Planning the Wedding Reception

As you discuss your wedding reception with your wedding planner, there are several considerations you have to take up to make it a pleasant and memorable event for all.

First you have to know approximately how many guests you are expecting. This is basic, since the number of guests will dictate the size of the venue you have to book for your reception. There are many places you can find to accommodate small weddings. But as the number of guests rise, the harder it is to find a venue big enough and near enough to the church.

Talking about having a venue near enough to the church, it is very important that your reception venue is strategically located. This is especially true for city weddings as traffic should be a top concern. You would have to allot at least 30 to 45 minutes transfer travel time if the church is a kilometer away from the reception venue if the location is in an area where traffic is a daily occurrence. Make sure to have traffic jam escape routes on your maps for the guests.

Next, know the rates of the venues you have chosen. Remember that if you have set a certain budget, stick to it as much as possible. Compare the amenities and perks given by every venue. Weigh the pros and cons of each venue against the others. Narrow down your choices to at least three places then set a date for an ocular inspection so you would have a first-hand idea of what the venue is really like and what it has in terms of space, amenities, parking arrangements, comfort rooms, and possibly even service if you chance upon an actual even happening during your ocular.

Every venue now offers packages for big events such as weddings. Check out the packages that each venue offers. again, compare the packages against those of the other venues. Check the inclusion of every package. Don’t take things at face value. Ask questions and if possible, ask for concrete examples from the venue sales staff. By comparing the packages of various venues, you would get a good idea of just how much a good package would really cost.

Then you have to ask about the venue’s restrictions or if they have set limitations in their contracts. Restrictions or limitations could range from not allowing the use of fog machines to banning the release of doves inside the venue. Make sure to check the contract’s fine print before signing anything, check the contract for hidden charges and the like. Be sure to clear every detail of the contract and make sure the contracts are properly dated. Remember that many venues reserve the right not to return down payments after a certain time period has elapsed. So make sure your church date is he same as the reserved ate for your venue. If you have set a date, make sure to be able to stick to it to avoid losing your down payment.

Of course there is the decision whether to have an indoor or outdoor venue. Basically this choice greatly depends on when you’re planning to have your wedding. If the date of the wedding is during the dry season, then an outdoor wedding would be great. If the wedding date has been set during the rainy season, the most logical choice would be to have an indoor wedding.

Hotels are a very practical choice for wedding venues. They have all the needed facilities and are capable of seamlessly serving large groups of people. But if couples have had enough of hotel receptions, there are other types of reception venues that just might staisfy their taste. There are covered gardens with catering services, resorts, gyms, plazas, cluhouse of plush subdivisions, etc. But most of these other venues would need additional planning because these venues are not fully equipped to host a full blown wedding reception. But with a good wedding planner as your partner any venue is possible.

Wedding receptions can be unforgettable and exciting. As you plan to have a specific theme for your wedding, make sure that the venue of your choice can accommodate your dream theme. It would not do to have a disco theme by the beach or a garden party in a hotel ballroom. To ensure the success of your reception party, always go for authenticity. Make your theme as real as possible for all your guests to enjoy. But what if you are constrained to have your reception in a hotel but your theme, say a beachside sunset theme, is what you dream of? Then your next best option is to ask your wedding planner for a very innovative and reliable wedding or event stylist. Given time, a stylist will be able to come up with any theme in any venue of your choice.

Wedding reception venues are all good. Choosing the right venue for your wedding reception party really depends on the dreams and taste of the bride and groom. It is important but at the end of the day, all the magic and excitement will come from the bride and the groom. Never lose sight of this fact and have the best time of your life on your wedding day!

Wedding Reception Food

Whether you like it or not, food plays an important part of a wedding. Eating brings people together, and it is what turns the wedding ceremony into a celebration.

The food budget takes up easily half of the wedding budget. Whether you have a big budget or a small one, let your caterer know what you are working with. Give them specific figures, like how many people are expected and how much you are willing to spend per plate, as well as dietary restrictions, say low sodium for your grandparents, so they know what to work around.

Because food is such a big deal during the wedding, plan it well. Bad food and poor service can turn off your guests, and somehow prevent them from having a good time. First and foremost, choose a good caterer, or if the catering is part of the venue package (as in a hotel), consider its record of food service. Good food service means the food they prepare is delicious and well presented; they serve on time; their wait staff is courteous and efficient; and during the planning stages, they listen to and accommodate your needs.

There are basically three ways to serve wedding reception meals:

1. Sit down – Best for formal dinners because waiters serve each course to the guests at their respective tables. If you have an evening wedding and need to compress time by running the program during dinner, this type of service is recommended. You can control the program flow better because guests are seated the whole time.
2. Buffet – A good way to stay within budget, a buffet offers guests a variety of food all at the same time. It is flexible in accommodating a last-minute dip – or surge – in the umber of guests. You wouldn’t need as many waiters as in a sit-down dinner, so you can save on the wait staff’s tips. A buffet is great for a more relaxed atmosphere like in a garden wedding, and it allows guests to mingle.
3. Family-style – In family-style settings, courses are served per table, and guests at each table help themselves to it. This is a good cross between buffet and sit-down: Guests need not stand up to get food, but it still allows guests to react and mingle with each other. Be careful and stay away from heavy sauces, which might spill on your guests’ finery.

The Wedding Cake

The Wedding Cake is usually a separate matter from the food at dinner. You can hire a cake artist to create a custom-made confection just for you, order from a bakery, or choose a cake that comes with a the package from your caterer or hotel.

While cake is meant to be eaten and enjoyed, some cakes are used only for the ceremonial cutting and are made for decorative purposes only. Big-budget weddings usually have tall, intricately designed but inedible wedding cakes, which stand as the main centerpiece of the ballroom. Others keep one or more tier edible so it can be served as dessert, and other have personal-size versions given as dessert or as giveaways.

The most popular type of wedding cake is fondant, which is a type of rolled out sugar dough that creates a porcelain-smooth finish. Because it is versatile and it helps keep the wedding cake moist while keeping its shape for a long period of time, fondant allows the wedding cake makers to be creative.

Whatever wedding cake you choose, remember why you are getting it in the first place — is it for the ceremony, for decoration, or for consumption. Once you’ve decided on that, it’ll be easier to decide on the details of the wedding cake.

Back to Wedding Rings

One can’t get enough info about wedding rings. Because there are thousands of choices out there, we’d like to suggest a great place where you can get handmade designer jewellery. Love2Have is a UK-based company that offers a range of handcrafted wedding rings. With Love2Have, you don’t need worry about ordering the wrong size, they’re the experts you need!