Location, Location, Location

The first thing you should do before you start looking for a place to hold your reception, is to decide how many guests you are budgeting to invite. With that in mind, call the catering manager at any establishment you are considering to establish some knowledge about their facility.

There are certain things that make a reception memorable, such as the ambiance of the location and how closely it fits into your wedding and color themes. The food is equally important. Check out the kitchen. Most banquet managers will have their chef prepare a dinner of your choice to sample. Check out the washrooms to make sure they have adequate handicap areas if needed; and depending on the season when you are holding your reception, be sure that the heating or cooling system is adequate for the comfort of your guests.

Remember to put the information you gather in your wedding binder to review later. Once you start checking out locations, it gets confusing as to who said what. Keep your information simple, record the time, date, place and person's name you speak to on separate information sheets for each potential venue.

There are three kinds of reception facilities that you can rent : on-site location,  off-site location and in-between location.

On-site locations:
"On-site" means that the facility is an all-inclusive venue which can provide most or all of the services you will need. They are places like banquet halls, hotels, clubs and even some restaurants. Some places of worship and community centres or historical sites have their own halls which can provide a number of services, although very elaborate food is usually catered in.

Off-site locations:
The off-site locations are places that offer no services on the premises, just the base rooms. Some may or may not have kitchens. Ask for a list of services they do provide. Also, ask for a list of caterers who have used the facility (or site).

Ask the same questions from your on-site list that are appropriate for your off-site list.

In-between locations:
The in-between location is one where some but not all services are provided. Go over all your lists carefully, even if there is some duplication. Your reception is too important to leave anything to chance.

www.WeddingsHoneymoons.com | April 1, 2008

Modern Day Ballrooms can be Transferred to Showpieces for Your Wedding

se your dreams and wishes to transform a modern day ballroom into a showplace for your wedding. The recipe for the transformation pictured included color, design, theme and over 150-feet of pipe and drape of green crinkle galaxy drape and swag of the entire perimeter topped with swags of antique gold organza accented with gold cording and tassels. Every third or fourth swag then featured a floor drop of fabric adorned with tassels and cording and bow treatment.

At the entryway, guests enjoyed rich décor that included a 24-foot long arbour dressed with grape vines, foliage and bougainvillea vines. Tall columns with crystal sconces were positioned along the perimeter.

Tuscany-style dining featured rustic double pedestal tables measuring 4’x8'. Tall risers of a suite of two different designs alternated as the main centerpiece for each table. Collections of mosaic candelabra were positioned along the lengths of the tables. Votive candles, mosaic vases with flowers and glass encased candles blended as Renaissance styled table presentations. A profusion of flowers in shades of orange, amber, gold, cinnabar and an array of reds rose from their casings. Stems of foliage along with rose petals drizzled along the table between the various elements blending the entire presentation beautifully.

Overhead, six chandeliers were suspended in a rectangular fashion. The visual ceiling height was actually dropped by 16-feet. Gold organza swags emanated from the central chandeliers with twinkle lights flowing outward to the smaller chandeliers and gracefully to the pipe and drape line.

A series of Master’s Paintings dressed the perimeter of the space. Around the room were tall torchiers dressed with greens and lush floral accents to coordinate with the centerpieces.

Tips for cost-savings: food, beverage and decor

When doing anything with food counts, one tip is to guarantee the venue, restaurant and/or caterer approximately five-to-ten percent less than expected. This gives a little cushion. The majority of the time, not everyone shows up for the function. 

Socially speaking
A wedding party can reuse the florals from the ceremony and move them to the dinner portion of the evening while guests are enjoying the cocktail hour at a different location in the venue. During the cocktail hour, the event planners simply move florals such as aisle, Chuppa, and perimeter to the dinner tables, sweet table, woman's restroom or wherever required.

Cost saving tips can make any budget look great

Whether the budget is large or small from a decor standpoint it always pays to take the time to find the company with the most creativity. You’ll notice immediately the companies who simply want to sell you props, opposed to those who want to get involved and are more willing to work within your financial parameters. Creative companies offer the very best recommendations based on what you have to spend.   

Limit the size of your room to the needs of your group. Many groups utilize ballrooms much too large for their small quantity of people, and wind up paying huge sums to cut the room with fabric or drop the ceiling.

Use what your room gives you. Certain venues provide their own unique architectures and designs. Instead of focusing on developing the theme with extensive props, utilize a lighting design to punch out what you already have. 

One cost-saving tip is to "piggy back" on another event’s menu. When you need to lower the cost of food and beverage, you can ask if you could "piggy back" on another event’s menu that day so the kitchen only orders more of the same food (less waste) and the preparation because easier as well.

DECORATING TIPS
If you want to make sheer curtains look old and vintage or lose that "new" look, soak them in a combination of tea bags and instant coffee mix. Two-four bags of tea to one-half to one cup of instant coffee added to a gallon of water of warm water. This can be adjusted depending on the desired color goal. Don't use hot water or the material may shrink if using cotton. 

For decor table setting cost savings use of pillar candles as centerpieces with placed bloomed rose heads and bits of greens to accent. Use glass blocks or similar elements as pedestals to make for more interesting presentations. Add a few votive candles and viola...a great centerpiece.

Courtesy ME Productions, a full-service award-winning destination event production company in Florida. For further information call (954) 458-4000 or visit www.meproductions.com.

 www.WeddingsHoneymoons.com | May 3, 2008