Weddings are wonderful celebrations of love and happiness. It is one of the most human and an actual manifestation of what love can do and what lengths two people in love are willing to do for each other. It is also a celebration of the beginning of the happily ever after of a couple. You may also see wedding menu examples.
Weddings are one of those events that only lasts for a couple of hours but will forever be remembered as the happiest and love-filled day of one’s life.
Aside from all the mushy-gushy things though, weddings require a lot of planning, organizing and arranging.
While it is true that you, as one of the couple to be wed, only wants to enjoy all the beauty that there is in a wedding, you also have to be hands-on and highly included in every step that there is to take. And since you want to make your special day the most perfect day there is, you may also need to get your hands a little dirty and really get involved. Don’t worry though, pampering yourself before your big day will still be a priority. You may also check out wedding menu card designs & examples.
After your engagement, what happened may not sink in immediately. You may think everything that happened was just a dream but when you look into your ring finger, your engagement ring is still there. After everything sinks in, you may begin planning your wedding in your head, simply plan out how your ceremony will go, what decorations to use, who to invite and everything else in between.
However, don’t forget to involve your husband-to-be with all these daydreaming. And to help you with your wedding planning, here is a step-by-step guide in planning your dream wedding:
This should be a top priority in planning your wedding. You have think about how much you and your partner can afford to spend for your wedding.
You have to have a serious sit down discussion with your partner and talk about your finances – how much you have saved and how much will you be able to save for the upcoming months. If you think that both of your parents can help out in the finance department, it is better to talk to them in the early days of your planning so you know exactly how much you can afford to spend. You may also see sumptuous seafood menu examples.
Once you have the exact figure amounting to your budget, you can start looking for the perfect venue for your wedding. Your venue will help determine your wedding date, location and your maximum guest numbers, therefore, it should be done on the first stages of your wedding planning.
But before you hunt down the venue, talk it out with your partner first. Talk about what theme you want for your wedding. If one of you wants a fairy tale fantasy wedding and the other wants an outdoor, on with nature type of wedding, you will need to reach a compromise. You also have to think about the other important factors such as accessibility of the venue, accommodation on site, catering services and the number of guest you wish to invite. You may also like dinner menu samples.
Aside from all the sappy and emotions, naturally a wedding costs a huge amount of money. According to a survey done in the UK, an average wedding costs £27,000. That’s a lot of money! Aside from the romantic factors in a wedding, you also have to think about practicality.
Although thinking about something going wrong in your wedding causes addition stress, it is best to be prepared. Once you start spending money for your wedding, it is best to also purchase a wedding insurance. It could really help lessen your stress and offer you peace of mind for both your wedding and honeymoon expenses. You may also check out cafe menu designs.
Before you even got engaged, you have for sure already made a mental list of your bridal party. You know your maid of honor will be your best friend and your bridesmaids to be your closest girl friends. However, if you haven’t really thought about things like these, you may need some time to think about your ushers, best man, flower girls and page boys. If this is the case, don’t feel pressured. You might be interested in barbecue menu examples.
Carefully think about who will be the best people for each position and that you know will support you during the entire process.In addition, you also want to consider the cost for the bridal party’s outfits, bouquets and buttonholes; the more people you have, the more this could affect your budget.
Both you and your partner have big families with a lot of relatives and planning your guest list may cause you stress. Truth be told, there are no secret tips for this. You will both have to think this through carefully as to not offend anyone.
In addition, you have to carefully think you to invite during the day and evening, and what to do with other guest list dilemma such plus ones and colleagues. But since you have already booked your venue, you already have a rough estimate on how much you have to spend on the catering; this will help you decide how many guests to invite especially when you want to spend on catering per head. You may also see catering menu examples.
Most of the time, your venue will have a list of wedding suppliers you can check into. But if you want something different, you can widen your search as well. You have to make sure you know all the options your supplier has to offer before you sign an simple agreement and pay your deposits. After you’ve done your research, contact the supplier you think best suits your wedding style. But before you finalize your decision, talk with your partner and compare prices and services to find what suits your style and your budget.
Of course you have seen the show Say Yes to The Dress, and you know for a fact that choosing your wedding gown will be one of the most exciting and emotional days of your life. Most wedding gown designers take up to six months to make the perfect wedding dress specially tailored for the bride, so give your self enough time to look for your dress. You may also like free menu designs & examples.
You can visit websites and gather inspiration or you can visit your local bridal gown stores to look for the dress. Once you have made your decision about your wedding gown, you can then think about the bridesmaid dresses and the groomswear to suit your gown.
Before you send your simple invitations, you may have to think about making your wedding gift list or wedding gift registry. It can feel awkward to tell your guest what gifts you want to be given but it will actually make the whole process of choosing the best gift for your easier for them.
A wedding gift list will give them an actual list of the things you want to be gifted on your wedding. You can set up honeymoon fund, an online gift list or a traditional department store list, and so on as your wedding gift list. Remember that you are not demanding your guests to give you the exact gives, you are just giving them an idea on what gift to give you on your wedding. You may also check out pizza menu samples and examples.
Since you have already told everyone you want to invite your wedding about your big day, this is the perfect stage in your wedding planning to let everyone know it’s official.
Your wedding invitations should be sent approximately 3-6 months in advance of your big day. And since you have already planned out the theme to your wedding, you know what design best suits the theme. You can also send out save the date cards to make sure your guests make that date available for your wedding with a not saying “official wedding invitation to follow” on the following months. You may also see salad menu samples.
You have already sent your invitations ahead of time and you ar just waiting for the RSVPs. Even if you have set a deadline as to when they should send their response, be prepared to chase and follow up on some guests. Once you have your final number of response, you can immediately start your seat plan. You may also like takeaway menu designs and examples.
You can start by grouping your family and friends and figure out who will fit in specific tables and seats. It is also advised to consider guests that may need easy access on the exit and rest rooms such as guests with children and the elderly.
For this part, your maid of honor and best man most probably have already planned a bridal shower for you and a bachelor’s party for your partner. However, if there plan is not meant to be a surprise, it is best to talk them ahead of time to know if there is anything you need to prepare and pay for so you can include it in your budget. You may also check out chinese food menu designs & examples.
So you have successfully planned out what you may need for your big day and you have already covered the main factors for your wedding, it’s now time to think about the little details and factors like your wedding song, who will give speeches and readings for the ceremony. You also have to think about what thank you gifts to give to your guests and where to order them. If you have extra leftover budget, you can spend on additional decorations or add to your booze menu. You might be interested in pasta menu designs and examples.
This can also be included in your budgeting. Although this is not a priority, you can talk about this in advance with your partner. Decide on your honeymoon destination and budget for your whole stay and activities you wish to do while on the trip.
Your honeymoon can cost a lot of money, and it is advisable to include this on your overall wedding budget just to prepare everything ahead of time. But if you’re lucky, your parents or relatives may sponsor or give you money for your honeymoon; all you have to do is budget the remaining cost and plan for your itinerary. You may also see breakfast menu examples.
Building a menu is more complex than developing a menu fro a dinner party, but there still quite some similarities. There can be a lot of factors to consider when planning for your wedding menu most especially what modern menu can your caterer only provide. To give you a better picture on how to plan you wedding reception menu, here are five major factors to consider:
Both ingredients and recipes heavily rely on the availability of the products, this is why seasonality matters. Some caterers will refuse to make recipes that need ingredients that are more abundant on summer during a fall wedding like summer strawberries, for instance.
Caterers will want to stick to fall flavors during the fall, summer flavors during summer and so on. Therefore, you will have to plan your simple menu according to what is available in the market this will not only make sure the recipe you want will be made available during your reception, this will also cut cost on the prices for each recipe.
You have to have a variety of color, flavor, texture, and temperature wit the tasty food you wish to serve during your wedding reception. Variety will also make sure your guests taste different flavors and experience quality food while at your wedding. This will also help you balance out what taste complement the other so that everyone can enjoy the food at your wedding.
You have to choose food that will satisfy your guests. This can also make sure that everyone in attendance gets a taste of all the recipes in the attractive menu. For instance, choose desserts that require less time to make make so that the exact numbered needed can be delivered on time on your wedding day. You can for a berry parfaits, donuts, cake pops, chocolate fudge with ice cream and so on.
If ever you and your families decide to cook everything on your own it will help you a lot rather than spending on a caterer. However, they can still get pricey especially since you don’t have access to a professional’s wholesale and bulk discounts. Therefore, you need to set a budget for your menu and tailor your recipes into it. Other ingredients may cost a lot when bought in bulk so better to use it only where it can really shine and improve flavor of the recipe. You may also see burger menu designs and examples.
Storage is often the neglected cost and consideration in planning big events like weddings. It is better to invest in food that can be easily stored and will not go stale after a few days. If you decide to go for a catering services, always ask for recipe options that will not require special storage for the ingredients as it can affect the price.
Too much on what you should serve on include in your wedding menu list, you should also know what food you should never serve at your wedding. Here is a list of the five food and drinks you should never serve in your wedding:
Some chefs will be honest on what they can and can’t cook for you on your wedding menu, but some will over-promise just to convince you to hire them. In order to avoid false expectations, it is best to have a sit down discussion with your potential chef or caterer and have a taste testing of their menu that you can choose from. This will give you the chance to personally pick what tastes best for you that you know your guests will also like. You may also like price menu designs and examples.
More importantly, if you have requested to customize a meal or drink from the caterer, the taste testing is more so important than ever.
Service overly boozy and alcoholic drinks or having an open bar at a wedding usually a bad idea. You can ask the bar manager, caterer or bartender to only serve mixed drinks with less alcohol in your wedding reception. Some guests may request for shots, therefore, it is best to tell the bar in charge in advance the limitations on how many shots they can serve. Also inform them prior to the event the standard amount of alcohol you want to be put in each drink to avoid messy scenes. You may also check out italian menu designs & examples.
Although a strong smell of food is always a welcomed scent, that may not be the welcoming scent you want you and your guests to smell in your wedding reception. Choose food that do not strongly smell of a certain odor like food with a lot of garlic, onion, spices, and stinky cheeses. Avoid food with strong fragrance in your wedding menu so that they don’t overpower in your wedding reception. You might be interested in examples of art deco menu.
It is best to avoid weather-sensitive food in your wedding menu. For instance, an all-buttercream cake in a 90-degree day will result in a melted disaster as well as food that do not adapt well in cold temperature. It is best to check in with your chef on what is best to serve on days during the summer, winter, etc. Most especially you wedding cake, you need to talk to your baker on what are the best options to take that can help preserve the cake longer while on display. You may also see examples of kids menu.
It is always a good idea to experiment but to go overboard may cause for too much wasted food. Always go for food and recipes that can easily appeal to the guests. You have to take into consideration the ages and the possible preference of the majority. Always have a more approachable types of food that your guests can be comfortable eating and at the same time make them enjoy the experience.
The catering company you ire for your wedding will pretty much affect the overall success of your wedding reception. therefore, if possible you need to avoid all the red flags that they expose. Here are some things you should watch out for when hiring a catering company for your wedding:
This means that a caterer is only up to offer one set of menu for all their interested clients. Remember that not all couples’ are the same, the preference differs for each couples. Your caterer must be flexible and is up to customize a menu depending on what you may prefer. If the caterer only offers one set of menu, this may be a good reason to look for another caterer. You may also see dimsum menu designs and examples.
Your caterer and wedding planner must work hand-in-hand in order to have a beautiful arrangement in you reception area and to have proper coordination when its time to serve food. However, if your caterer refuses to work with your planner that should be a red flag you immediately notice and act on. If your caterer is not willing to work with others, they might not be that interested to listen to your requests as well. Better to look for another caterer if that happens. You may also like cocktail menu examples.
It is proper etiquette for a professional or a company to respond to business emails within 24-48 hours. Although caterers have pretty jump-packed schedule that may take up to days in a row, a little break from that schedule to answer some questions is necessary. However, if you notice a pattern of delayed response it may be a bad sign that your caterer has an unorganized behavior and may cause a lot of issues in the future.
It is with a catering company and wedding planners best interest to be as organized as possible especially since they work on multiple projects in a week. If you notice you caterer to have an attitude of always cancelling meetings because of wrong scheduling, breezed over professional emails, lost documents you have already given them, this may become a bigger issue in the coming weeks.
You have to look for a caterer that is organized and can handle multitasking so that you know your wedding reception is in good hands.
You caterer must always be willing to listen to your requests, if you notice that your caterer only wishes to do things their way on your wedding you have a big red flag waving in your face. Although you might feel like they know what to do best during times like, your decision should still be the final call. It’s okay for them to give other options and alternatives but if they start to force those options that is communication issue that can be a start of a bigger problem. You may also see examples of bar menu designs.
It may not be necessary for the caterer to cook and serve their entire menu, but it is definitely your right as a paying customer to have a taste of the items on their menu that you are considering to serve your guests. You should have a proper taste of how everything you wish to serve on your wedding reception and have a look on how their plated so that you know how everything will be on the day of your wedding. Besides, they only have to serve one serving for each dish, that’s not much of hassle, is it? You may also see french menu designs and examples.
Being a “yes man” may mean that the caterer is up to provide good service, but sometimes it can also mean that they overlook the difficulties of what you are trying to request from them. Although being up for he challenge can mean they are really eager in providing what you want, be wary and alert if everything in your to-do list is being met without questions.
In connection to the red flag above, some caterers promise some things you have requested but seem to forget that they did later on the planning process. You can avoid this happening to your wedding by putting everything you have agreed upon on writing before you even sign a simple contract. It is important that you go through all the necessary details in order to avoid unexpected fees and a raise in the pricing than what has been agreed on.
Because of seasonality of ingredients ,market restrictions, or cost increases, it is quite acceptable for your caterer to have the prices changed on one or two items on your menu. However, it is an entire different story if most of your dishes to have a change in price than that of the original quoting. If an instance of having an ownership change or menu pricing increase in your venue, they must honor the original price quotes for your wedding. You may also like pastry menu designs and examples.
Planning a wedding is a hectic and stressful activity. This is the part of your wedding where it’s not rainbows and butterflies; it is hard work and systematic planning. Although you can hire a wedding planner, you still have to personally check in on the progresses. Therefore, you must be prepared and plan out everything carefully. Nothing good will come out of rushing your planning. You may also check out birthday party menu designs and examples.
Take your time and enjoy the moment. Even though it can get stressful, don’t be afraid to take breaks and take time for yourself and your partner.