Bar Options, You Choose

Weddings are a time to celebrate with close family and friends; during the reception it is common to have a few bubbly glasses during the toast and throughout the night. As you may already know having a bar can be costly.

There are a few ways you can cut cost on paying for a bar and by hiring a bartending service and providing your own alcohol. There are a few basics that you should have at the bar and mixers to offer your guests.

~Champagne
~Red Wine
~White Wine
~Beer
~Gin
~Light Rum
~Vodka
~Tequila

If you choose to offer an open bar this is a very generous approach, although expensive it is the courteous option to offer your guests. Be sure to have your bartender keep an eye out for the frequent visitors to the bar. This is something that your coordinator can keep be observant of, if you know who the key folks are ahead of time let your coordinator know.

Offering a limited bar can be cost effective and allows you to limit the amount of alcohol that your guests consume. During the cocktail, toast and an hour after dinner you can offer drinks at the bar. Having the wait staff pass drinks also limits the options and number of drinks being served.

If the majority of your guests don’t drink….no problem there are many substitutes for alchol. Serve sparkling cider, virgin drink such as sangrias, soft drinks, and juices. Here is a recipe for virgin sangrias:

Virgin Sangria
1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
1 (6-ounce) can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted
1 (33.8-ounce) bottle club soda, chilled
Crushed ice
Orange slices (optional)
Maraschino cherries (optional)

1. Combine orange juice and apple juice concentrates; stir well. Stir in chilled club soda. Serve over crushed ice.

2. Garnish each serving with an orange slice and a cherry, if desired.
Makes about 5 1/2 cups.

Photo Credit: Murakami Photography

Thinking about a Green Wedding?

Many couples are embracing eco-friendly options for their wedding. Here are a few tips and things to think about when planning a ‘Green’ wedding.

Use the internet to announce your save the date, this saves paper and gets to your guests quickly. If you would like to mail the save the dates, you have the option of using recycled paper. You can also create a wedding website or blog to keep your guests informed.

Save on gas and have your ceremony and reception in one location. By doing so you save on time, energy, gas, money, and if you have out of town guest this allows them to relax in one location without the worries of finding their way around town. Arrange transportation from the hotel to the venue, this also saves on fuel and will ensure that your guests are transported safely.

When selecting your caterer there are caterers that specialize in organic and local products. Local produced products take less fuel to be transported for sale. Not to mention you will be a customer for a local town and farmer, this helps farmers continue to produce organic products. Pass on the use of disposable plates, using china and flatware will not only be an elegant touch, but it will prevent from adding to landfills.

As a parting gift (favor) print a personal message on a reusable shopping tote to thank your guests for attending your wedding. Roll the bags and tie a ribbon to compliment your wedding colors. Another option is to plant individual flowers or herbs this can be used not only as favors, but also as centerpieces. Your guests can take the plants home and plant in the backyard or can be used as a house plant.

Have fun, being green!

Photo Credit: www.theknot.com

Catering Tips

When selecting a caterer one of the most important factors is that they should have a license and is insured.

Does your caterer offer a tasting of the items you are considering on having on your menu? Don’t wait until the big day to know what the food is going to taste like, also during the tasting remember that the food can be customized to meet your needs ask questions and talk to the caterer.

It is very important to be honest and upfront about your budget from the beginning. You can ask the caterer for a breakdown of each item, just in case you may need to remove or decrease an item from the proposal. Don’t be afraid to ask for opinions on ways to cut back on the pricing and services.

Ask for a contract overview from your caterer, this way you will have an idea of the details that will be included in your contract with the catering company. Be aware of all potential fees other than the prices for the food….such as ….delivery, service charges, wait staff expense and other charges.

Don’t be alarmed most service charges are 20% or higher.

While planning your event things can get a bit hectic, if you are hiring a coordinator he/she will work closely with the catering company to ensure things are running smoothly before and on the day of your occasion. Don’t worry about the last minute details, your focus should be on enjoying your day.

Lastly, think about the details and quality. Bluntly, would you like to have 150 guests for veggies, fruits, and cheese & crackers or 50 for a nice seated meal? You determine what you would like your menu to be and don’t be afraid to cut the guest list to afford what you truly want.

Think about these items listed above and use this as a guide to getting closer to identifying your caterer.

Traveling Guests – Accommodations

While planning your special event, think about your guests traveling near and far. For special events our dearest family members and friends will travel great distances to share your blissful occasion.

Since your guests will be traveling near and far you will want to secure hotel accommodations, transportation and entertainment activities for them depending on the length of their stay. For each hotel the number of rooms varies in order for your guests to receive a discounted rate. Most hotels will require you to block off the minimum of 10 rooms, however call to verify the number of rooms that qualify for a discounted rate.

It would be great to have all of your guests in one hotel, on the other hand if economic challenges present themselves you can also research another hotel and share the two options with your guests. If you are providing transportation to the ceremony and reception, stick to one hotel to make it easier for planning, logistics, and financing the transportation.

Welcome your guest with a light cocktail gathering at the hotel for your travelers and/or a nice small gift that represents the city, state, or country that your event is being held. Although you may have lots planned for you to do, many travelers like to see the unique places about where they are visiting….. arrange a tour or something fun for your guests.

Birdcage Veils

With birdcages veils becoming a popular trend for brides, we wanted to share a few stylish veils with you. This veils gives you a simple yet elegant feel to complement your dress and style.

Photo Credit: Birdcageveils.com, theknot.com

Wedding Saving Tips

With the many brides shopping in the market for a lesser expensive wedding I thought it would be helpful to give you a few tips on making a few decisions.

Although some brides may see a planner/coordinator as an extra expense we can save you time and money. We have the “inside scoop” on how to save in many ways.

-This is no surprise; pick a day other than Saturday. There are good discounts for weddings on Friday or Sundays, couples are even getting married on Thursdays.

-Think about having a small wedding, the more guests you have the more you will have to pay for everything….meals, drinks, decorations, chair covers..etc.

-Know your priorities and estimate the cost for them very early in the planning stage. It is easy to see many great ideas while you’re in the planning stage; however it is critical that you don’t start shopping for several items without one vision.

-Analyze your catering options and prices before making a decision, determine the comparison cost of buffet, stations, or a seated dinner. How much will you be paying for the wait staff for each? Don’t under estimate the cost and the average of a 20% service charge from your catering company.

-The bar is another expense that you should take a good look at please visit an older post for more details click here.

For more information please visit our budget label to the right or contact us today for a complimentary consultation. Invest in a wedding coordinator it will save you in the long run.

Prestigiously yours,
Kay

Hiring Family Vendors-Caution

Hello all, I just want to start out by saying….it is not because I am an event coordinator that I am posting this blog.

I can’t count how many vendors that I have talked to recently that had a bad experience with family members functioning as their DJ, Caterer, Florists, Photographer and other vendors. We understand that the economy and other factors sometimes alter your wedding plans, however be cautious.

Whether you are hiring Cousin Joe to take your pictures or Aunt Sue to bake your cake, please make sure they plan to take your day seriously. One of the great points to working with a coordinator is that they are the glue to keep the puzzle together. Using a professional coordinator gives you the advantage to get a professional perspective of the entire day and the role of each vendor. Think about it ….your coordinator has worked with many brides, weddings, vendors, venue, etc…

Go to a professional coordinator and have them help you before things get out of control, consider their DOC (day of coordinator package). Most coordinators DOC is longer than the actual day of the wedding. Visit http://www.prestigiousoccasions.com/ to find out more about the services we offer.

If you choose to use family members, make sure there is a contract in place. All professional vendors should have a contract in place that outlines their role, services, date, time, cost and other items you have agreed on. Please be cautious, you can have a nice wedding on a budget but please remember that your family will want to enjoy the wedding also….will this affect their delivery of client service?

Contact us and we can offer a complimentary consultation of our services.

Lazaro Wedding Dresses

Designer of the Lazaro Bridal dresses, Lazaro Perez is known for his signature hand-beading and embroidery, Lazaro creates designs that are ultra-glamorous and elegant.

Take a look at the collections below.

For more dress ideas visit www.jlmcouture.com

Wine Theme Wedding

Looking for an alternative to having a guestbook? Here is a wine theme alternative for you.

If you are have a wine theme wedding, or if you just love wine this is a cute idea. Remove the label from the wine bottle by soaking the bottle in warm water for a few hours and rub off the residue from the label. On the designated table for the bottles add a few metallic pens to offer your guests to sign you memento. After the wedding place the bottles on your bar or wherever you choose at home.

Oh and you may be thinking......where do we get the bottles from? Here are a few options:

1. If you are having an engagement party save the bottles from that event.
2. Ask close friends and family members to save their wine bottles, based on the number of bottles that you need.
3. Save bottles from when you entertain guests
4. Invite your wedding party over for a Jack & Jill wine tasting to thank them for being in your wedding party.

Photo Credit: http://www.wendyhithephoto.com/ and http://www.marthastewart.com/

Cocktails! Champagne Punch Recipe

For those of you looking for a good cocktail, here is a recipe from Martha Stewart for a Champagne Punch.

Ingredients

Makes 2
· 3 tablespoons grenadine
· 3 tablespoons Cointreau
· 2 tablespoons brandy
· 1 3/4 cups champagne
· Raspberries, apples, or other seasonal fruit

Directions

Fill a small ice bucket halfway with ice. Pour grenadine, Cointreau, brandy, and champagne over ice. Stir gently, and ladle punch into 2 wide-mouthed stemmed glasses. Garnish punch with raspberries, apples, or any other fruit in season.

Visit www.marthastewart.com for more cocktail ideas and recipes.

More Space Please.....

I know that we have all been to an event and wished we had more elbow space and not worrying about how you are going to get in and out of your seat! Well as you are in your planning and logistic stage use the charts below to have an idea on the seating for each table.

If you are renting tables or using the in house tables from your venue take note of the room measurements and create a floor plan. Use this as a guide to create your floor plan. The last thing you want to do is create a space with room for your guests to feel comfortable and unable to enjoy socializing at ease.

For those whom choose to hire an event coordinator, this is something that your coordinator can easily take care of at an early stage of the planning process and provide you with an electronic floor plan to shift fixtures around in a template.

Tables & Seating

Happy Planning!

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