Feeding Your Guests...

Ever wonder why your budget tends to get out of hand? Yup, you got it right--your wedding reception.  About 50%-60% is accounted for your wedding reception, which includes the venue, food and bar.  But, the style that you choose, can make that percentage drop a little bit & of course your overall guest count will make a huge difference.  Decide on what is within your budget, how many guests can make the cut and talk with different caterers about your budget; they can work with you and suggest different things.  There are different things to take into consideration: style of wedding, cost, guest count and other things.  Be mindful of your overall wedding budget.

Plated-Service: 

Pro: The formality of your wedding can remain formal at all times and your guests will be able to take in the ambiance of your reception set-up.

Con: The #1 downfall to having plated service is that you have to pay per person. So whether you paid for 135 people and only 120 showed up, the missing seats go unaccounted for and you do not get your money. 


Family-Style:
Pro: Typically cheaper than plated service, eliminates guests having to stand in lines, also gives guests the chance to mingle more within their tables.

Con: Food can be cold by the time it arrives to the table, guests sometimes do not know how much to take and there might not be enough room at the table for platters; which means that you will have to decrease your decor.


Buffet Style:
Pro: You can choose different themes for your menu choices. The cost can be cheaper by eliminating servers.

Con: Long, long lines, especially if your guest count is extremely high; which can push your reception program back. Even with eliminating servers, you may still come out the same cost because guests may want to go up for seconds.



Cocktail Style:
Pro: You don't have to worry about serving an actual meal. This will give guests a more advantage to mingle. Can possible cut down on the wedding traditions.

Con: Liquor costs may go up because there is less food and people may drink more. Depending on your guest count, you will need to pump up on the volume and variety of hors d'euvres that you offer. *Clearly stating "please join us for a cocktail style reception" on the invitation will indicate to guests that they should not be expecting a meal*


Brunch Style:
Pro: Weddings that occur in the morning are way cheaper. If you are a breakfast person, this will be the best time to dish out your favorite breakfast foods. Wedding day festivities can possibly be done early and you will be able to leave for your honeymoon the same day. Liquor costs will be much lower--who's drinking heavy vodka at 11 am anyway?

Con: May have a few guests who will miss the ceremony because it might be too early for them.

The reception style that you choose is completely up to you and your fiance. Whatever you choose, make sure it's what YOU want and you have fun with you. Remember, you only get to do this day once!

Thank you for checking in on today's blog!

*Zee*

Just the Two of You...

You've said "I do", you've taken pictures with your family and you've taken time to soak in the reality that you are finally married!  So now, it's time for the party to start.  But before that, you and your new HUSBAND (don't you just love how that word sounds?) should have your first dance, forgetting that there is no one else in the room.  Funny thing is, most couples find it difficult to choose their "first dance" song because there are so many endless options.  Just to help you and your fiance make a choice, check out the options below:

Jesse Powell-"You"

Bryan Adams-"(Everything I Do) I Do It For You"

Anthony Hamilton-"The Point Of It All"

Eric Benet ft. Tamia-"Spend My Life With You"

Tony Terry-"When I'm With You"

Chrisette Michele-"Golden"

Shai-"Together Forever"

Musiq Soulchild-"Love"

Babyface-"Every Time I Close My Eyes"

Kenny Latimore-"For You"

Gerald Levert-"I Was Made to Love"

Luther Vandross-"So Amazing"

Johnny Gill-"You For Me"

98 Degrees-"I Do (Cherish You)"

KC & JoJo-"This Very Moment"

Whitney Houston-"I Believe In You & Me"

Jon B-"Now That I'm With You"

Chrisette Michele-"A Couple of Forevers"

Boyz II Men-"The Color of Love"

Jaheim-"In My Hands"

Whitney Houston-"I Have Nothing"

Monica-"Everything to Me"

Pure Soul-"We Must Be In Love"

Kem-"I Can't Stop Loving You"

There are so many options to choose from when it comes to choosing your "first dance" song.  Make it fun and include your fiance, he might have some choices for the both of you. Make the planning process fun!

Thanks for checking in on today's blog!

*Zee*

Get Ready Family & Friends!

Your loving boyfriend proposed and is now your wonderful fiance.  You're on cloud 9 and don't want to come down, but guess what?  You eventually have to come back down just for a little bit :-)  You've started planning your wedding and started making big decisions, but there's a small, fun part missing.  Announcing your official wedding date to family and friends.  This information won't be known, of course, until after you book your venue and you know your wedding date will be on that exact day.  So how do you go about announcing this tad bit of information to family and friends?  It's called a "save-the-date".  You send this out 8-6 months prior to the big day with the main information: wedding date, the city the wedding will be taking place, and your wedding website (if you created one).  Countless and creative ideas for save-the-dates; find one that works for the both of you and matches your theme (if you have one).  Check below for some fun ideas!

(www.bridalguide.com)

(emmalinebride.com)

(idoweddings.wordpress.com)

(thepartyxplosion.com)

(www.estateweddingsandevents.com)

(www.estateweddingsandevents.com)

(www.weddinginvitationdesigner.com)

Hope I was able to give you some good save-the-date ideas.  It's your wedding, get creative!

Thanks for checking in on today's blog!

*Zee*

Chair Swag

If details are your thing, this is the post for you.  Most people look over certain details because they feel it is not important, while others want to make sure that every detail is worked on.  Something so simple as chairs can make a difference at a wedding reception.  I know the day old banquet chairs with chair covers and a satin tie are becoming tried and true.  Here's to trying something new and adding "swag" to your chairs.

Ghost Chair

Fun For An Outdoor Wedding

Thanks for checking in on today's blog!

*Zee*

Where Should I Get Married?

You've said yes, you've set a wedding budget and you've probably chosen a wedding planner (hopefully), so what is the next step in the wedding planning process? Choosing a venue.  The venue that you choose sets the tone of your entire wedding and honestly, becomes difficult to move forward with anything else if you do not have a set venue location.  I like to put it as, "No venue, no wedding date."  It just goes hand in hand.  You can either have your ceremony and reception at the same location or you may opt to have your ceremony at a church and use a very nice reception location.  Don't know where to start your search?  Listed below are some venues located in the Chicago-land area and neighboring suburbs.  We will discuss in another post what questions to ask when visiting venue sites and what to look for.  Until then, enjoy the start of your research.

Stan Mansion

(www.stanmansion.com)

Patrick C. Haley Mansion

(www.patrickhaleymansion.com)

South Shore Cultural Center

(www.chicagoparkdistrict.com)

Chateau Bu-Sche'

(www.chateaubusche.com)

Odyssey Country Club 

(www.odysseycountryclub.com)

Jacob Henry Mansion Estate

(www.jacobhenrymansion.com)

Chicago Cultural Center

(www.cityofchicago.org)

These are just starter points to get your mind running; there are numerous of locations to choose from on where to have your ceremony and/or reception.  Narrow your choices down, see what your budget allows for and take it from there.  Be sure to make it a joint effort with your fiance! :-)

Thank you for checking in on today's blog.

*Zee*

What Am I Paying For?

You're engaged.  You start spending, buying, and booking vendors, thinking that you're almost done.  You realize how much you've spent thus far and then remember that you have to get this and that and still have to book something else.  To brides that are newly engaged, weddings aren't cheap.  Depending on what you want, where you have it and the time of year your wedding is taking place, be prepared to spend.  Weddings cost on average $25,631 and remember that is just the average.  You can always spend less than that.  Whatever budget that you choose, is perfectly fine.  But it is also good to know, what costs you must take care of.  I am going to list items that are included in the overall average cost of weddings:

*Attire & Accessories:

• Dress accessories
• Headpiece and/or veil
• Tuxedo/suit/rent/purchase
• Wedding dress(es)

*Beauty & Spa:

• Hair service
• Make-up service
• Manicure & pedicure (this won't necessarily be considered a cost, if you do this on a regular)

*Entertainment:

• DJ
• Live band

*Flowers & Decorations:

• Boutonnieres & corsages
• Bridal bouquet
• Bridesmaids bouquets
• Ceremony decorations
• Ceremony flower arrangements
• Flower petals
• Reception decorations 
• Reception flower arrangements
• Reception table centerpieces

*Invitations:

• Ceremony programs
• Guest book
• Invitations & reply cards
• Postage** (people tend to forget about this one a lot)
• Reception menus
• Save-the-date cards
• Table numbers and place/escort cards
• Thank you cards (people forget about this one as well)

*Gifts & Favors:

• Gifts for attendants
• Gifts for parents
• Tips (for all services)
• Weddings favors

*Jewelry:

• Weddings bands
• Bridal jewelry can be included here or under attire

*Photography & Video:

• Engagement session (find a package that includes this versus a separate cost)
• Prints and/or enlargements
• Wedding photographer (Rule of Thumb: You get what you pay for)
• Wedding videographer

*Venue, Catering, & Rentals:

• Ceremony accessories
• Ceremony location
• Ceremony officiator
• Hotel room for after reception
• Limo rental
• Reception accessories
• Reception bar service (open or cash)
• Reception food service (plated dinner, buffet, family-style, cocktail-style reception)
• Reception location
• Reception rentals
• Rehearsal dinner
• Wedding cake/dessert

(all information obtained from www.costofwedding.com)

You don't have to break the bank to have the wedding of your dreams.  You just have to be extremely mindful of all things that it takes to put a wedding together.  When in doubt, contact a wedding planner!

(dudewalker.org)

*Another divine blog*

An Extra Touch for the Groom

We all know that the wedding day is typically about the bride, at least we all should know that. But what about that special guy who's last name you're taking? The groom, your husband.  Let him get his 15 minutes of fame, he'll thank you later.  You can commemorate your groom by displaying a groom's cake during the reception, in addition to the actual wedding cake. The groom's cake can come in different shapes, styles, and his favorite flavor.  If your fiance has a favorite sport team, hobby, an interesting career or is apart of a fraternal organization, let him know that you care about his interests by a simple groom's cake.  The simplest part of the planning process :-) I've listed a few ideas just to get your mind running. Enjoy!

(ambrosiabakery.com)

(weddingbee.com)

(insideweddings.com)

(blog.al.com)

(projectwedding.com)

(forums.theknot.com)

*Another Divine Blog*