Mar 2, 2015 | Parties and Special Events, wedding planning
How much is too much? Photo by hannahelaine photography (hannahelaine.com).
When you are doing the decor yourself for your event or wedding, how much stuff do you need? Of course, it all depends on your venue, but for your typical wedding-type venue, here are some thoughts.
Table Decor
A centerpiece on your banquet tables is always nice. There is nothing wrong with adding a few votive candles or tea lights, but three or four per table is usually enough. Naturally, you want linens on the tables, although there is usually no need for three layers of them; one or two will suffice. Maybe you are also having favors put out at every place. They are also part of the decor. Once you have this many things on the table, you just have room for a table number, bread basket, butter, salt & pepper, and eight or nine full place settings. If you’re serving family style, remember to leave room on the table for the serving platters.
Room Decor
If your venue is already well-appointed, you may need nothing at all to decorate the room. It can be a good idea to have a well-made flower arrangement near the entrance, on the bar, and/or on the escort card table. It depends on how much sprucing up you think the area needs. Candles on the bar can be tricky as you don’t want them to interfere with bar service. If you have highboy tables anywhere in your ground plan, a very nice touch is to have your florist create small, simple arrangements for them. Or put candles on the highboys. They shouldn’t need any more than that.
Ceremony Decor
It’s easy to go overboard with ceremony decor: Flowers on the ends of the rows of seats, an aisle runner, candles in the aisle, a flower arch or flowers on the chuppah, and large floral arrangements are all possibilities (and that doesn’t begin to exhaust the list). I recommend against candles in the aisle as they can be a safety hazard. I’m also not a big fan of aisle runners as they generally become trash the moment the ceremony is over. I think a little restraint is a good idea in this area, as well.
Candy Buffets
If you are set on having a candy buffet, be sure to think small. For one thing, if you’ve fed your guests well and given them dessert, only the children will return to the candy buffet more than once. You will almost definitely have a lot of leftovers. Also, be sure to measure both the table and the dishes and other decor that you plan to put on the buffet to make sure it will all fit. A few well-chosen items displayed beautifully will be more effective than an enormous spread that is visually overwhelming.
Summary
My recommendation for DIY decor is to remember the mantra, “Less is More.” You don’t need to overwhelm your guests with your decor ideas. Keep it in the background because the party is really about you, not about the decoration.
Feb 23, 2015 | Parties and Special Events, wedding planning
Servers make all the difference to your guests. Photo by Happy Buddy PhotoArt.
This is not the first thing you think about when you are planning a wedding or other large event where you are hiring a caterer, but it is surprisingly important in how well your event runs: How much staff has your caterer hired?
Caterers tend to fall into two categories with regard to staffing issues. On one side, you have caterers who reduce the number of staff in order to give you a bid with a lower price. On the other side, you have those who won’t compromise their level of customer service and charge accordingly.
Why does this matter to you and how can you tell the difference?
The service staff at your party or event are the people who have the most direct contact with your guests. Really, the quality of the service staff determines the quality of the experience for your guests. The unfortunate things that guests remember are that no one offered them wine or they got the wrong entree or they could never find a server to refill their glass or bring a fork when they needed one. Inadequate numbers of servers can contribute to all of these types of incidents that leave a bad taste in the mouth.
For restaurant service, it’s pretty standard to have one server for every 40 guests. For exceptional service, such as at a wedding, a higher number of servers is needed. The best wedding caterers hire about one server for every 10 guests. This ensures the best service. When you get a quote from a catering company, divide the total number of guests by the number of servers and see what you get. If it’s around 10, the price will certainly be higher than if it’s 40. The service is also likely to be much better.
It’s a trade-off: If you pay less for service, you are paying for a less-than-exceptional experience for your guests. I think it’s worthwhile to pay more to ensure that your guests are enjoying themselves. There are places to cut corners at a wedding or a party, but this isn’t one of them.
Feb 16, 2015 | Other Events
If you would never consider going to a wedding show (I don’t care for most of them), there is one show in Chicago that should catch your eye: Committed 2015. And it’s this Sunday, February 22, noon to 4:00, at Greenhouse Loft, 2545 West Diversey Ave., 2nd Floor.
Committed is Chicago’s only eco-conscious wedding event and also includes a Rumpus Room where you can try out some ideas (a popcorn bar? make your own cake topper?) and take them home with you.
Committed is the brain-child of the Green Wedding Alliance, and all the vendors showcased at the event are members of the Alliance. This is your one-stop shop for meeting cool, fun wedding vendors who can help you green your wedding. Buy tickets now.
Feb 9, 2015 | Weddings
Even renting a bus didn't solve all the problems. Photo by Light on Life Images.
We knew it could be a big issue for the wedding: The ceremony at the Adler Planetarium was scheduled for the same time as a monster pop concert at Soldier Field. In case you’re not familiar with the geography, there are exactly two roads that lead to the stadium off of Lake Shore Drive. They converge just before you reach the planetarium, to which there is, then, a single road.
I had helped the bride and groom to charter a bus to bring their guests to the wedding so they could avoid the worst of the traffic and parking hassles, because 60,000 fans were expected for the concert. I had even accounted for traffic by tripling the usual travel time from the hotel in the schedule. That did not mean it was all smooth sailing, though.
Half an hour before the ceremony was scheduled to start, the bride’s uncle received a call from a family member who was on the bus. He said the bus wasn’t allowed on the main road to the planetarium. Well, I knew that and had carefully instructed the driver to use the secondary road. I asked the uncle to relay the message again just to be sure the driver knew. Sure enough, 15 minutes later, the bus arrived, unloaded, and went back for stragglers.
We started the ceremony a bit late because it took a while for everyone else to arrive, but I kept the caterer informed, and we were back on track in no time.
Then, at the end of the night, there was more fun. The bus arrived for its early pick-up at the appointed time. The driver asked when he should leave. I told him that as soon as he had the grandparents on board, he should take them to the hotel. He did that, and got out of there just before the concert ended. That was good timing!
Then, my assistant and I watched lines and lines of slow-moving traffic go by while the concert-goers left the area. And we waited for the bus to return. And waited. And waited. And waited.
The wedding was over. The guests were out front waiting for transport. I had called the driver but didn’t get him on the phone. Suddenly, the bus appeared, right on schedule. I was able to alert the guests that they would be able to leave as expected. And all the traffic was gone.
It was a combination of good planning and good luck, and it all worked out, with a little patience.
Feb 2, 2015 | Day-of Coordinating, wedding planning, Weddings
I had so much fun doing full planning on this wedding last August at the Cheney Mansion in Oak Park. Click on the photo below to go to the full gallery and get a taste of this unique small wedding.
Here's one small taste of this wedding. Click here to see all the photos.
Jan 26, 2015 | wedding planning
This couple spent time alone in the woods after their ceremony. Photo by Allison Williams Photography.
There is a lovely Ashkenazi Jewish custom called yichud that I think every couple getting married could benefit from. Yichud translates roughly as “togetherness.” It is a time after the wedding ceremony–15 or 20 minutes–when the couple goes alone to a room and no one is allowed to intrude. You can find more on the tradition here, if you’re interested.
I think it’s a great idea at any wedding. At a lot of weddings, the bride(s) and/or groom(s) are so busy greeting their guests and taking part in all the events of the reception that they barely have time to look each other in the eyes and say, “Wow, we’re married now.” They also never have time to eat, so a little seclusion can do double duty, if the caterer is alerted in advance to the need for a plate of appetizers in the room.
At some weddings, a guard stands outside the couple’s room to keep everyone out. Sometimes this is a serious job if a guest thinks this would be a good time to hug the bride. More often, the guard is ceremonial–or sometimes humorous, armed with squirt guns or some similar thing.
Of course, not every venue has a room suitable for a little seclusion, but if your venue has a bride’s room or some other usable room, think about taking advantage of it. Make sure the room is available; account for the time in your wedding schedule; alert your caterer to the need for some food and drink; ask an usher or another friend or relative to guard the room; and you’re all set.
Jan 19, 2015 | Weddings
Here is a link to the photo page from this wonderfully unique wedding in the forest preserve last summer. Click on the photo for the rest of the images from the day.
This is just a taste. Click here for the full set of photos. Photo by Allison Williams Photograpy.
Jan 12, 2015 | wedding planning
Your officiant is a very important choice in wedding planning. Photo by Magical Moments Photography.
One of the most important decisions you will make when you are planning your wedding is who will officiate at the ceremony. After all, the ceremony is the main event and the officiant is a key participant. So, what are your options and how do you decide?
If you’re getting married in a religious institution, the officiant probably comes with the location. That is one way to make the decision easy. When the wedding is at the synagogue where you are a member, the rabbi is going to be there. When the wedding is at a church you think will be a great backdrop for your photos, the services of the local pastor or priest are probably offered, as well.
But what if you are getting married on the beach or in a back yard or at a cultural institution? Then there are lots of other options. You could ask the pastor of your church or your rabbi to officiate, or you could find a local religious institution that can send an officiant. You can hire an officiant or celebrant who specializes in weddings. You can ask a friend to get credentials and officiate at your wedding.
Each of these options has both advantages and drawbacks. Hiring someone for the occasion gives you a lot of flexibility and generally ensures professionalism, but it means you are working with someone who doesn’t know you. Asking a friend can make for a very personal wedding, but you have to also trust that the friend will do a good job. As with everything else in wedding planning, there are options and there are trade-offs. Think about what works best for you. And ask your planner or coordinator if you need help.
Jan 5, 2015 | Weddings
I just added photos from a summer wedding at the Adler Planetarium to my Photo Galleries. If you click on the photo below, you’ll be taken to the whole series. Victoria Sprung got some marvelous images!
Adler Planetarium Wedding. Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.
Dec 29, 2014 | Weddings
Happy New Year! Courtesy of sprungphoto.com.
Happy New Year to all! If you just got engaged, please accept my congratulations. Enjoy your engagement. There’s no time like it. And remember to leave plenty of time to spend with your spouse-to-be even while you are busy planning your wedding.
Recent Comments