Chef Stations

Ever been to a Teppenyaki restaurant? Interactive chef stations borrow from that idea to give you and your guests an exciting and fresh alternative to conventional buffets. Not only is it entertainment for your guests, but what could taste better than fabulous food prepared hot and on the spot?

Fusion Menus

It can be tough to decide on the menu when the bride and groom have completely opposite tastes. Well, who said you have to decide? Try a fusion buffet, which blends two completely different cuisines and cultures. Try serving Mexican cuisine alongside Asian, or Latin food with Italian. The results will create a scrumptious and rich menu.

Demi Plates

Rather than having plates piled high with food, small demi plates (which hold a small sample of a particular dish) allow guests to sample all the food in just the right portions. It also gives a fresh and innovative presentation of the food.

Vertical Buffets

Tiered food displays are all the rage because they defy conventional buffets. Various courses are placed on the tiers giving guests complete access to the food. Plus, no long lines to worry about. Very few vendors offer this unique presentation, so ask your Salt Lake City caterer if you are interested.

Rich Linens

Forget drab colors! These days, the linens used at your reception give you the unique opportunity to display your personal taste. Most caterers offer a myriad of different rental options with limitless colors and styles to fit every style and budget.

Dinnerware

Place Settings are now just as versatile as your menu. There is virtually an unlimited selection of different choices when it comes to the dinnerware used at your wedding. From decorated glass to square plates, to colorful ceramics, you can find exactly what you want.

By Grace Lennington

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Grace_Lennington

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Spring is an amazing time of year to celebrate new beginnings, and there are many ways you can bring the wonder of springtime into your wedding. Your centerpieces are a great place to start since they will be the focal point of every table at your reception and they are your best opportunity to add color to your wedding decor. Spring centerpieces are fun and exciting, just like the season itself!

First you’ll need to narrow down the basic style you want… Are you looking for smaller arrangements that your guests can see over, ideal for smaller, more intimate tables? Or do you want the drama of tall and eye-catching decorations that are sure to get people talking?

If flowers are preferred, there are a variety of plants that are associated with spring. The most obvious, and possibly the most colorful, are bulbs. Daffodils and tulips are the essential spring blossoms, and they are available in a variety of colors. They don’t really last well as cut flowers, but using them as potted plants with their flowers just opening can make for some stunning decorations. They can be displayed in decorative pots to match your preferences, and dressed up with some ribbon or tulle. Talk to your florist to find out what they offer well before your wedding date. Larger bunches of flowering bulbs will add more drama to your reception, but smaller bunches can add a simple, fresh look.

Other potted plant options include using lilies for weddings close to Easter, or shamrocks for events near St. Patrick’s Day.

Spring is the season of birth and growth, and seeds exemplify this theme. Some couples choose to give seeds of their favorite plants to their guests as wedding favors. One great way to do this is to incorporate them into the centerpieces. Fill a pretty glass bowl half full of decorative stones or small river rocks, then gently tuck individual packets of seeds between the stones. Your guests will know to each take a packet, and you still have the bowls to give to the lucky winners of the centerpieces. Instead of seed packets you could also do this with tree seedlings so that each of your guests can plant a tree in honor of your love.

One note of caution when using plants or flowers, make sure that the items you choose aren’t heavily scented, especially if you’re having an indoor reception. Some flowers and candles can be very heavily scented and some of your guests may have allergies to them. That’s one complication that you don’t want to worry about on your special day!

Visit us for more information on church wedding decorations, winter wedding decorations and boxes for wedding favors.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

With the rising costs of weddings every year, couples everywhere are trying to find ways to extend their budget while still planning a wedding and reception of their dreams. Many couples are starting to use other themes for their wedding receptions instead of serving a large dinner, or a cake and punch reception only, and the ideas are getting more and more creative. A dessert reception theme is starting to take off. You may have looked into it without knowing where to start or what to serve. Here are some of the most popular ideas for desserts in your dessert only reception. You can choose to implement only one of these ideas, or several for more variety so that everyone can have their favorite.

1. Make a Cookie Table

Many bakeries, caterers, and even grocery stores can make large platters of assorted cookies at an affordable cost. You can either use the platters they come in, or arrange them yourself on the table using the decorations of your choice to dress up the table. An assortment of chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, snicker doodles, double chocolate, or a special favorite of yours will be sure to grab your guests attention.

2. Rent a Chocolate Fountain

Chocolate fountains are starting to be used more and more at receptions as they can be very beautiful, smell wonderful, and make a great dessert table! They rent relatively cheaply, and then include your favorites in large bowls around the fountain for guests to dip or have drizzled with chocolate. Some favorites include pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries and other fruits, Oreo cookies, graham crackers, and much more!

3. Ice Cream Sundae Bar

Seriously, who doesn’t like an ice cream sundae? This usually works best with a caterer since they have the appliances to keep everything cold throughout your reception, but if you can find a way to do it yourself, more power to you! Start out with vanilla or chocolate ice cream and then have bowls set out of different things for your guests to add to their sundaes. Chocolate sauce, sprinkles, nuts, cherries, whipped cream, chocolate chips, and much more! Definitely a reception your guests will not soon forget!

4. Make a Candy Table

Making a candy table at your wedding reception is another idea growing in popularity. This is mainly because it can be doubly used as wedding favors. Put large bowls of your favorite kinds of candy on the table(be sure you have enough), along with little take home boxes and scoops in the candy for each guest to help themselves to their favorite and take home for later.

5. Wedding Cake

Duh. Seriously, you still want to have your wedding cake, and most everyone is going to want to try it. Have one of your dessert tables at your reception include both wedding cakes, and have someone slice up your cake so that each guest can come by and have a piece of your beautiful wedding cake.

Not everyone will be able to handle a dessert reception with sugar filled snacks only. Be sure to include some sugar free snacks and candy for anyone with diabetes. You will need something for your guests to drink, and the most popular refreshments for a dessert reception is coffee, tea, and of course, milk!

This wedding help site will get you off to the right start. Finding great ideas for planning a dessert reception are just one of many articles, tips and tricks to make your wedding perfect.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

“After the ceremony and the photo’s we arrived upstairs of the reception at about 5:15 pm ready for a 5:30pm entrance.

I used this time to have a drink, touch up my make-up, go to the toilet and made sure everyone was in order for the official arrival.

Since my husband is from New Zealand it was appropriate to have ‘Slice of Heaven’ as the song we all walk into.

I sent the junior bridesmaid together, then the bridesmaids and their partners followed by us.

The entrance was quite dramatic as we had to walk down these winding stairs to the reception room.

From 5:30 – 6:00pm we just had some soft background music while we caught our breath and had a rest.

We decided to do our speeches at 6:00pm at the start of the reception as we felt this was more appropriate getting the formalities out of the way so we could all relax.

My husband and my father were a bit nervous so this suited them better.

The order of speeches went:

- My husband – The Best Man – John’s Brother – My Father

We kept them short, sweet and straight to the point because there is nothing worse than 5 hour long speeches and people ranting and raving about nothing important.

Dinner was next and we love food so we opted to go for a full buffet.

After the wedding everyone we spoke to raved about the food.

Especially about how much seafood there was and the quality of it.

They also commented on the wide variety of dishes to suit everyone.

My husband had said all along the planning stage that he really wanted to have plenty of food and drink for everyone as this was very important to him.

We put AU $2500 on the bar and this lasted us the entire night and we even got about $400 back the next day of what we hadn’t used.

I was quite organised and I knew some of my husband’s friend might try to score some free drinks of shots or expensive spirits so here is what I did.

The bridal table could have whatever they wanted but there were no shots or cocktails and they could only buy one drink at a time.

All our guests were allowed as much wine, beer, soft drink as they liked. They had to pay for their own spirits.

I gave the bar staff a list of immediate family that could have what they wanted but again there was no shots or spirits and only one drink at a time.

On the night I was right about some people trying to get spirits for free and the bar staff stopped them in their tracks.

So if you want something like this make sure you give a detailed list of instructions for them.

After dinner we took the opportunity to go around to each table and say Hi to everyone and thank them for coming.

This took quite a bit of time but everyone was really appreciative that we took the time to do this.

The cake cutting was my favourite moment as we gathered everyone outside and when the knife hit the cake 3 mins worth of fireworks went off in the background.

We hadn’t told anyone of this plan and everyone’s mouth dropped open in awe.

Those 3 mins seemed like an eternity but the fireworks lit up the sky and made the cake cutting very special.

Straight after that we did out bridal waltz to “If I Aint Got You” by Alicia Keys & Usher.

All the dancing practice we had went out the window on the night as I totally drew a blank on what I should be doing so we pretty much winged it and the DJ invited our bridal party up half way through so that was good to get the spotlight of us…maybe we were looking silly trying to dance!

So from about 8:30 – 10:30pm we mingled, did a bit of dancing, saw some of the older relatives off as there were quite tired and took in how fast the day had gone.

Even my husband and I got about 15mins quite time outside to get some fresh air and I suggest doing this. It was really the first second alone we had had for the last 2 days.

Eventually at 10:30am we danced to the last song of the night and threw the bouquet from right at the top of the stairs we had made our entrance from.

We were absolutely exhausted. It was quite sad for me though because I had spent all this time and effort + money on this day and it had gone so quick.

It really is a magical day and at the end you just think wow. ”

About the Author

By Melissa Mazlin. Melissa Mazlin has planned her own dream wedding and helped numerous family members and close friends plan their own weddings with great success.
Visit her 100% free information website ‘A Real Life Wedding’ at: http://www.theentirelot.com/wedding/home.html

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Are you looking for that little extra-special something that takes your wedding from great to fabulous? Then think about writing (or paying someone else to write) a custom love song to perform at your wedding. What could be more romantic than hearing your song, and knowing that it’s really your song? What better way to capture the freshness and ferocity of your love for one another than to capture it in the timeless framework of music?

Weddings and music have gone hand-in-hand for centuries. In fact, traditional western ceremonies and receptions typically involve a play list of up to 16 different songs … everything from Interlude and Prelude music to Garter Toss and Dollar Dance tunes.

So, as you can see, there’s plenty of room to weave your own, one-of-a-kind wedding ballad into the musical mix. When it comes time to write the lyrics (don’t worry – it’s not as hard as it sounds), here are a few tips to keep in mind…

• Look for ways to acknowledge and highlight the facets of each other that brought you together – and the ones you hope to build your future dreams on.

• Think about the special pastimes or enthusiasms that you both love and share (the outdoors, fine coffee, Paris …). Can any of them be included in your lyrics?

• Each of you (or just one of you, if it’s a surprise gift) should work hard to stick close to your own voice and feelings and emotions. Don’t make the mistake of trying to sound like a classical poet.

• Keep it simple, and don’t go crazy– you don’t need to write an opera. Stick to two stanzas and a refrain.

• If you’re not a musician yourself, it’s perfectly legal to sing along to someone else’s tune (think Karaoke music), as long as you aren’t selling the result or claiming it as your own.

• Can you both sing? Be honest! If so, get up there and sing your hearts out to one another (be sure your guests have plenty of tissues on hand). If not, forego the personal stage show and let a wedding singer belt this one out. Either way, preserve these lyrics – design the layout, print them out and frame them. It’s a powerful gift that’s both of yours forever.

But even if you can’t pen a note or carry a tune in a bucket, there’s still hope. Believe it or not, it’s simple to find a pro who can write and record (and possibly even perform) your personal song. Do a search engine search for terms like “freelance songwriters,” “customized wedding song,” “unique professional wedding song writing” — or go to a freelance talent pool like www.Guru.com, where pros are willing to bid on your project needs.

Wanna Really Wow Her?

Grooms are always on the hunt for extraordinary ways to express their affection when the wedding day nears. If you’re looking for the ultimate in romantic shows of love, have your new song encoded in a real, tangible music box. Websites like http://www.gueissaz.com/luxury_gifts/custom_music_boxes.htm reveal exactly what a custom Swiss luxury music box looks like. Not only would this beautifully accent any new home (and it’s a surefire way of impressing the in-laws), but what better way to end arguments than to foxtrot in the living room to a song written just for the two of you?

About the Author

Blake Kritzberg is editor of http://www.favorideas.com. Check out our newest wedding favors (updated daily) — and our new hand-picked line of Heart and Love wedding favors.

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Before you decide on your wedding reception decorations, you’re going to have to do some planning. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Does your wedding have a theme? Themed weddings can be a lot of fun for everyone involved. Some popular themes are black & white, Valentine’s Day, garden party, country & western, beach and medieval.

What’s your budget and how many people are you expecting? The number of guests and the amount of money you have to spend will have a big impact on how extravagant your decorations will be. Keep in mind that while table decorations and favors seem inexpensive, the totals add up quickly when you have a large number of guests.

Where are you holding your reception? Your choice of venue will have a lot to do with deciding on your decorations. A country club wedding will be decorated much differently than a beach side barbecue.

If you decide not to use a theme for your wedding, you’ll need to choose a color or two to focus on. Many brides find floral catalogs inspiring or you might want to browse through wedding magazines and take note of the color combinations that catch your eye.

Here’s an example of how one bride decorated for her informal Valentine’s Day wedding. The reception was held in a large Victorian home. The dining area was decorated with bouquets of red heart-shaped mylar balloons with alternating red and white ribbons. The balloons were held in place with a weighted base covered in metallic red tissue paper.

On the walls were dried flower arrangements purchased from a garden catalog. What’s so lovely about this idea is the bride was able to keep the decorations after the wedding and use them in her new home.

A friend of mine helped a bride put together her very low budget wedding reception in a small Mexican restaurant. They started with white and peach paper tablecloths to cover the tables. Then they added a clear glass bowl in the center of each table with 4 or 5 peach floating candles. The effect was really pretty.

Another fun addition to this reception was the disposable camera that was placed on each table. The idea was for the guests to use the camera to take candid shots and then leave the camera on the table at the end of the evening. Once they returned from their honeymoon, the bride and groom had a great time looking through all the casual photos their friends and family had taken.

Many of the items you need to decorate can be found at discount stores, craft stores and online. Once you decide on your theme and your colors, you’re ready to go. Plan it out in advance and your wedding reception decorations will be fantastic!

About the author

Melinda Barton is an Internationally recognized wedding planner and author of the book Wedding Planning Secrets. She has given several TV and radio appearances and is passionate about helping everyone succeed in their desire to have the best wedding through simple and easy to use wedding planning secrets.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Melinda_Barton

Advice on Marriage, Brides, Diamonds and Weddings. Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved.