Quote :

"buffet style it'll be more of heavy hors d'oeuvres"

is what we did. we found that a full meal was very expensive for our guest list, but doing heavy hors d'oeuvres was much more reasonable and we had more variety of food.

and as far as making sure we ate, our plates were prepared by the catering staff and at our table ready for us to eat as soon as we got our dances out of the way and my dad gave the blessing. while everyone was in line going through the buffet, Justin and I were seated happily, quietly, enjoying the moment to ourselves and nom-nom-ing on our food.

i think the time of your wedding will dictate more of what you do as well. we had a mid afternoon wedding, so a sit down meal would've been kinda early for 4:30 (~time of eating).

[Edited on February 2, 2010 at 12:29 PM. Reason : ]

2/2/2010 12:25:57 PM

don't include the price aspect of it...act as though it's not a factor (which it is... but for other reasons just pretend that either option costs the same )...

sounds like buffet style is better?




[Edited on February 2, 2010 at 1:03 PM. Reason : ^it would be around 6-7ish......hmmmm]

2/2/2010 1:02:16 PM

I have always enjoyed buffet style more, it just creates more of an atmosphere for mingling and interaction. Especially if you have a mix of taller tables to stand next to, and your typical seated tables, it gets people up and moving around.

And if done correctly like ^^ said, you can definitely get your plate first, so you get to eat while everyone is going through the line. That's what we did, and it gave us time to eat and mingle.

2/2/2010 1:05:13 PM

sweeeeet.

i think we may stick with that option...unless someone can give me a reason not to ahahahhahaha.
(im seriously that sway-able at the moment )

my mom wants this huge, fancy gala.
i want a little more down to earth.



[Edited on February 2, 2010 at 1:09 PM. Reason : and srsly....this thead is gonna be my lifesaver for the next year. thanks ya'll ]

2/2/2010 1:08:11 PM

6 or 7, then you may want to do a meal. you can certainly MAKE a meal out of a lot of hors d'oeurves (we had a carving station, shrimp & grits, sushi).

here's another pro/con. you'll want food options for your guests to chose when doing a sit down meal. you may find that getting RSVP cards back is a pain in the ASS...and then you're calling around "hey are you coming? yes? then beef or fish or vegetarian?"

you'll have to have extra plates on your hands too in case someone does come that wasn't planning on coming when you got their RSVP card back

plus, with a sit down meal and food options, you'll probably have to do assigned seating instead of a free for all to make sure people get what they selected on the RSVP card.

just seems like a lot more work as far as feeding your guests than having a buffet.

2/2/2010 1:11:50 PM

yeah. im thinking that too.


like you said, the "beef or fish or vegetarian" is what is going to be biggest pain i would think


^where did you get married? (the reason i ask is that i see sushi on the list!! i totally want sushi!! )

[Edited on February 2, 2010 at 1:14 PM. Reason : hjids]

2/2/2010 1:14:06 PM

A wedding I went to in November, which had an AWESOME buffet reception which was easily a meal. One station was fruit and salad and that kind of stuff. Then there was a pasta station, which was my favorite. They also had a tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich station, as well as a roast beef station. So, they touched all their bases there, and everyone could easily choose what they wanted. And they had it nicely spread out, so it wasn't standing in one line to get everything, they were disbursed throughout the room.

2/2/2010 1:18:29 PM

that is an epic idea

2/2/2010 1:19:22 PM

got married in Southport, NC (Orton Plantation via Southport Community Building) so we used a caterer in Wilmington (Bon Appetit).

It was either sushi or taco bar. Sushi won and was gobbled in mere minutes.

[Edited on February 2, 2010 at 1:31 PM. Reason : ]

2/2/2010 1:23:55 PM

Buffet, this also had the advantage of letting guests with food allergies bring their own food and it being less noticeable. I don't want to trust my health to a bunch of crazy busy catering staff. With a sit down meal you also have the problem of trying to get warm food to a ton of people all at once. Usually someone loses out on that.

2/2/2010 1:46:58 PM

we had a mashed potatoes station. it was awesome. there were regular and mashed sweet potatoes, then you could add cheese, bacon, green onions, brown sugar, cinnamon, etc if you wanted. it was my favvvvooorrrritte thing there.

we also had a carving station w/ roast beast and turkey, with homemade loaf bread, croissants, and sourdough rolls. fruit & vegetable station, chocolate station, then like misc appetizer type stuff like meatballs, mexican dip & chip stuff, azn chick kabob things w/ rice. oh there was a pasta station too. i think there were scallops or something seafoody in there but we don't eat seafood so i don't know specifics.

2/2/2010 1:48:41 PM

my good friend this past September had a buffet but it was an actual plate dinner... the caterer (an excellent restaurant in New Bern called The Flame) had set up fish, chicken cordon bleu, potatoes, etc etc etc... you couldn't get everything to fit on your plate

but, it was like $30 a head

2/2/2010 1:54:29 PM

yay pictures! i had to reduce the file size to get them on tww, so they're a little grainy

centerpiece


my bouquet. the part you hold onto is wrapped in bark stuff


flowers in mason jars lining walk from house to ceremony


this picture looks awful but i swear it's not as bad as it seems here


i swear i really didn't look that much like a clown. i'm not sure what happens when tww uploads pics


yup, so that's orange and green

2/2/2010 2:20:19 PM

invitations and save the dates still need to be sent out...

2/2/2010 2:47:52 PM

^^I really love your centerpieces

2/2/2010 3:41:49 PM

I prefer weddings that have buffets personally.

We're going to do a Mexican buffet. A build-your-own-nachos bar for the cocktail hour, then during the dinner a tacos bar, enchiladas, Mexican grilled veggies, fresh fruit, ceviche, etc etc.

2/2/2010 9:51:22 PM

nachos, tacos, and enchiladas...can we say smelly dance floor?

2/2/2010 11:41:35 PM

^More like, "Can we say smelly honeymoon suite?"

Most bodies take 4 hours to digest and 4-8 hours for the gas emission to begin so you got a 4 hour window before the oligosaccharides get you.

[Edited on February 3, 2010 at 9:32 AM. Reason : oligosaccharides hard to spell.]

2/3/2010 9:31:00 AM

Hi! I got engaged back in November. Does anyone have any suggestions on indoor reception venues in the Greensboro area? I've already seen GRRA, Kress, Lakeside, and Bryan Park. We are currently leaning to GRRA. We are getting married on 10-23-10.

I've really considered outdoor, but we went to a wedding this past October, and it rained and was around 40 degrees outdoor. Prue misery! Ever since, I don't know if I want to risk it, and really don't want my guests uncomfortable.

2/7/2010 9:49:01 PM

i wanted to post this link a few days ago but didnt feel like searching for the thread

http://wedinator.com/

anyone seen it? it has a lot of funny wedding shit on there, also some pretty cool stuff

its mostly funny/embarassing/awkward wedding photos

2/8/2010 12:12:27 AM

^^My sister is getting married the weekend before you in Greensboro, and I asked the same question a few pages back.

They decided to go with Burmil, both for pricing reasons and it just had what they needed. But we really liked the Gardens at Grey Gables in Summerfield (http://www.thegardensatgraygables.com), The Groome Inn (http://www.thegroomeinn.com), Carolina Marina (http://www.carolinamarina.com/lakeside_sec.htm my favorite personally), Heritage Hill ( http://www.heritagehillbanquets.com/ ) or Carolina Theater if you're having a smaller wedding. The nice thing about all of these places are that if the weather is nice--you can go outside if you want, and if it's cold or bad, then you can stay completely inside. The Carolina Marina even has a stone fireplace, which I think is nice.

If you haven't decided on a venue yet, it may also help you to go to the Bridal show this coming up weekend in Winston. We went Saturday when it was in Greensboro and there were a lot of venues there with great specials running, lots of free give-aways, and my sister won a String Duo for her ceremony. Good luck planning! Where are you having the ceremony?

[Edited on February 8, 2010 at 12:13 AM. Reason : ]

2/8/2010 12:12:39 AM

ahahaahahah ^^

2/8/2010 12:40:23 AM

^^^ That site rocks!!!

2/8/2010 9:38:23 AM

Ummm, Leeloo called and wants her outfit back

2/8/2010 10:15:22 AM

wtf

2/10/2010 9:08:26 PM

TWW I need your help

2/11/2010 6:46:11 PM

^Here's what you do.

2/11/2010 7:12:18 PM

Stupid BlackBerry...didn't finish my msg. Here's the rest of my question:

...has anyone used a wedding planner? My fiancee is looking for one who won't break the bank.

2/11/2010 8:20:53 PM

oops

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 8:24 PM. Reason : oops]

2/11/2010 8:22:03 PM

Quote :

"looking for one who won't break the bank."

Good luck with that

2/11/2010 8:31:41 PM

Okay, so no wedding planners? Is it better to just plan it all out ourselves and save the money for decorations and such?
Has anyone here who used a planner felt it was a good use of money? B/c I had a lady from Cherished Moments quote me $3k.

2/11/2010 10:26:58 PM

I would save that $3000 personally. Planning a wedding is not that difficult and a lot of the vendors you'll end up hiring take care of a lot of the things a wedding planner would do for you. You're better off hiring a day-of coordinator to make sure everything is running smoothly the day of and that your vendors get paid at the end of the night. Save $texas that way.

2/11/2010 10:39:33 PM

Quote :

"You're better off hiring a day-of coordinator to make sure everything is running smoothly the day of and that your vendors get paid at the end of the night. Save $texas that way."

ding ding ding

you will find hiring a wedding planner that you will pay a flat fee for just the planning and a percentage on top of that of the actual cost of the TOTAL amount spent on your wedding and/or a rental finding fee.

btw, that rental finding fee...make sure you ask your caterers about that. ours was going to charge us a percentage on top of the food to find and obtain the rentals (serving dishes, sternos, silverware) so we saved money doing the rentals ourselves. just got a list from the caterer of how many serving dishes they needed etc.

2/11/2010 10:52:46 PM

what would you think i should do in my situation?

so far the plan is im getting married in my parents backyard
so i have to think about tents, temporary flooring,....basically EVERYTHING.

you know most wedding sites/conventional halls/wedding houses have everything there for you.

im starting with zilch....a back yard.

2/12/2010 8:18:20 AM

holy crap.


how cool are these??!?!?!




http://www.etsy.com/shop/fabuluster?page=1

2/12/2010 8:52:26 AM

Quote :

"what would you think i should do in my situation? so far the plan is im getting married in my parents backyard so i have to think about tents, temporary flooring,....basically EVERYTHING. you know most wedding sites/conventional halls/wedding houses have everything there for you. im starting with zilch....a back yard."

Will you be having both the wedding and reception in their backyard? I suppose you should start with an all-inclusive list of everything you need and then tackle the list from there. Things you might need:

For the wedding:
Chairs
Wedding Stage (archway, gazebo, wooden bridge--these can be acquired cheaply at a home improvement store and then dressed up with lights, vines, paper lanterns, beads, etc)
Decorations like ribbon, flowers, etc.
Lined path for bride/procession (lights, flowers, etc)

For the reception:
Tent
Tables
Chairs
Tablecloths and anchors
Lights
Stage for a band, if needed
Centerpieces/Vases (if you're going rustic, old antique pieces or mason jars would look neat)

You may also need: extra bathrooms, signage to point guests to parking or bathrooms, a solid plan for guest parking, etc.

BTW, something that I think looks really cool if you're going for a rustic look is the mason jar lamp. They're really easy to make.





So, I know I'm forgetting a ton, but this is a start.


[Edited on February 12, 2010 at 9:24 AM. Reason : .]

2/12/2010 9:21:12 AM

I'm sure this has been said, but it bears repeating:

JUST ELOPE. Save yourself a lot of headaches, a lot of money, a lot of drama, and a lot of other bullshit by just getting your closest friends together and go to Vegas.

I speak from experience and the wife has the exact same opinion on this.

[Edited on February 12, 2010 at 9:29 AM. Reason : *]

2/12/2010 9:29:06 AM

^ That would be my plan as well. Of course, it requires me to be in a relationship.

2/12/2010 9:30:31 AM

yeah, thats a lot of stuff.
makes me wonder if i should get a planner.

ive thought about eloping...but i dont really want to.


people have different opinions.


[Edited on February 12, 2010 at 9:34 AM. Reason : ??]

2/12/2010 9:32:55 AM

If you don't think you can handle getting all of that yourself, then maybe you should. Whereas I and my mom look at that list (plus items) and think "piece o cake". But it's going to be that list and more if you're starting from zilch.

2/12/2010 9:41:24 AM

yeah...the only problem im having is that as far as the rental things are concerned (tents, tables, chairs, flooring, tableware) will probably be coming from all different vendors. (im gonna try not to let it get to this but so far thats what it looks like).

its intimidating

2/12/2010 9:44:55 AM

my sister had a friend of hers that helped with all of the details the day of. she was super responsible about everything and took dealing with my sister when she was just a little crazy.

Joie, have a friend that might work like that?

2/12/2010 9:45:19 AM

yes ma'am i do.

but i dont want to enlist the help of a friend unless they ask me.


i feel bad asking for someone to take on a resposibility unless
A. they ask me unsolicited.
or B. theyre getting paid for it (ie-its their job).

you know?

(just me)

2/12/2010 9:47:27 AM

http://www.grandrentalnc.com/index.asp

They have all these rentals (flooring/staging, wedding stuff, linens, chairs, tables, margarita machines, etc!)

2/12/2010 9:49:05 AM

^bookmarking


you rock lady

2/12/2010 9:49:55 AM

Quote :

"A. they ask me unsolicited. or B. theyre getting paid for it (ie-its their job)."

oh totally

i don't know how that came about with my sister... she's kind of pushy so maybe that was it....

2/12/2010 9:52:15 AM

^lucky you!

(i do have one friend though that has offered unsolicited help with a lot of the stuff so im going with it )

meh....ill figure it all out as i go along.

its fun

2/12/2010 9:55:11 AM

i was this person at a friends wedding last summer

its called a "personal attendant" and you're like a bridesmaid without being in the wedding or buying all that crap

she sent me a really nice handwritten note asking me to be her personal attendant the day of her wedding. she explained that she was asking based on some personality traits or whatever

anyway, i was flattered. i have no interest in being a bridesmaid ever for anyone really, but i do want to help and be a part of the big day and helping it run smoothly.

i ended up doing whatever she asked which amounted to

-passing out flowers to the wedding party and family
-corralling family for the photographers
-paying the photographers
-tying the bridesmaids dresses (big bows in the back)

etc

she also had other friends in charge of things like serving champaign in the garden to the guests while they were doing their couples pics

2/12/2010 10:14:56 AM

that's kind of cool...its sort of like the female equivalent of the Usher ?

2/12/2010 10:18:56 AM

^2 that's what I love about "house parties"


I got 10 friends who want to do stuff like that

2/12/2010 10:22:46 AM