Weddings by Kathryn-Blessed Events: Wedding Buffet pros and cons

Weddings by Kathryn-Blessed Events: Wedding Buffet pros and cons:   One of the most anticipated aspects to your wedding day by your loving guests is undoubtedly the food! There's just something about si...

Wedding Buffet pros and cons

 

• One of the most anticipated aspects to your wedding day by your loving guests is undoubtedly the food! There's just something about sitting down for a warm delicious meal with your friends and family after you and your partner tie the knot. While not every single wedding involves a complete meal, the majority do—and the two most common options to choose between are a plated vs buffet wedding meal. When planning the wedding menu with your caterer, these are two primary options to choose from.  
• Buffets are a great meal option for events and are often cheaper than plated meals. For a fraction of the price, you can serve many guests without breaking the bank. Also, buffets will give guests more food options to choose from which is great for picky eaters or those with dietary restrictions. However, buffets are less formal and if your wedding is lavish, a buffet might not match up with your theme. 
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•  My biggest issue with buffets as a wedding coordinator is when they are not
• served by anyone, but self-serve by the guests.  Why? Because I have seen guests literally pile mountains of food on plates and leave very little to nothing for the rest of the guests.  I have seen weddings where the food runs out.  Enough was planned for and ordered but guests left nothing and it is disgusting.  Other coordinators and venue owners have shared with me their big pet peeves with buffets are the long line of guests waiting and blocking walkways they find long buffet lines tacky.  
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I personally have no objection to offering a buffet for your wedding or event meal, I try to keep the line manageable and moving.  I just highly suggest to all of my clients to spend the money on a few servers if your caterer doesn't provide them.  A self-serve buffet is a no-no at my events, even if I have to offer my staff as servers (for a price of course). You want your event to be memorable for the RIGHT reasons, not for running out of food.

When you are considering your meal choice at your reception keep these these tips in mind and pad the budget for servers.

Cheers

Kathryn

Blessed Events, CA 

Budget Friendly Engagement Party

 February winds down the holiday season's engagement season.  Congratulations to all you newly engaged couples and brides to be.  Let's talk about budget friendly engagement parties.  Engagement parties are a fun & exciting way to celebrate your big news with your friends and family.  Don't worry, they are NOT required, and if no one offers to throw one for you, don't feel obligated to host one.  An engagement party does not have to be ornate or extravagant, there are ways to keep it affordable.

Budget Friendly Tips:

1.  Brunch- A weekend morning brunch is fabulous and often more affordable than hosting an evening dinner.  Brunch can be at home or a favorite restaurant.

2. Apps & Drinks- If it is better for scheduling to do an evening event, do a cocktail-style engagement party.  Finger foods, appetizers and drinks are all you need for a good time.

3. DIY Decorations- If you plan on spending money on food and a large guest list, you can cut costs with your decor.  There's no need to get overly fancy with decor, stay within your budget by shopping at craft stores and DIY your decorations.  Keep it simple and elegant and focus on enjoying the company of your friends and family.

4. Casual Invitations- Use an online e-vite option for your engagement party or cute postcard.

Use your engagement party as a meet and greet to introduce family, friends and the potential bridal party to get to know one another before the wedding.  Don't rush into your engagement party and start inviting everyone you have ever met, remember this party is for your nearest and dearest in your circle.  You can even just do a family only engagement party for the two families to get to know one another and celebrate your engagement.

Wedding Trends: What's in & What's out for 2024

 According to the December 20, 2023 issue of the always amazing Vogue Magazine we are sharing what they say is on it's way out for 2023 and in for 2024 and we agree.  For the complete list visit vogue.com.  Here is a few of the trends on their way out, and what to look for coming in:

  I don't think some of these traditions will be extinct and we may see these fade out over the year.  

Wedding trends on the way OUT 2023:

1.  Sweetheart tables- I will be honest, I was a little surprised by this one, I still see the sweetheart table in a lot of my weddings and I don't think it will completely fade out, there will always be couples who want the special table and all eyes on them.  The new trend is for for inclusive tables where the bride & groom sit with family and friends, preferring to mingle and be a part of dinner not a focal point of dinner.

2.  The White & Green color pallet- While this is a beautiful color choice and so easy it has been popular for the past few years and I feel like we have pretty much seen it all.  According to Vogue brides are choosing brighter and more colorful flower pallets looking for a more bold statement.  This will be exciting to see as the seasons turn this year.

3.  Traditional Guest Book- This always makes me think of my parents and grandparents.  Before I was a wedding planner, I was a divorce paralegal and I can tell you on one hand how many couples look at their guest book from their wedding.  The traditional guest book is an antique, what is replacing it, is the digital or audio guest book that is super fun and frankly easier to store.

4.  Traditional Cake Cutting- I have seen this trend going out for the past few years, and we see more couple opting for a private moment to be captured on film or choosing to do a dessert feeding that means more to the couple than a boring wedding cake like their mothers or grandmothers.  I have had couples feed each other New York cheesecake as they met in New York and cheesecake played a part in their relationship.  Another couple had a sweet-tooth and toasted each other over special personalized cupcakes and then had a cupcake tower and candy table for guests. Yumm.

Wedding trends for 2024:

1.  Sustainability- Yes, I saw this start in 2023 with some of my clients who opted for recycled products and compostable dinning ware or separate trash, recycle and compost bins.  This is a beautiful trend and I personally predict that it will grow over the next few years.  

2.  Wedding Crests- We have all seen the monograms which is great, but it has had it's moment and we need to move on.  Couples are now expanding off the monogram and creating wedding crests.  Similar to the family crests of Europe, couples are adopting this same idea to their wedding and we think it is so cool!

3.  Dessert Stations- This trend has also been around for a few years and just continues to be popular, especially since the traditional cake cutting is on it's way out.  Desert stations can be unique and personalized to the couple or their culture, there is so much fun you can have, and also make it part of your wedding favors with cute to-go boxes or bags.

4.  Private Ceremonies- Ever since the pandemic we have seen a trend of micro-weddings especially with the wedding ceremony.  Couples have been opting for more intimate wedding ceremonies and a bigger guest list for the reception.  There is something sweet and special about a intimate wedding ceremony.  

5.  After-parties- More and more couples are choosing to keep the party going after the reception.  A lot of venues close at 12am and for some couples the party just isn't over yet.  Some couples rent a party bus and go bar hoping, or rent a hotel suite, or Air-BNB.

Halloween theme weddings

We had the pleasure of working with a bride and groom on a Halloween themed wedding this fall 2023.  The couple was known for loving Halloween and throwing great Halloween parties every year, so they went with a "Till death do us part" theme.  Their budget was tight and guest list was about 70 people, so a smallish wedding.  Working with their budget we were still able to pull off the look they wanted and stay in budget.  They wanted to focus on blacks and oranges, adding touches of soft candle light, keeping with the creepy Halloween theme.  For budget friendly decorating, focusing on non-fresh florals can be a big budget saver and can be re-sold after the event, like lanterns, plush pumpkins, candles, etc.  Purple, black and orange linens can be rented instead of purchased, also keeping costs affordable.

Guests enjoyed the spooky music and decor walking in to the ceremony and reception space without it feeling like a Halloween party or fun house.  Keeping it elegant and simple yet with a theme and on budget was the couple's priority and we were happy to accommodate.  

 

Dessert Tables yay or nay?

 

                                            Dessert Tables or Dessert Bar

Dessert tables and bars are very popular with weddings of all themes and sizes.  A dessert bar is a great addition to a wedding reception and can be as classy, gourmet or simple and fun as you want.  Prices range depending on the amount and difficulty of items served.  When considering whether or not to include a dessert bar or table to your even you need to consider your guests will pick up a minimum of 3 items per trip to the table or bar, and that they will make 2 trips so that is a total of 6 treat items per guest.  It is ALWAYS best to over estimate your quantity then it is to underestimate it, which I see happen at a lot of weddings unfortunately.  So, if your guest count is 150 people then you need to anticipate needing about 900 items for your desert table.  Shocking isn't it?  Now, don't let that scare you off, you can supplement dessert items like mini brownies, lemon bars, cheesecake bites with candy.  Adding a couple of bowls of self serve candy is a great way to cut down on costs and prep for your dessert table as well as provide nice variety for your guests, and adding a little to-go container or bag is a great wedding favor.  Who doesn't want to take a treat for later?  (See wedding budget tip blog post from September about wedding favors)

Now about costs the average dessert table/bar as mentioned can cost from $600-$3000.   A solid candy bar is the least expensive costing anywhere from $125-$300

Spring 2023 Wedding Trends

 Hello Spring is almost here!  Spring 2023 weddings trends are still enjoying a lot of last years Spring trends, with lots of floral and color.  More personalized wedding themes that reflect the couple and either their love story or their lives together making for a more intimate wedding and celebration of the couple not just a party.  

Wedding Dress

According to Vogue, brides are taking cues from President Biden's granddaughter's Grace Kelley inspired wedding dress.  Brides are following those inspirations driven towards Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, the epitome of classic bridal style. They’re also loving a longer veil.

Table Decor

One trend we’re seeing is an eclectic mixture of textures and colors, with couples going for vibrant, green tones like sage and striped or color-blocked patterns as a modern take on minimalism. Garden pastels ( a classic)  are also popular for a softer, springtime look. When it comes to linens, coordinating colors of high-quality cloth napkins, table linens, table runners, and tablecloths can help tie the entire look together and avoid the monochromatic look of too matchy.

Color Themes

Sage greens, dusty rose, blush, dusty blue, peach, cream, and lilac are all still trending from 2022.  Gorgeous colors that represent spring.

For more information contact Blessed Events, CA 

www.blessedeventsca.org