By Georgina Clatworthy

It seems the global recession has hit weddings too with many couples now spending around $7000 less on their weddings than they were last year.  For many these savings will have to come at the expense of the wedding reception budget which can account for the majority of the budget at any wedding.  The good news is you can trim your reception budget without compromising your celebrations and without any of your guests noticing! 

The six biggest expenses when it comes to the wedding reception budget are:

1. The venue hire
2. Decorations, flowers, table centers etc
3. Catering
4. Drink
5. Entertainment
6. Extras such as wedding favors 

With each of these you can cut around a third off the budget so you could pick which one’s you wanted to cut costs on without compromising too much on what you want. 

As an example you could cut the cost of your venue hire by choosing a less expensive venue such as a marquee in a garden or a local hall.  This would give you more money to spend on details such as flowers, decorations and entertainment to make it extra special.  Alternatively you could choose a more luxurious venue and compromise on your wedding date such as midweek or off season day when prices are lower. 

Decorations, table centers and flowers are other areas where you could cut costs on your reception budget.  Candles are very cheap and look amazing placed in colored glass holders or standing on mirrored tiles.  Use your wedding favors are centerpieces instead of formal floral arrangements and make your own decorations using balloons, streamers and die cut shapes.

Food is one area where compromising on price could mean compromising on quality so be careful about how much you cut back on the wedding budget here.  Trading a sit down meal for a buffet will save you money, whilst holding your wedding later in the day means you need only pay for one round of catering as opposed to two with an earlier start.  Look to source your own drink, at least for the wedding breakfast, from a wine merchant who will usually be cheaper than buying the in house drink from your venue.  You can also organize a pay bar for the rest of the reception.

Entertainment can be difficult to cut costs on.  Choosing just one form of entertainment as opposed to two will obviously be cheaper, for instance a disco or a live band, rather than both.  The cheapest option is to pre-load your wedding play list onto an iPod and hook up to the venue sound system.

Extras include things like wedding favors, master of ceremonies and having your photographer stick around all day long.  Decide on what is absolutely essential and then ditch the rest.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Organizing your wedding seating plan can take some doing.  Working out where best to sit your guests and who with is a time consuming task and one which requires some organization and patience.  There are also several other considerations such as elderly relatives, children, entrances and exits which will all need to be factored into the seating plan to make sure you use the space as efficiently and as comfortably as possible. 

Here are five tips for your wedding seating plan which can help save you time and money:

1. Choose a quiet evening or afternoon and find a space in which to begin planning out your seating arrangements.  Use a large sheet of paper and some removable sticky notes written up with table numbers and your guests names to help you plan where to site your tables and which wedding guests will go where.  Don’t forget to factor in the top table either.
2. If you are using the same room for your evening reception you will probably need to remove some of the tables and chairs to make room for dancing.  Do remember to think about which of your wedding guests are likely to want to remain seated, such as elderly guests.
3. It is traditional to site your tables so your guests can all get a view of the top table, of course some of your guests will have their backs to the top table whilst others may have an obscured view.  A good tip is to think of your tables as being clock faces with 1o’clock having the best view and 4, 5 or 6 having the most obscured.  It can be helpful to number your wedding guests this way as it makes it quicker to identify where they will sit and for caterers to serve food to those with dietary requirements.
4. Traditionally the top table would be sited at the top of the reception but it has become popular to actually place the top table in the center of the room instead so that the couple feels more a part of the room and closer to their guests.  This also places all the guests around them with no-one feeling like they have been placed at the back of the room.
5. Once you have finalized your table seating plan have a formal plan made up which can be displayed at the entrance to the room and where you guests can quickly identify which table and seat they are at.  As well as this you could consider placing each guest’s name on a tag and tying it to the back of the chair or placing it on their table setting.  You could also write a little sentence about them such as – ‘Beth Charles, bride’s sister in law, made the flowergirl dresses’ or ‘Jim Thompson, school friend of the groom’.  These would make good conversation points and a good way for people who don’t know each other to be introduced.

By Georgina Clatworthy

The idea of a wedding candy bar has been around for a few years now but still remains a popular addition to any wedding reception.  If you are not familiar with the concept a candy bar is essentially a table laid out with bottles, jars and bowls of sweets, confectionary, cakes and anything else you care to add.  They are a great attraction to a reception and a good alternative to making up lots of individual wedding favors – just add some small bags or boxes and let your guests make their own favors!

Here are my tips on creating your own candy bar display for your wedding reception and how to make sure it will please guests of all ages!

• Select your ‘bar’ – visit your reception venue and take a look at the tables available to you.  A long buffet style table is usually best for a candy bar as it makes the goodies easily accessible.  That said, a round table can work just as well, a good idea for any table is to add in some direction signs so your guests file round the table one way.
• Jars, bottles, stands and bowls – the beauty of a candy bar is the variety of vessels you use to present your treats.  Confectionary jars, bottles, glass bowls and cake stands are all good ways to show off the various goodies you have to offer.  Choose vessels of various heights to create interest, but don’t worry if they don’t all match exactly, pieces which coordinate look amazing when grouped together.
• Presentation – think about how you will lay out your candy bar.  It is a good idea to place tall or large items to the back and the smallest things to the front.  It makes them easier to get at and should prevent any accidents occurring!  It also makes a more coordinated display which is attractive to the eye.  Randomly placing everything on a table could look chaotic.
• Colors – the beauty of candy and confectionary is the wide range of colors and shapes it is available in.  If you wanted to you could choose treats that match your wedding colors and come in shapes to coordinate with your wedding theme.  Alternatively, a random assortment of colors and shapes looks just as inviting!
• What to Serve – basically you could add anything you wanted to your candy bar.  Retro candies from your childhood, sophisticated chocolates, fun fairy cakes, luscious lollipops, even mints and nuts!  The choice is entirely yours.  However, do think about the age ranges of your guests – if you are inviting children make sure there is something suitable for them too and think about my next point:
• Containers, bags and boxes – of course the whole point of a candy bar is so your guests can help themselves to their own favors and take them home.  So think about what size of bags or boxes you will need to accommodate your choice of candy.  A good idea is to place paper or cellophane bags on the table which will hold a good assortment of goodies, add in some twist ties so the bags can be tied and some mini scoops into the candy and you are good to go!

By Georgina Clatworthy

The wedding day schedule can include many lulls in the action, especially for your guests.  Providing wedding reception games for your guests to play whilst they await your arrival at the wedding breakfast is a great way of keeping them entertained and the atmosphere buzzing.  Games are also a great way for guests who are not previously acquainted to get to know each other.  Here are five of my favorites to give you some ideas: 

1. Bride and Groom Quiz:

Set out a list of silly questions about you and your groom.  Things like ‘how did he embarrass himself when he first met your parents?’ ‘Where did he propose?’ ‘How did you first meet?’  This is a great choice when it comes to wedding reception games as it gets everyone talking about the two people everyone has in common and breaks the ice. 

2. Heads or Tails:

Ask your MC or Best Man to ask every guest to stand at their reception tables and place their hands on either their heads or their bottoms.  He then flips a coin and those who have guessed correctly remain standing whilst the others sit down.  He keeps going until there is only one guest left standing.  It could be a good idea to have a small prize for the winner. 

3. Table Trivia Cards:

This is one of those games which is good for guests to get to know one another.  Write out a set of trivia questions about yourselves, such as ‘what possession would you be most likely to save from a fire?’ or ‘who would you most like to be stuck in a lift with?’  Everyone around the reception table should take a turn at questioning and answering. Consider writing your questions on cards and placing them inside your wedding favors.

4. Wedding Party Baby-Pictures:

Set up a display of baby photographs (photocopies are fine) and up-to-date photographs of each member of the wedding party.  Invite each table of guests to guess whose baby photograph is whose and award the winning table a bottle of Champagne. 

5. Chilli Chocolate Roulette:

Give each table a box full of chocolates numbered between one and six.  Guests then need to roll a dice and collect the chocolate which corresponds with the number they rolled.  Once every chocolate has been handed out, your guests then eat them at the same time.  The aim of the game is to guess which guest has got the chilli infused chocolate.  Could any of your guests keep a straight face?  This is a great game to play after the wedding breakfast has been served and before the speeches.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Summer is always the most popular time of year for a wedding – the weather is almost always guaranteed to be great, the flowers are in full bloom and there is no end of great venues to choose from for your wedding day.  So if you are busy putting the finishing touches to your summer wedding or planning your day for next year, then here are some pretty wedding reception ideas to consider.

• Take some ordinary napkin rings and decorate them with a few flower heads such as hydrangeas or carnations.
• Create interest with your flower arrangements by alternating tall flowers or foliage with shorter arrangements of flowers.
• If you are having a buffet reception, pile up your plates, cutlery and napkins to one end so your guests can help themselves.
• Make your own wine glass charms using vintage buttons and ribbon tied onto the stems of each glass.
• For a vintage style tea party use mix and match vintage chintz chinaware, which you could hire or buy secondhand.  Team it with frilly peonies and popcorn hydrangeas.
• Customize your napkins with some cotton lace trim sewn around the edges.  You can also add a band of lace and ribbon to secure your cutlery and finish with a tiny sprig of flowers.
• Create delicious looking centerpieces using vintage glass cake stands piled up with cupcakes.  They make nice alternative ideas to traditional wedding cake or use them as wedding favors.
• Serve your guests Champagne in tall flutes decorated with floating seasonal berries.
• If you want to do your own reception flowers then look out for some unusual vessels such as apothecary jars and unusual vases which you can fill half full with water and float flower heads inside.  Scatter some flower heads around the table as well to continue your theme.
• For pretty decoration ideas hang paper fans around your reception room.  You can also make your own versions simply by folding decorative papers concertina style and fixing them into a round shape.  Trying mixing and matching colors and patterns to coordinate with your scheme.
• Give your guests wedding favors with a difference such as mini boxed fruit pies.  You could even serve them up as dessert or as your wedding cake.  For favors we suggest attaching handwritten or stamped luggage tags to some vintage style kraft boxes.  You can buy small pies from bakeries but it is just as easy and cheaper to make your own or ask a relative or friend to.

By Georgina Clatworthy

Organizing your reception room will require you to think about how you will seat your guests and the way in which you will arrange the tables and chairs.  Whilst you may not initially consider it important, the way you place your tables and where you seat each of your guests is a big consideration for your wedding day.  Even if you are having a buffet you will still need to arrange furniture in the room so it provides the best comfort for your guests.  So when it comes to wedding seating ideas you will discover you have many different aspects to consider.

Arranging your reception room does require you to follow a few ground rules with your ideas.  It is optimal to seat your guests so they have a good view of you and your groom and the other members of your wedding party who will be giving speeches.  You also need to think about where you seat guests.  Close family members who are not in the wedding party should be seated as close to the front as possible.  Parents with children and babies should be seated nearest the exit (in case of tantrums, feeds etc) and you should consider elderly guests who may not appreciate being seated close to the entertainment.

Seating your guests and who you seat them with is one area that can cause a big headache for most brides! It is highly likely that not all your guests will know each other, whilst in other cases there maybe some concern over putting certain guests together on the same table, perhaps they do not get on, are divorced or separated or perhaps they get on just a little too well!  There is every chance that there will be at least one raucous table at your wedding, but you should take into account the following wedding seating ideas when designing your seating arrangements:

• Keep couples together
• Mix people up with those they know and those they don’t
• Keep families together
• Put older/elderly guests together and sit them away from any guests who you think maybe a little ‘loud’
• Consider the feelings of divorced/separated guests or ex’s of other guests!

When it comes to arranging the reception itself it can be helpful to draw the room out on a sheet of paper and mark in existing features such as windows, doors, heating, fireplaces and the area where your entertainment will be if you are having some during the wedding breakfast.  Put in where you will site the top table and then place your other tables in front of it.  It is a good idea to cut ‘tables’ from pieces of paper so you can move them around to find the best arrangement.  If you are having a buffet then don’t forget to put in where the buffet table will be situated, and also your wedding cake if you plan to place that on a separate table.

Ask at your venue if you can visit the room and try out your ideas to which will work.  Some venues may not agree to this and will set the room up for you in a way which they know works best and is best for their waiting staff.  If they insist on setting the furniture up for you then ask for a plan showing how it will be laid out so you can plan where to seat your guests and put together a table seating plan which will show your guests where they are sitting on the day.

By Georgina Clatworthy

For many couples the most nerve racking moment of their entire wedding day comes when they must take to the dance floor for the wedding first dance.  This traditional part of any wedding celebration sees husband and wife become the center of attention for the best part of two minutes as they trip the light fantastic to a favorite song.  Considering they have been pretty much the center of attention all day, it is a wonder why so many have such feelings of dread when it comes to this moment of the day.

Perhaps so many would rather avoid the wedding first dance simply because they have too left feet and have little confidence in their ability to make it through 2 minutes of love song without making a fool of themselves!  But your first dance together doesn’t have to be nerve rattling experience, just follow these tips and you should make it through ok!

1. Don’t be too ambitious – you may be able to string a few moves together but Dancing with the Stars you aren’t!  Stick within your limits and everything should go smoothly!
2. Practice makes perfect – it is not unheard of for couples to enroll on some dancing lessons before the big day, in fact some dance studios and other leisure facilities run classes especially aimed at couples about to get married.  If you don’t want to attend classes then consider practicing at home, perhaps with some tutorials downloaded from the internet to help you.
3. Choose your song carefully – your choice of wedding song will probably be something meaningful to you both, but do consider whether you can actually dance it.  It can be an idea to have a choice of two or three songs just in case the first one is not quite the dance floor classic you hoped for.
4. Think about your wedding dress and shoes – I am not saying purchase your wedding dress with the first dance in mind, but you do need to think about how you will be able to dance it later on.  If you practice your first dance, then consider wearing a long dress or purchasing a wedding dress from a charity store so you can get used to having a large gown about you.  You should also practice dancing with your wedding shoes on or a similar pair of shoes.  Many brides like to purchase a second pair of shoes for the evening party just for dancing in.
5. Consider the length of your song – if you really don’t want to be in the limelight for any longer than necessary then think about the length of song you choose.  Alternatively you could beckon your other guests and members of the wedding party on to the dance floor to join you about halfway through – this is a great way of letting you off the hook!

By Georgina Clatworthy

If you are after a venue within a magnificent setting and which will create a stunning backdrop to your day, then country wedding venues provide the perfect options.  From landscaped gardens and grand country houses, to farms, barns and vineyards you will find plenty choose from when it comes to selecting venues for your special day.

Hiring a country venue can also provide you with the opportunity to combine your ceremony and reception venues in one place.  Not only is this usually cheaper for you budget wise, but it also means less traveling and no worries about guests getting lost en-route from one venue to another!  Of course having both the ceremony and reception in one place usually means you will have to have a civil wedding ceremony, but if you wanted a religious service you are sure to find plenty of small chapels and country churches to suit you.

Here are my top country wedding venues for your wedding day:

Country Estates: These may be grand country residences, country clubs or hotels and guesthouses.  Often they provide beautiful surroundings both inside the building and outside and can give you a wealth of character and charm which will add to your day.  As well as booking function rooms within the building you may also have the option of holding your wedding outdoors if the grounds are large enough and you have space to erect a marquee.

Golf Clubs: It may not be quite so easy to book a wedding at a golf club as most work on a members only basis, but some may take wedding bookings as part of their commercial activities.  Apart from presenting you with beautifully landscaped surroundings, if you love golf, a golf course is the perfect way to theme your day!

Vineyards: These have become very popular recently and not just with wine lovers!  In terms of a country venue vineyards offer plenty of charm coupled with the chance to serve great tasting wines at your wedding breakfast!

Farms/Barns: If you are after something a little more rustic then holding your wedding on a farm or in a large barn is a great venue option.  Barn venues are popular choices for fall weddings whilst meadows and fields of corn or sunflowers make wonderful backdrops for the wedding photographs.  There is also the added advantage that farms have plenty of space to erect a marquee if you wanted something a little more formal! 

Parks and Gardens:  From formal landscaped gardens to natural woodlands and national parks, if you love the outdoors then you will have plenty of choice for an outdoor wedding. 

Country Inns: If you want something a little more informal then look for small country inns and guesthouses as an alternative to the larger estates.  Often packed with old world charm and character these venues can provide perfectly romantic settings for an intimate wedding.

By Georgina Clatworthy

A wedding marquee can be a wedding life saver, not to mention easier on the budget.  Essentially they are enormous tents, kitted out with everything you need for your wedding reception.  If your budget is tight or you are struggling to find a suitable venue then a wedding marquee hire could be the answer you are looking for.  However, there are several considerations when it comes to marquees that need to be addressed first.

Venue:

Of course you will need somewhere to pitch your marquee.  The great thing about wedding marquees is their versatility and the fact you could site them just about anywhere.  If you have large gardens then a marquee at home could be a good choice, or choosing the local beauty spot.  If you liked a particular venue but could not afford to hire it within your budget, then ask about erecting a marquee in the grounds instead, which may be a cheaper option.

Talk to the wedding marquee hire company about site suitability and what is required in order to ensure your marquee is safely erected.

Size:

Marquees come in many shapes and sizes making them ideal if you are having trouble finding a venue with sufficient space for all your guests.  You need to think about what you will be using the marquee for – ceremony and reception or just the reception and whether or not you will be holding your evening party in there too.  Again the hire company will be able to guide you on the right size to suit your needs and guest numbers.

It is also usual to have a second, smaller marquee erected for your catering staff if you are hiring catering services for the reception.  You will also need to think about electricity and water supplies, as well as bathroom facilities.

Siting:

Once you have deciding upon the venue for your wedding marquee, then you need to visit it and determine the best place in which to site your marquee.  If your choice of marquee has windows you may want to site them so they take full advantage of the best view of the location (you don’t want your guests looking out on to the car park).  You also need to think about access into and out of the marquee.  You want all your guests to enter through just one door, especially at the beginning of the celebrations, so this needs to be clearly defined, perhaps with a marked pathway, so your guests know which way to go.

Decoration:

Wedding marquees provide the quintessential ‘blank canvas’ when it comes to wedding decorations.  The hire company will probably provide you with a package to include all furniture, flooring, dance floor, stage, lighting etc and some will include decorations and table linens as well.  The most common form of decoration is to drape large amounts of tulle like fabric from the roof to cover the steel frame of the marquee, but I personally think that this is becoming a little outdated, particularly for the modern wedding.  Work with the frame instead and hang colored paper lanterns, chandeliers or wind garlands of flowers and fairy lights around them.

There is so much flexibility when it comes to using a wedding marquee, so you should make sure you explore it to the full and make sure you exploit every opportunity they present.

By Georgina Clatworthy

As we now enter the summer months you maybe putting the finishing touches to your outdoor wedding reception.  Even if you think you have already got everything in place, you may still find some room for a few additional ‘attractions’ to wow your guests.  If you’re just beginning to bring everything together for your wedding reception then read on for some further inspiration!

Catering:

An outdoor wedding reception can present certain logistical problems when it comes to catering.  If you are having a marquee then you will probably need to have a second smaller one for your catering company to use.  If you are using the grounds of a hotel or guesthouse, who have in-house catering then they may make provision for your catering to be served outside.

If you have chosen a location where there are no onsite catering facilities then you will need to consider options such as a BBQ, cold buffet or picnic style catering.  The latter can be a nice way to feed your guests by having individual picnic hampers made up for each guest or to share between two.  Provide some seating and picnic rugs for your guests to sit on.  Catering picnic style is wonderful for an informal wedding reception; just make sure your guests don’t spread themselves too far and wide for the speeches and toasts!

Entertainment:

One advantage of an outdoor reception is the amount of space you will usually have to work with.  Not being confined by brick walls means you can go to town on providing entertainment for your guests which includes garden games, such as Jenga and croquet, or even a full blown fun-fair complete with merry-go-round and helter-skelter!

Grand Finale:

Round off your day’s celebrations with a fabulous grand finale at the end of the day.  Firework displays are popular and can be tailored to suit a range of budgets.  Another, cheaper alternative, and one which will involve your guests, is to let off Chinese lanterns.  These look amazing when you all let them go at the same time and they sail off into the sky!

An outdoor wedding reception can provide you with many opportunities to add in unique touches for your wedding.  The only limit is your imagination (and budget)!  Work with the venue owners and take your time to consider all the options, where best to locate your reception within the venue itself and how to utilize any unique features it may have.  Your wedding photographer maybe able to offer some useful suggestions as well, so ask them to meet you there at some point before the wedding day to discuss your wedding photographs and to take on board any tips they may have.