New Jersey Wedding Venue at the Manor
For those who already use Pinterest, the image-oriented social media platform, you know how addictive it can be–for brides especially. By giving users a way to easily catalog their interests by “pinning” ideas, information, photos, and more found across the web or uploaded on your own to a virtual pinboard–or even “re-pinning” favorites from other users–the site has opened up a new universe where creativity and new ideas can be discovered and shared. Read more…
Wedding Bouquet via Flickr: jenniamigo
Tips For Brides to Bring Nature & Romance Into Your Special Day
In a previous post about natural wedding trends we discussed wedding gowns and bride’s maids dresses, wedding invitations, and table card ideas, as well as wedding hair and makeup that we have seen gaining increased popularity in our NJ weddings. But natural wedding trends extend to so much else, especially flowers and décor. Read more…
Wedding Cocktail Party
When guests travel in from out of town to attend a wedding, it’s become a new wedding must to plan several additional activities and events for them to enjoy during their stay. While your beautiful wedding will of course be the centerpiece of the weekend, there are many more hours to fill with fun events that give guests (and you!) more quality time together. Read more…
Wedding Menu
When thinking about your wedding menu – for your cocktail party, your wedding reception dinner, and your wedding cake and desserts, be sure to keep in mind your guests’ special dietary requirements.
It’s now become far more prevalent for our New Jersey and New York City wedding couples to customize their wedding catering choices with a large selection of food items that their gluten-free and vegetarian guests can enjoy. Brides and grooms have read horror stories on wedding websites, wedding blogs and wedding message boards about weddings at which dietary-restricted guests could only pick on a small number of foods. They certainly don’t want that for their own wedding guests, nor do we. Read more…
Wedding Dessert
Wedding guests look forward to the dessert hour with great anticipation. Even as they savor your gourmet wedding menu, they’re looking forward to your spectacular wedding cake, decadent dessert buffet, and sweets stations. Great desserts make a fabulous wedding unforgettable, as the last taste of your grand wedding impresses your guests tremendously.
Here are the top trends in wedding desserts to inspire you:
- Individual dessert plates: Each guests receives his or her own plate arranged with a trio or collection of fresh-made desserts, such as a crème brûlée, amaretto cheesecake, flourless chocolate cake and a chocolate dipped berry. Another combination may be chocolate mousse, cheesecake with raspberry sauce, and berries. Read more…
Kids Wedding Menu
If you think that kids’ menus at weddings consist of just chicken fingers and mini pizzas, think again. Today’s kids actually enjoy more adventurous foods in their everyday lives, so they’re perfectly happy with most of the items on your fine cuisine wedding menu. Perhaps with the exception of the raw seafood bar, and of course with parental supervision over kids’ food allergies. (Which is why we suggest placing food ID cards by each of your cocktail party menu items and carving stations.)
Here are some of the top trends in kids’ wedding menu choices:
- Sushi. Since many parents prefer cooked sushi choices over raw for their kids, arrange with your wedding caterer to provide displays of cooked-item sushi choices.
- Crab cakes, salmon cakes, lobster cakes, cod cakes…in sizes big enough to require two bites, not small balls posing choking hazards for kids.
- Hummus and pita bread
- Pastas with classic or creative sauces
- Meatballs
- Sliders, either as burgers or pulled pork, and we’ve seen requests for veggie burger sliders for the kids’ choices as well as the adults.
- Macaroni and cheese is always a hit with kids.
- Mashed potato and mashed sweet potato bars let kids create their own creamy ‘sundaes’ with their choices of toppings.
- Chicken tenders with a trio of kid-friendly sauces.
- French fries cut in spiral styles or with unique flavors.
- Mini pizzas topped with a variety of combinations, from four-cheese to vegetables to tiny bits of sausage.
- Crudites and cooked vegetables served with fun flair at cocktail party stations.
- Fruits cut into kid-friendly shapes, such as smiles, stars, and cartoon characters. Read more…
Carving Station
Your wedding cocktail party menu is one part of your Big Day that guests look forward to the most, and they have great expectations that the food will be excellent, the presentation elaborate, and the choices plentiful. Since guests travel so far to attend weddings, it’s smart to talk with your wedding caterer about creating a cocktail party menu that will surprise and delight your friend and family. Read more…
Wedding Video Trends
Wedding videos have never been more beautiful and stylized, thanks to the talent of our top wedding videographers in New Jersey. While your wedding video style will have a lot to do with the creation of your footage – you may prefer classic footage, or you may prefer footage with more of a sense of humor – one main rule exists: you want to capture everything about your Big Day, from the ceremony to the reception ballroom to the scenery to the food and décor. Read more…
Carving Station Trends
When budget wedding guides say to ‘cut out the carving station’ as a way to save money, they’re talking about weddings that are planned in non-bridal locations, and self-catered. At an upscale wedding reception venue, carving stations are included in the entire wedding catering package. So you can very well include a carving station, or two, in your cocktail party plan. Read more…
Welcome Baskets
When out-of-town guests arrive for your wedding weekend, welcome them with a wonderful basket of treats. Some of the top wedding trends for welcome baskets include:
- Starting with a stylish gift bag, such as an eco-friendly tote with a print design, one that can be used again and again, instead of paper gift bags.
- Provide several bottles of water, each encircled with your personalized wedding logo, as well as bottles of iced tea (one sweetened, one unsweetened,) or several sodas. A new wedding trend is choosing a retro soda, such as a root beer or ginger beer, orange soda or other unique taste.
- Provide a bottle of wine, and have the hotel put wine glasses and a bottle opener in each guest’s room. Read more…
