As you’re planning the wedding reception menu, know that it’s not just about  wedding cake anymore. In fact, the latest trend is to cap off your nuptial meal  with totally scrumptious confections that are all about who you are as a couple,  while giving your guests a sweet reward.

Skip Wedding Cake Altogether

If you’re not a wedding cake kind of  couple, don’t feel obligated to have a four-tiered, fondant-covered masterpiece.  Some brides and grooms are opting out of serving a traditional wedding cake.  Cupcakes on stacked tiers with the top tier as a small cake is a stylish  and popular alternative. Down South, there’s a trend to forgo the groom’s cake and do mini  pastries, logo cookies with the bride and groom’s photo on them, or miniature  wedding cake cookies instead.  Looking for more options:

• Serve individual cakes in the shape of, say, an open Tiffany-style box  filled with cream and berries. (eye-candy)
• Have a dramatic chocolate fountain, actually shaped like a three-tiered wedding cake. The word on the street, however, is that the fountains can get  messy if not manned properly, but no one ever said indulgence was a tidy business.
• Can’t live without a grand wedding cake? Wedding cakes are gorgeous, but who  says you can’t pair yours with treats? If you choose a cake with light and  fruity fillings, try richer desserts (chocolate, anyone?).

How should you serve it?

Dessert is king, so why not serve it  regally? Dessert stations — basically a buffet setup that guests visit — are  where it’s at right now. Even if you’re doing a seated meal, a dessert station  gives guests a chance to circulate a bit. We’ve seen stations that range from  totally elaborate Viennese tables with every confection imaginable to simple  themed offerings. Case in point: the candy bar. Many caterers include the sweets  the couple loved from their childhood-like malted milk balls, jelly beans, and  caramel popcorn. Empty bags are available for guests to take home their  favorites.

Creating your dessert options should be cohesive with the overall theme and ambiance of the evening. Use your imagination and consider what you order at your favorite restaurant for inspiration.

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Photos by Birdsong Photography

Your reception menu has been selected, and your centerpieces will be breathtaking. It’s time to focus on what your guests will be drinking!  Add a personal touch to your bar menu by choosing a signature cocktail. Pick a drink that stars your favorite liquor, matches your color scheme, or just sounds delicious. Simple Right?? With  the numerous options and variations for serving alcoholic beverages: a full open bar where you pay for your guests to drink as much as they wish; an open bar for the first hour, followed by a cash bar where guests pay for their own drinks; cash bar only; beer and wine only; nonalcoholic beverages only; or any combination thereof. Ugh, you can see how this could become very confusing!! Follow these tips and you are sure to  have a great time with plenty of beverages to cater the masses.

Things To Consider: If you plan to serve alcoholic beverages at a reception site that does not provide liquor, make sure your caterer has a license to serve alcohol and that your reception site allows alcoholic beverages. If you plan to order your own alcohol, do so three or four weeks before the event. If you plan to have a no-host or “cash” bar, consider notifying your guests so they know to bring cash with them. A simple line that says “No-Host Bar” on the reception card should suffice.

In selecting the type of alcohol to serve, consider the age and preference of your guests, the type of food that will be served, and the time of day your guests will be drinking.

On the average, you should allow 1 drink per person per hour at the reception. A bottle of champagne will usually serve six glasses. Never serve liquor without some type of food. Use the following chart to plan your beverage needs:

Beverages: Other Amount based on 100 guests:
Bourbon 3 Fifths
Gin 3 Fifths
Rum 2 Fifths
Scotch 4 Quarts
Vodka 5 Quarts
White Wine 2 Cases
Red Wine 1 Case
Champagne 3 Cases
Other 2 Cases each: Club Soda, Seltzer Water, Tonic Water,
Ginger Ale

If you are hosting an open bar at a hotel or restaurant, ask the catering manager how they charge for liquor: by consumption or by number of bottles opened. Get this in writing before the event and then ask for a full consumption report after the event.

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Sharon Holm

When planning a wedding, try to remember that your wedding guests may be having a hard time trying to figure out what to wear to your wedding. They may also  be having difficulty determining the dress code. Different types of wedding call for different levels of dress. Many factors influence what the dress code will be whether it will be a church wedding, beach wedding, summer wedding  or winter wedding. Don’t feel awkward to give your guests a heads up as to what the dress code will be, and save the embarrasing awkward moments for everyone. For example, if it is expected that all  female wedding guests need to wear hats to your church wedding, guests would much rather know this before the ceremony than walk into a church and be the only one not wearing a hat.  I know this from personal experience! I felt extremely awkward walking into a small church wedding being the only female other than the bride, not wearing a hat. Letting the wedding guests know about the dress code is best conveyed through word of mouth, or a small mention either on the invite itself. Additionally, you could slip a small general note slipped inside the invitation.

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In Victorian times, presents were offered in a parasol, which is where the “shower” part comes in. So what’s the point now? As far as I’m concerned, a bridal shower is an awesome excuse to celebrate one of your BFFs and the new chapter in her love life with all of your lady friends, as well as an obscene amount of eats and drinks. (Don’t forget the drinks.)

To make sure you don’t forget anything else, here’s a helpful breakdown of the party-planning process — so when it comes time to throw your best girl a bridal shower, you can honor her in style.

Planning committee. Whether you realize it or not, planning a party — for five guests or twenty — is kind of a big deal. Get a couple of friends in on the action: you’ll feel less pressure and it actually makes the process more fun.

Guest list. Have your BFF provide the names and addresses/emails of everyone she wants to invite. This will help you figure out the next major steps, like…

Location/Time. According to Queen of Manners Emily Post, showers should be held two months to two weeks before the wedding. Early afternoon seems to be the standard bridal shower hour, but that doesn’t mean it’s required. Think about the guest of honor and what suits her best. Try to decided her favorite meal of the day, this is always a good start to selecting the menu.

Theme. Of course, your shower doesn’t have to have a theme (a bridal shower is sort of a theme in and of itself), but choosing one can lend a cohesive ambience to your party — not to mention that invitees will probably appreciate being given direction when it comes to gift giving.  You could throw a tea party, a kitchen-specific fete that incorporates a cooking lesson, a stock-her-bar gathering that involves craft cocktails and boozy gifts, a DIY-centric crafternoon, a spa-themed shower with mani/pedis, etc.  I am sure whatever you choose, your BFF will be showered in love by family and friends!!

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Recently engaged??  If  you are planning your wedding with the Groom-to-be by your side helping to make every decision,  you are very fortunate and have found your soul mate and beyond. For some of us planning a wedding with the Groom-to-be comes with “whatever you like best.” Which in some cases that is exactly what we want to hear!! (wink, wink) Other times we could use a little feedback, at least someone to bounce ideas off of.

Before you start swimming through all the magazines, blogs and checklist. Ask the groom what is most important to him. For example, my husband only wanted to talk to the caterer, the venue and the bakery. (nuff said)

Here are my top 3 tips for getting the Groom-to-be involved in the wedding plans.

1) Remember those exciting nights out on the town when you first started dating? Have him research bands and DJs, and arrange for the two of you to go out on “dates” to take notes and compare. Once you choose your musicians, he should take charge of providing them with a list of the tunes you both want to hear (and don’t want to hear).

2) If he never failed a math test, managing the wedding budget is the perfect task for him. “Simply put, the man likes to be in charge of the money,” Software programs, like Quicken, and wedding-planning programs that include a budget tool might make this task even more appealing to him.

3) In regular “wedding update” meetings, get his input on decisions. As time goes on and the big day gets closer, he’ll become more and more involved with the details of the day—and that’s just as it should be. After all, the wedding belongs to both of you!

Most importantly take a deep breathe and “know this to shall pass”!! Although the process can be somewhat stressful at times, it sets a great foundation of compromise for the future.

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