Posts Tagged ‘Reception’
Wedding Catering: Top Questions to Ask Your Caterer
Friday, November 11th, 2011Article from The Knot
You’ll spend more money on wedding food than any other aspect of your reception, so you’ll want to work with a top-notch professional. When making appointments to interview wedding caterers, try to schedule a tasting of their wares at a later point. Don’t forget to ask them the questions below, and choosing a caterer will be as easy as pie — just make sure your taste buds have a say in the matter too.
- Does the caterer specialize in certain types of food or service? (They should provide you with sample menus to review.) Find a wedding caterer who can make a memorable meal.
- Can the caterer arrange for a tasting of the specific foods you’re interested in prior to hiring? (They should.) Schedule a tasting if you get a good vibe.
- What is the caterer’s average price range? Are costs itemized depending on the foods you choose, or is there an all-inclusive flat rate? What would that include (linens, tax, and gratuity)? Does the caterer have printed price sheets for food selections? Make sure there’s room in your wedding budget.
- How involved is the caterer in a typical reception — does she work like a wedding coordinator or banquet manager, cueing the band, telling the couple when to cut the cake, adjusting the schedule if guests don’t seem ready to sit down to dinner? (You will need to find someone to fill this role — if your site manager or caterer isn’t going to do this, think about hiring a wedding coordinator.)
- Will the caterer provide tables, chairs, plates, table linens, silverware, salt-and-pepper shakers, and more? Ask to see these items to make sure they’re acceptable. Do you have to rent tables, place settings, or other equipment? Or will they arrange for the rentals? If not, find wedding rentals in your area.
- Who is the main contact? Will the same person you work with when planning also oversee meal service on the day of the wedding? (You want this to be the case.)
- Will the caterer work any other weddings on the same weekend, the same day, or at the same time as yours? (You want to be sure they will devote
sufficient attention to you.) You may want to pass on a smaller outfit who indicates they have another job or two scheduled for that day. - Does the caterer handle all table settings? Will they put out place cards and favors?
- Will the caterer provide wait staff? How many would they recommend for the size of your wedding? What will the waitstaff wear? (Top caterers say they always use their own serving personnel, even if the site’s staff is available, because they understand the caterer’s way of doing business.)
- Will the caterer be willing to include a recipe you provide, like a special family dish, or an appetizer with some sort of sentimental significance? Can they prepare vegetarian, kosher, kids, or halal meals for just a few of your guests?
- Where will the food be prepared? Are there on-site facilities, or do you, the caterer, and the site manager need to make additional arrangements? If the caterer must bring in his own equipment, is there an additional fee?
- Does the caterer work with fresh (not frozen) food?
- Does the caterer have a license? (This means her business has met health department standards and has liability insurance — make sure this includes a liquor license if you’re having a bar.)
- Can the caterer provide alcohol? Or can you handle the bar separately? If you can provide it, is there a corkage fee? How and when will you get the alcohol to the caterer? If the caterer will provide it, do they have an flexible wine list, and can you make special requests?
- How is this list priced?How will the caterer arrange the food on the buffet table or on plates? Can you see photos of previous work displays?
- Can you speak to previous clients? (Get at least two references that had a similar number of guests and a similar menu style.)
- Does the caterer also do wedding cakes? Can you use an outside baker if you desire? Is there a cake-cutting fee?
Posted in Catering, Details, food, Planning, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Venue Selection 101
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
On the flip side of that extreme, are these random temperature drops like the one we will be experiencing tonight. 39 degrees when you wake up in the morning?! Yikes. If you are a bride this weekend and these temperatures took you by surprise, I hope you have a Plan B.
All kidding aside however, there are plenty of things to consider when choosing your venue. Indoor or outdoors, budget big or small, make sure you jot down these crucial questions we found in an online article entitled Chosing Your Wedding Venue by Nina Callaway.
- What’s the decor like? Does it fit your style and wedding colors? Will you have to spend a lot of money on flowers and decorations to make it beautiful?
- Do they have an in-house caterer, and do you like that food? (While an in-house caterer can be easier and cheaper, sometimes the food is not as beautiful as the room. So make sure you taste it!) Do they have a limitation on which outside caterers you can use?
- Do they have adequate coat check and bathroom facilities?
- Is the wedding venue wheelchair accessible? If not, are there many stairs to climb? How close is the parking to the ceremony and reception rooms?What’s the cancellation policy?
- Is there a payment schedule? What kind of deposits are required?
- Are there any hidden costs? (Before you sign the contract, read it carefully.)
- What are the overtime charges?
- Do they have a liquor license?
- Will they allow you to bring your own liquor? (This is usually cheaper, even with the customary corkage fee.)
- Is there room in the wedding venue for a band and/or dancing?
- Does the wedding venue already own a sound system with adequate speakers or will that need to be rented?
- Is there a space for the bride and groom to change and/or relax?
- Where will you take photographs? Is there a park nearby, or do the coordinators have recommended spots on the grounds?
- Who will be supervising and troubleshooting before the day of your wedding? Who will be supervising and troubleshooting on the day of your wedding? Can you meet them now?
- Where can your guests park? Are there extra fees for parking? Do they have valet parking?
- Is the wedding venue convenient to public transportation, especially in big cities? How long will it take your guests to get there?Especially in museums or private clubs, are there limitations on decorations? Do they limit food and drinks to only certain areas of the wedding venue?
- Are candles or other open flames allowed?
- If its an outdoor location, do they have any backup plans for rain or other inclement weather? If not, is there a place that you can put up a tent?
So after you have done you due diligence, you can feel confident that there will be one less thing to worry about on your special day. Don’t forget to visit our venues section in our San Antonio and Austin websites to start your venue hunting with some truly exceptional locations.
Tags: ceremony, Reception, venue, wedding locationPosted in Articles, Ceremony, Planning, Reception, Venue | No Comments »
Spooky New View
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
This week inevitably brings back memories of childhood Halloween’s and all the fun stuff we did throughout the years. I know that for me, several memories come to mind. Some of my earliest trick or treating memories are of my mom conspiring with the other neighborhood moms to carpool a group of kids to the “rich” neighborhoods for the “good” candy, then later on when I became a teenager, the cool thing to do was to go to the Nightmare on Grayson haunted house and go get scared with your friends.
And what made that experience so memorable was not only the people walking around outside portraying all your favorite scary villains, but also the atmosphere that surrounded the venue. The long line for the the entrance snaked around the couple of blocks encompassing the location, so you couldn’t help but look over your shoulder to see what was around you. What instinctively was a defense mechanism to make sure nothing crept up behind you, allowed you to get glimpses of the shadowy outlines of all the old buildings. And the main one, the Pearl Brewery, which had long since been closed, provided such an austere look of the historic building that it immensely added to the ominous feel of the night’s activity.
So a few years ago, when I heard that a major project was under way to restore the historic brewery for commercial use, I was intrigued as to how they were going to be able to accomplish turning what I always thought of a creepy place into a viable, inviting, commercial development.
Last week I made a trip down there to refresh myself with the area, and I was very surprised to find such a lovely area. Yes, the Grayson haunted house is still there, but as with most things, looked completely different in the light of day. The complex is now a series of fully restored buildings used for everything from a culinary school to restaurants and specialty shops. But by far, the gem that stands out has to be the Pearl Brewhouse facilities. While maintaining its original historic architecture and character, it has had a remarkable facelift. Everything looks so fresh and welcoming. It’s unique layout makes you want to park your vehicle and lazily walk through the compound to see what else lies around the corner.
The Pearl is a community gathering place where you can plan any event in an elegant historic Stable, a modern industrial wareho
use, along the banks of the San Antonio River, or on the Pearl Grounds complete with the iconic Brewhouse and Pearl Smokestack in the background. Events at Pearl include music concerts, barbeque cook-offs and Saturday morning shopping buying fresh produce from the Pearl Farmers Market. You can also plan an awards banquet for a convention group, a corporate holiday event, a symposium held by a non-profit organization, or the picture perfect wedding and/or reception at Pearl.
If you have not had the opportunity to see what this venue looks like, this one is a must see. If you’re a bride who teeters on the side of nostalgia and is looking for something with a sense of character, make an afternoon of your visit, then head over to Timbo’s in their complex for a wicked burger with deep San Antonio history.
Tags: historic wedding venue, Reception, venuePosted in Reception, Uncategorized, Venue | No Comments »
Foodie Friday
Friday, October 21st, 2011
It’s Foodie Friday! If you’re looking for some places to try this weekend, here are our suggestions.
Austin – In a town that lives and dies by tortillas and salsa, it’s nice to see that some new culinary niches are trying to gain momentum. What first exploded on the east coast, sushi is gaining ground amongst couples that want to give their guests a little something different.
How Do You Roll? is a unique maki sushi restaurant that caters to each individual “roller.” It’s all about YOU there, where you get to personalize your sushi experience as much as you like. With pre-determined rolls like a 3 Alarm Roll for the super spicy lovers and locale specific concoctions like the Fruit Roll-up dessert roll made with fresh fruit, to “you call it” type of orders, you can’t go wrong at this place.
Stop by and visit our new friends at the Arbor Walk location and tell them the Wedding Guide sent you. Rob and Susan will take good care of you.
San Antonio – Although Mexican food reigns supreme in San Antonio, Italian has to be pretty high up on our short list of food favorites. And it’s always a lovely surprise when Zio’s Italian Kitchen shows up in our offices for lunch. We can smell it from a mile away as 
it wafts down the hallways, distracting us from the task at hand. It’s funny how Zio’s seems to make everyone in the office want to take an early lunch. I can’t imagine why?
All the traditional items are well represented on their menu, but favorites in this office have to be the heavenly stuffed pillows of pasta they call 4 Cheese Ravioli, the island inspired flavors of their Greek Pasta and their yummy brownies for dessert…mmmmm.
We love the fact that after a busy show season, our boss rewards us with this tasty treat. Thanks Bob!
Tags: caterers, catering, food, foodies, Italian, Reception, rehearsal dinner, sushiPosted in Catering, food, Reception, Rehearsal Dinner | No Comments »
A Tower of Memories
Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
How many of you that grew up in San Antonio have a fond childhood memory associated with the Tower of the Americas? Was it a 5th grade trip that was the culmination of your elementary experience? Did you end up at the Tower after a day long field trip at the Institute of Texan Culture? Did you roll up your jeans and play in the fountains that surround the base of the Tower? I know I did.
If you had a childhood sweetheart and the Tower of the Americas spurred some sort of loving memory, or…maybe that’s where you had you first date or where he proposed, you could incorporate this venue with your wedding day. Did you know that you could have your wedding at the Tower? You might want to make a trip downtown to check this unique venue out. Let’s face it, many people choose their wedding venue based on some sort of connection to that specific place.
You can treat your guests to the spectacular 360 degree view of the San Antonio skyline that only Tower of the Americas can offer. Two private dining rooms are located on the 4th Level Observation Deck and can accommodate any special dining experience; the Bowie Room seats up to 60 guests and the Crockett Room seats up to 40 guests. Tower of the Americas offers tailored menus with only the 
finest food prepared by the Chart House Restaurant.
Since 1961, Chart House has built its reputation on delighting guests with spectacular views, outstanding cuisine, and exceptional service. Featuring fresh fish specialties such as macadamia crusted mahi, slow-roasted prime rib and the Original Hot Chocolate Lava Cake, our renowned chefs have tailored a menu to complement local cuisine while introducing a hint of the exotic.
So feel free to conjure up all those old childhood memories and contact Tower of the Americas or Chart House to plan your wedding at San Antonio’s most unique venue with fabulous vistas.
Posted in Advice, Catering, Ceremony, Event Ideas, Reception, Rehearsal Dinner, Venue | No Comments »
Hidden Gems
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011Sometimes my work is too difficult. I am forced to visit beautiful locations to scout for upcoming photo shoots, all the while wishing I had a special event coming up to book these places myself. In our last two shoots, I discovered a hidden gem in One World Theatre and a hip restaurant, Sazo’s Latin Grill. Both of these might not be the first locations to pop into a bride’s mind…so let me paint you a picture.
Austin – Want to have an Italian destination wedding, but right here at home? You might want to consider One World Theatre as the canvas on which to paint your romantic Italian dream.
I can almost hear the single guitar playing O Sole Mio in the background as the beautiful property sits atop a hillside reminiscent of a Tuscan Villa. As you wander the venue, your can just see yourself dining al fresca under a gauzy tent with twinkle lights, sipping on carafes of vino and nibbling on Italian fare. And can you believe you can have all of this happen without flying all your guests roundtrip to Italy? Us either.
Ah…that’s amore.
San Antonio – When you think of Latin food in San Antonio, what comes to mind? Casa Rio? La Fogata? Blanco Café? Have you ever thought of Sazo’s Latin Grill? It might be time to try something different. True, not the traditional Tex-Mex fare that us locals are probably used to, but undoubtedly a menu worth trying. When you think of Sazo’s, think Latin infusion that veers towards the fine dining end of the spectrum.
Located in the Marriott Rivercenter, Sazo’s is a well-kept secret. We dare to say that it’s worth the drive downtown to taste some of their dishes. And Sazo’s is famous for handling all your rehearsal dinner needs or small wedding reception in an elegant, top-notch way. So if you’re bringing family and friends in from out of town, and want to treat them to some “Latin Cool,” head on over to Sazo’s.
Tags: destination wedding, Reception, rehearsal dinner, small ceremonies, venue, wedding inspirationPosted in Advice, Celebration, Destination Weddings, Inspiration, Reception, Rehearsal Dinner, Venue | No Comments »
Feature Friday: For Such A Tyme As This…
Friday, April 15th, 2011
Want to spice up your gift table? For Such A Tyme As This… is now servicing brides in the San Antonio area. For Such A Tyme As This… specializes in customized card boxes for weddings and all types of special events. These boxes make a wonderful centerpiece for your gift table at your wedding reception. Not only are they decorative but these boxed keep your cards all in one place, so you don’t misplace them. Maria Mwangi, the owner of For Such A Tyme As This… has an immaculate eye for design. With her 15 years of experience in the industry, she always looks at a decorative piece with an I can do that attitude, which has evolved into a large portfolio of card boxes.
Their goal is to give you a unique keepsake not seen at other weddings. For Such A Tyme As This… is based on the belief that their customers’ needs are of the utmost importance. They are here to make a piece of art that is truly a reflection of you. Each box is hand-made and customized to the color, theme and/or interest of your wedding. If you want a card box for your gift table and don’t feel the need to have the box around for the years to come; For Such A Tyme As This… has a full line of hand-crafted card boxes available to rent.
Along with the one of a kind hand-crafted card boxes, For Such A Tyme As This… offers wedding and event planning. They’ll discuss all your ideas and dreams for your event at length, then design a plan with a variety of options for you to consider.
Posted in Decor, Details | No Comments »
Vacation rentals – From weddings to honeymoons
Thursday, April 7th, 2011Vacation rentals – From weddings to honeymoons and everything in between
Vacation rentals are the perfect venue for a wedding or honeymoon. Need a place to host your out-of-town wedding parties or future in-laws, without having to play host and bride? Perfect solution – vacation rental! Looking for a unique destination wedding location, or maybe even a non-traditional venue for your nuptials? What better than – a vacation rental! Want the perfect honeymoon getaway? You guessed right: vacation rental. Honeymooners can even pick from both exotic and nearby destinations. From quaint cottages to magnificent villas, vacation rentals accommodate all travel preferences and budgets, and help you focus on the more important things, like creating memories that last a lifetime.
Why a vacation rental?
Typically, vacation rentals range from conventional condos and homes to fabulous and luxurious mansions and even castles. Whatever your preference, vacation rentals are priced 50-80% less per square foot than a hotel, with the average vacation rental measuring 1850 square feet (versus a hotel’s 325 square feet). What this means is more bang for your buck, and the ability to stay together as a family or group, or get the privacy you’re looking for on a romantic getaway.
Tips and tricks
Renting a vacation home is different than a hotel. At HomeAway, once you find a property you like, we put you in touch directly with the property owner or manager via our online inquiry form or phone. With so many homes to choose from, we recommend checking on the availability of multiple properties in the location you are interested in. This will ensure you receive enough owner responses before making your final choice.
Once you’re ready to secure your vacation rental, it is standard for an owner to require a deposit to hold the date, as with any wedding venue. Be sure to get a written agreement with details like arrival/departure times and payment and owner policies. Find the perfect vacation rental for your wedding, honeymoon or next vacation!
Tags: Advice, Austin, ceremony, destination weddings, Event Ideas, homeaway.com, honeymoon, planning, Reception, Rentals, resort weddings, Travel, traveling for weddings, Vacation rentals wedding reception, Vaccation Rentals, wedding, wedding budget, wedding ideas, wedding planning, wedding reception, weddings, weddings traveling
Posted in Honeymoon, Travel | No Comments »
Pop-Up Place Cards
Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011Submitted by Whitney Lee Photography, originally posted on Offbeat Bride
We love these cute place card ideas, its a fun way to personalize each place setting. Here’s a great excuse to have assigned seating at your wedding reception. Use this step-by-step tutorial on how to create these fun pop-up place cards for your wedding reception.
What you need:
* Heavyweight paper
* Pencil
* Sharpie marker
* Eraser
* X-acto knife and blades
* Ruler
* Watercolor paint (optional)
Start by cutting a 4” x 4” square of your heavyweight paper.
Using your ruler and straight edge, draw a light pencil line that bisects the square horizontally.
Use your Sharpie to draw a simple design. Make sure your drawing overlaps that center line! Here is a heart design and a number 11 design (as in, sit at table number 11).
Now use your X-acto knife to cut the outline of your design, but only cut around the part of your design that is above the horizontal pencil line. Then score (lightly cut) the horizontal line, but DON’T score the part of your line that is under your design. For the heart design below, the blue line is where your will score, and the red line is where you will cut.
Cut the top part here:
And score the line using my ruler as a straight edge:
Now when you fold it in half it looks like this:
Clean up the card by trimming away the white parts along the top edge of the heart and by erasing the horizontal light pencil line that is still visible in the heart.
Here is the final one!
For the number 11 design, here is where you will score (blue line) and where you will cut (red line):
And here is the finished design:
This design is more complex and it is time-consuming to cut out. Also you will have a lot of those white edges. Instead of cutting them away, use a Sharpie to blacken the white areas.
If you prefer a more simple design, especially if you are going to cut out 50-150 of these suckers. Here is a heart design, made on the computer (again with the skillz). You can download a blank template here.
Once you cut them all out and use the Sharpie to clean up the top edge of the hearts, here is what you have:
Looks great, yes? But it would look even better with WATERCOLOR PAINT!
And why use just one color when you can use all different colors? Here is the result, I’m so pleased!
Happy creating! And as always, if you make this project, please post photos on our Facebook wall WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT YOU MAKE!
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Tags: Advice, Austin, Event Ideas, Favors, planning, pop-up place cards, Reception, wedding, wedding ideas, wedding place cards, weddings, Whitney Lee Photography
Posted in Advice, Event Ideas | No Comments »
Transform your space with lighting
Monday, March 21st, 2011
Submitted by Amy Sage Boyd, Sense and Color Lighting & Photography
When a bride starts thinking about her wedding, a few things typically come to mind first: the venue, dress, cake, flowers and photography. All of those wedding elements are definitely important, but if you’ve ever been to a wedding that had amazing lighting, you know that any venue, no matter how beautiful, can be made even more gorgeous with the right lighting.
The first term a bride should know when it comes to reception lighting is uplighting, which
involves anywhere from 10-25 small lights placed strategically around the floor of a room, projecting upwards onto the walls and giving the entire room a romantic glow in the color of your choice.
Most brides tend to choose a version of pink or purple, but this could be anything from a cool blue to a sultry red to a festive green or even alternating colors for a unique look. Uplighting can also be done outdoors, which gives pillars or trees a gorgeous glow and is an excellent compliment to hanging lanterns or cafe lighting.
Cafe lighting is when strings of lights are hung between trees or along the edge of pavilions (or anywhere you can think of!). They’re bigger and more elegant than Christmas lights, consisting of a perfectly round, opaque light bulb, about two inches in diameter, spaced about a foot apart. The effect is subtle and romantic and provides a soft glow that’s perfect for outdoors.
Another part of wedding lighting is the table and cake pinspotting. This tends to cost a little more, since it involves ladders and attaching track lighting to whatever structural objects are available. If you are able to pinspot tables, it gives each table a nice natural glow so your centerpieces or your cake stand out instead of blending in with the color in the rest of the room. This can also be accomplished by using candles in or around your centerpieces, which is an option for venues where the ceilings are too high or where there isn’t anything readily available for attaching track lighting. Also keep in mind some venues may have building codes or historical status that do not allow for attaching anything to the building.
In addition to general lighting, many brides opt for projections to personalize the reception space. The most popular type of projection
for weddings is the monogram, which involves a custom-made gobo (that’s a pattern placed over a light to project onto a wall or floor) featuring your names or initials. Monograms look beautiful on a smooth dance floor or on a smooth wall behind the bridal party at the reception. The placement is totally up to you!
For a unique wow factor, choose a pattern to project onto the floors, walls or ceilings. You can turn a simple ballroom into a starry night or a large outdoor wall into a gorgeous floral mural – the possibilities are endless!
For lighting in San Antonio, vist the Decor and Lighting section of our San Antonio website.
For lighting in Austin, visit the Decor and Lighting section of our Austin website.
Tags: Advice, Austin, Event Ideas, lighting, planning, Reception, Rentals, sense and color lighting, uplighting, wedding, wedding budget, wedding ideas, wedding lighting, wedding planning, weddingsPosted in Lighting | No Comments »