Why Butlering Is Important at Your Reception

For any wedding that Willrich Bridal produces, we always have drinks and hors d’oeuvres bultered throughout the cocktail hour. Butlering refers to waiters walking through your crowd with drink or hors d'oeuvres presented on a silver tray.

There are several reasons to do this. First is to cut down on the crowd that immediately lines up at the bar upon entering the reception site. Nothing is worse for a guest than having to wait in long lines for a drink. Having a signature drink elegantly presented by a waiter upon entering the reception is such a great touch. Butlering will also help cut down on your final alcohol bill, since many guests will take a signature drink rather than your more costly alcohol served at the bar. It is an elegant presentation that costs little or nothing at all. Most sites include butlering in their price, a few do charge but it is a fee that is well worth it.

Having your more costly hors d’oeuvres butlered will also save you money in the long run. Instead of being set out where guests can walk up and take several, they are elegantly presented on a tray with guests taking only one at a time. Most guests will not grab several off of a butlered tray. Since they are not being used in a display, you can get away with offering less of the expensive hors d’oeuvres without your guests being the wiser.

Love Note Favors

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We've talked before about wedding favors and I know I'm always in favor of food or candy. But if candy just doesn't do it for you then how about something useful. I mean really useful to your guests. I recently saw the idea of personalized sticky notes (you can say something cute like "We're Sticking Together") along with a pencil with your names on it, all tied together in a pretty package. How cute is that and how great that it is something your guests will actually use? Pictured above are notes in a cute love dispenser, another really cool and useful gift. I love the idea of a favor being something that will actually be used.

White at the Oscars

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Did you watch the Oscars last night? Well, white and red were certainly the colors of the night. I thought the fashions overall were actually pretty great; glamorous, stylish and restrained. Now the question is, are brides copying red carpet fashions or are the red carpet divas pulling from bridal fashion. Either way, I imagine these runway fashions will be gracing the bridal aisles before you can say Winner!

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Notice that the whites are not dead whites, there is the palest pink, palest mint and silvery white, colors that make the skin glow rather than turn dull. This is a trend already starting in the wedding industry. Let's hope it continues.

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More Cool Ideas For Cake Stands

My blog about cake stands got a lot of attention. So I’m back to show you a few more.

Holly at Holly’s Cake’s was kind enough to send me some more examples of creative cake stands. Holly, along with floral designer Renee Burroughs, has used everything from grapevine orbs to old fashioned bird baths for cake stands. So as you can see, there is no excuse for just sitting your cake on a table and stopping there. You can let your imagination run wild when it comes to cake stands.

Grapevine orbs support this cake

An old fashion bird bath is used as this cake's stand

Notice the fish swimming in the stand

Lite blocks of ice make a beautiful stand

An Inexpensive but Beautiful Centerpiece For Your Reception

I’m always on the lookout for economical and DIY friendly ways to have pretty centerpieces for your wedding. The February issue of Better Homes and Gardens offers just that in the picture above.

All you would need is a hurricane vase or bowl; roses purchased either online or at your nearest Costco and ribbon in your wedding color. Cut rose stems to six inches and tightly pack them in the vase. Use glue dots to attach ribbon to the vase and you have a centerpiece. Surround the base of the centerpiece, with rose petals and votives to dress it up even more. It is easy, inexpensive and beautiful.

Water Bottles For Your Guests

The Knot

Making your guests comfortable at your wedding, should be your number one priority, or if not number one certainly in the top 3. One of the easiest and least expensive way to do this is to offer your guests water.

If you are having an outdoor wedding, this is a must. Containers of iced down bottles of water should be set up at the entrance to your ceremony. Make sure that your groomsmen know to offer the water to your guests as they are seated. The last thing you want is overheated, dehydrated guests waiting on your grand entrance.

As guests are leaving your reception, this is another perfect time to offer your guests water bottles. After all that dancing, eating and talking your guests are going to be thirsty on the ride home. Having bottled water offered as they are leaving will have them feeling pampered and loved, exactly the feeling you want your guests to take away with them.

Happy Valentines Day To Everyone

I love Valentines Day, hey it’s my birthday too, so to me it’s extra special. So many people will get engaged tonight. Balloons, candy, roses and diamond rings just seem to go together. But let me tell you what doesn’t go with Valentines Day….your wedding day. While it may seem like the perfect romantic day to get married, it’s not.

Why you ask? Well first there is finding a venue that is available. Most venues are booked a year in advance for valentine parties, every singles group in America is having a party tonight. Along with that goes all the DJ’s and bands, they are all booked for all those singles parties. On top of that is the fact that vendors, being the human beings that they are, have spouses and families that would like to see them on holidays, especially Valentines Day, so if a vendor is available you can bet the farm you are paying a premium for his services.

And now the biggie, flowers for your valentine wedding are going to be outrageous. This is the most expensive time of the year for flowers. The cost of roses skyrocket, along with most every other flower available and florists are worked to death. I don’t think you want a tired, cranky florist with overpriced or unavailable flowers doing your arrangements.

Same is true for bakers and caterers. All those valentine goodies, at all those valentine parties, have to come from somewhere. Don’t pick this time to compete.

Let me clue you, guests are not going to be happy having to give up their valentine plans to work around your wedding. Plan to have a lot of no’s on your RSVP’s (of course this could be a good thing, since your budget is going to be so tight from everything else).

So moral of the story, get that diamond on Valentines Day, but choose another date for your wedding day.