New Trends, New Traditions
-By LatterDayBride
May 25th 2009
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We live in different times then when our mothers and grandmothers got married. With the increasingly hectic juggling of work, family, and social obligations, we have begun to refocus our priorities on where and how we spend our time. And one of the places this has reflected upon is in the modern Latter-day wedding reception. Over the past few years exciting trends have come to the forefront replacing those of past generations.
Receiving lines
The modern Latter-day bride and groom are opting out of the big traditional lines for smaller or “modified” lines, which are usually composed of the couple and their parents. They are also limiting the time of receiving from what was once the entire reception to the first hour. This is a great way to satisfy any social obligations for the couple and their parents while still leaving time for enjoying the other elements of this very special occasion.
Thinking of not having a line? That’s okay too, but the one thing I always point out to clients is the older guests are used to the receiving lines and will spontaneously form one around you. Here are a few tips on how to avoid any awkwardness:
Parents: Station the parents at the entry way and or in the middle of the reception room. This will satisfy the need to greet while giving your parents the chance to inform the guests of the itinerary.
Siblings, bridesmaids and groomsmen: Since there is no line or even if there is a modified line, it seems often these key people are left without direction. Siblings and bridal party participants actually play a vital role. They are the ambassadors of the bride and groom. It is their job to make sure the party gets rolling and that everyone feels included. Perfect jobs for siblings and attendants include, but are not limited to: greeting guests, directing people to the buffet, helping with the gift table, passing out drinks and favors, and my favorite, bringing guests up to the dance floor.
The new buffets
The sun has set on the days of pink punch and nut cups. The new trends are fun, festive and sophisticated buffets and action stations. Dinner offerings are becoming more common on the Latter-day buffet. With working longer hours and other obligations, quite often your guests are not having time to stop and have dinner before the reception – and providing your guests with a delicious meal is a great way to show them how much it means to you that they have attended.
Buffets should reflect the overall “style” of the reception. For example, if you are having a fall harvest wedding consider offering your guests an array of hearty soups they can ladle into crusty bread bowls. If you are throwing a fun casual backyard gathering, action stations work well. Imagine a table festooned with sombreros and colorful piñatas where your guests can build their own tacos, or take a trip to the orient and enjoy savory lettuce wraps.
Instead of éclairs and brownie squares consider delicate fruit tarts, rich, chocolate mousse cups with mandarin orange sections, individual strawberry short cakes dripping with plump berries and fluffy whipped cream, and beautiful cheese and fruit displays.
Looking for an unusual and elegant display? Consider the vertical buffet from Culinary Craft Catering. Imagine circular stands with four levels giving your guests 360 degrees of access to sophisticated small plates of sumptuous offerings. Say good-bye to waiting in line and hello to flow. Culinary Crafts vertical buffets are a dramatic and beautiful solution to encourage your guests to mingle. Brides and grooms are putting more emphasis on the fun and celebration of their receptions now more than ever.
Another great way to involve your guests in the fun is to host an Italian soda bar or a “mocktail” bar. The creamy fizzy Italian soda is sure to delight your guests as they choose from refreshingly fun and colorful flavor selections. The “mocktail” bar gives a feeling of sophistication with a splash of whimsy. “Mocktails” are non-alcoholic versions of mixed drinks. Frozen raspberry daiquiris or creamy pina coladas (pineapple and coconut) adorned with luscious chunks of fresh fruit and bright paper parasols are perfect for the hot summer nights.
Dancing and Entertainment:
The size of the average reception is decreasing. This is due to a multiple of factors, but one of the main reasons is brides and grooms are concentrating more on the celebration of it all. In others words, they want to party! With smaller numbers, you can do so much more with your reception, better favors, great food and of course, dancing. More and more of my clients have been telling me they want a party where everyone is having fun and everyone is dancing. You may have even noticed on the last few invitations you have received the words “dancing to follow.”
But how do you get them on the floor you may ask? One fun possibility is to hire a DJ. DJ’s not only play the music, but they are also the MC for the evening insuring a good flow for your timeline and they also know how to get people involved. DJ’s can really make a reception or they can break one if you don’t have the right person who fits you. So do your homework and get referrals as needed. Thinking of Frank Sinatra? Most DJ’s are more than happy to play whatever kind of music you desire, but if you have it in your budget, nothing compares to dancing under the stars with a live jazz trio. Romance, romance, romance.
Smaller guest numbers mean being able to do more with your budget like adding elegant favors.
The Wedding Dinner:
Increasingly over the last few years, I have had more clients tell me they would prefer to have only family and close friends at their reception. What did I suggest? The wedding dinner. Having a dinner instead of a standard reception is a lovely and intimate way to bring the two families together.
And best of all, you, your groom and the parents actually get to eat the food that you have so carefully chosen! Whether you decide to have a plated meal or an elegant buffet, the wedding party always is served first. This not only gives you time to eat, it also gives you the time to greet. Imagine the luxury of being able to spend some quality time with all of your guests as you and your groom glide from linen draped table to linen draped table. I often call this the “Audrey Hepburn moment,” because it is such an elegant and gracious way to say, “Thank you and we care about you,” to everyone. It is always one of the top treasured memories that people take away from the event. Having everyone gathered together at their tables also has the unique advantage of focusing attention to toasts, speeches and special tributes.
Receptions are taking on more of the personality and style of the couple these days. When planning, take a moment and step back from the process to decide what is really important to you specifically. Do you want an elegant garden affair, a brightly colored festival or a miniature golf course? The point is to make it an event that you and everyone will enjoy and look back on with a smile.
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