Things happen. We all are usually pretty prepared for the fact that not everything will go exactly according to plan. There's no sense in letting little hiccups ruin your wedding day but you also need a solid contingency plan in place! Today's favorite blog post is by Genna who blogs for Chef's Market. The post lays out the reality of situations that could occur on your wedding reception and the best plans you could make to avoid them. This is a must read which why we just had to share it!
Summer is the one season that will unapologetically book your calendar with weddings months in advance. Plans on the fourth of July? Canceled. Your sister’s getting married on the beach. A weekend trip to your favorite vacation spot? Sorry, you’ve got MOH duties. The wedding fever epidemic hits every year between June and September and it’s no surprise why. Summer is a gorgeous time of year to be married and it’s the perfect season to celebrate outside. So if the sunshine, fresh flowers and extra daylight have you dreaming of skipping through a field to say ‘I Do’ you’ll want to sit down and create a strategy that will keep you from falling head over heels in the mud when it starts to rain on the big day! Read on for 10 things to consider when planning for an outdoor wedding reception:
1. Pick a menu that can stand up to the heat - if you’re getting married in July and you’re going to be eating at five o’clock there’s a good chance it’s going to be hot and humid while you’re guests are standing in the buffet line, so you want to serve food that will stay fresh. Think non mayonnaise based salads and things like poached salmon that are typically served at room temperature. Rice salads, such as our Wild Rice Orzo, are a great option as well.
2. Hire a caterer who knows their way around an outdoor reception – Catering outside has a lot more logistical kinks to work out than a typical indoor reception. Make sure your caterer will not only be able to get the set up down perfectly, but will also have no problem serving foods the way they’re supposed to be served ( keeping cold foods cold and hot foods hot).
3. Have a back up plan – Plan B is never ideal, but knowing you’ve got a safety net in case Plan A falls through is comforting and will keep you from stressing out if you have to switch gears on your wedding day and set the reception up inside the nearest building. Have a go to list of who will move what, how you’ll rearrange the tables, chairs, decor and food in case of emergency.
4. Rent a tent or have one on hold – if you’re banking on clear skies and have skipped #3 then you’re pretty much guaranteed to have nature tease you with rain, wind and whatever else she can come up with. OK, maybe that sounds harsh but haven’t you ever heard of Murphy’s Law??? The point here, is that it’s smart to at least have a tent on hold in case inclement weather does show up…and if it doesn’t? Well, spend the night dancing under the stars!
5. Provide lighting for the catering tent/food prep area – This sounds so simple, but it’s because it seems so obvious that many people forget until it’s too dark to see anything and you have servers dropping dishes. Make sure that any space where your caterer will be unloading/packing up the food is well lit.
6. Keep bottled water on hand – The last thing you want on your wedding day is for your grandmother to get heatstroke…bottled water is an easy way to make sure your guests stay cool and have as much fun at your reception as you had planning it. You can even make sure that necessary items like bottled water get their own personalized spin by creating monogrammed labels to fit around the bottles.
7. Beverage stations – Much like the bottled water, a beverage station will ensure that your guests have something cool to sip on while they eat dinner, mingle with friends and enjoy the reception. Beverage stations are perfect for an outdoor reception. At Chef’s Market, we love to use large apothecary jars filled with different colored lemonades and teas. You can place flower wreaths around the jars or add sliced fruit to give the drinks more color and flavor!
8. Air Conditioning/Fans are important – Whether you’re under a tent or under the sky, bring something to keep the air circulating as your reception gets underway. Rental companies often carry large industrial fans for just such occasions and if you’ve got a tent and your budget allows for it, you can actually have air conditioning set up for your celebration.
9. Bugs – It doesn’t matter where you are, if your reception will be outside you’ve got to consider the bug factor. Think about using citronella candles or providing bug spray for guests to use prior to hitting the dance floor. Another trick to keep pests away, is to wipe down tables and chairs with a wet cloth before setting them up for the reception (this will get rid of any food/drink residue that might be lingering on the surface).
10. Wind – With an outdoor reception, the first step is to accept that there will be some things you just cannot control, like the weather. You’ve got a tent on hold in case it rains right? Make sure you’ve got a plan for rain’s best friend named wind. Even with a tent, wind can sneak up under the sides and wreak havoc on table settings and food arrangements. The best way to deal with this possibility? Have decorative weights that can be placed on tables to hold everything in place. For a cute and simple DIY tutorial click here.
The bottom line when it comes to planning an outdoor wedding reception? Accept that it will be a little more challenging than a traditional ballroom or indoor venue and then go for it! If your heart’s set on having an outdoor celebration in the middle of August then there’s no question that that’s what you should have, just be a little strategic, prepare for the unexpected and enjoy your day!
Visit the Chef's Dish - the Chef's Market blog for more wonderful catering planning ideas and posts from the lovely Genna.
Today is our last day of Sex and the City recaps...but I've saved the most delicious for last - I promise!
Last week, we shared our party's vision, decor, details, entertainment and shopping. Today, we'll give you the scoop on the delicious treats - from dessert and food to great party favors!
The Food: Delicious Treats
Because the women at the party appreciate the finer things in life, it was only appropriate that the food we had looked and tasted good as well. Our vendors always come through for us and when they said they'd bring us fabulous food, they definitely delivered! A Catered Affair had a full-on Asian stir-fry station and served the chicken with fried rice in cute Chinese takeout boxes.
A fun stir fry station would be perfect for a wedding or event!
A Catered Affair also provided really chic dessert shots! Served on individual spoons, they're visually appealing, rather unique and easy to manage so people don't have their hands full of stuff when trying to eat!
Dessert Shots by A Catered Affair
Down South Delights covered the heavy hors d'ouevres part of the fare, with tons of options both savory and sweet. I had at least one, if not two of each of the bite sized morsels starting with the Inside Out Sushi with hoisin scallion dipping sauce. The dipping sauce also tasted great on the Chinois chicken spring rolls. One bite of the Hamptons style mini lobster rolls and I instantly knew those would be perfect for a posh garden style party. Very tasty. You can't go wrong with the mini gourmet flatbread pizzas and they ended everything on a slightly sweeter note with the brie and almond wontons with black raspberry sauce.
WIth the savory comes the sweet. Down South Delights brought us some fabulous Sex & The City themed desserts like pink champagne truffles, mini mimosa parfait, layered gelees and cosmopolitan mousse, plus my favorite, French macarons. A great mix of flavors and colors, it really made the buffet table festive.
You can't have a Sex & the City Party without serving cupcakes! The show is what put cupcakes back into trendy vocabulary in the first place! So in celebration, Crumb de la Crumb brought chocolate cupcakes with pink buttercream frosting and to accompany the cupcakes, little petit four style cakes!
The cake did not last very long!
Kernels Southern Gourmet Popcorn provided a fun and tastty popcorn bar, a unique alternative to the ever popular candy bar. Kernel's gave partygoers flavored, specialty popcorn for us to scoop and pack into our individual bags.
The Swag: Bags full of goodies
Our local vendors were so generous with everything they gave us. There were two types of goodie bags we gave out that night, one for our brides-to-be that had swag to celebrate their upcoming wedding, and those for the fabulous women who came to celebrate SATC.
There were so many great items and I'll list our super swag run-down because these items would make great wedding favors, ideas, or overall gifts for yourself or your friends!
Opulent Couturier - monogrammed drinking glasses, something that would make great wedding favors. Everyone marveled at this cute (and affordable for favors) glasses.
Swizzle Events - as a wedding planner, Amy knows great wedding favors. She created swizzle sticks and added her business card. You could do something similar OR call her to help with your favors or wedding planning in general!
McNeal Wedding Films + AshleysBrideGuide.com (ABG) - we partnered to create the CUTEST "I'm a Carrie..." buttons that were available for each character, all guests! We also cr
Relish + AshleysBrideGuide.com (ABG) - we partnered to create custom ABG/Flood 2010 tnotes and the proceeds benefit the Red Cross. If you like them, you can order your own for thank you notes, Nashville wedding invitations, etc.
Nico and Lala - VERY popular! This fab girl design team gave every guest a super cute luggage tag that said 'Honeymoon Bound" or was a pink and green gingham print pretty version. I love mine!
Chef's Market - boxes of truffles, good for a OOT gift basket or favors
Sandals Honeymoon Travel - bath salts to get us in a tranquil mood and thinking of sandy beaches
Bikram Cool Springs - complimentary yoga class - You need to relax girl! If you attended the party - be sure to use your coupon!
PaperKuts Studio - 20% off coupon + magnets in a wide array or colors and can be matched to your wedding colors
Kerried Away Couture - mini tape measures, one of my favorites, to help measure your bridesmaids!
Olive and Sinclair - locally made artisan chocolate which were all the rave!
ABG's SATC buttons - Designer luggage tags from Nico and Lala - Magnets from Paperkuts Studio, Truffles from Chef's Market - Chocolate bars from Olive and Sinclair + Nashville tnotes by Relish from ABG - Monogrammed glass from Opulent Couturier
The Giveaways: Our guests got hooked up!
The party's giveaways were even more over the top than some of the swag! Jonathon Campbell Photography gave away an amazing bar set - complete with martini glasses, alcohol and shakers that I wanted to steal. Kristyn Hogan lifestyle photographer and McCoy Made hooked 2 brides up with free lifestyle sessions, valued at well over $500+. Then Stella and Dot, Nala Style, J. Bangs Salon and J. Nichelle Hair Artistry treated winning partygoers to jewelry, accessories, hair cuts and manicures. Unreal! The list really went on and on. We gave away thousands of dollars in prizes. Yes - we treat our partygoers well! We love to pass on our goodies to others. Hope you got in on the fun. If not, be sure to join us next time!
If you missed our SATC party - we hope these recaps help you create an ultimate list of Nashville wedding/event resources or goodies to treat yourself any day of the week!
Originally from Singapore, Nashville was the first Southern city I visited in America. And after living here for more than 10 years, the people are still wonderful, the hospitality is great and the food... oh the food! I swoon just thinking about it. Southern food is delicious. It brings "comfort food" to a whole new level.
It's no surprise couples choose a hearty, might-as-well-be-home-made menu of classic Southern dishes to serve at their weddings. Down South Delights is one catering company that know how to satisfy that desire for some downhome cookin'.
Warning: Reading their blog is like going to the grocery store - don't do it on an empty stomach because you will want to eat everything you see! They seem to have such a flair for Southern fare (and, really, cuisine of any kind).
Barbara wanted a super chic modern wedding with Tiffany blue & chocolate integrated throughout the reception. They chose The Cannery as their venue which we are now on the list as one of their preferred caterers!! We started working with the couple last April and catered the engagement party too!
Mini Salads
For the menu they chose our strawberry almond chicken tarts, hot buttered seafood dip, a lavish fruit & cheese display, butter pecan chicken tenders w/ blackberry Dijon, a mashed potato martini station, garlic Cheddar biscuits with praline ham, Bourbon beef tenderloin on cream biscuits, zucchini artichoke fritters w/ spicy marinara, a mini salad display, and a spinach artichoke dip.
Zucchini artichoke fritters
Since the reception began in the evening the couple wanted the hors d’ oeuvres to be substantial and filling.
Courtney of A Magical Affair was the planner and we absolutely LOVE working with her and her team.They also designed the enormous candy buffet that was a hit all evening long.
The decor was handled by One Source Weddings which had a beautiful draped entrance and also some fabulous custom seating.
French Confection created the oh so stylish Tiffany Box cake.
Check out the cute banana pudding shots that we created and served after the wedding cake for a little snack for guests to enjoy.
We're so lucky to have industry professionals willing and able to share invaluable wedding advice. I can't even imagine planning a wedding without helpful online resources and blogs - can you?? I'm sure there are some super brides out there who can, but for the rest of us who prefer to embark on the planning journey with ease, blogs are a godsend.
When it comes to how to work with caterers, it's best to look at the whole picture and really figure out what your vision is and make smart choices. Today's guest blog post is by the lovely Genna of Chef's Market & Take Away, one of our favorite wedding caterers. Genna's going to let you in on five great tips on how best to pick the perfect menu for your wedding reception.
Guest Blog - Genna Dufault, Chef's Market & Take Away
Eat, Drink & Be Married ... 5 questions to ask yourself when choosing a menu for your wedding reception
Remember your sister’s/best friend’s/ arch nemesis’ wedding reception? Depends on what the bar situation was right? Kiiidddiinngg. But seriously, there had to be a time you went out to dinner or attended a wedding and couldn’t get over how awesome the food was. Maybe a thought flickered across your mind, ‘this would totally be something I’d want at my wedding’.
It’s the kind of thought us women tend to tuck away in our hearts, hardly remembering them until just the right moment comes along, like say an engagement ring. Knowing what you like is one of the first steps in deciding on a menu for your wedding reception but it doesn’t end and begin there. Below we’ve compiled a check list of questions you and your fiancé should ask yourselves before heading up the buffet line.
Picture Source: Projectwedding.com
What’s our budget?
Oh budget why can’t you just budge a little? Ugh. While sticking to a budget can be stressful at times (especially when it comes to food) it’s actually a really smart move for those of us not living on planet Hollywood. As a 20-something just starting ‘real life’ I’m constantly reminded that my taste exceeds my means and as irritating as that can be it’s also made me really resourceful, which I think is a great skill for any couple heading to the altar to arm themselves with. Understand what you can afford compared with what you want and be realistic.
If you’d love for your guests to feast on Lobster but can’t afford it, think about doing a shrimp appetizer. You might find that it not only fits into your budget better but still maintains the same theme. Work with your budget instead of against it and you’ll be a much happier bride-to-be!
What’s our wedding style?
Will your wedding be super formal or more low key?
Knowing exactly what kind of ceremony you want will translate to the reception and the menu. Keeping this in mind will make the entire wedding feel cohesive rather than disjointed and it won’t confuse your guests. Does anyone really want to show up to a beach wedding in flip flops only to be taken to a ballroom for a 7 course meal? Probably not.
Will your reception be mid-morning, late afternoon, or early evening? This might seem like a no-brainer but it’s helpful in getting ideas flowing. If you’re having a morning wedding you might want to think about a reception with a brunch themed menu. Likewise, an afternoon wedding might mean an elegant cocktail inspired menu, etc, etc.
Do any of our guest’s have any dietary restrictions?
Obviously this could be tricky and depending on the size of your wedding you might not even want to travel down this road, however it never hurts to have at least one option on the menu that everyone can enjoy. Does your fiancé live for red meat but you know half of your family members are vegetarians? Throw a fresh meat-free garden salad into the mix or plan on serving grilled vegetables as a side item.
What’s our vision for our wedding?
I’ve saved the best for last! Remember this is you and your fiancé’s wedding. If you’ve always wanted a garden party reception complete with tea service, go for it! Eat scones and mini cupcakes and enjoy your day! Your vision for your wedding is what will guide you through all of the other questions concerning your wedding menu.
Excellent tips, I hope this helps you when it comes to picking the right caterer. For more great catering advice, see what else Genna and the Chef's Market team have to say on their Chef's Dish Blog!
Last week I shared my first recap of the q&a that took place at Brides' Night Out where lucky brides in attendance got to ask their burning wedding questions of local wedding experts. On the panel were wedding professionals from Signature Events, Dulce Desserts, Music City Tents & Events (MusicCityTents.com) and the Country Music Hall of Fame (CountryMusicHallofFame.org).
Here's the advice that you may have missed. Hope it helps as you plan!
Which trends are you seeing in weddings?
Video summary:
Dessert trends - Cupcake trend over? No! Great price point. People are really into cookies.
Rentals / linens trends - Couples are showing more of theri personalities - no rules anymore. We're seeing more squares, burlap, fancy mixed with handstitched linens, mix and matching of casual and fun. soft lounge seating vs table and chairs, live mingling.
Planning trends - budget, budget, budget is first! Prioritize - food, venue, cake - what's important? Let those answers determine how limited budget is spent so it best reflects your budget.
What have been some popular bridesmaids gifts lately?
Video summary:
- Some great gift and favor ideas are bags of cookies, sweets from local purveyors like Olive + Sinclair (who has donated yummy chocolate to our SATC2 party swag bag!), The cocoa tree - anything local and handmade
- Favors - create a brand for your event using Hatchshow Prints - such as custom save the dates, poster unique to bride and groom, which is a true work of art
The brides (and I) received awesome advice from the experts! It's good to know that we have such good resources and vendors right here in Nashville! Next week's installment will be about that question you know you want to ask - how do we invite only adults to our wedding and, for the more child-friendly celebrations, what can you do about childcare? Stay tuned!
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