Announcing Your Engagement:
After the proposal you may want to shout to the world! Take a few days to savor the moment for yourselves. Then who to tell first? To avoid causing injured feelings, start with the people who are closest to you and work from there. We love the idea of the engagement party and it doesn't have to be some extravagant dinner party. A nice get together with your favorite people to announce this most exciting event in your life can be fabulous at any location.
Newspaper Announcement:
To go the conventional route and publish your news in the local paper or is your families non-conventional? Ask your parents, future parents how they would like to be mentioned in this important news release. There are many sample announcements we can help with. info@memoriesbanquet.com.
The Guest List:
You know the people you want to invite, as well as the people you feel you should invite.
Identify the number of people you would like to have at your wedding: budget and location
Compile your master list first- Combine your lists with your fiancés - Give the list to your parents and have them review and add their own. From there you can add or eliminate guest.
Invitations & Stationery:
A wedding invitation does more than provide the facts on your event. It also offers a hint of what's in store for your guest, formal or informal.
Order invitations four to six months in advance, and mail them six to eight weeks before the wedding.
Not a bad idea to do a " Save the Date" postcard. By mailing them six to eight weeks before, your giving yourself time for any returned in the mail that you'll have to resend.
The Wedding Party:
However you go about choosing attendants, understand that the job of a bridesmaid is serious business. Choose them wisely and early. Before you decide on who you want to stand up for you, you might want to know what functions these people actually preform. Maid of honor: helps with dress fittings, calls vendors and sets up appointments, cohosts showers with bridesmaids and helps bride with all personal items Brides Maids: acts as second in command, helps plan showers and is in charge of ring bearer and flower girl. Best Man: plans bachelor party, sets up appointments for groom and ushers as requested, organizes transportation to and from the ceremony and reception for the couple and the bridal party, distributes tips to vendors on behalf of the reception host and makes the first toast Groomsman: Seats guest before the ceremony, escorts the mothers of bride and groom to their seats Flower Girl: Walks down the aisle before the bride in the processional and recessional, scattering flower petals Ring Bearer: Walks down the aisle just before the flower girl carrying a small decorative pillow with two rings tied to it
Planning and Executing the Ceremony
If you have the luxury of time, your wedding space you choose should be available for your date.
Let it be known that this is your day and, while you'll do your best to make sure that all the main players are included, you aren't a miracle worker. You have enough to coordinate. Your main focus at this point should be to decide when, where, who, how many, and how much.
To get the most out of your resources and plan the ceremony you want you'll need more information.
Planning the Date: What's the best day of the weekend for you and your guest. It may be less expensive on a Friday but will all your favorite guest be able to make it? Saturdays are normally the best pick.
Avoid Religious Holidays, travel cost are higher and most people would rather be at home with their families.
Steer clear of holidays like Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and the Fourth of July. These days are some working people - mini-breaks.
Planning a wedding off seasons can also be tricky. If most guest are coming from out of state try to choose a spring/ summer event, when weather cooperates a little better. Best months are March thru November.
Now comes the issue of ceremony location and type. The time-honored, traditional wedding is of course a religious ceremony in a house of worship. In certain circumstances, a civil ceremony at city
hall or the office of the justice of the peace has also been considered acceptable.
If you decide to go traditional in a house of worship, know that you will need to follow their rules.
So what rules govern the ceremony itself? Depending on the venue they all have different positioning of the wedding party, they vary from one religion to another.
There's formal Christian wedding: Groom, the best man, and the officiant stand in front of the altar.
The processional order: the groomsmen, the bridesmaid, the maid of honor, the ring bearer, the flower girl and the bride follows on the arm of who ever is giving her away
The formal Jewish wedding: the Rabbi, the bride's grandparents, the grooms grandparents, the ushers in pairs, the best man, the groom on his father's right and mother's left, the bridesmaids- individual, the maid of honor, the ring bearer, the flower girl and then the bride on her father's right arm and mother's left.
Guest seating: Christian ceremony - the bride's family usually sits on the left, and the grooms family
on the right - opposite for Jewish weddings -
Parents sit in front row and both sets of grandparents sit directly behind
Depending on your style, reception food can be anything from a barbecue in a rented barn to filet in a 5 star hotel. There are many ways to present your taste. Some options below ~~~~
~ The Sit-Down: It says elegant - begin with a cocktail hour, hors d'oeuves passed by waitstaff, and a 3 course meal
~ The Buffet: More conventional, less formal setting. This option is less expensive since your not paying as much for the presentation or serving of the food.
~ A meal or Hors D'oeuves: If your wedding falls between the dinner hours or you just want a light affair, hors d'oeuves are acceptable. You may want to include a variety of hot and cold, served by waitstaff or buffet.
Desserts: Traditionally there's a Wedding cake. Some may choose cup cakes or pie's. What ever you decide the guest will enjoy. The bride and groom make the first cut and should feed each other a small piece, the rest is served to the guest.
Seating: The bridal party will sit at a designated central spot or bridal table. Close relatives should be seated nearest to the bridal table.
When everyone's been seated, the best man stands and makes the first toast, followed by a thank-you toast by the bride and groom. The couples' parents toast next and then any others that wish to toast. Guest making toast should make their speeches short and tasteful.
Some traditions: Do or Don't Do
Receiving line: A receiving line usually is formed after the ceremony or during the reception and is one way a bride and groom and their families can meet and greet their guest. But what do the guest think of standing in line to shake your hand? Maybe a visit to their table later after dinner is a better way to go.
Garter Toss: Years ago it was tradition having a piece of the bride's clothing was good luck! Guest would ruin the bride's dress, frantically ripping off pieces of fabric. To protect themselves from this assault, bride's began voluntarily throwing various items to the guest- the garter belt being one of them. As a result, the custom evolved, and now the groom removes the garter and tosses it.
Bouquet Toss: Bridal brutality wasn't just preformed by the guys, female guests joined in, ripping pieces of the bride's dress and flowers in order to obtain some of her good luck. To escape the crowd
the bride would then toss her bouquet and run for it. To get in front of this new trend, hand your bouquet to your best, unmarried friend.
Throwing Rice: Rice has long been considered a symbol of fertility and prosperity all over the world. You don't want any one in 4 inch heels to fall on the rice while wishing you well. Try flower petals or birdseed.
Dollar Dance: This Polish custom has each guest pay to dance with the bride and groom. This tends to last a while and eats up your reception time. How about something different and still make extra money for the couple? You could involve everyone: tell the guest the groom or bride was kidnapped and you need to collet ransom to bring them back - or make it a competition between the bride and groom to see who ( in a certain amount of time) can collect the most from the guest.
The Cake in the Face: Historically, feeding each other cake symbolized how the couple would "feed and nourish" the relationship forever. Somehow this ritual evolved into smashing cake into each others face. What about the expensive gown, or the rented tux?
Bride and Groom's First Dance: The first dance symbolizes the consummation of the wedding vows.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Friday, October 4, 2013
Congratulations Now your Engaged !!!
Time to start the process to plan your most important day of your life. Find a church, a hall, a D.J.
a cake, the dress ,flowers ,music for ceremony, a photographer, tuxedos Wow that's a lot !
Well the church you may already be a member of so that's just a matter of getting the date you want. There are a lot of churches that will marry you if your not a member may just cost a little more.
Other options book a park or a garden spot or maybe even consider the hall your booking for the
reception.
Banquet halls are many, but which one do you check out first. By placing phone calls or going on line will save drive time, narrow your search and visit the top three for starters.
What to look for: Price is a big factor if you have a budget stick to it, always look for specials that include it all. Ask what is included in that price so there's no surprise endings. Like, what are the extra's, Is there separate wait staff fees, set up and clean up fees, what is the charge for linens and china if not included in special. Bar fees if not included. Liquor, beer and wine fees are they per person or by the bottle/glass. How much for bartenders and how many do I need. Is pop included in price if not how much per person. If you don't want a bar is that a possibility.
Another important question to ask " what are the do's and don'ts" of the hall.
Catering: buffet or sit down or family style do they offer children rates and/or children dishes
opportunity to taste the food
It's not always easy to try to decorate a hall that is empty, find a caterer, order and pick up liquor, beer and wine, hire bartenders and then clean it all up after the party. You may find that a hall that offers it all is the best way to go - less stress on you and better planned.
D.J.'s: Find a reputable company We always say besides the food the music/D.J. is the most important - it can make or break the reception Just because their expensive does not mean they are the best. Ask around, your family and friends can suggest. If you find one you may want to hire ask them for references. D.J.'s will try to sell you extras, lights, smoke/fog, bubbles and many others -- do you need them? Your guest don't care if there's smoke or flashing lights they want good music and dance.
Cake: Picking the right cake for you, most bakers have samples you can pick up and take home to try. There are lots of bakers so do some calling ask the questions, narrow it down then try their samples. When you think you might have it down to a couple ask the pricing questions and then ask them how you could save if any from the price they gave you. One tip is to get a smaller cake of your choice, then add sheet cakes for the extra pieces you may need.
Florist: Do you do fresh or silk? Lots of florist out there look around, price shop on these most have books you can look at to get ideas.
Brides Dress: They say when you put the dress on that you may like - you'll know if it's for you!
a cake, the dress ,flowers ,music for ceremony, a photographer, tuxedos Wow that's a lot !
Well the church you may already be a member of so that's just a matter of getting the date you want. There are a lot of churches that will marry you if your not a member may just cost a little more.
Other options book a park or a garden spot or maybe even consider the hall your booking for the
reception.
Banquet halls are many, but which one do you check out first. By placing phone calls or going on line will save drive time, narrow your search and visit the top three for starters.
What to look for: Price is a big factor if you have a budget stick to it, always look for specials that include it all. Ask what is included in that price so there's no surprise endings. Like, what are the extra's, Is there separate wait staff fees, set up and clean up fees, what is the charge for linens and china if not included in special. Bar fees if not included. Liquor, beer and wine fees are they per person or by the bottle/glass. How much for bartenders and how many do I need. Is pop included in price if not how much per person. If you don't want a bar is that a possibility.
Another important question to ask " what are the do's and don'ts" of the hall.
Catering: buffet or sit down or family style do they offer children rates and/or children dishes
opportunity to taste the food
It's not always easy to try to decorate a hall that is empty, find a caterer, order and pick up liquor, beer and wine, hire bartenders and then clean it all up after the party. You may find that a hall that offers it all is the best way to go - less stress on you and better planned.
D.J.'s: Find a reputable company We always say besides the food the music/D.J. is the most important - it can make or break the reception Just because their expensive does not mean they are the best. Ask around, your family and friends can suggest. If you find one you may want to hire ask them for references. D.J.'s will try to sell you extras, lights, smoke/fog, bubbles and many others -- do you need them? Your guest don't care if there's smoke or flashing lights they want good music and dance.
Cake: Picking the right cake for you, most bakers have samples you can pick up and take home to try. There are lots of bakers so do some calling ask the questions, narrow it down then try their samples. When you think you might have it down to a couple ask the pricing questions and then ask them how you could save if any from the price they gave you. One tip is to get a smaller cake of your choice, then add sheet cakes for the extra pieces you may need.
Florist: Do you do fresh or silk? Lots of florist out there look around, price shop on these most have books you can look at to get ideas.
Brides Dress: They say when you put the dress on that you may like - you'll know if it's for you!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Catering and Event Tips to Help You Plan Your Wedding, Party or Corporate Event
Many factors play a role when it comes to planning an event, whether a wedding, tea party for 40, or an average corporate event and can include the length of the event, number of people, the types of food to be served and what type of beverages will be needed.
The first tip is to always round UP...never down when ordering food and beverage for an event - no matter the size. This way if you add a guest here or there along the way or at the end you will be fine when it comes to food and beverages for ALL your guests when the party finally arrives!
My favorite second tip is how to order food and understanding the amounts for each guest
Here is a great starter evebt reference chart to work from when planning the ultimate event - no matter the size!
Right now fusion cuisine is all the rage! What this means to you is creating a menu where you combine two or more distinct cuisines together and create a unique postmodern world of deliciousness! Keep in mind it is what you make of it and new hybrid menus are taking off every day...Latin, Caribbean, Asian, French, Mediterranean, Jamaican, Tai, Japanese, Pan-Asian, and American elements all colliding into a new diverse expression of you and, or your event! The menu always elevates the quality of an event so ask questions when meeting with your professional cater and do not be shy - break some rules and get creative with your menu!
That's all I have for you this time...but until the next entry - let us us create priceless memories with you - call Memories Banquet Hall today at 734.847.6830 or visit us at www.MemoriesBanquet.com today for more information!
The first tip is to always round UP...never down when ordering food and beverage for an event - no matter the size. This way if you add a guest here or there along the way or at the end you will be fine when it comes to food and beverages for ALL your guests when the party finally arrives!
My favorite second tip is how to order food and understanding the amounts for each guest
Here is a great starter evebt reference chart to work from when planning the ultimate event - no matter the size!
Food:
- Appetizers Before Meal: 2-3 pieces per person per hour
- Appetizers as Meal: 5-6 pieces per person per hour
- Chilled Salad: 4 ounces per person
- Hot Side Dishes: 3-4 ounces per person
- Pasta Entree: 6-8 ounces per person
- Pasta Side Dish: 3-4 ounces per person
- Lunch Entree: 4-6 ounces per person
- Dinner Entree: 6-8 ounces per person
- Dessert: 3-4 ounces per person
- Rolls and Bread: 2 per person
Beverages:
- Coffee (1 pound): Serves (50) 1-cup servings
- Punch (1 gallon): Serves (32) 4-ounce servings
- Soda (2 liter): Serves (11) 6-ounce glasses or (10) 8-ounce glasses
Right now fusion cuisine is all the rage! What this means to you is creating a menu where you combine two or more distinct cuisines together and create a unique postmodern world of deliciousness! Keep in mind it is what you make of it and new hybrid menus are taking off every day...Latin, Caribbean, Asian, French, Mediterranean, Jamaican, Tai, Japanese, Pan-Asian, and American elements all colliding into a new diverse expression of you and, or your event! The menu always elevates the quality of an event so ask questions when meeting with your professional cater and do not be shy - break some rules and get creative with your menu!
That's all I have for you this time...but until the next entry - let us us create priceless memories with you - call Memories Banquet Hall today at 734.847.6830 or visit us at www.MemoriesBanquet.com today for more information!
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