Dear Abby
I am trying out a new format for posting…2-3 smaller posts a day, rather than one long one. Today, we are going to start with a Q & A session. Later, we will some really gorgeous pictorial posts, so stay tuned!
I would LOVE to hear your input on these questions and I am sure that our “brides in need” would as well…
Question 1: I’m having our guests arrive at 1:00pm for a Victorian Garden party. We’ll have our ceremony on the steps of a historic home. After the ceremony, we’ll invite guests to have tea & scones on the lawn while my fiance and I take pictures. When we come back, we plan to have everyone take their seat at a table. We’ll do toasts, first dance etc. then. After that, we’ll invite people to begin dancing, talking & eating. We’ll serve appetizers until 5pm, when we’ll cut the cake. The sun sets at around 6pm so the party will be over by 6:30pm at the latest.
My Question is whether it’s necessary to get enough tables for each person, or if there may be a better idea. We’ll have a big brass band playing, so we’ll need a dance floor, but I whether people will ever take their seats if we’re having stationed appetizers???
My answer follows suit with many of those who posted below. I think that it’s important to have almost enough seats for people (maybe 2/3) so that guests do have a place to park it if they need to. With that said, I think that incorporating cocktail tables, perhaps with stools tucked neatly under them, is a good way to ensure that guests are up on their feet enjoying the evening. If you are serving heavy appetizers, it’s important that people at least have a place to eat, otherwise the food will (like someone else said), go to waste.
Question 2: I am getting married on June 14, 2008. I am thinking about having blue and green as my colors, however, the curtains and chairs at my reception site are maroon! The curtains also have some kind of design on it, which I could get over…but I can’t stop thinking about those chairs. Obviously this color scheme might be nice for fall, but not for my June wedding!! Do you have any suggestions as to what I could do to disguise these chairs, preferably somewhat low budget?
Cover those chairs!! Sacrifice somewhere else. An ugly chair will put such a damper on your efforts to create a beautiful, cohesive look and feel. There are so many other places that you can cut costs to allow for spending room here. If you try to cover them in a different way, say with a lovely flower arrangement on the backs of some of them or a cute strand of greenery, you will end up spending just as much. With that said, aim to get the most tailored, simple cover you can find…some of the options can be pretty bad.
Question 3: I am planning a wedding and I would love to do something other than the standard sit down dinner as we would really like a relaxed and social fete. I wonder if you have heard from anyone who has had a cocktail reception with food stations, champagne etc and wait staff – something posh. Or, I LOVE the idea of having a dessert reception – lots of sweets etc etc to follow a simple service at the same venue. It seems like it would add a lot of sweetness to the event and assuming that guests would eat before coming – it could be a nice after dinner treat! Your thoughts would be so greatly appreciated – ps I am a fellow blogger and you have been on my list of faves since I started!! www.inspirationalstyles.blogspot.com
I love the idea of HEAVY hor’dourves…shrimp and grits in shot glasses (so cute), miniature goat cheese tarts, chicken lollipops, YUM. With a champagne bar…over the top. Love it. I also like the idea of a dessert reception and think that if you are on a budget, this is probably one of the best options.
Thanks so much, ladies, for these great questions!!
11 Comments about “Dear Abby”
Leave a Reply
| « Fall Fashions | Sunny Fall Color Palette » |
 |
Visit us on Facebook |
 |
Follow us on Twitter |
 |
Subscribe to our RSS Feed |
- More Style Me Pretty...
- February 13, 2012
- February 11, 2012
- February 10, 2012
- February 9, 2012
- February 8, 2012
- February 7, 2012
- February 6, 2012
- All Archives
About
Press
Advertise
Submit A Wedding
Contact
Terms Of Use
To question 1 and 3:
I've been to a couple of weddings in New Orleans and the tradition there is to have a "cocktail" reception with stations. It typically lasts no more than 3 hrs with seating for 1/3 of the people there tops. The point is to get people to mingle and to dance! And they do.. trust me. It really is very unique and fun; much better than sitting for hours on end next to company you don't enjoy.
Question 2:
I'm in the same boat, I love my venue but the chairs were unattractive and didnt work with our colors. You should have the color scheme you want! I did a lot of research and found the best deal on very simple white chair covers. It ended up being a couple hundred dollars but if they bother you enough (and they really bothered me!)I think thats worth it for how much it can transform the space. On the other hand, it can really depend on the space and how dark it will be depending on the time of day. Maybe they wont be very noticable?
Question 2: I'm in the same position. I'll be covering the chair as the cushions are quite worn on them!
In regard to question No. 1....I would take into account any elderly relatives attending and provide ample seating. I just think it is a good idea all around. Another option is providing 50% table seating and 50% high tops or a 60/40 type split. High top tables help manage your appetizers. I often do not take an appetizer if there are no high tops out of fear of the mess. So I think it helps. I don't think you need place cards and assignments per say, but I think you need to have room for at least 60% of the guest list to sit and the rest (younger guests) can occupy the high tops. It also adds dimension to the decor.
People may not stay seated, but speaking as a guest at many weddings it is certainly nice to have a seat so that you can put your purse and wrap down as well as rest your feet from all that dancing. When I have attended weddings in the past with fewer seats than guests there is always a rush to claim a seat and those guests left without a seat end up feeling homeless and have to juggle their purse, program, food, drink etc. Your Victorian garden party sounds lovely by the way. I would suggest a mix of different sizes of smaller tables scattered around the dance floor to so that it feels less like a formal sit down dinner.
Question 3: I have a client who is doing a twist on this this weekend, so I can't talk about it until afterward (sorry, have to stick to my contractual agreements!), but I will try and come back to this post and comment on it next week and of course, I'll do a write up on my blog. I am really excited about it!
Question 1: I encourage NOT getting enough seats for everyone. Mix in the highboy cocktail tables with some seating instead. It forces people to stand, move around and mingle and then they are more likely to dance as well. It also adds a much more festive and party-like atmosphere.
Question 3 and 1 too
We had about as 1/3 as many places to sit as we did people. We served heavy appetizers- shrimp and grits in martini glasses, lamb chops, cheeses, etc. We had a high energy band (anyone remember Liquid Pleasure from college parties???), so everyone danced more than they ate. Save yourself the headache of seating cards and go for the mix and mingle reception! And, to boot, our wedding was very elegant- a black tie, nightime affair.
Question 1: I do have to agree with Ameleah's post...as a guest, it's rough not having a place to park your stuff. If the party is festive, the festive will party!
Question 2: Definitely COVER the chairs if you possibly can. It will drive you crazy worrying about the colors. Find somewhere else to trim the budget so you can enjoy the planning.
Question 3: My advice...consider your guest list. If you're having a primarily 'young' crowd...the dessert reception, sounds perfect. However, us 'older' folks like a little savory with our sweets to carry us thru the party!
Question 3:
I don't think a sit down dinner is the best option for everyone--so go with what you want! Cocktail type receptions make it so easy to mingle with everyone and be able to enjoy your party with your guest. As for food, I think actions stations are perfect. These are my favorite:
Flaming Wok--Oriental foods a blazin
Crepes made to order with your favorite fillings
Bananas Foster--guest love watching this made
Mashed potato bar--anything you want whipped up in potatoes, served in a martini glass.
Cheese and chocolate fondues--classic
I think guests love getting to pick what they want and see a bit of a show put on for them while waiting!
We've just had a fabulous dessert reception for our son's recent wedding! At one end of the ballroom on a series of buffet tables was a towering 3 1/2 foot Krispy Kreme tower and at the other was the same tower with cupcakes . . . our colors were pink and brown and naturally all the cupcakes were pink and brown. We had fruit/cheese/nuts, etc to break up the sweetness. Our beverage stations contained the cutest little jugs of milk with straws . . .PERFECT with donuts and cupcakes. We also had family and friends make some special cakes that we served on the buffets. Our favors were the cutest little bags with the label "So sweet of you to share our day" with Ryan and Jenn's names and dates. The bags were on a gigantic candy buffet (all pink and brown candy) that guests served themselves! We also had an incredibly beautiful bridal cake (pale pink buttercream with ornate fudge piping . . .looked like toile) and a great groom's cake. Ryan's a firefighter so we had a burning building as the cake with a firetruck stationed next to it with the ladder over the building and "Ryan" on it . . .
Everyone LOVED the reception and marveled at all the sweet choices and the MILK was such a hit!!!! Notating that it's a dessert recepion on the enclosures in the invitation, lets folks know they will need a meal before coming!
Congratulations and have fun!!!!
Also,
We had a SMORES station that folks could not stay away from!!! Another action station we had was an icecream Sundae station! So much fun!!!! People are still talking about it all!