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Showing posts with label wedding reception. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wedding reception. Show all posts

Thursday, November 27, 2014

Make it Easier for Guests to Find Their Place Cards

Place Card Distribution Table

Have you ever been to a wedding and when it is time to transition to the reception, you have to get in a huge line to find your name and then find your seat?

Here are some tips to make this process go more smoothly.

1.  Have signage behind or above the table that shows how you have the place cards organized.  *Whether you choose to alphabetize them by first or last name, you'll find that you'll have a lot more of one letter due to many family members attending.  Just play with the adjustment to reflect your specific guest list.  Preferably, divide the table into 4 segments.  It usually works very well to make your divisions relatively equal if you group the place cards by A-E, F-L, M-R and S-Z.

2.  Show the divisions between the sections of the alphabet.   On a table, you could even use rose petals to show where different letters begin.  The diagram below represents a ribbon or garland creating the divisions between the alphabetical groupings.

3.  Don't just put up the alphabetical divisions on a sign.  *Make it extremely clear by signage that the names are organized alphabetically by  first names or last names whichever you have chosen. The whole purpose is to make it easier to navigate quickly from the place card table to their assigned table and/or seat.

4.  You can use a round or rectangular table.  Some venues have large bulletin boards on the walls which are perfect if they are big enough to see from a distance and in a convenient location to the reception dining area.  You can make the alphabetical category signs large which are helpful to guests as they are standing in line.  Hopefully the lines will be shorter if they can quickly identify where their place card is.

5.  Below is just one example of how you could design a round table for place cards.  Please excuse the quality of the design due to time constraints.   You can get creative on the signage which should be elevated.  In this case the design calls for a centerpiece.  More people can navigate around a round table.




Wishing you the greatest of days!

Wedding/Event Planning and Design
Non-Denominational Wedding Officiating

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Tuesday, April 8, 2014

When Did Weddings and Events Get Married?


Events and weddings must have eloped at some point.  Maybe they both have the same last name now?  Seriously, parties and weddings have a lot more in common than they used to. You might be very surprised if you haven't attended a wedding in the last several years.  It might be worth going to one just to see how they have changed. Just kidding!  No wedding crasher suggestions!  Gone are the days when....well, there's actually a long list of what has changed.  I'll name just a few.

It used to be that weddings were much different than other celebrations. Couples today really like to have a wedding that reflects their personality and tells their story.  More than ever they want their guests to enjoy the wedding and reception and guarantee that they will have a good time. I'm not sure when or if it will return to having a reception like they used to have where the only thing people worried about was having cake, a mixture of nuts, mints and their beverages of choice at a wedding reception.     

Magicians. Photo booths of several varieties. Who would have dreamed of the choreographed dances including the father & daughter dance?  Add to that the amazing grand entrances into the reception by the newly married couple.  I think one of the contributing factors to a lot of these creative endeavors is the mere presence of YouTube.  Ideas wouldn't be spread like wildfire without this medium.  

Magicians are a wonderful ice breaker and bring everyone back around to being a kid again.  I'll put in a plug for Magician, Jeff Evans of Amazement Productions who has the most appropriate name for his company.   Another activity that will keep people laughing is Flipped Out Productions.  Josh Hershfield is great at getting people to act their craziest and go home with a souvenir/favor from the wedding that will bring laughter for years.  Aura Photo Booths are bound to entertain as well, and it might be the first time you didn't feel crowded in a photo booth.  What in the heck am I doing giving out vendor information for free?  Really, it is so nice to be able to know of all the many types of vendors.  That is why Wedding Coordinators ask a zillion questions on our initial consultations.  We want to be able to bring to reality a wedding that has a bride and groom's names written all over it.  It's all about being unique.  

Wishing you the greatest of days!

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Saturday, September 3, 2011

7 Tips to a Happy and Yes, Uneventful Wedding Day!

1.  Have a wedding rehearsal.  It's also nice if everyone who is going to be in the wedding party will be there.  I'd recommend it happen the day before the wedding and not more than 2 days before the wedding.

2.  Don't booze it up before your wedding.  People have been getting married for ages and everyone thinks that people pass out during the ceremony because of nervousness. More often than not it's from a poor judgement call made regarding alcohol consumption before the wedding the night before or the day of the wedding!  I find that many couples really don't want alcohol at their wedding and sometimes there is alcohol at a wedding because family members or friends pressure them into it.  My response would be, "It is your wedding and if someone can't handle a few hours without alcohol, they have bigger problems than you can take care of.  Create your day the way you want it.  Consider toasting with sparkling cider for everyone as an alternative and everyone will actually remember your wedding the next day!  You can consider finding a venue that won't allow alcohol and that will take some of the pressure off of you.

3.  Include a map in with your wedding invitation and make directional signs guiding your guests to your wedding.  So often weddings start late because of late arrivals and we hear this "wait for this person or that person".

4.  Keep hot food hot and cold food cold.  You don't want to be blamed for everyone getting sick.  Leave the food and cake up to the professionals to help eliminate this potential problem.  For instance, I heard of bride who's guests all got very ill and it was traced back to the cake.  The bakery knew it had nothing to do with them.  The mistake was that the bride didn't want to pay anyone to put flowers on the cake.  The guests found out the hard way that you can't just stick any flower into a cake!  Some flowers are toxic and at best should only be inserted into the cake with floral tubes to avoid contact with the cake.  Don't risk it!

5.  Know the venue rules well.  You're probably safe if you just make it a policy to leave it in better condition that you found it!  Have someone else go with you to visit the venue that you trust will be your eyes on the wedding day looking out for your interest and the venue's interest.  Don't be afraid to use signs that can be put in picture frames to set on a counter, or on a table where everyone will see the rules.  The venue should do this, but often they don't!

6.  Plan ahead and anticipate everything you will need for your wedding.  It's very frustrating to find that something crucial has not been purchased.  Listen to suggestions and act on them as soon as possible to avoid any last minute rushes.

7.  Handle those chronically late people differently (and gently).  Tell them you need them 30 minutes to an hour earlier than you tell your other guests!  You know better than anyone who these people are.  If they do show up early, that's okay.

Wishing you the greatest of days!


Greatest of Days 
Event/Wedding Planning
Decor Design and Officiating




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Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Wedding Reception Tip #1

When setting up your reception area, set up the cake table first.  You don't want your cake waiting in a car, being handled by anyone but a pro, and never want to have to move it once it is in place.


Wishing you the Greatest of Days!


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