4 Tips for Finding a Caterer

One of the most important aspects of your wedding reception is the food you will serve and the caterer you choose.  Approximately one third of your total budget will be spent on the food alone. So selecting your menu and your caterer should be done with great care.  A good caterer will be excited about creating a menu to suit your appetite and give helpful tips on what foods will work well together.  

If your venue allows you to select your own caterer, narrow your choices to no more than three caterers.  When contacting each caterer, provide as much information as possible - your wedding date, time of day, number of guests and amount of formality. If you have any menu ideas or food choices, let the caterer know so they can be prepared for your first meeting.

BE PREPARED:  At your first meeting, caterers usually like to discuss your food choices and budget. Have an idea of your guest total and what your catering budget will be.

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS: sit-down meal, buffet, passed hors d’oeuvres or food stations. Your caterer will be able to describe all of these options in detail and their suitability for time of day, guest size and your style.

TASTING: find out when you will be able to sample the caterers’ dishes. You’ll want to make sure that you like the meal before you agree to spend the money.

VENDOR MEALS
Although it is not required, you may consider including meals for wedding personnel, such as the DJ, musicians, photographer and wedding consultant. If cost is an issue, ask your caterer about “vendor meals.” Often they are offered at a lower cost per person.

CATERING CONTRACT DETAILS
SPECIFY: day, date and time, address of the reception site, menu by course and the number of guests expected, special meals if needed, time of the cocktail hour, time the meal will be served, contact people, including someone from your end with whom the caterers can consult, the number of servers, bartenders and their uniforms, linens, beverages to be served and bar guidelines and terms of payment and liability insurance.
Typically an advance deposit is due and you’ll definitely want to check on the cancellation policy barring unforeseen events.

With some advanced planning, your reception will be long remembered for its delightful meal.

Fun and Whimsical Party Decorations

Whether you're decorating a ballroom or a backyard, the best birthday party decorations can transform any party into a bona fide bash.  The decorations for this special birthday celebration were bright and fun...from the balloons in the kids' tent, the paper lanterns hung in the trees to the gingham linens on the tables.  And instead of using flower vases, the fruit used for the floral arrangements added yet another fresh and whimsical touch to the festivities.  

If you enjoyed the fun and colorful decorations used for this special birthday celebration, please share on facebook, twitter and pinterest.

Vendors:
Rentals ~ Event Rentals
Florals ~  Petals & Blooms
Coordinators ~ It's Your Party! Events & Weddings

Wedding in a Small Southern Town ~ South Carolina

This lovely November wedding took place in a small historic town in South Carolina.  The bride and groom live near Atlanta but decided to have their wedding in a place that the bride had so many fond memories. While growing up, the bride visited her grandparents in Abbeville, SC and had fallen in love with its charm and history.  The bride's father, uncles and aunt had grown up in Abbeville but had since moved away.  Even though her grandparents had passed away, the bride's love of the town had lived on. 

Abbeville, SC was settled in 1758 by a group of French Huguenots. The city played a key role during the Civil War, and the legacy remains pristinely preserved.  Abbeville is calied the "Birthplace and Deathbed of the Confedarcy", because it was here that Jefferson Davis made some of his most important decisions as President of the Confederacy. On what is now known as Secession Hill, the meeting which launched the state's secession from the Union took place on November 22, 1860.  Five years later in 1865, Jefferson Davis and his cabinet decided to dissolve the Confederacy at the Burt-Stark Mansion, a stately home right off from Abbeville's historic Court Square. 

Abbeville's Victorian setting attracts thousands of visitors each year who combine an afternoon and evening of shopping, dinner and then a show at the Opera House. Tourists are also drawn to the City's significant historic district which boasts dozens of restored homes and businesses. 

~ City of Abbeville, South Carolina

 Burt Stark Mansion

 Town Square

Abbeville Opera House

The wedding ceremony took place at the First Baptist Church in Abbeville where the bride's grandparents had been active members for many years.

The wedding reception took place at The Livery Stable.  Purple is the bride's favorite color and was used throughout...in the table linens, the beautiful floral arrangements, the guests' favors just to name a few.

The Livery Stable is located on Trinity Street in historic downtown Abbeville.  The original Livery Stable, built in 1840s was used to board horses until 1872, when it was destroyed by fire.  The current stable was built in the 1870s on the same site as the original building.  In 2010, the Livery Stable was renovated as part of the Trinity Street Enhancement Project and is now the site of many special events. 

~ Abbeville Livery Stable 

The bride and groom's cake topper was so adorable and added another personal touch to their day.

Vendors 

Photographer:  Michelle Brooks Photography

Caterer:  Corley's Market & Grill

Cupcakes:  Main Street Coffee Company

Venue:  The Livery Stable

Rentals:  Event Rentals

Florist:  Petals & Blooms

Wedding Planners:  It's Your Party! Events & Weddings