Wedding Plan Secrets » Reception

Finishing Touches for Your Wedding Reception

Jane Martin — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:44:55 +0000

When planning your wedding day it not only has to be perfect, but a day that you will remember forever. You want your guests to leave your wedding remembering every little detail, and talking about your wedding for days after. The finishing touches to your wedding day will ensure that you achieve this; the small things will make all the difference. From the beginning of your day, until the last moment you can have touches that are guaranteed to give the WOW factor to you and your guests.

Your table decorations can be as spectacular as you want. These are one of the most important things to get right at your reception, as the guests will notice the tables and decor, before anything else. There are many different types and styles of table decorations to choose from, including candles, flowers, balloons and chocolates. Disposable cameras are very popular to have on the centre of the tables, meaning the guests can capture every moment of the reception. They will be guaranteed to take some interesting pictures.

Candles can create a very romantic mood, with a display within a bowl of water and some delicate rose petals scattered around the edge it will add a pretty finish. Long tall candles are an elegant addition to the table and can be decorated with ribbons or flowers and are a timeless decoration to have. Flowers play a huge part in your day, and can be added to any element of the day to make it look fantastic, flowers in the church will make it look brighter and smell wonderful. For that extra special touch, rose petals scattered down the aisle is always a classic touch. Flowers in large vases are becoming more popular for the tables, but any design or style of flower display will always look good at your wedding, and can even be used alongside other ideas.

Ensuring the linen, tableware and chairs look as amazing as the rest of the decor is important, choose colors that compliment your theme or look. Chair covers are a simple and inexpensive way of making your reception look stunning. You can have them in various colors, but it is often advisable to have them in a neutral color like white or ivory. Then be bold with a chair bow in your chosen prominent color, this also works for table skirts, and swags for the top table. Having one color that works well is better than having a mixture of colors.

You may choose to theme your wedding, with one of the many themes available. Having personalized favors, mats and even chocolate bars to match your theme are always an amazing touch. Many brides choose a fairytale theme for their wedding day. This theme can include a horse and carriage, red carpet, fairytale favors and a princess wedding cake, the list can go on and on. If you are going for a theme then ensure the theme runs throughout the day, and is noticeable with its quality. There are many personalized items you can now purchase for your wedding day, and some brides choose to have every item personalized right down to the confetti. Remember whatever you choose for your finishing touches, the day should be all about you.

Create a Memorable Wedding Breakfast with a Hog Roast

Jane Martin — Tue, 11 May 2010 13:27:06 +0000

Deciding what food to have at your wedding is one of the hardest decisions. You have to please so many different people, different age groups and different tastes. Not only do you have to choose the type of food, but the style in which it is served. Do you opt for a formal sit down meal, or a more relaxed buffet option? Many brides are choosing the more relaxed options for their wedding and some are even brave enough to choose a totally different idea, by having a hog roast feast and barbeque.

In medieval times hog roasts were very popular, you would not have been to any function or banquet without seeing a hog with an apple in its mouth. Gently turning and roasting, whilst being admired by all the guests. Until recently the hog roast was not seen that often, but it is making a return. Having a hog roast at your wedding, is a low maintenance meal to have. There is very little preparation involved and can feed a small army of people. A whole hog can feed 120-150 people easily, ideally for a whole hog to be worth roasting you would need at least 50 guests at your wedding breakfast. For smaller wedding parties, it would be advised to opt for a smaller animal, like a lamb.

There are two ways of cooking your hog, you can either choose to leave it to the professionals and hire a team to deal with it all or cook it yourselves. If you choose to hire professionals then they will do everything. They will set the equipment up, cook the hog, and clean up at the end of your wedding. This option does take the worry away from you, and although more expensive, it will give you peace of mind and you can enjoy your day.

If you decide to do it yourself, cooking a hog roast is very simple; the golden rule of spit roasting is that the heat source has to be 12 inches away from the hog. Any closer and you will be serving char grilled instead of roasted hog. Many spit roast machines do come pre fitted at 12 inches so you do not have to worry. The heat needs to be constant, as the hog turns. The whole hog should take at least 7 hours to cook to perfection, and then you will need to take into consideration the carving time. It is a very slow process, but it is relaxed cooking method. Your guests will be watering at the mouth watching their dinner slow roasting, and will make your wedding memorable.

When deciding how best to serve the hog, it is totally down to personal taste. Some people opt to serve it with potatoes and vegetables in a more formal sit down style, with the guests being served by waiting staff. Or simply turn it into a good old fashioned barbeque with other meats, salads, fish and vegetables available. The choices are endless with something so simple. Vegetarians will need to be catered for and you could offer them stuffed peppers, quiches or nut cutlets as an alternative. Hog roasts can be done at any time of day, from sunset to sunrise.

Creating a Spectacular Fireworks Display For Your Wedding

Jane Martin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 17:42:21 +0000

When you are thinking about starting your marriage off with a bang, make sure that you consider what your options are going to be when it comes to fireworks. Fireworks are amazing explosions of color and light in the night sky and when you are thinking about something truly dramatic that will delight your friends and family, fireworks might be the best choice. However, fireworks at a wedding do require a fair amount of planning, so make sure that you have all the details in place!

In the first place, contact a pyrotechnics expert. This is the professional that is going to be setting up the fireworks for you, and they will be providing you with a service much the same way that the caterer and the venue will be. Remember that they are going to have the information and knowledge regarding the safety of a good fireworks display for you. Do not try to create your own fireworks display unless you happen to be an expert.

The pyrotechnics expert will be able to tell you if the wedding venue that you have chosen or your reception site is appropriate for a fireworks display. Considerations like distance, city ordinances and the conditions of your site all need to be taken into account. If you are set on making sure that you can have fireworks at your wedding, remember to speak with the pyrotechnics expert before you start planning the wedding venue. Not all venues are going to be appropriate when you are thinking about setting off fireworks. Fire codes and city regulations are two key things for you to investigate.

Remember that a fireworks display can add a significant amount of money to your wedding budget needs. They are usually priced by the minute and the longer the display is, the more expensive it is going to be. Make sure that you are going to be able to budget for this display.

Think about the timing of your fireworks display. Fireworks are best viewed in full dark, so think about when you want them set off. Having them set off during your wedding is an option if you are having a night wedding, but remember that having them go off during your night reception is another option that you might want to consider. The darker it is, the more dramatic the colors will be, so take your time and consider what your options are when you are thinking about moving forward and getting the right kind of display and timing for your wedding.

The pyrotechnics expert will also be able to help you decide on what colors are appropriate. They will let you know what is available, and you might choose a color scheme that matches your wedding or you might choose one that involves a wide assortment of colors.

Think about whether fireworks at your wedding is the right thing for you. It can definitely make an impression and it can help you make some amazing memories. Fireworks are wonderfully loud and dramatic, so think about whether they suit your wedding!

Creating the Best, Best Man’s Speech Ever

Easy Wedding Food

Jane Martin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 10:01:52 +0000

Forget any cringing thoughts of boring potlucks and lukewarm deli dishes! It’s possible to keep your wedding food simple, easy and still have it be tasteful and memorable.

Appetizers come first and your guests will appreciate a small assortment of snacks that are tasty but not messy. For this reason, anything with a great deal of liquid is a bad idea. Vegetable platters are good place to start, and any vegetable platter can be dressed up by adding a really knock-out dip. This is also a good place for cheese. While you might want to avoid the Super Bowl-party cubes of cheddar, a variety of small cheeses with herbed crackers can make a tasteful addition to the table.

Quartered sandwiches with the crusts cut and artfully arranged is a regular crowd favorite, and you can surprise your guests with interesting fillings. While ham and cheese are popular, you might want to try chicken salad, crab and cream cheese, and tomato and basil. Try to suit the food to the weather as well; during a summer reception, your guests will thank you for those cool cucumber sandwiches!

For a more international feel, if your budget allows, you might want consider sushi rolls. You can roll the sushi yourself, substituting regular tuna in place of more exotic fillings, and provide your guests with a fascinating new experience.

For a sweet finisher, a fruit plate with in-season fruit is always a winner. If you live close to any farms, you might consider seeing if they have anything they can provide you with; fresher is always better, and if you can get fresh, in-season strawberries at your wedding, it’ll be one the guests will remember for a long time. For the winter months, try something a bit richer.

For affordable wines, look around your area for good ideas and bargains. You can often get some discounts if you buy several cases from the same seller. Especially if your wedding party is larger, you may want to consider shopping online; there are some wonderful bargains available if you know where to look. You can also have a completely non-alcoholic wedding party as well, substituting sparkling grape juice; then pregnant mothers, children and non-drinkers and can enjoy it as well.

Between things like the clothes and the venue rental and the flowers, it can be easily to forget how much the food for a wedding adds up. Depending on how large the wedding party is, it is possible for the food costs to spiral up to thousands of dollars. Luckily, there are many ways to cut costs and still have a great time!

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A Sweet Bridal Idea For Your Wedding: The Candy Buffet

Jane Martin — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:57:24 +0000

If you’ve been knee-deep in wedding planning, chances are you’ve heard of the "candy buffet" or "candy bar" wherein a table-long array of the sweetest and colorful candy is displayed for your guests to dig in. The wedding candy buffet first made its appearance at weddings only a relatively short time ago, but it quickly gained popularity. Wedding candy buffets are genius, really, and super simple. The following are a few wedding candy buffet ideas.

First, decide on the type of candy you’d like to display in your wedding candy bar buffet. You might be surprised to find this task to be quite harder than you think. There is quite literally hundreds of various types of candy in all of shapes and colors. Begin with your childhood favorites and then work your way up to your most recent faves. Imagine sweet chocolates, chewy gummy bears, brightly colored gum balls, Jordan almonds, and even childhood lollipops gracing your wedding candy buffet! But don’t go overboard, limit your choices to only about 10 of your favorite candy.

Now that you’ve narrowed it down, select the containers that will display your sweet treats. Clear glass jars are the vessels of choice. Create a standout showcase with a mixture of narrow and wide glass jars to tall and short glass containers. Indicate each jar’s contents with a decorative tent card displayed in front of the container. Alternatively, handwrite the name of the candy onto a beautiful sticker and affix to the front of the glass jar. Provide a candy scoop by the candy jar for your guests to serve themselves a helping of the sweet treats.

Lastly, choose a generously-sized yet portable container that your guests can use to load up with their goodies and take home. Gourmet food paper bags personalized with your names and wedding date would be ideal.Or repurpose Chinese takeout boxes into an unforgettable take away candy container. Glassine envelopes can be spruced up with personalized labels resulting in creative candy buffet packaging.

By offering an "all-you-can-eat, make-your-own" experience, you’ll invite your guests to create their own wedding favors that they’ll be sure to enjoy! The wedding candy buffet is the perfect accent to your wedding that will make a sweet and lasting impression! (AJG001)

Nine Ideas for Do-It-Yourself Wedding Favors

Jane Martin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:39:14 +0000

Crafting your own group of unique wedding favors does not mean you have to sacrifice quality. Listed below is a collection of easy-to-do DIY projects that’ll provide your guests with elegant wedding favors.

1 ) Lottery Scratch-off Tickets. With scratch-off lotto tickets, there will be no doubt that each of your guests will use their wedding favors. Simply place your scratch-off ticket into glassine envelopes and affix decorative personalized labels that cleverly read "Lucky in Love". To personalize this favor even more, add to the envelope a penny with your wedding year on it. A perfect DIY wedding favor for any season!

2 ) Forced Bulbs. Take 2 to 3 forced bulbs (eg: paperwhites, amaryllis) and place them inside a drawstring burlap bag or jute bag. Dangle a personalized hang tag that reads "Love Blooms" from the drawstrings. Makes great autumn wedding favors or winter wedding favors!

3 ) Homemade Jam. Share your family recipe for sweet homemade jam by canning them into miniature glass jars. Tie a gingham wedding ribbon around the neck of the jar. Hang a custom label that reads your names and wedding date.

4 ) Chocolate Bars. Perfect for the inner-graphic designer in you. Remove the original paper wrapper and take note of its measurements. Based on these measurements, design a new wrapper using your favorite illustrating software. Print your design onto colored paper. Wrap your new design around the chocolate bars. Use double-sided tape to secure the ends of the paper wrapper.

5 ) Pears. Pears are a delicious fruit that makes a wonderful symbol of your status as the "perfect pair." Create a rubber stamp with your names and date and the phrase "The Perfect Pair." Stamp onto squares of kraft paper or light-weight butcher paper. Wrap around each pear. Present in a rustic wood crate and invite guests to pluck their own pears.

6 ) Homemade Chocolates. Make homemade chocolates using one of the many molds out in the market today. Put some of these sweets in a little translucent bag. Tie a ribbon around the neck of the bag and dangle a tag that reads "Thank You."

7 ) Homemade Cookies. Using a family secret recipe, bake cookies and place them in a small baker’s box. Wrap in red and white baker’s twine and a darling hang tag that reads "Sweet Treats."

8 ) Small Bouquet of Flowers. Place small sprigs of flowers into plastic vials. Wrap several vials together with decorative fabric and tie with a colorful ribbon. Display all together in a wicker basket for the guests’ to help themselves.

9 ) Small Potted Herbs. Small pots of thyme, rosemary and basil make practical wedding favors for a spring wedding or garden theme event. Wrap a colorful ribbon printed with your names and wedding date around the clay pot to personalize the look.

Suggestions For A Chocolate Wedding Party Favor

Jane Martin — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:01:09 +0000

Weddings nowadays almost always have wedding favors to give away to guests. There are many different types of wedding favors to choose from as giveaways. A chocolate wedding party favor is now a popular choice for giveaways. A chocolate wedding party favor comes in different styles and will depend on what the bride and groom prefer for their party favor.

The Bar And Other Shapes

A chocolate wedding party favor can come in the shape of a bar of chocolate, a rounded piece of chocolate, in the shape of kisses and many others. People who make chocolate wedding party favors have different wrapping that can be suitable for some of the more popular brands of chocolate in the market today. The reason for this is because there are many couples who have preferences when it comes to the brand of chocolate is used for their chocolate wedding party favor.

Bars are usually chosen for those who wish that the chocolate wedding party favor label is where the thank you is written as well as the place and date of the wedding. In most cases, the label is the one printed on and the original chocolate label is taken off. The customized label is then attached with the pertinent details.

In the case of smaller chocolate shapes, such as kisses or balls, they are usually placed in containers and tags are added to the containers. Tags for these kinds of party favors are similarly worded as the chocolate bars except that these tags are smaller. Some tags are tied to the containers with golden or silver cord.

The chocolate wedding party favors in the shape of kisses, balls or small bars are sometimes repacked in foil with complementing colors to the wedding. Containers for the smaller chocolates are usually cardboard boxes. These boxes can be shaped as hearts or squares depending on the preferences of the bride and groom. Other containers for the chocolate wedding party favor can be a wedding party favor bag, pouches, plastic wrap, small glass canisters or paper origami.

Care should be exercised when going with a chocolate wedding party favor since chocolate can melt when stored in the wrong way or place. Ants and other insects might also find their way to the chocolate which is why it is best to store these in an airtight container. Handling the chocolate wedding party favor frequently can also instigate melting. Putting these in containers can help to minimize the impact of melting.

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Suggestions For A Unique Wedding Party Favor

Jane Martin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 15:01:13 +0000

Giving wedding party favors are now considered traditional. Many couples like to have a unique wedding party favor to be remembered with. The problem with wanting a unique wedding party favor is that there are also a lot of couple’s who wish to have one, making the search for a unique wedding party favor more and more difficult as more and more people try things which have not been done before.

Food Items

Cakes, cookies and other bakery items have already been used as wedding party favors so these might not be the unique wedding party favor that the couple might like. Chocolates are one of the more common wedding party favors around, also. Although, these are ideal for party favors, there are also other food items which can pass for party favors. Nuts can be used for as party favors and these can be considered as a cheap wedding favor. You will need a container for the nuts and those with shells are ideal as giveaways but one can also use those without.

Other food items that can be used as unique wedding party favors are small bottles of the couple’s favorite wine or packets of tea or coffee. These can be placed in a small gift basket and given out to the wedding guests. Small packets of these unique wedding party favors are ideal since the larger ones can be cumbersome for guests to bring around.

Live Plants And Animals

These unique wedding party favors are a bit tricky since the recipients need to be able to care for the living thing that the couple will be giving out. Plants are basically less costly compared to live animals and easier for the recipients to take care of. Herbs in small, pretty pots are great as a unique wedding party favor. The pots can be in complementing colors to the wedding party theme and ribbons can be added to these.

Live animals may be more difficult but definitely more in keeping with the search for a unique wedding party favor. Large animals are out of the question as unique wedding party favors since not all guests might have the capacity to care for them, which leaves animals such as fish, turtles, birds, butterflies and other smaller ones to consider. These can be placed in boxes, bowls, small cages and other small containers. Tags for such containers will need to be attached with ribbons and bigger in coordination with the size of the wedding party favor container.

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Creating the Best, Best Man’s Speech Ever

Jane Martin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:20:45 +0000

The best man doesn’t believe he is important. He thinks the bride and the bridesmaids are the main focus. That is completely false. The best man is an intricate part of the wedding ceremony. That is why the best man’s speech should be precise and on key. The best man has been handpicked by the groom.

The honor and privilege of being the best man is the best reward you could ever receive from a best friend. The best man’s most challenging obstacle is to prepare a speech to celebrate his best friend’s new journey in life. You want your speech to be the greatest thing ever written. We know their is a lot of alcohol in sight. We don’t want a drunken master to recite a slurry speech. You don’t want to tell some controversial stories not suitable for the reception either.

Before the wedding reception, take some time and write out your oratory. Full preparation of your favorite stories, jokes that won’t offend anybody. Write down ideas of what to outline before you write the final draft. Think of your favorite stories, tell the crowd how your best friend and wife met. If you don’t know, ask your buddy. You are promoting how great a couple they are. Keep in mind, your best friend has to look good as well. Tell everyone how great a guy he is. It’s all about celebration!

When you make your speech, you have to be sober. The wedding reception is a party for the ages but you have to behave yourself! This is not the "wedding singer", You don’t want to pull a Steve Buscemi. A drunken fool telling things he should have never told. Try to stay on your best behavior. You don’t need to humiliate yourself or the groom! He would probably take you around back and punch you in the mouth. This is the groom’s most important day of his life. Make it special!

You have to show gratitude toward the bride and groom’s parents. Call them out by name and express how they raised fine children. Toast their parents. Thank the guests for coming to the reception. Tell a story that connects your friend with his future wife. How he can’t possibly find someone with her qualities. You could also say how the two of them balance each other out. Do not tell any inside jokes that only you and him find funny. Leave the controversy for the local comedy club. Tell jokes that keep the crowd on their feet.

Tell a joke that makes the groom laugh all the time. This is not a roast. Leave those type of jokes at home. When you brainstorm all of your ideas and write out your speech, keep it short and simple. No one wants to sit there and listen to your rambling. People want to dance. People want to loosen up. Keep it short and to the point. It will leave everyone happy. When you wrap up the speech, end it with a quote. "Life is a roller coaster and the groom is on the best ride of his life!" The end.

Here comes the best part! Raise your glass and propose a toast. Say something meaningful and memorable. Writing the best best man speech ever is in your hands! Have fun!

Decorating an Outdoor Wedding

Jane Martin — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 19:13:02 +0000

Guest Author: Ellen Bell

Outdoor weddings are enormously popular in the summertime. Few of us can escape the months of June, July, and August without receiving at least one invitation to an outdoor nuptial ceremony. For those planning and coordinating these events, decorating becomes a special challenge. The great outdoors isn’t a clearly defined space like a church or reception hall. Where do you begin? In this article, we’ll cover some of the basics that you’ll need to know for decorating an outdoor wedding of your dreams.

In an outdoor wedding ceremony, there are three primary areas of decorating that need to be addressed: the entrance, the seating area, and the altar. By defining each of these areas with unique and meaningful decorations, you will help set the tone of your wedding and a theme, if so desired. We’ll address each of these areas separately.

The Entrance:

First impressions are everything. When your guests arrive, you want them to feel excited about the special occasion they are about to witness. This can easily be accomplished by creating a unique pathway to the wedding site. The beginning of the pathway should be marked and recognizable. Consider placing garden fountains on either side of the path or an arbor draped in flowers for your guests to walk through. Large urns of flowers can be used and also placed along the path to lead the way. If you are having an evening wedding, consider including landscaping lights to outline the pathway and provide lighting.

The Seating Area:

Seating is always a challenge at an outdoor wedding. You’ll likely have to rent chairs for your guests to sit on. You’ll want your guests to feel like they are part of an intimate setting, so be considerate of how the chairs are arranged. Make sure that each person has the best possible vantage point of the bride and groom. When decorating the chairs, consider using strings of flowers and ribbons along the backs of the last row of chairs to add an elegant touch to the seating area. If your guests are entering and exiting from a center isle, you might consider draping the outsides of the rows with flowers and ribbons, as well. Consider placing urns of flowers or even free standing patio trellises along the outside of the chair rows. This can add a burst of color, as well as some privacy for your ceremony.

The Altar:

The altar is arguably the most important part of decorating in a wedding ceremony. After all, the bride and groom should be the center of the day. It is important that your guests have the ability to see and hear you during the ceremony. If it will be a large outdoor gathering with more than 50 people, you may want to use a sound system so guests in back can hear you.

If the ground is relatively flat, you might also want to elevate the bride, groom, and officiant. This can easily be accomplished with a sturdy platform to stand on, and the platform can be decorated as desired with flowers, bows, and cloth. You may also want to create a special backdrop or surround for your vows. An overhead structure such as a wedding arbor or garden pergola can be a great option for this. Arbors and pergolas can easily be purchased as ready to assemble kits, and they come in a variety of colors, sizes, and configurations. After the ceremony is over, the garden structure can then be gifted to the happy couple for their new home.

Planning any wedding is a lot of work, but decorating an outdoor wedding doesn’t have to be. By paying attention to the three most important areas, the entrance, seating area, and altar, you will ensure that the event is beautifully decorated and your guests are dazzled on your special day.

Home Products ‘n’ More offers a variety of wedding arbor kits with free shipping and handling! Visit us today at http://www.homeproductsnmore.com/Arbor_Plans_s/92.htm.

Summer Wedding Ideas