Backyard Wedding Reception

You may have noticed that the costs for everyday items are at an all time high.  Unfortunately the expenses relating to weddings have also increased as our economy has struggled.  While fancy catered dinners and designer wedding gowns can take a big chunk out of your overall budget, engaged couples are often shocked to discover that rental fees on locations used for weddings and receptions have skyrocketed.  What’s a bride to do?  Many thrifty brides are deciding to cut costs and save money by having their receptions in their own backyard.  A backyard wedding can be just as beautiful as one in a rented area, but does require more work.

Points to Consider

Your backyard, or a backyard belonging to a close friend or relative, can be the perfect idea if you can‘t afford to blow several thousand dollars on a rental or banquet hall.  While backyards are free to use, there are other elements you have to consider such as neighborhood pets, neighbors, rain, and temperature.  A place you pay to rent may include all of the needed decorations and set everything up for you including tables and chairs.  Unfortunately if you use your own backyard all prep, decorating, lawn mowing, table setting, and parking will ultimately be your responsibility.  If you are the kind of bride who is going to be stressed and rushed for time as it is, you might want to cough up the rental fee.  However, if you are a relaxed go with the flow kind of bride, all the work of a backyard reception might make you feel more involved and not be a problem for you.

How can you have a beautiful backyard wedding on a shoestring budget?

Easy, just remember that less can be more if it‘s laid out properly, and it’s the little personal touches that set the mood.  Make sure your decorations fit the theme of your wedding and you can pull together a classy backyard reception easier than you think.  A backyard wedding can go for any theme, ultra formal to whimsical, but either way it will feel more intimate as it’s your backyard.

Decoration Options

If you’re having an after sunset reception candles can really set the mood.  Make sure you put them where they won’t be knocked over easily or fire fighting may also become one of your wedding duties.  For easy table centerpieces find some inexpensive clear glass decorative bowls at a dollar store, add some water, and float rose petals and tea candles in them.  They’re very safe and will look ultra romantic in photos at your night time reception.  If you go with this idea you could easily stop there with a white or colored tablecloth underneath.  If you want a little more on your table you could add a runner or sprinkle more rose petals around the glass bowl.  Just don’t go too crazy with extra decoration or your guests may not have room to enjoy their dinner.

Food Options

It’s not uncommon for a place rented for a wedding reception to require you to use them to cater your wedding.  In your own backyard you can hire the cheapest company you can find or do it yourself.  It’s really anything goes as you are making the rules.  A very popular backyard food theme is a buffet where everyone helps themselves.  You could cook all the food the day before and warm it up right before its set out and save yourself a bundle.  The only challenge might be finding a few friends or relative who’d be willing to do this for you as you don’t want to be anywhere near the kitchen in your fabulous wedding gown.

If you decide to go ahead and rent a place to have your reception I’m sure it with a bit of planning it will be perfect.  If you make up your mind to save money and have a backyard wedding reception it will be more work, but the rewards can be well worth it.  It’s your very special day, and will be a day you and your fiancé remember for the rest of your lives together.  After you say “I do” sit at your bridal table and enjoy your reception knowing that you are the reason it‘s a success!

Photo Credits:  Above All Catering

Catering Your Wedding

There are a variety of reasons you may decide to cater your own wedding.

• If you are having a small, informal wedding, having a potluck reception may be just the thing.
• If you can’t imagine your wedding day without special cultural foods or some of Grandma’s famous recipes, then doing your own catering may be the right way to get the exact meal that you want.
• For most, the reason for self-catering is ultimately the cost. Hiring a professional caterer can run anywhere from $40 to $200 per person. By doing the catering yourself, you cut these costs by as much as half.

Planning Your Catering Success

There are some important facts to take into consideration before you decide that doing your own catering is right for you.  First, if you plan on the bride or mother-of-the-bride overseeing most of the food preparation, you should expect for this responsibility to significantly take away from the other wedding day experiences.  The stress of making sure that the meal is executed perfectly can also be a lot to handle.  If you have other friends and extended family willing to take on this responsibility, self-catering may be much more achievable.  You should never plan to cater for more than 125 people unless you have access to a large, professional kitchen.  The smaller the guest list, the easier it will be to do the catering yourself.

You should plan for about three cooks/servers for every 100 people.  If you are preparing the food fresh for the reception, then your cooks and servers should not be people who will want to attend the event.  You may want to consider ordering the cake, desserts, and even the main dish from a caterer and simply providing your own side dishes if preparing the whole meal seems a bit daunting.  A buffet-style meal will be much easier to self-cater than a plated meal, since a buffet only needs to be set out and replenished, rather than served to each individual guest.

Another way to keep things simple is to focus on cold finger foods.  Plates of cheese and crackers, cocktail shrimp, sausage slices, vegetables and fruits with dip, and a variety of salads are all menu items that can be prepared in advance and served with ease. If you want to add a few warm dishes, consider soups, stews, or casseroles that can be set out and kept warm in large crockpots.  If you are having a casual, outdoor reception, consider firing up the grill for a wonderful self-catered meal. You can marinate chicken and steaks ahead of time and all you’ll need is someone to man the grill!

The Proof of the Pudding …

Once you have selected the menu and assigned a staff of friends and family to cook it, arrange for a sampling. Your cooks may be tempted to try new and fancy recipes for your wedding.  This can be a fun idea, but your wedding day should not be the very first time the recipe is executed.  Leave plenty of time to adjust the dishes to your taste and try again if the dish doesn’t seem quite right at first.  Your best option is to select foods that have been prepared again and again and so are less likely to fail.  With practice, planning, and preparation, you can cater your reception like a pro!

Photo credit: The Vault Catering Company

Creative Wedding Themes

Our readers asked us about creating wedding themes and so we are thrilled to be doing creative wedding themes this week – one for each day for 12 days.  Each wedding theme will have 4 to 6 categories such as: Location, Decorations, Stationery or Invitation, Special Touches, Favors & Placecards, Menu, Desserts, Fashion & Accessories.

Let us know what you think or better yet, send us your own creative wedding theme – either your own wedding or something you dreamed about having.  For wedding themes that we have created in the past, please see the related articles below.

Here’s our creative theme for today:

Winter Wonderland

Winter Wonderland Theme

Décor: White and silver place settings, white Christmas lights, and subtly glittering tablecloths. Pine-scented candles and sprigs of holly, mistletoe, and poinsettias.
Favors: Snowflake ornaments or snow man candle tea lights
Special touches: Ice sculptures, sparkling chandeliers, and cut glass centerpieces will add a frosty touch. For an extravagant addition, invest in fake snow falling over the entrance as the bridal party and bride and groom come in.
Music: Treat your guests to harp music playing classical holiday music or a quartet singing holiday songs as they dine on your winter wedding themed dinner.
Attire: Select silver bridal gown or red bridesmaid dresses with a subtle shimmer. Jewelry should feature lots of sparkle such as diamonds or diamond look-alikes with white pearls.

Undersea Adventure Wedding Theme
Red Wedding Theme
Wine Wedding Theme
Winter Wedding Theme in Blue
Princess Fairytale Wedding Theme
Eco-Friendly Wedding Theme
Holiday Wedding Theme
Country Wedding Theme
6 More Wedding Themes
Celebrity Style Wedding Theme
Evening Enchantment Wedding Theme
Autumn Wedding Style

Collage Credit: Polyvore

Inviting Children to Your Wedding

Deciding whether or not to invite children to your wedding and reception can be a tricky choice.  First and foremost should be what you, as a couple, really want.  Do you want your wedding to be truly a “family affair” where your little nieces and nephews can be part of your big day or do you want your wedding and reception to be an adult-only affair?   Do not include children out of a sense of guilt or obligation if it will only cause you more stress.  Be completely honest with yourselves as this can be a big decision in the wedding planning process.

Children are Invited

If you choose to include children, you should be prepared to plan for them.  At your reception, have a kid friendly meal for everyone under a certain age.  Good ideas include chicken fingers, pizza, or macaroni and cheese. Young children will also need to be entertained during the festivities.  Set aside a special corner, or a whole kids’ room if possible.  Provide them with coloring books, games, pinatas and toys.  If you have a whole room available, set up a television and DVD player and pick out some good movies suited for kids.

If you’re going to have a large group of children present, it’s also a good idea to appoint someone to look after them.  Teenagers can be asked to watch the younger kids, but don’t enlist someone too close to the family, as they are likely to resent being stuck with the children when they want to participate in other activities.  You can also appoint an adult or two to be on child watch.  This adult should be prepared to politely and discretely ask a child’s parents to step in when necessary.

The most important thing to keep in mind when inviting children, is to stay light-hearted.  Kids will be kids, so don’t get upset if they make a mess or get under your feet.  Be prepared with a smile and laugh, and enjoy their antics instead of letting them bother you.

Children are Not Invited

If you choose not to invite children,  be prepared for the fact that their parents will likely be more upset than the children are.  You must be firm in your decision, however, and don’t bend the rules.  Some families may opt to decline the invitation altogether if they can’t bring their children.  If this happens, let it go and move on.

If you are inviting several families who have children not invited in the wedding, it’s important to make your decision clear.  Start by making your choice clear to close friends and family and ask them to politely spread the word.  Follow this plan of action by listing only the parents’ names on the invitation.  Some will probably even call you to tell you that they will come with their children thinking that you just forgot their children’s names.  If there’s any confusion, simply explain that this is an adults only event. You shouldn’t feel obligated to explain and justify your decision. This is your wedding, after all.

To accommodate guests with children, you may want to consider offering recommendations for a babysitter in the area, or arrange for more than one babysitter to take care of all the children during the wedding and reception so that the kids get to have a party of their own while their parents attend your adults-only affair.

Whatever your decision, do what feels right to you and stick by your choice. Selecting the right guests for your wedding is an important part of setting the mood and achieving the kind of event that you want.

Location

Choosing the location for your wedding ceremony and wedding reception comes first and foremost. A winery or a vineyard is the best location for your wedding and reception. If you are planning to have your ceremony and reception outdoors, consider an alternative plan in case it rains. Most wineries have both indoor function halls and outdoor gardens intended for special occasions such as weddings. Do not hesitate to ask the wineries near you.

Reception Menu
Choose a wine wedding theme menu that will complement the wines you will be serving. If you are serving seafood and salad, rose wine will be the best compliment. Red meat will best compliment red wines. White wines are good with white meat and seafood. You can even offer wine tasting during the cocktail hour served with scrumptious hors d’oeures. If you plan not to serve dinner on your wedding reception, you can still use a wine wedding theme. In this case, choose dessert wines that best compliment your wedding cake or dessert.

Wedding Favors
Complete your wine themed wedding with wedding favors that will delight your guests – a rich, hearty Petite Merlot gel glass candle with a harvest grape scent. The wine wedding favor is a real petite wine glass filled with transclucent gel and adorned with a cute heart charm and elegant satin ribbon, packaged individually in a clear display gift box with wine and grape design. What a perfect way for saying – “thank you for sharing this happy moment with us!”.

Wedding Invitation
Part of your wine wedding theme is your wedding theme invitations. Cute wine wedding invitations will help you bring the drama you want to project in your wine wedding theme. You can design your wine wedding theme invitations by shaping them like grapes or wine glass image. You can also use the colors of wines like deep red, burgundy, and off white. You can adopt these colors in the bridesmaids dress, bride’s wedding gown, napkins and tablecloths. Your wine wedding theme invitation will give your guests hint about your wine wedding theme.

Photos from: Chateau Julien Winery and Atlanta Bridal