Category Archives: rave receptions

dessert table at your wedding

Move over wedding cake, here comes the dessert table.

Nothing says yummy like a Donut Bar … the whole room smelled like one big ball of yeast, sugar and sweet deliciousness.

Our clients, Angie and Travis Wayne were excited about not having a traditional wedding cake at their reception, they love donuts.

We were thrilled with the idea!

If you are up for doing something different like this then be sure to keep these few tips in mind:

• Remember DISPLAY is where it is at …. this isn’t a picnic. Go for the upscale platters (you can reuse them at Thanksgiving), rent the vintage cake plateaus, go above and beyond.
• Use SIGNAGE to display what the dessert items are so people don’t get confused. (Hello food allergies)
• Remember LOGISTICS in planning. Where are you going to store all these pies or the ice cream? How will you keep it cold, warm, etc?
• Make sure someone is SERVING or a waitstaff is monitoring the table. You wouldn’t want your guests cutting their own slices of pie or scooping ice cream.  This also keeps the guests from “grazing”. Definition: graz·ing/ˈgrāziNG/ – An clueless guest who picks up food off a platter on a catering table and proceeds to eat said food over other untouched and sanitary food. Please escort them from the premises.
• Make it PERSONAL. Imagine getting a baker to make your deceased grandmother’s special chocolate chip cookie. You could proudly display that AND include recipes to give out to your guests. Unless of course your grandmother’s recipe is top secret.

I’m not done looking at donuts…

Wow. My mouth is watering. Wouldn’t you love to have a Donut Bar? Any other ideas?

photo credit: Chris Berneking the official Wayne Wedding Photographer

Watch the Local 7 Wedding Planner Saundra Hadley discuss this subject on TV.

let’s compare reception timelines…

Last week I was able to visit Kelly McWiliams in Cape Coral, Florida. She is an unbelievably talented Destination Wedding Planner and I was lucky to spend some time with her discussing the differences between Florida and Indiana weddings.

When creating your reception timeline … be sure to not get boxed in go with the usual flow. Look at your guests, your venue, the time of day of your ceremony and what fits you best. Below is what Kelly and I compared to what “usually” happens at our respective receptions.

Indiana: (typical 250 person reception)

Florida: (typical 120 person or less, destination reception)

Other Major differences:

Interesting, isn’t it?

Read More »

make a grand entrance to your wedding

Getting introduced into your wedding reception is a tradition that we LOVE to keep. It’s obvious you both are the guests of honor and it’s proper to make that recognition.

Here’s a couple of ideas:

1. Let your wedding party go into the reception and start the party. Only you and your groom will be introduced into the wedding reception. It’s quick, clean and easy.
2. Consider being introduced about half way into your cocktail party. Why miss all the fun?
3. Make a real splash and do something fun and funky (but safe too). Like our clients Amanda and Brian. They had a super fun wedding party that were doing impromptu dancing and lots of fun antics. Amanda turned to my intern, Aubree, and asked, “What should we do?” Aubree suggested that Brian put Amanda on his shoulder….before the next beat, up she went!

photo credit:walker studio

What a fabulous entrance that made a great photo and the audience totally whooped it up!

So how will you enter your wedding reception?

the LAST wedding at Executive Inn, Evansville IN

We will have the last wedding at Executive Inn in Evansville, Indiana, tomorrow August 1, 2009. I’m so sorry to see this venue go, especially after the renovations that were completed in the ballrooms and atrium. The downtown stadium project has picked this location, and the hotel will be torn down.

Below are a few events that we planned and are fond of:

two photos above were taken by: studio b

Tomorrow, Alex Harlen will celebrate her wedding reception with her new groom, Kris Jones. We’ll be setting up today to make it look fabulous.

Big hugs out there to the Executive Inn staff who work tirelessly on so many private and corporate functions!

what wedding traditions should you keep? part three

Here we go with part three of the series what wedding traditions should you keep?

#3 Wedding Tradition: Garter

Approximately fifty percent of our clients are not throwing the garter or bouquet. However, if you wish to keep this time old tradition, consider purchasing only one garter. Most couples will buy “two”; one to throw and one to keep. So we question, what would you do with the one that you “keep”? Hang it on your rear view mirror on your car? We hope not. Stick it in a box? Probably. Just buy one and toss it to your friends!

Tomorrow we’ll continue this series…