SRQsocialite's Blog

Tables & Chairs & Lighting, Oh My!

2010-01-14T01:20:00Z

Over the summer, I decided to go to a local bridal expo with my mom. Already having been to one the year before, I pretty much went for the free goodies. I thought, "I have my venue, photographer & we're not doing a formal dinner... so I'm set!" I never even thought of looking into a rental company for [very important] things like extra tables & chairs, lounge seating... & lighting!

I can't believe I didn't even think of that before! We're having a nighttime wedding at a historical estate with not a whole lot of electricity, so we NEED lighting. I'd love to have a string of cafe bulbs outside as well as some pretty paper lanterns hanging from the trees. The inside will need some cool, spooky lighting too -- it is a Haunted Mansion theme, after all.

Luckily, I found US Tent Rentals among the expo vendors and am looking forward to working with them. They specialize in tents (which I won't be needing), but they also have everything from ashtrays & punch bowls to dance floors & silk linens! They are very reasonably priced & are located in our town.

http://ustentrental.com/

Reception Ideas

2009-06-25T17:55:00Z

I saw these reception ideas on yvonne614's blog & I'm thinking of doing a combination of the two:

*Dessert Reception/Champagne & Cake*

Thoughtfully timed between meals, champagne and cake and dessert receptions presume that guests will not come—or leave—hungry. For that reason, these celebrations generally take place immediately after a late afternoon or late evening ceremony and are almost always served buffet style.

For a dessert reception, one of the obvious choices for the menu is bride’s cake and groom’s cake. Bride’s cake is usually a white cake and the groom’s cake is typically chocolate. In addition, you could serve the following:

Assorted cookies
Assorted pastries
Cheesecake
Ice Cream with different toppings (you can set this up as a do-it-yourself table)

For beverages, you could serve coffee, tea, water and carbonated beverages (cola, seltzer).

*Cocktail Reception*

A cocktail event can begin as early as 4pm, but no later than 6 pm. Hors d’oeuvres are passed by tray, served buffet-style or some combination of both. Typically, the event wraps up around 7:30, when most guests begin to think about dinner.
For this type of reception, you could do small finger foods and appetizers. Here are some suggestions:

Mini ham and cheese croissants
Chicken salad sandwiches cut in fours
Fried chicken fingers with honey mustard & barbeque dipping sauce
Mini quesadillas
Cheese and crackers

For beverages you could have several stations set up:

Iced tea (both sweetened and unsweetened)
Flavored punch
Flavored water
Champagne and wine

Couples may offer a traditional bar, with an assortment of hard liquor, mixers, wine, champagne and soft drinks, serve a signature cocktail—like Blue Moon or cosmopolitan—or choose a favorite drink like a martini or margarita, and give guests their choice of sweet or savory variations.

My Inner Bride

2009-06-25T17:47:00Z

Cash Bar vs Open Bar

2009-06-23T21:47:00Z

I originally intended on having an open bar so that our guests could drink to their hearts content and not have to worry about pulling out their wallets at all during the night. However, I've been trying to think about how many of them would realistically be drinking alcohol and it seems silly to have an open bar if only 10-20% of the guests would be utilizing it. Maybe there's a way we could pay for nonalcoholic drinks and maybe beer and wine, but have the liquor be on a cash system.

I would love to foot the bill for the bar, but we're already working on such a tight budget as it is... It seems tacky to have a cash bar, but I think it's the best option for us at this point.

Such A Cute Idea!

2009-06-21T05:23:00Z

What is the "Bridesmaid Ribbon Pulling Tradition"?

The Bridesmaid Ribbon Pulling Tradition is a tradition dating back to the Victorian Era where each charm is baked right into the wedding cake with the ribbon peeking out of the side of the cake. Just before the Bride and Groom's cake cutting ceremony, each bridesmaid pulls on one ribbon and the charm she finds is a wish from the bride... Engagement Ring - The Next to MarryHeart - Love will ComeBouquet - A Blossoming RelationshipHorseshoe - Lucky in LifeAnchor - Hope and AdventureKey - The Key to Happiness Awaits A cute way to incorporate this tradition outside of the wedding reception has been to make it a special event at the bridesmaid luncheon or bridal shower.

*From http://www.advantagebridal.com/weddingideas.html

Postponing the wedding...

2009-04-06T15:36:00Z

Jason & I have decided to postpone the wedding for a year. We were compromising on alot of things and cutting costs so much that it wasn't going to be anywhere near our original vision. So we're taking the next year to save up. Because Halloween won't fall on a Saturday for 6/7 more years, the new wedding date will be October 30, 2010. We wanted to have a night wedding with a midnight sendoff anyways, so technically it will be Halloween when the party winds down :P

Thankfully, our venue is allowing us to transfer the deposit to the new date with no penalties. Now we're just waiting to hear back from the photographer. Hopefully, it won't be a big deal ::crosses fingers::

The extra year also gives me plenty of time to get my butt (and adjoining body parts) in shape!!

*Update: The amazing Horatio @ StudioFour Photography has allowed us to transfer our deposit!

Trying On Dresses

2008-10-25T17:47:00Z

I tried on dresses for the first time yesterday at David's Bridal. It was a good experience because I got to see what looks good on me and what doesn't. Plus, who doesn't love playing dress up?? I didn't find "the" dress tho. I was hoping they'd have something similar to the Monique Llulhier I lust after, but the only dress close to it still doesn't feel like the end all, be all. The princess-y ballgowns made me look to wide at the bottom, so I'm definitely going with an A-line, Trumpet or Mermaid style.

gorgeous, but not for me

LOVE the top and bottom, but not the middle

The fave so far. Also has a beautiful chapel train.

Reception Decor

2008-09-24T03:38:00Z

Here is another stylesheet I made. This is how I envision the reception:
Loads of Black Magic roses, candles and vintage Halloween decorations!!!