Sunday Weddings

Would you get married on a Sunday?

 

It seems that Sunday weddings are becoming more popular – we’ve coordinated 4 since we started in 2008, and have 2 more booked for this year. Wondering why? Well, Sunday weddings tend to be cheaper because venues offer a slight discount to hold your wedding then instead of the ever-popular Saturday. 

Over the years Friday weddings have been more in demand as well. Originally you could book Friday for cheaper than a Saturday, but now they are basically neck in neck in price. Do you think that Saturday weddings will be a thing of the past?

I can see getting married on a Sunday if it’s a long weekend, which is what most of our clients have done. 

We think that a beautiful brunch or luncheon wedding on a Sunday would be awesome. Or an afternoon ceremony followed with a cocktail reception, or a picnic-like dinner. Keep it light, and keep it from getting late. Most people won’t stay too long at a Sunday wedding if they have to work the next day, and travel a fair distance to boot.

So, what’s your thoughts on hosting or going to a wedding on a Sunday?

Revisiting 10 secrets...

10 Secrets to a fun Reception....

Originally posted in April 2010

10. Plan a Surprise - Unexpected entertainment such as dancers or a magician. Or by adding theme friendly add-ons like a cigar roller, photo booth or dove release.

9. Keep Your Guests Fuelled - As the party continues and drinks are consumed you'll want to make sure there is some late night food available. Check out our post about unique treats here.

8. Give Out Party Favours - Just like you would for a child's birthday party, give your guests something fun to play with! Party hats, crowns and tiaras, noise makers, sunglasses or even have a sparkler send-off as you leave as Mr. & Mrs.

7. Add a Lounge to your Reception - Give guests a spot to relax and kick up their heels before and during your reception. This set up is very popular for cocktail receptions and tent weddings.

6. Make sure you and your DJ have the same tastes - No one wants to hear DJ Jazzy Jeff spinning' tunes from Barney's sing-a-long, or the hokie pokie!

5. If you've hired a Band, plan their breaks - You don't want your party to be at its peak then stop because the band leader has to go pee now do you? See if the band members can take breaks in shifts allowing for songs to be played sans that member, or at least have them play up tempo filler music to keep the party going.

4. Have a Game Plan for Kids - If you have kids at your wedding be sure there are things for them to do at a separate table or even a separate room (with a chaperone), like colouring books, playdoh, puzzles and even handheld video games.

3. Keep the Toasts short - "Quality over quantity." "Short and sweet." "Less is more."

These are popular sayings for a reason people.

2. Order Good Food - Get creative.

There are tons of options now other than your standard chicken, beef or pasta. Talk with your caterer or Banquet manager and see what they can produce for you that would be different and unique. If you want to stick to the classic meat and potato - try having a baked potato bar and or a meat carving station. Be different. I dare ya!

And the #1 Secret to a fun Reception is.....

Hire A Day of Coordinator - Having a professional on site for your wedding is one of the smartest decisions you'll make in regards to making your Reception stress free, seamless and fun!

After all, you've thought about all aspects of your wedding in fine detail including the top 9 secrets, right?

So, make sure that your wedding goes as planned and put your trust in a dedicated professional that wants you to have the day you always dreamed of.

Wedding Details: The Menu

Everyone has to eat.

Planning your wedding menu can be fun if you are a foodie, but can be daunting if you aren't. What type of fare do you want to serve? Dinner? Most weddings occur in the evening with dinner being the meal of choice. Other choices are to have a Brunch wedding, or a Cocktail Reception. But, most people stick with dinner.

The Menu:

When choosing your food, you have to think of dietary restrictions, seasonality, presentation, cultural or religious beliefs and overall taste. Also keep in mind that food is expensive, especially when you are serving 100+ people. You want it to be affordable, but not cheap. No one wants to get sick from your wedding, or go home hungry.
When thinking about what to serve for your wedding, think about what you and your Groom like to eat. No one says that you have to stick with the basic meat, potato, vegetable option. Do you like Chinese food? Add chicken balls or lo mein to your menu. Or what about chocolate? Adding an element of chocolate to each course is a neat way to incorporate your favourite food into your special day.

Chat with your caterer or chef at the venue to discuss all of your options. We like it when couples take the standard buffet and flip it to offer guests customized stations! Think meat cutting station with a variety of different cooking methods (smoked, fried, grilled, etc), a pasta station with your choice of pasta & sauce, or what about a baked potato station complete with all different types of toppings! Delicious!

Provide your guests with some choice, and tell them through a menu card what they will be enjoying. Work together with your Groom for this detail, and it will most likely be one of the only elements in the wedding he will want to have a say about.

Be creative & think outside the box! Bon Appetite!

Congratulations Liz & Devon King!!

Liz and Devon got married over the Thanksgiving weekend. John's sister has been planning her wedding for the past 18 months, and asked me to help her along the way. We met a few times for a few hours in the months leading up to her big day, and I acted as their Wedding Planner on the wedding day.

Liz and Devon got married at Town Hall in Ancaster, and took an old fashioned fire truck (cause Devon is a firefighter) down to the reception at The Art Gallery of Hamilton. It was an awesome sight - and a great photo opportunity for guests! The wedding was a cocktail reception with approximately 165 guests.

Given the fact that they had an 18 person bridal party...>gasp<...I know, that's a lot.. the day went well with very little issues. With such a large Wedding Party (WP), it was quite the task to keep them all focused, doing their duties (ushering guests most specifically) and keeping them out of the ceremony hall before it started!

Once we all got to the Art Gallery, again it was hard keeping track of where all of them (WP) where, and were going - outside for a smoke, to grab a drink, to talk with family/friends...it got a little frustrating chasing them around to prepare for their 'Grand Entrance' - but in the end, everything went well and was beautiful.

Liz looked fabulous, and I've got to say, was quite the calm bride. She was always smiling, and just wanted to make sure everyone was having a good time - and they were!

Her colours were ivory, purple and yellow - so both venues (ceremony & reception) had sunflowers, gourds and mini pumpkins placed throughout for the 'fall' theme.

This was my first Cocktail Reception wedding, and it's a good concept - very relaxed - but I do stress that you must have enough food on hand. Guests could choose from appetizer sized items that consisted of cheeses, breads, cold meats, antipasto, pasta and veggie/meat skewers. I noticed that many guests went up to the food table more than once, more than twice - sometimes 3 or 4 times!!  They even ran out of coconut shrimp within the first 20 minutes... they must have been a favourite! Thankfully Liz & Devon were saved some to enjoy later by the Catering Manager.

 The bar was open right from the get go, and the dance floor was always hopping.

Once the speeches were taken care of, I tried my best to be there as a guest and enjoy the wedding with my family, but my Planner instincts kept clicking in. I made sure that the bouquet toss, garter retrieval and the cake cutting were all done on time. Devon even said to me - "oh, thanks for reminding us, we would have forgotten!" And that happens - Brides and Grooms sometimes will forget to follow timelines because they are enjoying themselves so much and having fun. Just another excellent reason to have a Wedding Planner.

 

Congratulations Liz & Devon...you had a beautiful wedding filled with love, laughter, family & friends!

All the best!!

BB Tip # 4:  Only ask close friends and family to be in your WP. More than 3 or 4 on each side will most likely be unmanageable. Remember, just because you have more hands does not necessarily mean you will get more help.