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The Wedding
Transportation
I am smitten with the look of vintage cars. The hard part was that few limo companies carried them due to its expensive restoration and upkeep costs. But we found A Limousine Associates and loved the look of their 1948 Nash. The car ride will be the first few moments married (and bask in the happiness of being newly weds) as it takes us from the church to the reception.
For upkeep reasons our limo rental company doesn't allow any signs or decorations on their vehicles, but if they did, I would totally get a banner displayed.
{etsy littleretreats}
Ushers
The reception, in a nutshell, is a "Thank You" for coming to the ceremony. It's important for us to be good hosts and we view our ushers as extensions of us.
Entrance
We will display our Apostolic Papal Blessing on an easle.
{Sarah K Chen Photography}
Guest Book Table
I love candles. And I love photos. We're going to have plenty of both to create a warm entrance to our reception.
inspiration
We are also displaying gold words that say "AMOUR" on the tabletop.
Guest Book
A guest book that sits on a shelf or in a closet throughout its entire life is a shame. But a photo book I could see myself looking at again. We will compile pictures from our bridal shoot using Shutterfly, which makes consumer photo albums (other popular companies include MyPublisher and Blurb), and have people sign it à la yearbook.
inspiration
{The Epper's Adventures}
{The Epper's Adventures}
Ice Sculpture
We'll have an ice sculpture of a peacock with silk garlands.
inspiration
{The French Bouquet}
{The French Bouquet}
Table Setting
The table is where the guests will spend the most time. It's also where the focus of our decorations will be. This is the general look that we want to achieve: classy, soft, simple, Tiffany & Co color scheme.
- One of our luxury items is our Tiffany blue table runners in pintuck tafetta from CV Linens.
- We will also have tea light holders from IKEA.
- The table napkins will also be ivory and folded rectangle 1/2 on and 1/2 off the table. We opted for this simple look; no "stuffed in the water goblet" and no fan look. We aimed for a look that would stand the test of time.
Parents' Table Setting
Instead of runners, our parents' reserved tables get a 120'' round pinwheel table cloth and gold chargers.
Head Table Setting
The head table will be adorned with tea lights and vases containing the bouquets. I also ordered a vinyl banner from Vista Print that will be affixed with table clips.
Mr. & Mrs. Seats
Our seats will have a sash. But instead of "Mr." and "Mrs." or "Groom" and "Bride," we'll have "Monsieur" and "Madame." We got ours from etsy 2bsquared.
inspiration
actual
{etsy 2bsquared}
{etsy 2bsquared}
Bathroom Kit
I'm going to supply a wicker basket of drugstore products that coordinates with the green-blue color scheme. There will also be a sign with this poem:
Whether your skin feels dry or your hair out of place
You're not feeling so fresh, or whatever the case.
We've put together a basket to help you along.
Now hurry back out before you miss the next song!
Whether your skin feels dry or your hair out of place
You're not feeling so fresh, or whatever the case.
We've put together a basket to help you along.
Now hurry back out before you miss the next song!
Favors
Our dream favors would have been one of our favorite candies, Lindt truffles, inside a Tiffany-inspired box. But the boxes were huge and we'd have to buy, like 9,000 truffles.
What we almost went with
Instead, our favors are one of our other favorite candies: Jelly Belly. We got them from Costco. We then googled for the cheapest cellophane bag, and for an elegant touch, stuck an "address label" with our monogram on it free from vistaprint. (vistaprint stalker here.)
What we went with
Comprehensive Reception List for Brides to Consider
Tents
Lighting Buffet/bar stations All stools, chairs, tables All linens Chair covers/sashes Platters for passed appetizers/drinks All plates, bowls, chargers Coffee cups and saucers Chafing dishes |
All flatware
All glassware Cake stand Cake knife and serving set Coffee/tea servers Cream and sugar containers Pitchers Ice bowl Ice scoop/tongs Trash receptables |
<< mass entertainment >>
Etiquette Tips
TIP: Don't forget to tip your servers and banquet manager. You should tip other vendors, too, but especially these. Check out this good link for tiping guide.
Planning Tips
TIP: The best advice I ever got about planning the timeline was to take on a result-based approach: plan backwards. Start with when you want the reception to end and then subtract the time that each event takes until it takes you back to the beginning. Travel = travel time + (at least) 30 mins of buffer. Below is a file that may be useful for your wedding day timeline planning.
weddingdaytimeline.pdf | |
File Size: | 63 kb |
File Type: |
TIP: Often confused with place cards, escort cards indicate guests' table assignments. Place cards, on the other hand, are found on the tables and tell guests precisely where to sit.
TIP: If you're having a card box, be sure to have someone you really trust watch it at all times and then lock it up after all the guests have arrived.
TIP: Many brides have said dinner lasted about 2 hours.
TIP: Traditionally, many people have come to expect the last official event of the night to be the first dance. And many older folks or folks with children take their cue to turn in for the night after the cake cutting. If guests turning in too early in the night is a concern, postpone these as you can.
TIP: Guides say 1 escort for every 50 guests.
TIP: For those having their reception in a restaurant instead of a reception hall, make sure there are enough servers for your guests. (Sometimes this is not explicit in the invoice when working with restaurants.) Talk to the manager for details.
TIP: Guides say you need 2.5 to 3 square feet per guest for the dance floor. At any given time, 30-50% of guests are out on the dance floor, depending on the preferences and demographic of your guests.
TIP: Here are layouts of table settings. I remember this: "FORK has 4 letters; LEFT has 4 letters = fork on left"
TIP: If you're having a card box, be sure to have someone you really trust watch it at all times and then lock it up after all the guests have arrived.
TIP: Many brides have said dinner lasted about 2 hours.
TIP: Traditionally, many people have come to expect the last official event of the night to be the first dance. And many older folks or folks with children take their cue to turn in for the night after the cake cutting. If guests turning in too early in the night is a concern, postpone these as you can.
TIP: Guides say 1 escort for every 50 guests.
TIP: For those having their reception in a restaurant instead of a reception hall, make sure there are enough servers for your guests. (Sometimes this is not explicit in the invoice when working with restaurants.) Talk to the manager for details.
TIP: Guides say you need 2.5 to 3 square feet per guest for the dance floor. At any given time, 30-50% of guests are out on the dance floor, depending on the preferences and demographic of your guests.
TIP: Here are layouts of table settings. I remember this: "FORK has 4 letters; LEFT has 4 letters = fork on left"
Budget Tips
TIP: Some reception halls, restaurants, or hotels don't explicitly mention upfront that there is mandatory gratuity added onto the invoice. Also check to see if sales tax is added before or after gratuity. Best thing is to not walk away from your first appointment until you have a sample invoice to take home and look over.
TIP: Satin chair sashes can sometimes double duty as table runners. Check the length of your table.
TIP: Some guides suggest that the most important decor are the table centerpieces, where the majority of the guests are going to be. The second most important is the bar area, where people are going to be standing in line (as long as it's out of way where it can't be knocked down). Skip out or simplify the decorations or flower arrangements at other places of the reception room.
TIP: Satin chair sashes can sometimes double duty as table runners. Check the length of your table.
TIP: Some guides suggest that the most important decor are the table centerpieces, where the majority of the guests are going to be. The second most important is the bar area, where people are going to be standing in line (as long as it's out of way where it can't be knocked down). Skip out or simplify the decorations or flower arrangements at other places of the reception room.
Resources
Tiping
The Tiping Guide
Tablescape inspiration
Wedding Linens
Cheap Wholesale Table Linens
Linen Table Cloth
CV Linens
E Favors Mart
Napkins
Napkin folding guide
Guest Book Table
Photo book by MyPublisher
Drink calculator
Evite's guide to alcohol ordering
The Tiping Guide
Tablescape inspiration
Wedding Linens
Cheap Wholesale Table Linens
Linen Table Cloth
CV Linens
E Favors Mart
Napkins
Napkin folding guide
Guest Book Table
Photo book by MyPublisher
Drink calculator
Evite's guide to alcohol ordering
My Vendors
Transportation
A Limousine Associates | Cincinnati, Ohio
Catering
Ice sculpture: Raffel's Catering | Reading Bridal District, Cincinnati, Ohio
Tablescape
Table runners: CV Linens
Tea light holders: IKEA
A Limousine Associates | Cincinnati, Ohio
Catering
Ice sculpture: Raffel's Catering | Reading Bridal District, Cincinnati, Ohio
Tablescape
Table runners: CV Linens
Tea light holders: IKEA
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