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Do I have to serve my guests a full meal? |
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If you plan a morning or mid-afternoon reception you can serve a simple hors d'oeuvres buffet. If your reception begins during the dinner hour, your guests will expect either heavy hors d'oeuvres or a plated dinner. |
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What is a soft bar? |
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If you are looking to reduce costs, consider a soft bar which features beer and wine only with the option of champagne. |
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Is it less expensive to have an at-home wedding rather than a hotel or club wedding? |
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Sometimes yes, sometimes no! It all depends on the style and over-all budget of your event. If you will be starting from total scratch and having to rent EVERYTHING for your at-home wedding, then you could end up spending much more than you bargained for. You will become responsible for the catering the alcohol, the entire decor, the rentals-which can be numerous, the tent, which is a must and often requires special flooring, and any changes, repairs/updates or cosmetic corrections you may need to make to the house/yard itself. And then there is the liability factor should one of the guests somehow become injured! On the other hand, if you are having a small wedding and the home lends itself well to your number of guests (say, 25 to 75 guests) you could save some money by keeping it simple. Choose a morning or afternoon start time so that the catering can be modest. Serve beer and wine or choose to forego alcohol altogether and keep the music to an instrumental duo. A small tent may still be needed but without the flooring since there would probably not be dancing. By keeping the flowers to a minimum, more of the costs could be defrayed. Remember: When you choose a hotel or Club for your event, you leave many of the headaches behind, since they will already have most, if not all of the necessary requirements at their fingertips!
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What is the appropriate wedding attire for my second marriage? |
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This is the new millennium! And this is YOUR wedding! The choice is up to you. What are you comfortable with? Some of today's second time around brides are often selecting the same dresses that first time brides are choosing, especially if they didn't get a chance to fulfill their fantasy the first time. Some dyed-in- the-wool etiquette mavens may caution against a "big" dress with a cathedral train or even wearing pure white, but today's brides are following their own intuition and their hearts. Do what's right for you! |
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I have been married before but my fiancée has not. I have had the big wedding and would prefer something small, but he wants to go all out. Is this in poor taste? |
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It is no longer considered in poor taste to have an extravagant second wedding. But more importantly, it should be something that you are BOTH comfortable with. Consider a compromise, and choose a wedding that has some of the elements your fiancée is looking for, but also respects your position. Each one of you take a look at your vision of the wedding day and prioritize those elements most important. Then adhere to those guidelines throughout the planning process. |
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My parents are divorced and my mother is remarried. My Dad says that he will not attend the wedding nor walk me down the aisle if her husband is there. What do I do? |
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This is a sticky situation. Emotions are running high. It is important to first let your dad know that his feelings are acknowledged and understood. Then gently coax him to realize how much his being there means to you. Even though he and your mom are no longer together, you will always be his little girl and he will always be your daddy. Remind him that this special day is about YOU and supporting the big step you are about to make. Let him know he does not have to sit with or even speak to his ex-wife, but that you would really appreciate him being able to put his personal conflicts aside for one day. Let him know that you want him to be as comfortable as possible and listen attentively to any suggestions he may have to make the experience more palatable for him. In the end, if he just won't budge, accept the situation and make other plans for your entrance. Try to be understanding and don't let his feelings about the past affect your future relationship with him. |
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What is the best age for a Flower Girl and Ring Bearer to be in a wedding and not steal the show? |
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Our experience has been that children over the age of five will have just enough maturity to be cute but not steal the show. If the children are eight years old or above, it is appropriate to appoint them them as junior bride's maids and junior groomsmen. |
