For so many brides and grooms, their dream wedding takes place in a garden venue, surrounded by the beauty of nature and the magic of endless flowers in full bloom, in the trees, in landscaping, along pathways…and a perfect blue sky above. The garden wedding is the choice of so many celebrity couples who lead bridal trends, and bridal magazines are filled with stunning images of outdoor weddings in gorgeous gardens.

Garden Wedding

What is it about the garden wedding that calls to so many of today’s brides and grooms? Beyond the sheer beauty of it, as designed by our site’s landscaping team and sometimes enhanced further by additional floral décor and lighting on the grounds, many couples say that a garden wedding creates a European feel to their weddings. An outdoor ceremony and celebration may be a replica of the family weddings that took place in Corsica, in Greece, in Tuscany, in the far-off regions of their ancestors. We’ve seen those weddings in Under the Tuscan Sun and other hit movies, left breathless by the flowers, the arbors, the scenery…with the bride and groom in their wedding finery standing out amongst the sea of natural color.

English Garden

Another factor of the garden wedding’s popularity is budget. If a site is already expertly planted in floral splendor – as is ours at The Manor — the couple might not have to spend any extra money on décor. In a plain and simple ballroom, at a basic site without garden grounds, hundreds if not thousands of dollars must be spent to create that floral splendor the couple dreams of. Planters would have to be brought in for the wedding, then carted off and discarded after the celebration. Since most couples are on a budget, it’s often impossible to create the same level of garden image that already exists in an actual garden venue.

And finally, many couples are eco-minded these days, mindful fans of nature, preferring to marry among living trees and plants, out in the fresh, clean air of a beautiful day in nature’s beauty.

For some, the reason is simply this: it’s always been their dream to have a garden wedding. They’ve never considered a different option. Whatever the inspiration, we’re happy to make the dream of a garden wedding come true, even better than you imagined it.

Until next time,
Preston Postlethwaite, Banquet Manager, The Manor

The First Dance

As the wedding reception begins, all eyes are on bride and groom as they join together for their first dance. For several years now, brides and grooms have signed up for ballroom dance classes, and this tradition has now evolved from basic dance lessons that couples took to learn the steps of a waltz to a far more personalized dance….sometimes in a style that surprises and delights guests.

Brides and grooms now enlist the services of professional dance instructors to choreograph their first dance, impressively tailoring dance steps to the skill levels of the bride and groom. The result is so much more than the ‘swaying back and forth’ dance or the box step dance with awkward arm movements that some brides and grooms seemed to just want to get through. Now, brides and grooms are putting on a performance, such as a sultry yet still family-friendly tango, or a dance with lifts, dips and twirls that the choreographer has designed with thought to the bride’s movement ability in her wedding gown. After weeks of working with a dance pro, the couple takes to the dance floor confidently, ready to show off their skills, as ‘their song’ plays.

In an additional new trend, the bride and her father, as well as the groom and his mother, might also sign up for dance classes and choreography, so that their spotlight dances will be equally impressive. After all, a spectacular first dance by the bride and groom is immediately followed by the father-daughter and mother-son dances, and parents also want to look confident and impressive for their spotlight performances.

Sometimes, a fun-loving couple will arrange for their first dance to lead into a group dance performance led by them and including their bridal party members. That number might be a well-known celebrity’s dance from a video, or it might also be a completely original, choreographed dance that starts the party off with a thrilling performance, and provides priceless wedding video footage as well.

Best,
Michael Mahle, Director of Communications, Pleasantdale Château

Your wedding favors create that all-important final detail and last impression made on your guests. They’ve enjoyed your fabulous wedding menu, they’ve toasted you with amazing wines and champagne, they’ve danced all evening, and as they depart, you have one last opportunity to impress them even further.

A great wedding is made from many stunning small details, and your choice of wedding favor can be the stunning, smile-inducing last touch of the perfect wedding. When you do it right, guests are impressed with your genius, your creativity and often, your generosity and class. If you were to skip the wedding favors, as an ill-advised method of budget-saving, guests will walk away with a negative impression. Yes, they do want a little something to take home from your wedding celebration. Wedding experts say it’s not okay to skip the favors.

That said, here are some of the most-appreciated, still budget-friendly wedding favors to consider:

• Chocolate truffles, in unique flavors such as key lime, cappuccino, espresso, and banana liqueur

• Individually-packaged cupcakes, one of the hottest new trends, especially when topped with an elegant champagne-infused frosting

• Individually-packaged brownies in unique flavor blends such as triple chocolate fudge, macadamia nut and coconut.

• Individually-packaged cookies in theme shapes and icing designs

• Wine bottle stoppers, in simple elegance styles such as a silver heart

• Photo coasters, in clear or frosted glass, allowing the guest to slip in photos or a printout of their monogram for their own entertaining use

A living favor, such as a tiny potted primrose plant or a tiny potted rose plant, which is a highly popular trend at New Jersey weddings, with our local brides and grooms sharing the style of our Garden State with guests from near and far.

One very popular trend right now is giving guests the chance to select their own favor tastes, such as a favor bar featuring five or six different flavors of chocolate truffles, jelly beans, cookies, brownies, petit fours or other treats. Guests use silver scoops or tongs to select their choice of take-home favors, place them in colorful, decorated or Lucite favor boxes, and they’ll depart delighted and impressed that you offered such a wonderful wedding favors feature.

Best,
Michael Mahle, Director of Communications, Pleasantdale Château

Not every bride desires the racy, sometime raunchy, stereotypical bachelorette party. Instead, the new trend is for the bride’s best friends, bridesmaids, moms and often grandmothers to plan an elegant, delectable dinner party in the bride’s honor, with all the ladies dressing up, enjoying fine wines and champagne, and being treated to a gourmet culinary experience at a luxury restaurant.

So many brides consider themselves ‘foodies’ these days, watching shows like Top Chef, worshipping celebrity chefs, attending food and wine festivals, registering for gourmet kitchenwares, and frequenting top restaurants with their grooms. For them, the promise of a gourmet dinner party served in style and shared with their ladies is a dream come true. It’s an extra-special celebration that’s truly them.

To help our upscale bachelorette party planners design the dinner party of the bride’s dreams, we at the Ram’s Head Inn will customize our special events menu to suit your group’s particular menu requests. Lately, we’ve noticed a rise in requests for gluten-free and vegan dishes, and we happily suggest unique dishes for several courses so that the hosts can build a custom menu for their party group. And our sommelier will, of course, offer fine wine pairings to complement your meal. To end your dinner party with indulgent flair, our desserts menu is sure to please.

So as you sip champagne and savor our gourmet dinner party fare, there’s no question that your bachelorette party will be an unforgettable one that your guests will rave about for a very long time. As the guest of honor at this celebration, you shine as the elegant bride-to-be.

All the best,
Caitlyn Bradley, Director of Private Dining, Ram’s Head Inn