Wedding Tip of the Week: Bar Saving Tips

We are all trying to find ways to cut cost, here are some suggestions that you can cut cost when having a bar at your reception.

• Deal with the caterer. Sometimes you can get a discount on drinks if you deal with the same caterer for food and drink.

• Ask the caterer or your wine and spirits merchant to select solid, second-line merchandise. You don't have to serve top shelf liquors. Consumers often pay for a company's advertising and marketing budgets when they buy top brands. Many smaller houses can offer the same quality at a better price.
  



• If you're serving beer, think kegs rather than bottle. Kegs cost less.
  



• Choose generic mixed-drink ingredients rather than name brands. When you are paying for a hundred guests the difference in price makes itself felt.
  



• Ask the caterer to go light on the salt. Salty foods will increase your guests' thirsts.

• Don't allow the catering staff to take drink orders at the tables. Set up one bar. The longer the wait for service, the fewer drinks get served.
  
  
• Purchase all the liquor yourself and have a family member or friend play bartender for the night.

Some of these tips may assist you in still being able to have a bar at your wedding with reduced cost.

(Some information found here)

Garter

After I had held my first giveaway for a custom Julianne Smith garter, Julianne made me one for my wedding. I finally got it and here is a picture of it.

I think that it is pretty. Since it is not made of shiny fabric, it does not move on my leg and is really comfortable. I wore a garter to my senior prom, since all my friends were wearing one, and since it was made out of the fabric of my dress, satin and lace, it bothered me for most of the night. Between the lace rubbing on my thigh or my just pulling it up to stay on my leg, it just became an irritant. I ended up taking it off and putting into my purse half way through the evening. I am pretty confident that I will not have a problem with this one. I am sure it will stay on until the garter toss. Check out Julianne's website for a garter for your special day.

DIY:Petal Cones

Petal cones are completed. The cones will be given to guest, probably 1 per couple or 1 per person, when they enter the ceremony. I would like my guest to throw the petals when we take our walk down the aisle after being introduced as the Mr & Mrs. They were really simple to make. Here is what you need:

• petal cone template


• decorative paper or vellum paper


• double sided tape


• scissors or a shape cutter

On the template you can change the names, quote, font and colors to anything that you want. It did not take me long to make them. One day I printed them and cut them out. Another I put them together while I watched CSI and part of The Eleventh Hour. The most time consuming part, I thought, was cutting them out. I will be filling them with the petals that I talked about in a previous post. I think that they turned out nice. I can not wait to see the photo of the rose petals showering us as we walk down the aisle.

Wedding Tip of the Week: Custom Drinks-- Drink of the Week

Cuervo Platino Banana-Black Raspberry Martini

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 ounces Jose Cuervo Platino
1/2 ounce banana puree
1/2 ounce black raspberry puree
1 whole fresh squeezed lemon
2 1/3 ounces simple syrup
2 pieces raspberries

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients with ice, shake well and strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with black raspberries.

A New Day

No matter what your politics are, it is hard to look past the restoring spirit that has swept the country. The spirit of service and duty to one another as Americans. On this day, let us remember that it took all us to elect him and it will all of us to help him in his vision for America. For today, it is a new day as Barack Obama takes the office of President of United States. Congratulations, Mr. Obama and congratulations to America.

Your Inner Bride

I created my inner bride on the knot website. It is a fun part of the website,where you create a dress for your bride, select her jewelry and hair accessories and even select the type of background for her. To create your inner bride click here.

Flower Girl

Have you found your flower girl dress? I have been looking. I really do not want my friend to have to spend a whole bunch of money on a dress for a child that she may only wear once. I have been looking local stores, since it is the season that some of them start pulling out their Easter dresses. I think a fancy Easter dress would do just fine..especially since my wedding is the day before Easter and if she does not get anything on it she can wear it the next day. I really like the one pictured above ( of course..I found it on EBay).I want my flower girl to be comfortable and be able to have fun in the dress. I told her mom to just pick some white dress shoes that she could wear to church and I will probably pick out some of those big frilly socks for her to wear that match the dress. (side note: I hate to see little girls with tights on and big socks. It makes me hot just looking at them, so I know that their feet have to be sweating.) What do you want your flower girl dress to look like?