For instance:
- What farewell gifts do I want for my guests?
This is a tough question. I would probably want to stay away from a candy buffet or the "oh-so-popular" monogrammed coozie. What is something traditional, yet still memorable of our special day? Remember, I am from Kentucky and we are getting married on Derby Day. Would playing into a theme be too much and overly cheesy? One of my IRL (in real life) friends recommended doing a mini bottle of maker's mark with a derby pie recipe attached. Or how about these chocoalte horseshoe's from "A Taste of Kentucky". Perhaps I could think of a clever saying to put on the sticker? Or what about these horse chocolate suckers?
- Do I need table place cards? (aka sit down dinner or buffet style)
I have been struggling with this question. We are having a relatively small wedding (about 150 invited) so we are able to have a sit-down dinner if so desired. However, I have not heard good things about sit down dinners recently. People have to wait for their food, the food is cold, plates get mixed up, you have to have a seating chart, etc. etc. Our venue gives us the option to have partial buffet (ugh, i hate the word buffet, it's totally NOT the kind of buffet you're probably thinking), partial meal stations , which is sounding better and better everyday. This option gives guests the flexibility to eat what they want, sit where they want, and to go back for more if they wish.
29 comments:
Here are some more chocolates that are equestrian themed.
http://www.harborsweets.com/bulk.html
I like your idea, very cute!
I would personally still do place cards (assign guests tables) even if you end up with a buffet/stations. People really do appreciate being told what table to sit at and feel more comfortable being placed with other guests that they know. Having open seating causes a lot of confusion and it actually takes a lot longer for people to get seated (which cuts into dancing time!!)
I love the idea of something equestrian themed for the favor!!!
I'm with Kim on the place cards, it is less confusing and you don't have people pulling chairs to other tables and five people sitting at a ten person table, trust me, I've seen it happen. I like it the horse shoe idea, a horse shoe is suppose to bring you good luck. Maybe at the cocktail hour serve mint julep's (I've never had them but hear they are strong, that will get everyone dancing) I really like the idea of the luncheon and the hats...so cute.
I like the idea of the chocolate horseshoe. I think favors go over best when they are something edible. The horseshoe is perfect b/c it ties into your KY roots!
My fiance and I are leaning toward donating to a charity of our choice (probably St. Jude or another Memphis-based organization) and have cards printed at each seat that tell the guests we made a donation in honor of their presence at our wedding. We feel like so many people don't really appreciate the favors, so we thought this may be a nice gesture.
Also... as far as a "tea room" for a luncheon... my sister got married last summer and she (and I plan on doing it, too) had a luncheon at the Tennessean Train Car on the Collierville Square. It was really intimate, unique, and a lot of fun. Hope this helps :)
The equestrian themed chocolates are darling - I especially like the horseshoe!
As for the seating, I think it depends on your venue and guests. We had 75 at my childhood home with a large tent and tables spread out all over, including the porches. For us, a buffet and no assigned seating worked. But I could see how it may become a mess.
hey its katherine! just figured out i can comment on here if i don't have a blog! i'm kinda slow...
so here is what i'm thinking. i really like the horseshoes - the real ones. i think its cool that they really came off a horse! i would take them out of the shrink wrap and take off the red bow (doesn't match your colors!), buy some cello bags (you can get like a million for like $10), get on that etsy site i told you about and get one of the sellers to make you some like 2"x2" square stickers and have them print something cheesy like "may you be as lucky in love as us, thank you for coming - Megan & Rob" or maybe "hang these in your homes so luck will come your way" or something like that. tie the top of the bag with a big pink ribbon and stick the sticker on the bag. you could also include on there somewhere (maybe another sticker on the back of the bag?) that the shoe came from a horse from ky etc.
or... i would try to find some mini ky derby pies (you can probably get them online). i would imagine you would need to re-package them, you can buy bakers boxes in bulk online (i can give you a website). I'd put the pies in small white boxes, put a custom sticker on there and tie the boxes up with some pretty pink ribbon.
i think these would both be prettier to display than the makers bottles.
A seating chart and place cards are the way to go.
We had a sit down dinner and everything went wonderfully.
I love the idea of the Maker's bottle with attached recipe.
I love the chocolate horseshoes. That's a great idea! I think that's cuter than the suckers. Great idea! I am not doing place cards just because it's more work, and I've been to one lately that did have seats, and it was difficult, because some people brought guests and they didn't know their names, and they didn't have place cards for them, and it was more of a mess than just sitting at a table. I've been to 13 weddings in the past year and a half and only one has had place cards and only one was confusing. We all sat relatively quickly at the buffets.
I would recommend place cards as well. Therefore you don't run into the problem of a couple looking for a seat together when there's one 1 seat at each table left so than they might have to be separated. I love the different favor ideas as well :)
I feel like doing the place cards and table numbers looks really good (you can always find an adorable way to do this that ties in with your wedding decor), makes the wedding seem fancier so to speak. However, every wedding that I have ever been to that does this seems to be kind of awkward when people find out where they are sitting and who with. This will make it extra hard on you to try to figure out a seating arrangement and who to place at the table in the back!? I feel like it actually takes longer to get seated because instead of going in and grabbing a seat, people have to go look for their names and keep their fingers crossed that they are sitting with someone they really get along with. It also seems like people don't like to be the first ones at the their table too... they wait for others to sit down first. And on top of that, as rude as it is, you will more than likely have a few no shows that rsvpd and you have a place for at a table. (I guess there could also be an emergency situation where someone is a no show). If this happens then it messes with your table arrangment. Without the place cards/table numbers people usually are already kind of in their groups of friends and family after the wedding and they will just flow on in and grab their seats together more comfortably. I've never seen a problem with people pulling up chairs to other tables-this would just be rude. I feel like with your size of wedding then you won't have a problem with a buffet/stations dinner either. To reassure you of this, you should speak with your venue coordinator and make sure that workers can dismiss certain tables at a time so people don't run to the buffet in one massive line. Sometimes, the band or DJ will also act as the Master of Ceremony and be in charge of directing traffic over the loud speaker. Either way would be fine I'm sure... As a wedding guest...I'm just a personal fan of weddings without the place cards.
If I remember correctly, I thought I read you were having your wedding at the Brooks. One of my best friends had hers there. She opted for the "buffet" style. It turned out great. I liked it b/c sit down dinners always end up taking forever!
i think the members mark is a genius idea! but im always a fan of weddings that have children in attendance also providing something fun and tiny for the kids to take home, it always makes them feel special! and i wouldnt necessarily do place cards...there are a lot of interesting ideas for a group card, the individuals go and find their names in a group on either a display board or something handed to them as they enter the reception, and sit at certain table number, its a lot easier that way...
I would do place cards and then have each table named something (derby themed, or having to do with you and your fiancee (college, street names, etc) I love the idea of the makers mark. You could place the bottles in cups that look like julep cups and attach a mint julep recipe and then write a little blurb about make this and toast us on our first anniversary, etc. Sit down dinners can be tough, i like the idea of carving, pasta, and seafood stations better. A mashed potato bar with martini glasses is also VERY popular. Talk to the caterer as well about serving a signature drink having to do with the 2 of you, thats always fun. Congratulations and good luck!
Love the idea of the little Maker's bottles! Too cute. I personally think the horse suckers were a little TOO "theme-y"... Anyways, the Brooks is such a great place for a wedding! I've been to several there.. The partial meal stations was a really great option. As for place cards, like you said the wedding isn't really huge so I would skip them. It's less work for you, and letting your guests sit where they wish will avoid any awkwardness at the tables!
I would do place cards and a seating chart regardless. It will be work on your end but will make life so much easier when all is said and done. And your guests will appreciate having some direction when they walk into the reception. And you can make sure everyone is sitting near someone they know or at least someone nice to talk to.
I'm from the north so I am partial to seated dinners (they often can be less expensive than a buffet) but that is just me. I know the buffet is more popular down south. It can be beautiful either way.
I like the idea of something edible too. My very favorite favor to date was a few years ago at a friend's wedding. They had a table with chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal rasin cookies and little cartons of milk and straws. It was a huge hit and just want you wanted after dancing and drinkign all night.
I like the horseshoe chocolates!
Sit-down receptions are so boring and so dreadfully looong, but it seems everyone is doing them these days. If you can do a buffet style in an elegant way then that would be fabulous!!!
Thanks for adding me to your blogroll! I didn't go to kentucky (though it is next on my sec roadtrip, but washington and lee). i read your blog everyday and I especially enjoy the dog pics and of course all the fun wedding stuff!
I vote for the buffet idea. and i know what you mean, it is not a buffet in the sense people are thinking. my sister just had heavy hourdevoures and people didn't need tables because nothing required forks. and it gets more people dancing. and there were a few tables for older people. it was elegant and fun. my mom fears seated wedding events so much because of never ending toasts that she made my brother's rehearsal dinner just a big cocktail party with a band, and minus the seated dinner. I have actually never been to a wedding with a seated dinner. people don't really do that in south carolina.
love the equestrian themed chocolate. combining my favorite things, horses and sweets!
I think it's great to do something Kentucky!!! I'm from KY too and for our welcome gifts, we are giving hotel guests gift bags or boxes with Ale8, maybe some Makers or Jim Beam, and other bluegrass memorabilia!
I used to work in events in NYC and food stations are really fun! But if I may say... if you don't seat people where you want them, you could potentially open up a whole new set of problems including clicking, people being left out or sitting kind of on their own, and people who shouldn't sit together at the same table, ie divorced people, etc... just something to think about. If you seat people, you can also play a hand in how well certain people get to know each other and seat people where they'd be very comfortable. good luck!
I love the idea of the horseshoe chocolates; Taste of Kentucky also has individually wrapped horseshoes that have been worn by horses on the tracks (or at least they did the last time I was in St. Matthews Mall, around Ryder Cup).... That could be a cute, lasting tie-in to the Derby theme, then add an additional tag that says something about luck.
The Makers bottles are a good idea if you know that your guests are drinkers. I have sooo many East KY Baptists on my guest list that it would go over like a lead balloon...
I actually attended an extremely odd Kentucky/racing themed wedding at Churchill a few years back. They took the Louisville theme a little too far, but it had a lot to do with the bride being tacky. Not a problem you'll run into!! :)
I am not from KY, but I still say that subtle Derby favor is perfect. I would say: Makers mark for sure- Guy & girl approved. I agree that as cute as the chocolates are, they may be too theme-y.
i originally suggested the airplane size makers bottle [and i by no means invented the idea] but it was meant to be in conjunction with a derby pie recipe... so it shouldn't matter if your guests drink bc all the alcohol should bake off in the oven and also it wasn't meant to be as a mixer for mint juleps. my only concern is that bc your wedding colors are light pink and such, the very red wax on the makers bottles will clash!!!
You know, I first read your post on Google Reader on my iPhone, and I guess I didn't scroll down far enough to see that you actually already had the horseshoes I was describing as an idea.... I love those.
Great minds and all...
I like the idea of the horse shoe. Then you can take off the red ribbon and put on a ribbon that matches your colors with a little saying or something. You are suppose to hang horse shoes above doorways for Good Luck but remind your guests to hang them in the shape of a "U" not a "n" because all the luck will run out of the shoe! Just a thought!
i went to a wedding with the food stations and had seating in different areas. it was great..you could eat what you want, sit where you want, etc. i also like the horseshoes, they are a sign of good luck!
the mint julep theme could also provide a lot of options? and it goes perfect with KY and derby day! good luck! i know whatever you will choose will be fabulous :)
I just HAVE to weigh on in this because I secretly love wedding planning. I think your friend's idea about the little mini maker's mark bottles with a recipe is very original and quintessentially southern. I love it. As far as buffet v. sit down, I vote for buffet. It's totally a personal preference but I've been to both types of weddings and prefer the buffet style. I go to a wedding to socialize, dance, and celebrate and a buffet is just a better setup to do that. My husband I were married a year and a half ago and we had about 150-175 people. We did buffet style at an antebellum home and I thought it was perfect (of course since it was my wedding). I got to talked to everyone without having to make rounds to tables of assigned seats(I think I talked to everyone anyways, it was sort of a blur). Happy Planning!
I LOVE the horseshoe chocolates. Derby Day is my fave! I live in NE, but we always have a huge party to celebrate. How exciting that you are getting married that day - can't wait to see all your developments!
I went to a wedding last night that had a "partial buffet" like you mentioned. It worked very well. They had a station set up for appetizers and finger foods that was open the entire time, then the official dinner was served later. They had 2 areas, one where people could get their own items, and then the main foods were served by servers. It went very quickly.
They did not have placecards though, which I didn't like. We showed up and had no clue where to sit, where the family was supposed to sit (they had reserved tables for the immediate family, but I still felt uncomfortable sitting too close, like I would be taking the seats of more important people) :)
What about mint julep cups filled with the chocolates?
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