Ask The Wedding Guide: What music does the mother of the bride walk down the aisle? Cristy
Reply:
Unlike Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" for brides, there is not a particular song that I know of that is designated for the seating of mothers. In fact, wedding music etiquette is very difficult to pin down Continue reading "Music For Bride's Mother Walk Down Aisle" »
Ask The Celebration Advisor: We're getting married this fall and would love to consider an alternative location before entering into a contract with our first choice. Does anyone have suggestions for outdoor or unique venues? Our main concern is the cost of catering in a typical hall, hotel ballroom, etc. and want to be able to reduce or eliminate the catering bill and buy and provide our own food. Lola
The Celebration Advisor: Lola, you really have two separate issues at hand. One – wedding location venue. Two – Budget friendly catering.
Let's discuss wedding location venues. With outdoor weddings, venues can run the gamut from a backyard to a state park to a national landmark to an open outdoor area. The key to finding these unique locations is to think about outdoor venues you enjoy.
Outdoor Venues
State Parks
This past summer my cousin's son wedding took place in our local state park. The park's amphitheater was the perfect setting for a wedding. Many state parks allow weddings and often have buildings that can be rented for the wedding reception. Since the state parks only furnish the building and grounds, they leave the catering up to you. Some cities have fantastic city parks ideal for weddings.
Backyards
Another great outdoor venue is someone's backyard. In the fall of 2007, I attended a wedding held in a backyard. The backyard did not belong to the bride or her family nor the groom or his family. Instead a family friend of the bride offered her yard as the wedding venue. Using the backyard of a family member or a family friend can add a sentimental touch to the celebration and give you many options for the reception.
Botanical Gardens
I have seen weddings taking place at botanical gardens. Botanical garden and arboretums have large grassy areas that can accommodate weddings. Like state parks, gardens are ideal places for outdoor weddings.
Unique Wedding Venues
Historical Buildings
In my town we have a historical courthouse that can be rented for weddings. Many historical building foundations supplement their expense by renting there facilities out for events like weddings. The Frank Lloyd house Taliesin West in Scotsdale Arizona rents its grounds for small events. So if you have any historical buildings in your town check them out. They might be just what you are looking for.
Bed & Breaksfast
Bed & breakfasts are another unique place to host your wedding and reception. Sometimes you can get a wedding package that includes catering and a honeymoon night stay.
Those are just a few of the many wedding location options available. Your best bet would be to look around your town and see if there is a place you think would make a good wedding location. It doesn't hurt to ask.
Affordable catering
Although you think cooking the food for your wedding will save you money, in the long run it probably won't be worth the time and hassle. You can have your cake (and a lot of other foods) and eat it too. Catering doesn't have to blow your budget. Many caterers have different levels of service with different prices ranges. The food at your reception doesn't have to be the traditional fish or chicken served dish. In fact, you don't have to have a sit down dinner with waiters at your reception. Buffet style food is an affordable catering alternative.
Another budget saving idea is timing your wedding so a "meal" is needed. Instead have your wedding in the afternoon and serve light finger foods or hors d'oeuvres. The wedding I attended in the backyard was held in the afternoon and the food consisted of chocolate covered strawberries, cheese straws, cucumber sandwiches, a wonderful vegetable platter, a delightful punch and champagne. Oh and of course a wedding cake and a grooms cake. By having the wedding in the afternoon, the need for a heavy dinner was eliminated.
Of course the wedding reception will need to match the formality of the wedding ceremony. Keep in mind a less formal wedding can have a less formal wedding reception. The affordable alternatives for wedding reception foods increases with the informality of the reception. The way to get the best bang for your wedding reception food buck is to discuss all the catering options available with the caterers you interview. I'm sure they will have an options that will suit your needs and budget.
Congratulations and I hope this information will help you achieve the wedding of your dreams.
Ask The Celebration Advisor: Hello, I'm planing a birthday party for my husband, who's a big fan of South Park. His birthday is in May. I'm searching for someone to bring this idea cake to life. Can you help me please? Thank you! J. H. From Dallas
The Celebration Advisor: Awesome a South Park theme for a birthday cake. I love the idea of using a theme cake for adult birthday parties. After all why should kids have all the fun. If you plan on a large crowd, I suggested a Cartman birthday cake.
Wedding and Party Network has quite a few wonderful bakeries in or around Dallas that are the best in the custom gourmet cake business. They are skilled professionals who not only create wonderful tasting cakes but also artistically created cakes. They have the ability to take any concept and create a novelty cake that looks like a work of art with exceptional taste (literally).
To see what I mean here are a couple pictures of birthday cakes that used themes. The detailing in both of these birthday cakes fascinates me. Imagine the detailed for a South Park theme cake.
Finding a custom gourmet cake specialists who serves the Dallas Texas is easy when you use Wedding Party Networks directory of birthday cake specialists for Dallas Texas. Once you are on the Dallas Texas Birthday Cake page, you will find the phone numbers, email addresses and often websites for the bakeries. This way you can pick up the phone to speak to someone directly about your birthday cake idea; or email about it; or if you need some ideas you can go to the website. I like to go to the website and look at the birthday cakes they have done and then call them. But that's me.
Hope you have a "So Cool" South Park Birthday with cake.
I received a question today from a reader from Columbus Ohio named John concerning horse carriage rides. This was his questions: " what if it is not a wedding and I just wanted to take my wife on a carriage ride around downtown for the lights after dinner, is that something you do or does it have to be for weddings only? Just wondering if someone could call me I would love to know. Thanks for your time."
I can see why John might ask this question. After all, people go on and on about how romantic it would be to arrive at wedding in a horse drawn carriage. And many horse carriage providers cater to the wedding industry. However, horse drawn carriages especially in Columbus Ohio are romantic for a multitude of Continue reading "Are Columbus Horse Carriage Rides Just Weddings?" »
Ask The Party Guide: Need a graduation theme cake
Inquiring about a diploma cake for my daughter's graduation from Weber State University, on the 12th of December…I realize it is not a lot of time – in my minds-eye I see a rolled cake with a ribbon with Continue reading "Finding A Graduation Theme Cake In Ogden." »
Ask The Wedding Planners: I would like to rent a horse and carriage in Tuscaloosa Alabama for leaving a wedding reception on January, 10th 2009. Please send me your rates.
Thank you,
Kelly
When I saw the picture submitted to the Wedding and Party photo gallery by Levy, I knew I wanted to know more about her wedding and the theme that inspired such a beautiful wedding cake. I thought that others planning a wedding could get some ideas from her wedding story. I sent her an email asking out their wedding and its traditions and she was gracious enough to reply.
Hi there Ma'am, I apologized too for the delay of my replies. I have 4 weddings in a row this month and checking my emails is so hard hehehe. Anyway, I want to introduce first my self to you.. I am Levy B. Tkaczyk, a wedding coordinator/ planner for 11 years now. I am happily newly married last Feb2008. I just want to showcase my wedding coz i believe that its kind of unique and unusual.
Our wedding concept/ theme is a fusion of Ethnic/ tribal theme with canadian touch since my husband is from Canada. I live in an island here in the Philippines were the tribal/ethnic tradition is still intact. I am a Sociology graduate too and am fond of indigenous materials because i find it artistic and unique. Our Wedding Cake was inspired by different tribal groups of Mindanao namely Maranao, Higaonon and Subanen. It was 4 layered chocolate cake with 6 islands.
yes, Mr. Edwin Orbe is a professional photographer. He was the one who took beautiful pictures before and during our wedding. I recommended him also to almost of my clients here. I have a website too , feel free to view it ma'am.. mybrideandgroom.multiply.com —- i put some pics of my clients this year. we have a wedding website too its www.dannylevz.com, and we have some post nup pics at rlbphotography.multiply.com so till next, i am looking forward hearing from you soon Jam. thanks really for the email , it means so much. if there's anyway that i could help just let me know too…if its okay , i would like to link ur site too over my multiply account. please take care and God bless!
Submitted by: Jennifer from Missouri
Since junior high my best friend and I have prayed for a very specific sign that would let us know whether or not we were supposed to marry our current boyfriends. We call it our "pact with God." Part of the intimacy of this is that no one knows what the sign is except for us and God.
Well, the man of my dreams finally made his way into my life several relationships down the line. My Continue reading "Wedding Story: I Needed A Sign From Above" »
Wedding Etiquette Question: My parents are divorced and remarried and have been for the past 15 years. This means I have 4 sets of grandparents on my side of the family alone. I am getting married on 8/15/09 and need to know the proper wedding etiquette and traditional ways of walking down the isle. Who walks first…the grooms parents or the brides and in what order? Should grandparents walk the isle and in what order? Last year my brother got married and because of the order of walking down the isle some people were offended and have not spoken to each other since then. I do not want this to happen at my wedding. I have read many articles none of which coincide with my dilemma. Please help!! Luvetta
Wedding Dilemma: My Fiance and I are on a tight budget, i have a 4 yr old and and a much much much younger brother (8) who are part of my wedding party, we are only in our early and mid twenties and trying to make a go of things with out a substantial amount of debt however my family has a habit of overly reproducing, i know that probably sounds harsh but 13 kids on one side of my family are under the age of 10!!! and honestly at $15 a head that's an extra $150 plus tip we cant afford.. to top it off its my first cousins kids and some of them are great kids but i have several (4-5) Continue reading "Wedding Receptions and Children: How To Make It Work" »
