Like any DIY wedding option, handling your own reception music has a big list of pros and cons. The biggest benefit is of course the hefty savings once you cut out hiring a DJ or wedding band to provide your reception music. Others like it because you get complete control over the song selection. Being your own wedding DJ is…read more
If you are being married outdoors, in your local chapel, or some other venue, you’ll be responsible for choosing your own LDS wedding songs. Get ideas for all the music you’ll need during your ceremony here, whether you’re having a traditional ceremony or something fun and unconventional. (If you are being married in the temple, there will be no music during the ceremony – you can skip to choosing the music for your wedding reception.)
Before the ceremony begins, your guests will be seated and waiting. Music sets the stage for the ceremony to come, so this might be the most important…read more
Are you thinking about planning and executing your own wedding reception buffet? It certainly is cost-effective, but if you do it yourself it will be the most labor-intensive event you’ll take on in quite a while. Here’s a general guide to planning and executing your own wedding buffet.
You can do much of the planning and prep work yourself, but on at the reception itself you won’t be available to do the grunt work. After all, you’ll be too busy and distracted to worry about re-stocking the rolls and double-checking that the salad is being kept cool enough! A DIY buffet only works when…read more
Having food stations, a buffet, or a dessert bar at your wedding reception is a great choice: both are economical, easy, and convenient. But you will need to worry about how to decorate your food tables, which inevitably become the focal point of the reception as the guests file past.
Just because your caterer will cover the buffet tables with a boring white linen tablecloth for free doesn’t mean you have to go that route. Match the buffet tablecloths to the…read more
The cultural hall of the local ward or branch meetinghouse is the venue of choice for many LDS wedding receptions: it’s able to accommodate a crowd, comes attached to a kitchen for food preparation, and is completely free of charge to reserve and use.
If you’re planning on a Mormon cultural hall reception, here are some of the things you need to know about preparing and serving the food.
Never assume that the cultural hall and kitchen will be available on any given date. Various church events, from Relief Society meetings to Webelos den meetings, may be held in the cultural hall all throughout the week. Before planning anything for the reception, schedule the date with the building coordinator. If you don’t know who ask, the bishop can guide you to the right person.
When reserving the cultural hall, double-check the rules on using the kitchen. Ovens in LDS meetinghouse kitchens are to be used for warming food only, not for cooking. You will need to cook the foods at another location and keep them warm while transporting them to the meetinghouse.
You don’t want to get your guests sick because you weren’t…read more
Wedding Receptions for the typical LDS bride and groom have come along way from the old standby menu of pastel mints and salted nuts. The basketball hoop in the cultural hall hidden by colorful streamers, and lines on the gymnasium floor covered by fake trees from the foyer, has long since faded from the norm. More often, LDS brides want wedding receptions with professional catering to satisfy their guests and take pressure off their mothers.
Professional full service catering? What’s all the fuss? Catering is pretty straight forward: you cook some food and serve it, right? Although that is the basic idea, there is more to it, a lot more! In fact…read more
Traditionally, every bride and groom has a guest book at their wedding reception to help them remember who attended and make sure they have everyone’s current address for thank you cards.
Today’s guest books can be traditional, contemporary, or just plain off the wall – here’s what you need to know about having a guest book at your wedding or reception.
It’s important to…read more
No matter what your wedding reception is like, you’re going to need some type of table covering. The choices range from the flimsy dollar-store plastic tablecloths to heavyweight luxury linens rented from a professional. Most LDS brides prefer to fall somewhere in the middle of this spectrum.
If you are holding your reception in the cultural hall of your ward or branch, then prepare for some good news: the Relief Society or ward activities committee most likely has a few dozen white or cream-colored tablecloths on hand that they will lend to you for use in the chapel, completely free of charge.
You are responsible for…read more
From the traditional to the unconventional, today’s Latter-day Saint wedding receptions are being held at all kinds of places.
Backyards, cultural halls, or local ballrooms and event centers will probably always remain staples for LDS wedding receptions. But untraditional venues like museums, art galleries, dinner cruises, country clubs, hotels, and restaurants are now becoming popular reception destinations, as well.
When choosing a location, weigh the cost, atmosphere, and what services are included if you book it for your wedding reception. If it’s an outdoor location, make sure there are backup plans in case of extreme weather.
Locations that specialize in doing wedding receptions (such as local banquet halls, ballrooms, or event centers) usually include…read more
Deciding on a buffet rather than a sit-down dinner gives you a lot of peace of mind when you’re in the throes of wedding planning: you’re juggling so many expenses that saving money with a buffet feels great. But now you need to decide what to serve at your wedding buffet!
Whether your buffet is catered or you’re putting it together yourself, here are some essential things you need to know about wedding buffet food selection.
Wedding caterers who do buffets generally offer different packages of food at tiered price levels. This simplifies the process for them and for you.
Look carefully at…read more