Archive for the ‘Reception’ Category

Wedding Sheet Music Theme

December 14th, 2011 | Rss Feed

What is sheet music?  Sheet music is a music composition on sheets of paper.  Sheet music is important to your music performers so that the can perform the music notes to your desired music composition.  A music composer can include a harpist, guitarist and pianist.  Brides and grooms can also have ensembles compose music pieces during the wedding ceremony or reception entrances.  Ensembles, like a quartet, can include musical artists and instruments such as a piano, string and wind instruments.

wedding sheet music

Sheet music can be easily found by searching Google.   However, a vast collection of sheet music can be found on the website MusicNotes.com.  Musicnotes.com is the leading Internet-based sheet music store offering nearly 200,000 pieces of digital sheet music and guitar tablature.

Are the bride and groom music fans?  Bridal couples can create their own music themed wedding receptions.

  • Print sheet music and roll them up into cones.  Then, fill them with Hershey kisses or confetti.
  • Use sheet music as table place mats or table names.
  • Have your favorite song’s sheet music printed on edible paper.  Then, create a unique wedding cake by covering the cake with the edible paper.
  • Fold sheet music into creative origami to accent reception tables.
  • Fold sheet music into useful wedding accessories such as flowers and pin wheels.
  • Print sheet music as a watermark.  Then, create your very own customized wedding guest book.
  • Wrap votive candles with printed sheet music as a favor.
  • Use concert tickets as save the date cards.

 

Having a music themed reception?  We would recommend classic colors such as black, white and silver.  Having a photo booth?  Consider blow-up musical instruments as props such as guitars and saxophones.  Add a music theme to any wedding cake with enlarged musical notes as a cake topper.  Also consider incorporating guitar picks as wedding favors.

Music is a great way to set the desired mood and atmosphere at any wedding ceremony and reception.  You can also include it into a music theme.

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Wedding Reception Survival Kit

December 8th, 2011 | Rss Feed

Wedding receptions are the same as our daily lives.  Nothing goes without a hitch.  Something will go wrong but we cannot predict the severity.  However, we can offer some guidance to help prepare a wedding reception survival kit.

wedding reception

We do not want to include items that are on our other survival kits for the bride and groom.  Rather, we created a list of items that you may need in a pinch.  The kit would be more considered a must for all wedding vendors.

Items are sometimes forgot at home or even purchased for a wedding reception.  However, the following list are items that can definitely must be at a wedding reception, and it cannot go on without them.

  • Extension cords – Have extra extension cords ready in varied lengths from several 6 footers up to a couple 100 footers.  This is in case there are not any close outlets for the stringed lights to the up-lighting.
  • Server knife – What do you do if the bride and groom cannot locate their special cake and knife set?  Having a a server knife to cut and serve the cake would save the day!
  • CD/iPod of the ceremony songs and specialty dance songs with stereo and batteries.  It’s best to be safe than sorry.  If the power goes out, you will have music of the most important songs.
  • What do you do if something happens with the food?  Have phone numbers of your favorite local delivery places handy.  Pizza, Chinese, ect.  If not, they may make a great after-party snack.
  • Extra candles – If the power goes out, extra candles will save the day!  They can also add a romantic mood during dinner.
  • Write a standard dinner blessing and toast written out for the guest who cannot think on their toes.  This is particularly helpful when videographers film guests giving their blessing to the bride and groom.  Some may not think of exactly what to say and will regret forever as now it is on the wedding video.
  • Extra garter -  Bride and grooms may not always think of buying two garters – one to keep and one for the garter toss.  Have an extra plain white garter just for the toss.
  • Need to hold 2 things together?  We suggest having 3 items – duct tape, two-sided tape and safety pins.  Safety pins can help bustle a dress or act as a tie tack.

As the old saying goes: Fail to Plan and as a result plan to fail.  Just thinking of items to put in a wedding reception survival kit can make all the difference and save the day!

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Wedding Food Stations

November 11th, 2011 | Rss Feed

An idea that is quickly gaining popularity in the wedding industry is food stations at the reception or during the cocktail hour.  Some people think of food stations as buffet dining.  This can be true to a point but not necessarily.  Food stations can be specific to a certain part of the dining experience.  One popular food station is a desert bar.  Wedding planners are starting to move towards smaller portions of desserts besides the wedding cake.  These may include individual portion sizes of creme brûlée, individual hot fudge sundaes, strawberry cheesecake, etc.  There are also miniature pastries, cake balls, or shortcakes.  Another idea is a chocolate fountain or fondue.

wedding food station

A good time for a food station is during the cocktail hour.  Set up stations which include smaller portioned finger style, or easily eaten foods.  These may include cheese and fruit, stuffed mushrooms, cold shrimp cocktail, quesadilla strips, or maybe some type of pasta.  Try to not have too much for the cocktail hour so your guests leave plenty of room for the dinner hour.

Keep in mind that food stations can be set up buffet style if you prefer that to a sit down dinner.  There are a couple things you need to consider if this is the way you are going to serve dinner.  You need to make sure that the room is arranged in such a way that the flow to each food station is uninterrupted and out of the way.  There is nothing worse than having your guests in line for the food station in the middle of the seating area.  Another thing to consider is timing.  It will take a little longer for a buffet style dinner than a sit down dinner.  Just make sure your music entertainment understands this.  Also give your guest platy of room to socialize for the cocktail hour as this is the meant for mingling.

Here is a special idea for a food station and your guests.  Think about setting up a candy bar for your guests to help themselves on their way out of the wedding reception.  There are many different kinds of candy that can be displayed in large glass containers.  Have scoops in each container and small bags for your guests to fill for the ride home.  Other food stations may include coffee, doughnuts, and whatever else your heart desires.

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Things to Consider for Your Wedding Reception

June 23rd, 2011 | Rss Feed

The Wedding reception is an important aspect of your wedding and thus proper care and immense meticulousness is required while planning the reception. This is the time when the couple as well as the guests enjoy a meal together and it takes place after the ceremony. The wedding party or festivities are a major part of wedding reception and it is generally held on the same day soon after the wedding ceremony. However, many people also arrange the wedding reception on the next day as well, especially if the wedding is at night.

Wedding receptions are held to share your happiness with your near and dear ones by singing, dancing etc. A great way to mingle with the guests, one has to take extra care to ensure that everything goes perfectly and everyone enjoys completely. Before selecting the location for wedding reception you should consider several factors like,  the number of people that can be accommodated conveniently, parking space for the vehicles of your guests, and the types of services like serving, catering, beverages  offered.

You should see that the venue has sufficient space to put up tables to accommodate all your guests along with extra space to schedule other activities. Moreover, speak to the manager of the venue about your celebration plans and activities that they have to arrange for. You need to speak about the dance floor, arranging the musicians or music systems, and other things. If you are planning a single room for all these, then speak about how the tables and chairs will be placed or relocated to accommodate the dancing part. These things have to be planned, so that you do not face any chaos later on and have unwanted delays or interruptions in the wedding reception.

We have delineated certain factors that you need to consider, before finalizing a venue for your wedding reception:

  • Guest seating capacity
  • Dates on which the venue is available for booking
  • Parking facilities
  • Accessibility and nearby taxi services for guests
  • Dance floor
  • What are the late timings for continuing the reception going and the deadline for ending the music
  • Hotel room deals for you and your guests if you are considering a hotel for reception
  • Music and PA system equipment
  • Arrangement of linen including table clothes, napkins, chair covers etc., as per requirement
  • Clean-up of reception room
  • Availability of gift table and guest book table
  • Location for wedding photos
  • Managing flower arrangements and other decorations
  • Option of using the venue for the wedding ceremony as well as reception and the time they would require to flip the room to accommodate specific events
  • Catering services including servers, alcohol license, corkage fees, facility to take care of specific food allergies etc.

Moreover, you should scrutinize the wedding venue carefully, if you are looking forward to having a reception on the lines of your theme wedding, you should look for the space and other aspects to see if they will easily blend with your theme or color arrangement.  In case you select an outdoor location, then do ensure to have a back up arrangement just in case the weather tries to play games with you. You can consider a lodge, mountain or sea side, beautifully designed tents or even your home, depending on your own personal preferences and what best defines your personality.

Let your imaginations do the work for you and come up with a unique way to make your wedding a special and memorable affair for everyone involved.

This article has been written by an expert associated with WeddingMuseum.com, a company providing wedding reception tips for today’s brides and grooms.

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How to Choose a Perfect Wedding Venue

May 26th, 2011 | Rss Feed

Selecting a wedding venue is much more than a job of searching a big and beautiful banquet, as there are many practical things, attached to it. To select a perfect wedding venue, it is important that couples consider things beyond the grandeur of the wedding hall. Selection of the venue should be made after putting enough considerations in terms of different aspects, which we will discuss in this article. Some of the aspects that are necessary to consider before selecting your wedding venue includes space, accessibility, location, distance, facilities, payment policy, hidden cost, staff, and any other additional facilities that you may require.

The first and the foremost thing that should be considered before you finalize your wedding venue is the location. Location of your wedding venue, whether its destination wedding, outdoor wedding or a wedding hall, is crucial so as to make sure that all of your guests are able to access and reach the place easily. Moreover, there should be enough space for the arrival and parking of the vehicles of your guests along with your own wedding car. If you are going for a theme wedding, then choosing a related place is all the more important, especially for beach theme, retro theme, nature theme etc.

Other thing that should be considered while booking your wedding venue is the size of location or the hall, which should be according to the number of guests you are expecting. You shouldn’t opt for a too big place if you have a small guest list, as it will be a total waste of money, especially if it’s a hall. On the other hand, you would not also like that, there is insufficient space for the guests. The space should also be enough to accommodate the activities you have planned for your wedding, like DJ, orchestra, dancing etc. Also, make sure that your wedding venue is already an enchanting and beautiful place, so that you don’t have to spend too much on the decoration.

Another important factor that is significant is the staff and facilities available at the venue. Do consider that there are some guest rooms as well as proper rest rooms. Moreover, see the number of staff that will be provided for attending the guests, and ensure that they are well trained and competent enough to handle any unexpected situation on the D-day. Any other additional facility that you may need for the convenience of your guests or for yourself should also be checked and asked for.

Along with all the above factors, one very important factor to be kept in mind is the price of the venue. Always cross check, their prices with the ones offered at other venues before finalizing. In case of destination wedding, do consider the other costs like accommodation for guests and travelling expense, apart from the venue rates. Do not forget to clear all important things like payment schedule, any hidden cost, overtime charges, and cancellation policy. Moreover, ensure that the venue owners have their liquor license and other legal documentations in place, so that no problem arises there-from.

Dealing with all these things carefully, you will be able to select a perfect wedding venue for making your wedding all the more special.

This article has been written by an expert associated with WeddingMuseum.com, a company providing wedding venue listings for today’s brides and grooms.

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