To drink or not to drink

Many newly engage couples and their wedding guests couldn’t imagine a celebration without adult beverages, but for those with religious or financial restrictions to serving alcohol, a “dry” wedding may seem like the best option. But, is it even socially accepted to not offer alcoholic beverages at a wedding? If your goal is to save money, is there a way for you to serve alcohol without breaking the bank?

Christa McLaughlin of Scratch Kitchen, which is headquartered in Maryland, told Events by MDM Associates that she’s catered a number of dry weddings due to couples’ religious beliefs, though she wouldn’t recommend it otherwise. “If the couple is not serving alcohol for reasons other than religious and cultural preferences, the common belief it is in poor taste to not serve alcohol,” she says. That’s not all: a recent CNN poll of 37,000 people found that just eight percent of participants said that dry weddings are just fine with them. Three percent agreed that “A dry wedding is a pain, but I’ll deal,” and the rest agreed that an open bar or even cash bar (one of the BIGGEST MISTAKES a couple can commit!) is preferable. Five percent said they wouldn’t even attend a dry wedding.

Themes

Photo by Ihsan Aditya on Pexels.com

Photo by Ibrahim Asad on Pexels.com

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Photo by Ibrahim Asad on Pexels.com

Even if it is a color scheme, weddings tend to have a theme. It is best if you can pick a theme that fits your personality (and that of the groom) and all of the innovative ways we can weave the theme into their wedding.

How can you make sure that your upcoming nuptials stand out as unique and memorable? One way is to incorporate your  theme into your catering menu.

Whether your wedding is in “feet on the sand” on the beach, on a golf course, or at a wedding rental venue, can help you create an inspired menu.

Wondering where to start? Read on to learn how to match your catering menu to your wedding theme.

Before you begin planning your menu, think about your wedding theme. Like a carefully crafted story, you want to weave that theme throughout every aspect of your big day — including the food.

If your theme centers around a movie, book, or character, start by revisiting the source. Look for subtle details in the text or script that you can incorporate into your ceremony and reception.

What if your theme is location-based, such as nautical or rustic? A talented chef and a creative bride can work wonders to incorporate local aspects or themes into the food.

For example, let’s say you’re planning a beach wedding in Ocean City. A quick internet search yields fun ideas like a Seabreeze cocktail reception and sand dollar cookies.

Now that you’re thinking about food, let’s discuss seven ways to incorporate your wedding theme into the catering menu.

1. Fit the Mood – Every wedding has a distinct mood and personality. Whether yours feels sophisticated, casual, or somewhere in between, your menu selection should match the mood.
2. Match the Setting – The location of your wedding should definitely factor into your menu selection.
3. Go Local and Seasonal – When in doubt, you can never go wrong with locally grown produce or seasonal items.
4. Think Global – This may seem like strange advice after the last point, but consider this.
5. Get Festive – Does your wedding fall over a holiday weekend? Incorporate the festivities into your wedding theme – and your catering menu.
6. Themed Cocktails – Most mixed drinks have a story behind them. Take advantage of that history by serving theme-appropriate cocktails at your wedding reception.
7. Cake cake cake – The cake is the highlight of any wedding reception. This is the perfect opportunity to include your wedding theme and express your personality.

Picking the Right Attire

Not all bodies are created equal. It doesn’t mean they can’t look fabulous on their big day. Make sure you have the right team in place to help you choose the right style of dress for your body.  This is important for Brides, Grooms, Bridal Party and Moms of the Bride and Groom too….

Wedding Website 4-1-1 – How to Create a Wedding Website That’ll Get Your Guests Excited for the Big Day

Wedding websites can be a great way for couples to share info with wedding guests — especially in real time and with up-to-date info. Here some of the top resources for building free wedding websites and the information you should share on the site.

What to include – Short answer: Anything that you don’t want to be asked on the day of the wedding

A wedding website is the best way to  let your guests know the important details about your wedding, like where it is, and when, so that they don’t come and bug you for directions to the reception when they lose the invitation (cough, me). But don’t confuse informing with instructing. Informing means giving people all the important details they need to make an informed decision about how to approach your wedding (e.g., the grass is going to be like quicksand, so it might not be friendly for stilettos and other high-heeled shoes). Instructing is telling people how they should approach your wedding (e.g., we’re getting married outdoors, so no fancy shoes allowed). No matter how nicely you phrase it, or how helpful your intentions are, no one likes to be told what to do, especially older guests who have been going to weddings for longer than you’ve been alive. So think of your wedding website as this emoji: 💁. Not this one: 👮.

Here are my two favorites!

• Zola
• Square Space

Photo courtesy of www.techadvisor.co.uk/

Seasonal Trends

Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall…all you have to do is call…Depending on the season, the theme and colors of your event can change…however the color of the year can be woven through each for a nice POP of color

Tips for Successful Event Planning

Once you’ve defined the basic parameters, then you’re ready to proceed with planning.

• Make a checklist

• Develop a budget

• Schedule facilities

• Have plenty of food and drinks

• Plan publicity/marketing

•Book a speaker/entertainer

• Arrange for parking

• Evaluate the event

• Make reflections

Top Ways to Recycle Wedding Items

There are plenty of ways to have an eco-friendly wedding, but what about all of the items that you have when the big day is over?!  For those gently used or leftover (and unused) wedding items, it can be beneficial for you as a new bride/groom and new couples that are following in your path.

Try Facebook Marketplace

Photo by Blake Newman on Pexels.com

 

Behind the scenes

We’re usually posting the end result of our planning, but before the big day our team heads a detailed design process, during which we’re running around gathering inspiration, pulling samples, folding napkins, paper flowers…cutting. pasting, gluing, the works!

#babyshowers #bridalshowers
#mdmassociates #weddings #thedifferenceisinthedetails #thedifferenceisinthelove #thedifferenceislove
#thedifferenceisus
#WeekendVibes
#brunch via @RiplApp

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New Month…New Goals

July isn’t exactly the month most of us think about setting goals. In fact, July is probably the time of the year when goals are farthest from our minds. After all, we’re a full six months past the goals we set in January and six months away from the goals we’ll set next January.

Not only is it not goal-setting season, it’s the middle of summer.
And summer means our lives are slowing down for a bit—especially since kids are out of school.

Maybe you’re slowing down the weekly routine in your personal life. You might be hanging out at the pool more, planning a trip to the beach, or leaving the office a little early to catch a baseball game.

Maybe things are slowing down professionally, too. Maybe Sunday morning attendance is sporadic at church..Whatever a “slow season” looks like for you, you’re probably in the middle of it. But a slow season doesn’t have to equal a wasted season.

Summer doesn’t have to be a season of “meh” Sundays, “I’ll do it tomorrow” Mondays, and “I’ll think about that in the fall” Fridays.
In fact, a slow season is often the best time to set goals, plan, and be intentional. If you think about it, in reality December and January are really difficult months to set goals. While the calendar reset in January is nice, those months are some of our busiest of the year. The holidays, family, friends, food…BUSY

But what does July look like for you? Have some downtime? If so, this might be the best time of the year to think about your goals and plans for the future—for yourself and your family.
Don’t waste this slower-paced season, embrace it. Are you going to relax? Of course. But relaxing doesn’t have to be a synonym for slacking. So . . .

What goals do you need to set for yourself this season or next season?

What goals have dropped off your radar since January that you need to pick back up?

Do it now!

Ways to Honor Lost Loved Ones

During your special event you may want to honor some of your special loved ones who are no longer here to share in the joy and love of your wedding day.

Let’s discuss a few unique ways to honor your loved ones

Another common way is to leave a photo, flower or reserved sign at the ceremony to save a spot for them.

Rather than a flower or photo, use something meaningful to them such as a special baseball cap, a musical instrument that they played, or even a ball of yarn and crocheting needles – anything that will make you remember them.

A balloon release at the end of the ceremony is a special touch, release one for each loved one lost.

If balloons aren’t your thing, you could also have a butterfly release to honor them. Reserve a moment of silence as they flutter away.

If you loved one was a member of the military or law enforcement (we salute them for their service), you can display their flag at your reception table.

Did grandma have a secret recipe? Why not share it with those at your wedding by whipping up a batch of her famous treats.

Give guests Forget Me Not seeds to plant in honor of your loved one. Great idea for favors for your wedding.

A simple way to remind your guests without making a fuss: memorial tags to tie onto your wedding programs

Photo charms are a charming way to have loved ones walk you down the aisle.  And if you like that idea, your groom can also incorporate photo charms in his wedding ensemble.

Up-cycle old wooden palettes to make a unique entrance to your outdoor wedding ceremony and line them with old photos.

For a beach wedding, use leis to honor loved ones – give one to each guest as they enter the wedding ceremony.

If you’ve lost a parent or grandparent, dance with their spouse to a special song during your reception.

Honor those you miss by wearing a piece of their jewelry for your wedding.

Have a Japanese lantern lighting ceremony if your venue is by a body of water.

 

Or if you’re landlocked, you could honor them with a Chinese lantern lighting ceremony

You can raise your glasses in a toast before the reception really starts, or have a toasting station. (Just keep the speech short and sweet).

Or share a favorite pastime with your guests such as having a cigar bar (or wine bar)

You could sew a piece of fabric from your loved one into your wedding dress.

This bride had Mehndi (Henna) put on her hands to honor her deceased Indian grandfather

This bride had a garter made out of lacefrom her grandmother’s wedding dress

Or with a bit of Modpodge, old photos and crystals you could make these DIY crystal family photo ornaments to hang from bouquets or centerpieces. Find the tutorial here

Source

Finally, have a moment of silence to remember them before your ceremony begins. You don’t need to have a church wedding to observe a moment of reflection.

Finally, When you settle on a way to celebrate your loved ones, check with those closest to them to be sure they will be ok with what you chose. This can be a sensitive subject and you wouldn’t want to catch anyone off-guard during your big day.

If you are planning on honoring a deceased love one, tell me how you will be honoring them – I’d love to hear from you!