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If your general budget did not give you enough (or any) money earmarked for a formal one way to look at it is TOTAL COST/#OF PEOPLE.
Many smaller hotels will waive the room fee if you have enough people. They know you are likely to be repeat business and that it can be a nice chunk of change for them. We had all of our formals at the same hotel and we were able to negotiate fabulous prices because they knew we would be back.
Hotels usually have a generic centerpiece they can give you at a pretty cheap per table rate. (Figure 10 people per table) Most of the ones I've seen are glass bowls with water and floating candles on a mirror. Another option is to do a dessert tier, depends on the dessert though. You can also possibly use the gifts as centerpieces, esp if they are glasses or vases.
Check your insurance, you maybe required to provide transportation for any offsite events (I know we were). Keep it part of your budget planning. Yellow buses are cheaper than charter buses.
Figure out the miscellaneous expences for printing programs, invites, dj, signage, decorations, wristbands, place cards and room diagram(if applicable), etc.
Take all the expences you know add them together and then divide by the number of tickets and that will give you a ticket amount to cover expenses if money is not in your general budget. I know it sounds kind of basic, but I've seen chapters struggle to pay for things because they weren't really seeing the whole cost.
One other item...when you look at ballrooms, if your est cout is the same or very close to the max of the room, try to get a larger room. Hotels tend to say that more people can fit in a room than is really true and you don't want to show up and have the room be uncomfortable and no room to dance.
Good luck and let us know if you have more questions!
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