Wedding Caterers – Making Buffets Work

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More and more brides are moving away from the traditional sit-down wedding lunch or dinner and towards a more informal buffet meal. Some people see buffets as a cheap option but that often isn’t the case at all. Think gourmet dishes, beautifully presented, sushi, a wide variety of dishes to satisfy various dietary requirements, and you’ll see that a buffet can be as glamorous as you like... and as expensive as the dishes you choose!

One complaint about buffets at weddings is that guests might have to stand in line for ages waiting to serve themselves and older guests can find that tiring. So here are some suggestions on how to make buffets work in a wedding setting, so that everything runs smoothly.

1. Have serving staff to dish up
If you are offering hot dishes of various sorts, things work much better when your caterers serve the food, even at a buffet. They can  make sure that the plated presentation looks good, control portion sizes and make sure that the serving platters don’t look as if they have been ravaged by starving hoards.

2. Consider separate tables offering different foods
If you have guests with varied dietary requirements it can work well to have different food stations: for example a vegan table, a vegetarian table and a meat dishes table. Sign post them clearly and guests can help themselves without having to examine each dish closely.

3. Have serving staff usher one or two tables to the buffet at a time
The queues are often what put people off buffets, but these can easily be managed. Apooint a member of serving staff or even the MC to let each table know when it is their turn to serve themselves at the buffet. Things go much more smoothly when it is not crowded.

4. Have a platter of starters already at the tables
If you have large numbers of guests, it can take a while for everyone to get served. Those at teh last tables to get to the food may well be starving and irritable, especially if the drink is flowing freely. It can save the day if each table has a platter of starters at the table to nibble while they wait their turn at the buffet.

There are many other ways to make sure that the buffet is a success and your wedding caterers may well have their own suggestions to avoid it turning into a bun-fight.

Far Flung Weddings

Having your wedding abroad in some beautiful exotic location could be one of your dreams. But will it work for you?

There are several practical questions that may throw cold water over this lovely dream, but if the answer to most of them is ‘Yes’ then it could well work out well for you.

Do you want a small intimate wedding?
Flying a hundred guests out to a beautiful and remote tropical island for your wedding is only going to work if you are seriously loaded and have your own private jet or helicopter. The logistics of getting a number of guests to the right place at the right time is far easier if you are only inviting a handful of your closest family and friends.

Can your family and friends afford the time and money to travel?
It’s a lovely idea to invite friends and family to a wedding in a beautiful far-off place, and even lovelier if they can turn it into a well-deserved holiday. But if your parents or best friends can’t afford the tickets or have a hectic work schedule and can’t get time off, you might find several important people missing from your special celebration.

Are your family and friends already living in different places around the world?
If you have a brother in Australia, a sister in the US, friends in South Africa and parents in the UK it could be a great idea to pick a destination somewhere in the world that they can all fly to fairly easily. Meeting up for a family reunion and wedding in Bali could actually become a practical and economical solution rather than an extravagant gesture.

Are you happy for your wedding to be a simple affair without all the traditional extras?
Organising a wedding at home is complex enough, but organising a wedding long distance when you will only be arriving at the destination and meeting your suppliers  a few days before is much easier when you keep things as simple as possible. Concentrate on a simple ceremony, good food and wine and a beautiful location. Forget about wedding favours, elaborate decor and all the frills and furbelows.

So now go ahead and plan your wedding abroad,  but make sure you give everyone plenty of notice to book time off work, organise tickets and so on.

What To Ask Potential Wedding Planners

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 Are you dreaming of a big wedding, something special, individual, stylish and distinctive? You are probably going to need a professional wedding planner to make your dreams come true and it’s best to choose your wedding planner at the very beginning of the planning process... yes before you’ve even set the date! This way she (or he, but wedding planners do have a tendency to be she’s!) can help you form your own style and theme for every detail and give you the very best value for money.

While it may seem a little daunting to be entrusting everything to a stranger, bear in mind that she won’t be a stranger for long. By the wedding day itself, she’ll feel more like a best friend. So choosing a wedding planner is an important first step in a vital relationship. While it is important to choose someone that you click with, it is also essential to know that the wedding planner you choose is experienced and professional. You also need to establish the business nitty gritty right from the start, so that you can relax and enjoy the process.

Here is a great list of questions to ask when interviewing potential wedding planners. It covers all the obvious questions as well as many not so obvious. It should put you well on the road to choosing the right wedding planner for you.

To find wedding planners in your area, ask friends who married recently for referrals, check out your local wedding directory online, look at weddings featured on some of the best wedding blogs. In South Africa check out the listings on SAWeddings for a selection of wedding planners, wedding coordinators and events organisers. Make a shortlist of those that you think suit your style and get interviewing!

What is ‘Day Of’ Wedding Planning?

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When you hear the phrase ‘day of’ wedding planning or wedding coordination, all it means is booking a professional for the day of your wedding to coordinate  everything and make sure it runs smoothly.

In this case you will have done all the planning, choosing and booking of the suppliers for the wedding. You will have negotiated contracts and put the whole thing together. But on the big day you want to be able to relax and forget about the details, so you hand over to a wedding planner just for the day itself.

This is a good option if you have a limited budget, know exactly what you want and are confident that you will have enough time and organizational skills to do the planning yourself. You can’t expect the day of wedding planner to magically fill in gaping holes in your arrangements or to transform mediocre caterers into gastronomic wonders, so you have to be sure of putting a strong team together and thinking of everything before you hand over.

Usually you will meet with your wedding coordinator about a month before the wedding and go through all the arrangements. You will hand over all the details, including contact numbers of all the suppliers and service providers. During this meeting you will also be able to make sure that nothing has been overlooked and then make any last minute arrangements necessary.

Your wedding planner will then coordinate everything on the day, make sure that things go smoothly, field any emergencies and generally oversee things, so that you can relax and let go of the planning role.

If you are looking for wedding planners in South Africa who offer this service, check out the directory at SA Weddings as a starting point.

Co-ordinating the wedding flowers – the practical planning

So you’ve chosen your wedding flowers, matched the colours exactly to your overall scheme, planned bouquets and buttonholes as well as the table centrepieces and church arrangements. Can you cross wedding flowers off your to do list?

Well there are still as few practical considerations to plan:

You florist will need access to the ceremony and reception venues early in the day to install all the flower arrangements you have discussed. You will need to check with both venues whether there will be any other events booked in before your wedding. What time will your florist be able to have access. Where will the keys be available from. Make sure that the florist has contact numbers for both venues, so he or she can double check arrangements before ht day. This will save you any last minute hassles.

What time on the day will you need your bouquets and buttonholes delivered? Will there be a photography shoot before the ceremony? In which case you will need them early enough for that. Don’t ask for them too early however, especially in summer. As soon as they are sitting around exposed to heat and sunlight they are in danger of wilting, so guesstimate the timing right, in consultation with your florist.

And one last thing: you may well have the bouquets sitting in cool water to keep them fresh before the ceremony. Remember to dry the stems thoroughly before they are handed out to the bridesmaids and the bride. The last thing you want is for dresses to have water drip marks all down them just before you walk down the aisle!

Tossing the Bouquet - Wedding Flowers Planning

Traditional has it that the bride tosses her bouquet before the end of the wedding and the girl who catches it will be the next to marry. Whether or not you believe in the old superstitions, it’s a fun thing to do making for great photos too, as all your girlfriends leap to be the ones to grab the bouquet.

Maybe though you’ve got plans for preserving your bouquet, as a permanent memento? Or perhaps you just want to enjoy it a little longer without it getting thrown and spoilt? Very often, if you order a grand and complex bouquet your florist will be happy to make a smaller and simpler tossing bouquet at a small extra charge, using the same types of flowers, just fewer in number and with less of the expensive blooms and more fillers. THen you can happily toss this one into the crowd and hang on to your special bridal bouquet.

Another idea would be to have a few extra loose blooms ordered with the bouquet and throw out several single stem roses for example so that all your girlfriends get the chance to catch one. It may not be as traditional, but why not create some new modern traditions!

Wedding decor – some of the things you need to consider

The wedding decor at any wedding forms part of the whole ambiance of this special day, which is why it is so important for most brides and grooms to get their choice of decor just right. When it comes to sorting out your decor there are a number of things that you need to consider. This includes:

Chair covers and table linen: You want your table to look as perfect as possible for your wedding and one way to do this is to choose beautiful fabrics and vibrant colors to really bring the table to life. You can then match your accessories such as flowers, crockery, and serviettes with the rest of the color scheme for your table.

Backdrop: Having the right backdrop for your room can add a really dramatic effect. Again, you can choose from a range of fabulous textures and sumptuous colors to really enhance your theme and color scheme.

Centrepieces: You need a dramatic and eye-catching centrepiece for any wedding table or room and there are plenty of options open to you. Whether you opt for a crystal centrepiece or a floral one, or even if you go for something even more dramatic such as an ice sculpture, you will find that the right centrepiece sets off the rest of your wedding decor perfectly.

Wedding Cakes for Every Season

Many couples who are arranging their wedding are keen to keep things as seasonal as possible when it comes to the decor, the flowers, the food, and even their wedding cakes. Having a seasonal wedding cake means that you can really get a theme going for your wedding.

A cake that fits in with the season in which you are getting married will look great on the table, particularly if your decor and flowers are also seasonal. You can make everything about your cake seasonal, from the colors that you decide upon to the ingredients that you use.

Spring weddings: Pinks, pastel colors, loads of pretty ribbon, and floral decorations make a great choice for a spring wedding cake. If you want something light and airy to reflect the season you could opt for a light sponge cake with pastel icing and decorations for a splash of spring color.

Summer weddings: For a summer wedding a light sponge rather than a heavy fruit cake is also a good idea, although it is best to avoid buttercream and whipped cream if it is hot, as this could melt and ruin the look of the cake. Other than this, you can get really creative with these summer wedding cakes, adding some beautiful floral arrangements and colorful toppers.

Autumn wedding: If you are getting married in the autumn then a rich fruit cake is the order of the day, with plenty of brown and orange colors to reflect the season. You can opt for seasonal ingredients such as pumpkin or go for a carrot cake for the perfect color and richness.

Winter weddings: A winter wedding means that you can go to town with your wedding cake, choosing a rich fruit cake with plenty of frosting on top, silver decorations, silver and metallic blue ribbons, and sparkly toppers – basically anything that make it sparkle and gives it a frosted winter look to fit in with the rest of your seasonal decor and flowers.

Take the stress out of your big day with wedding planners

Take the stress out of your big day with wedding planners.

Some people enjoy the thought of planning their own wedding from start to finish but many others turn to wedding planners to do this for them. Planning a wedding can be quite a stressful thing to do, especially if you're going to be having a big wedding with lots of guests. With so much to sort out you may find that you are hard pressed to keep on top of it all whilst still keeping up with your other work and family commitments.

This is why many people these days use professional wedding planning services. It is the job of these experts to take all of the stress and hard work out of planning the big day, leaving you to look forward to the excitement of it all. For many couples, leaving the finer details down to the experts is a great way to ensure the perfect wedding without the stress and worry of having to organize everything themselves.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that by taking on a wedding planner your big day will be completely different to how you wanted it to be. You will have plenty of opportunity to discuss exactly what you want your wedding to be like with the planner, giving them plenty of time to arrange everything just the way you want it!

It is definitely worth considering the services of wedding planners if you want to enjoy the dream wedding without the nightmare or organizing it yourself. This way you truly look forward to your wedding day, as you will know that the arrangements are in expert hands. 

Are you struggling with choosing a wedding venue?

For many couples, choosing a wedding venue can be a very difficult thing to do because there are so many things that you need to take into consideration. It is important to ensure that you choose the right location for your wedding reception and even for the ceremony itself, if you are not planning to marry in a church. Your venue will play a huge part in your special day so make sure you put plenty of thought into where you decide to have your wedding ceremony and reception.

Some of the things to consider:

The cost of the venue: Weddings are very expensive affairs for most couples. You need to set aside a budget that you know you can afford and do your best not to go over the budget. When choosing your venue make sure you look at the total cost – and wherever possible try and haggle with the management in order to get a better deal!

The location: The location of your venue is also very important, as you need to make sure that both you and your guests can get there without too much inconvenience. Choose a venue that is close enough for you to get to without having to spend a huge amount of time travelling (the last thing you want when you are dressed up to the nines for your big day!)

Parking: Some couples may want to check on the parking facilities at or close to the venue, especially if it is a big event with a lot of guests.

The size of the room: When you are choosing a venue make sure that you find out how many guests the room can accommodate so that you have a venue that is able to cater for the number of people that you have invited or plan to invite

Extras: Another thing to look at when choosing a venue is any extras that are available. For example, if you are not getting married in a church and you are booking a hotel venue you may want to find out whether the hotel offers civil marriage service facilities. You can also ask about things such as any entertainment and catering options if you are choosing a wedding venue for your wedding reception

Wedding Caterers – Knowing What to Look for

Anyone that is planning their wedding will know that the catering is a vital part of the occasion which is why many use professional wedding caterers. Whether you are planning a full sit down meal for your guests or whether you need catering for a reception buffet you will find that having caterers on hand to sort that side of the event out for you can be a huge help.

Wedding caterers are able to cater for all sorts of needs and pockets, so the first thing you need to do is work out what you want in terms of catering for your wedding and how much you can afford to spend. Some people that book wedding caterers simply want a buffet with cold finger food for their evening reception. Other couples want catering sorted out for a sit down meal for their friends and family. Some may even be looking to have the catering done for both the sit down meal after the wedding and the evening reception.

When you are booking a caterer for your big day you should make sure that you discuss your requirements in full. You need to ensure that the caterer is easily able to handle your requirements and that you are able to get a clear idea of the total cost for the catering service provided. This will help to ensure that you can work within your budget and you do not end up with an unexpectedly large bill.

Reputable wedding caterers will be able to offer a full range of menus to suit all dietary requirements and preferences and should also be able to arrange a bespoke menu based on your specific needs. Some may even offer menu tasting facilities, so that you know exactly what you will be getting in terms of cuisine for your big day.

Eco-friendly wedding confetti

Throwing confetti is one of those traditions that are so much part of a wedding that we can’t quite imagine a wedding without those showers of pretty paper or petals raining on the head of the bride and groom. It started as a ritual to ensure fertility and prosperity for the bridal couple. Nowadays it’s just for luck and for fun.

However many wedding venues take a rather killjoy approach. Fed up with the litter of mounds of paper pieces that all need to be swept up before the next wedding, they sometimes put a blanket ban on throwing confetti at all. However taking a green stance and going for eco-friendly confetti can persuade most venues to allow confetti. After all what harm can a shower of fresh rose petals do?!

Eco-friendly confetti comes in many forms:

Biodegradable paper confetti
This is specially produced and dissolves in water, so it only needs a blast of a hose to disperse the pieces. It can comes in any colours and shapes according to your wedding theme.

Flower petal confetti
This can be of fresh flower petals, usually roses, which are fragrant, classy and not at all cheap! Or you can get specially freeze-dried petals, which also conserve the colour and fragrance. These are usually cheaper than fresh petals but still cost a reasonable amount. However flower confettis are really worth it, both for romance and style, so this would be my top choice among the eco-friendly confettis available today. You can get a choice of colours to match your theme.

Rice
This was a traditional thing to shower the bridal couple with, until very recently, but though it is a natural product it still needs cleaning up, otherwise it tends to swell in water as soon as it rains and creates even more of a mess.

Bird seed
This became a trend when rice fell out of favour amid concerns that it endangered bird life. Throwing bird seed as confetti, is certainly eco-friendly but I can’t imagine the bride really enjoying having bird seed lodged in her hair throughout the reception!

Shredded coconut
This has become a popular confetti trend for beach weddings, where it can be used safely as it is natural and biodegradable. Plus the smell of coconut adds to that tropical beach atmosphere.
All in all, eco-friendly wedding confetti is the way to go.

Wedding Planners - Why They Are Worth It

Brides on a budget often try to do all the wedding organisation themselves. Then they wonder why they are frazzled, stressed out and way over budget by the time the wedding day arrives.

A wedding is a once in a lifetime event and you want to be able to enjoy it fully. Most brides don’t have any experience of organising one. That’s fine if they are planning a very simple wedding with just a few guests in a low-key venue. But anyone who is planning a wedding of any size with all the traditional accoutrements needs a wedding planner. Here’s why:

1. Wedding Planners Save You Time
A wedding takes many hours of planning, co-ordination, and decision making. A wedding planner can save you valuable time by taking all that off your shoulders and just coming to you for the fun decision making stuff.

2. Keep To the Budget
Wedding planners are experienced at working to a budget. They can tell you what will work and what won’t and steer you to more affordable options, to keep you from blowing your honeymoon spending money on the flowers or wedding favours.

3. Experience and knowledge
Wedding planners know where all the best local suppliers are and know exactly what is needed. They can make things all run smoothly without neglecting essential details, so that you can relax.

4. Saves Stress
Wedding planners know that weddings can be stressful and take as much of the stress off your shoulders as possible. They support the bridal couple through the decision making and make sure that they arrive at the big day without having had a major meltdown brought on by the stress of organising all the details.

If you think you can manage without a wedding planner, take time and consider whether you really need to. Who knows, it might even be more fun to have someone to mull over dresses, flowers and little details, when your other half isn’t very interested in the details and just says that everything looks fine! Your wedding planner might even become your new best friend!