Caterers - Can supply all of the necessary equipment, staff, food and drinks. They may cut and serve the wedding cake. This gives the couple, their family and friends the opportunity to enjoy a stress free day.
Self-catering - The time leading up to the wedding will be spent planning and preparing. You may have to source and rent the necessary equipment, linen etc. A buffet meal is the simplest route as this means that guests can serve themselves. The one drawback is that on the wedding day you may not be as relaxed as you should be.
Once this has been decided the next decision is the type of meal that will be served – formal or buffet. Hotels/restaurants can accommodate a formal meal, a buffet type service or a cocktail reception. For all other venues a formal meal will mean acquiring wait staff.
MEAL
Formal Meal -
This usually involves a set menu (minimum of three courses): a soup/starter, the main course and desserts with each table being served by waiters.
Buffet Service – The guests are seated at tables and serve themselves from the buffet table. The choices are more flexible and varied. A selection of cold salads, hot vegetables, hot and cold starches and desserts are served.
Cocktail reception (Finger foods) – This is extremely informal. The food is set up in one area along with small plates and napkins and guests help themselves .Since they will be walking around and mingling the type of food served is that which can easily be eaten with the hands such as canapés, hors d’oeuvres, sandwiches, devilled eggs. Ensure that there is some seating as no one wants to stand for hours on end.
DRINKS
Hotels and
restaurants can provided all of the drinks needed but you can also supply them with your own drinks which may be less expensive but they may charge a corkage fee to serve the wine / champagne.
The options at hotels and restaurants are:-
Pay for all drinks for the reception.
Pay a set amount and once that is finished, the guests pay for their own drinks.
Guests purchase their own drinks.
At all other venues, if self-catering, it would be easier to hire a barman to serve the drinks during the reception.
FLOWERS & DECORATIONS
Depending
on the layout of the reception area, you may have a number of places that will need to be decorated - the entrance, the head table, the gift table, the cake table, the ceiling and walls and finally the guest tables. Decorations can vary – flowers, ice sculptures, special lighting, candles and balloons are some options.
Outdoor areas are natural and may need less as the flowers and foliage of a garden or the backdrop of a beautiful beach may be just enough.
Most importantly, take into consideration the theme and colour scheme, the time of day, the number of guests, available space and budget.
Favours
are given to your guests as a token of appreciation for their presence, support and gift on your special day.
Traditionally only the female guest receive favours but more and more the type of favours/gifts that are given can be utilised in the home, for example small picture frames, refrigerator magnets, key chains.
The favours can he handed out as the guests leave or they can be placed on the table as a part of the decorations or the bridesmaids can go from table to table and deliver them.
WEDDING CAKE & ENTERTAINMENT
Your
wedding cake is the centrepiece of your reception. A traditional wedding cake is made up of two or more tiers iced and decorated. Some venues can provide the cake as a part of their service but you have the option of hiring a person/company whose specialty is wedding cakes. Any professional should have a portfolio with photographs of their work. The cake is usually delivered to the reception venue on the day of the reception when any necessary touching up is done.
Entertainment should complement and enhance your reception therefore your choice needs to be just right. It can be provided by a DJ, a single musician, for example a pianist, steel pan player, harpist, an a capella group or a singer. If it within your budget a live band. Alternately, you can play CD’s of your favourite music. Some venues offer taped music at no additional cost.
Your entertainment is not restricted to music only; depending on your theme you may have a number of other options.Meet with the person(s) offering their services and discuss your requirements.
