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Home Wedding
and Reception
Q:
I am getting
married and plan to have a small personal wedding with just immediate
family. I also would like it to follow with a open house style
reception. Do you have any advice on decorating, role of bride and
groom (greeting guests etc.) and food? We are dressing formally and
are planning the wedding on a strict budget, yet want things to be
perfect! Thanks.
A:
A reception in the
home is becoming very fashionable once again, and allows you to
create a very elegant, intimate atmosphere without having to spend a
great deal of money.
Fortunately, for a
home wedding, you are usually not dealing with a very large area,
such as a ballroom, so when it comes to decorating, a little goes a
long way! I wouldn't overdo it... Think classic, simple elegance.
This is what truly works best in the home setting, as opposed to
having balloons and twinkle lights everywhere! A few strategically
placed vases of either fresh or silk flowers will lend themselves
well to the atmosphere of elegance. No need to worry about
sophisticated and expensive floral arrangements, simple vases of
roses, tulips or daffodils (in the spring) make for a classic look
and require no professional help.
I would recommend
that you also make good use of candles. Again,this is a marvelous way
to create an elegant, intimate atmosphere while keeping it simple and
understated - and of course highly affordable! My recommendation
would be to stay with taper candles, votive candles, pillar candles,
or any combination of the above. Again, this will help to keep the
look very classic, and to keep you within budget. Just be careful to
the plan the placement of the candles with an eye towards safety -
set them in spots where they are not likely to be knocked over by
mingling guests.
For food, you have
a nice variety of options with this style of wedding. You may, if you
choose, serve only cake and champagne. A wine and cheese reception is
another option, although you will probably still want to have a small
wedding cake, for tradition's sake. Perhaps you will prefer a dessert
reception in which an assortment of pastries and dainties are served,
along with punch, coffee, tea, and wine for toasting. Yet another
suitable option is the cocktail and hors d'oeuvre reception - here
you can serve items such as sausage rolls, chicken wings, assorted
canapes and any of your other favorite hors d'oeuvre items.
If the reception
will take place in the afternoon, a tea may be appropriate for
celebration; food might include tea sandwiches, dainties, a fruit and
vegetable platter, and cheese tray.
Lastly, you could
choose a stand-up reception. Here the food would be slightly more
substantial, yet not quite a sit down dinner. Food is presented on a
large table, or on a series of smaller tables or "food
stations", and guests may help themselves. Typically guests
stand or mingle while nibbling, hence the name "stand up
reception". Assorted items such as chicken fingers, lasagna,
Thai noodles, ribs, rolls, one or more salads (potato salad, bean
salad, pasta salad, Caesar, or garden salad) and other similar fare
would be available for guests to help themselves to.
The wonderful
thing about all of the above mentioned reception types is that each
is very elegant in its own way, and very simple to put together
without the aid of professional assistance. Food may be prepared in
advance by yourself or friends and relatives, or it may be purchased
pre-made from the grocery store (this may be where a discount
shopping club membership comes in handy!), but no real need exists to
hire a caterer.
Regardless of
which style of the above receptions you choose however, you will
probably want to provide wedding cake for tradition's sake (this can
be an inexpensive 'slab' cake, it need not be tiered), wine or
champagne for toasting, as well as coffee and/or tea.
A receiving line
is not typical at the home wedding reception, however the newly
married couple should stand at the door to greet guests as they
arrive. Parents may join them there, if desired. Once the reception
is underway the couple makes the rounds, mingling with guests. It is
common to have the traditional cake cutting after the food you have
chosen to serve has been enjoyed. This is also when the toasts and
any speeches should take place. If desired, plan the traditional
bouquet toss just before the reception is scheduled to wind down, or
if preferred, you may eliminate this tradition all together.
There you have it!
This should get you well on you way to planning it to perfection! |
