The food at your wedding will undoubtedly be one of the most important aspects, not to mention one of the bigger costs you will encounter. While there is a general order of operation when it comes to your caterer, each one will have its own style and way of doing things, so you'll want to be sure to ask the right questions.
{Note: this post will mainly address the outcome of your wedding day. Questions and procedures for hiring your caterer will come in another post}
How Many Servers & Staff Persons Will You Provide For My Event?
This is an important question, because not all caterers will automatically supply extra servers/waiters/staff. If you're having a buffet, especially, many caterers will take your approximate guest count and supply only the amount of staff needed to manage your buffet.
If you are holding your reception at a venue that doesn't have extra staff on hand to bus the tables and take care of the trash, your guests will drown in a sea of plates, napkins, and cups.
If you do need to request extra waiters to your catering contract, I always recommend you have them there only for the peak hours. For example, your caterers will need to arrive at least a few hours before your reception is set to start. However, request that your extra waitstaff come right before the dinner hour, that way they are still there after dinner to help bus the tables as your guests finish up.
How Will You Set Up My Buffet?
If you have a wedding planner, this question will have been asked well in advance. But if you don't, make sure you sit down with your caterer to go over the layout of your venue and to talk logistics. If you have a 200 person wedding, you'll want to reduce long lines as much as possible. Your caterer should have some good suggestions- such as a double-sided buffet to cut down on wait time. Stations are another hot idea, as it creates mingling and gets your guests moving around. Just be sure to have at least a few stations of your main entrees, otherwise you'll just create lines again (as in, your guests will crowd the Beef Carving Station, while your Green Salad station may be quite a bit less popular in comparison).
Can I Keep the Left Over Food?
Some venues & caterers won't allow left over food to be taken, mostly for liability reasons. But if you are able to, be sure to ask whether you need to supply baggies or containers, and/or coolers or a spot to keep the food in.
Is The Gratuity Included In My Banquet Order?
Many brides are surprised to learn that often gratuity is not included. Many a Father of The Bride have been hit with a surprise bill at the end- not exactly the way to end a lovely evening!
Just make sure you cover all contract points up front- write down any and all questions you may have so you don't forget to ask them.
~Brandi
Getting What You Want From Your Vendors: Your Caterer
Getting What You Want From Your Vendors: Your Photographer
Getting what you want from your photographer and photos really starts months before your wedding day arrives, with choosing the style of photography that appeals to you most. Each photographer will have their own style of photography, ranging from traditional, portraiture, all the way to true photojournalism. Making sure you interview and meet with your potential photographer, looking at their portfolios, and asking the right questions will all ensure you end up with the style of photography you're looking for.
A quick note on this- "candid" photos are not the same as photojournalistic photos. A candid shot is simply a picture taken without being posed, oftentimes the subject or subjects don't even know the photo is being taken until the flash goes off. Photojournalism, although close in the fact that there is very little "posing", is different because it will always tell a story of photos. Your wedding album resembles a silent documentary. Many brides are confused or don't realize there is a difference, so they may use the wrong terms or actually ask for the wrong style of photography without knowing it.
Now that your photographer is chosen, and your wedding is coming up around the corner, it's time to make sure that you effectively communicate your wishes for your wedding day photos. Even the most amazing photographers can't read your mind, and if you have something specific you're wanting, you need to relay that to the photographer. Some tips I always give my brides:
Give a list of Must Take Shots, but also let your photographer do their job
Oftentimes a bride will present a two page list of must take photos (i.e. Bride With Flower Girl. Bride with Best Friend. Etc.). This is a problem, because you've now added even more time to your photography allotment on your wedding day. While most photographers are very good about getting the family photos done quickly, it can still take up a good portion of your photo time if you let it get out of control. You're also micromanaging your photographer in a way, which has a high probability of resulting in a wedding album you're less than thrilled about.
I advise my brides to make a list of only key family members- usually immediate family, and close extended family (Grandma, Aunt Nancy, Etc.). Your bridal party is always a given, so you don't need to write them on your list, and for anyone else you were hoping to have a picture with, there is always time after the formal pictures and events are over to take care of these photos. This will give your photographer their names, and it keeps the list relatively small and easy to manage on an already hectic day. This also ensures that the photographer has time to put their creative talents to use- after all that is why you hired them right?
Be Sure to Point Out The Details
Most photographers are very good about documenting the details that went into your wedding- the centerpieces, favors, etc. But if there is a particular detail you want noted, you need to tell your photographer.
Wearing your Great-Great Grandmother's brooch? Have a special sentiment or honor written in your program? Add these details to your Must Take Shots list, or have your wedding planner bring these items to the photographer's attention.
These are just some of the most common miscommunication issues I hear about when clients get their wedding day album back. Knowing what questions to ask both when hiring potential photographers, and when finalizing the details right before your wedding will be sure to produce an album you'll coo over.
~Brandi
Getting What You Want From Your Vendors
You've hired all of your vendors, you've picked the linens, you've dreamt about your bouquets....it's finally here-your wedding day. Over the course of the last few weeks and months you've met with your vendors, you've given them your timeline of the day, you're set. But are you? Sometimes, it's not evident whether you had covered all of your bases until the wedding day, or even worse, after the day is over and is ultimately way too late. I'm talking about communicating effectively with your vendors to ensure you get the result you're after. In the next series of posts I will address a few common vendor-client miscommunications, and ways to better protect yourself from these disappointments.
~Brandi
Stylish Super Bowl Recipe
Who says this day is just for the boys? And who says you have to settle for nachos and buffalo wings? This recipe will keep even the heartiest of men full, all the while keeping things a little more civilized:
Chicken and White Bean Chili:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/3 cups chopped onion
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 1/4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 15- to 16-ounce cans white beans, drained, juices reserved
2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until chicken is no longer pink outside, about 5 minutes. Mix in chili powder, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano. Add beans, 1 cup reserved bean juices, and canned tomatoes. Simmer until chicken is cooked through and chili is thickened, about 25 minutes. If chili is too thick, add more bean juices by tablespoonfuls to thin. Season chili to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in cilantro and serve.
{Recipe via Epicurious.com}
Meet Kristen and Kris
Kristen and Kris' wedding actually turned out to be my last wedding of the 2008 season- I was almost exactly 8 months pregnant by the time their event came around! But it was also one of my favorites. There are so many memorable moments from their wedding, including the freak snow storm we had on their weekend....it was only October 11th! But both Kristen and Kris were the best sports about it- Kristen in her upbeat way just kept her head up and smiled, while Kris looked at me and said, "I have her, that's all that matters". Did I tell you all how much I love my job?? Their wedding was held at the beautiful Idaho Botanical Gardens, with an outdoor ceremony in the English Garden, and a tented reception on the courtyard. The weather was cold, no doubt about it- but the love radiating from these two families made the entire event warm and cozy (okay the Lemon Drops may have had something to do with adding a little warmth too!). Along with the gorgeous color scheme of torquoise, lemon yellow, and gray, details that fit Kristen and Kris to a "T" were seen throughout: an Italian Pastor (flown in from Italy!) to perform the ceremony (a tribute to Kris' Italian heritage), a groom's cake in the shape and colors of the Notre Dame helmet. And what better way to close the night out than with 200 people singing the Notre Dame fight song (their wedding fell on one of the bigger Notre Dame game days). A beautiful night, and a beautiful way to cap off my 2008 season.
New Year, New Plans, New Us.
Well today is a day that will go down in the history books- the day our first African American President will be sworn in. I decided to wait until today to write Soiree's first post of the year, as today represents so much change, just as the year 2009 represents so much change for Soiree.
As you can see- there was quite a time lapse between the last post on this blog...and there has been so many changes in the works since that last post too! My brides and vendors from the 2008 season all know that I was bustling around the weddings very pregnant this year- our little "bug" was born on November 7th, 2008- you can check him out here. The beautiful Cristi Dame took his newborn photos- aren't they breathtaking?
Another change for Soiree this year is our new website. We've been working long and hard on it, and although there are still some pages that are undergoing construction (like our gallery page), we are just tickled pink at how it's coming along.
Finally, Soiree has implemented some new ways to bring you an even higher standard of service. This year, we have started providing custom quotes tailored especially for your event. I personally had wrestled with the idea practically since the shingle was hung, and since getting some feedback from previous brides and some of the vendors we work with, we feel this will ultimately serve our brides the best. We of course still offer our complimentary initial consultations; in fact, they've become even better since we've implemented the new way of providing pricing- we get to spend even more time getting to know you up front.
These are all changes that have already happened, and there are many more in the works- we won't give them all away at once!
Thank you for your continued support, and here's to a fabulous 2009!
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