl who want to bring in extra cakes, or nicer centerpieces, or do something to make their simcha just a little bit more special?

I don't se that going over in CH at all.

You simcha is only special if you have nice cake or centrepeices? Wow! I'm sure the happy parents will have this to comfort them as they drown in a sea of debt. "Well, at least my darling Shprintzle had fresh flowers at her wedding. People would have walked out in disgust if she hadn't."

HappyPurim

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 7:58 pm

I think its a great idea, its crucial to be done, its out of hand the way ppl marry off lately in my circle. Alot of tea events will be avoided.

withhumor

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 8:09 pm

CM if anyone wants to bring in extras for their simcha, then they have to do it outside our shul. The shul does not allow an extra cent to be spent. So the people that feel it is crucial to have extra, go through the bother of schlepping the whole olam over to their hall after davening.

faigie

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 11:26 pm

in our shule, for kiddushim, there is a very strict rule of what one can have.
and no one is allowed to violate it. not for extra foods or what have you.
ya know what? no one ever seems to mind, and even those who cant afford much can afford what we allow, and the richest person also has the same spread.
hey if the kugals are warm, and so are your friends, what more do you really need?

Tefila

Sun, Mar 18 2007, 11:49 pm

Quote:

The package would be one price for a hall, food, flowers music, etc. I think it is a fantastic idea and hope that she is able to do it. Would such an idea work?

I think I very well could Smile

bandcm

Tue, Mar 20 2007, 4:02 pm

I don't think the aguda in London runs the Manchester one. Why do Londoners always think that anything good in Manchester must originate in London??
Chocolate, if someone wants to bring in more XYZ to make their simcha more special, they jolly well go and pay the full price somewhere else! It might be a VERY good thing for the ridiculously extravagant Crown Heights residents to cut down a bit. I know friends of mine from there were appalled at my wedding, no fresh flowers for centerpieces?? And how can she get married with paper napkins?? Poor thing...
Raisin I was joking - you did help me out with the babysitting, after all.

southernbubby

Tue, Mar 20 2007, 4:51 pm

In CH it would only work if a package deal could be made with start-up vendors since the popular vendors get plenty of business already and cut their prices for organizations like Keren Simchas. Halls are also at a premium during the peak season and there would be no incentive on these halls to loose money. In outside communities, vendors might cooperate because they would get a certain volume of business from it that they might not otherwise have. There very well could be people in CH who would benefit from making one call (or having one meeting) to arrange an entire simcha at an affordable cost. The question would be which halls and which vendors would make this possible.

HooRYou

Thu, Mar 22 2007, 4:39 am

faigie wrote:

hey if the kugals are warm, and so are your friends, what more do you really need?

Isn't that the truth! Very well said Faigie!

I don't know about you ladies, but I didn't even see the flowers at my chasunah (they came with the hall package so I don't even know what they were LOL

) didn't taste the food from the menu I so carefully scrutinized, and the band sounded like every other band. THe only things I noticed was that it was my simcha and all the people who came.