Food for Fetes: Catering Trends for 2012

It's been a while since my last blog and I"m feeling a bit rusty, but I did want to share with you the newest trends in catering that the March/April Special Events Magazine highlighted for 2012! You can check out the full article here.

Most couples put a lot of thought and careful planning into what they serve their wedding guests and I always appreciate the careful consideration when I attend a wedding! Let's start with your guests first introduction to your reception fete:

The Cocktail Hour:

Have you heard of infusion bars?

(Champagne infusion bar photo courtesy of Project Wedding )

Infusion bars allow guests to customize their libations by adding syrups, fruit, liqeuors, etc. It also is sure to encourage connection and conversation among your guests!

There can also be wine tasting receptions! Guests can start the reception in a wine cellar and partake in a private wine tasting complete with custom wedding labels and corks! This would be ideal for a rustic or garden/vineyard theme.

How about more playful savory mini cupcakes and lolipops for your guests? You definitely want to think about bite-sized options for your guests during the cocktail hour and who wouldn't enjoy a savory cupcake favorite like Lobster and manchego cupcakes with chive creme fraiche icing? Oh, my!

The Main Course:

Now that you've treated your guets to Champagne, Martini or Vodka infusion bars and then teased them with savory bite-size apetizers it's time to really treat them and their taste buds!

Spring and summer weddings would definitely shock guests with Chilled soup stations. You can treat guests to seasonal chilled soups and even follow up with fruit soups for dessert. My husband would go nuts for classic tomato gazpacho with grilled shrimp and cilantro oil!

How about Fusion Cuisine? I've actually seen these for a while, but cross-cultural cooking is still a hit and I've seen classic American and Latin American fusions as well as American and Laio. Sushi? Dim Sum? Yes, please!

Ever think of using small plates for your guests to sample your fete? Having different stations and utilizing small plates keeps the feel of your reception more casual and fun with less formality like plated dinners.

My favorite: Dessert

We know that cupcakes have stolen the classic wedding cake's thunder, but another viral sugary treat that has hit the scene thanks to Pinterest Cakes in a jar! Induvidual cakes are baked in jars, mismatched vintage teacups or mugs in uniform colors that complement the wedding's overall theme. How precious!

Dessert stations with one-bite assorted finger sweets, think themed candies and cake pops, are always a hit! I see guests digging into these all night long!

Ice cream pops are very new (I haven't seen them yet!) but would treat your guests to a cool refreshment in the very hot summer months we have here in the south. Salted caramel, raspberry chocolate chile, coconut mango, espresso bean, orange pistachio and Swiss vanilla almond, too many great choices just might make me visit twice!

The After Party:

You definitely work up a large appetite as you hit the dance floor and dance until the late hours of the night and you're sure to need something to soak up the infusion bar drinks too! Take guests back to their childhood with grilled cheese sandwiches! We're not talking about Wonder Bread and Veleeta cheese slices here, but meat and cheese combos such as slow cooked short ribs with fontina cheese, duck confit with Brie, and Maine lobster with Gruyere!

There's always the grilled cheese sandwich with tomota soup shooters, and shoe-string fries washed down with mini-milkshakes (LOVE this one!), French toast cubes with nutella hazelnut spread, blueberry sauce or chocolate ganache offer a sweet ending to the night!

Defining the terms: Wedding Planner and day-of-coordinator

Most wedding planners (including myself) are asked this question: What's the difference between a wedding planner and a day-of-coordinator?

The Winter 2012 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings directly answered this question!

Acutally, they're all planners. but their roles change depending on what you hire them for. If you want help with pretty much everything-from setting a budget to sourcing favors-this is considered full-service planning. You'll need to bring someone on months in advance, and they'll work with you all the way up to the big day, which they'll spend finalizing last-minute details and troubleshooting unexpected problems.

If you'd like to handle most things yourself (DIY bride), but want someone to setp in when the date draws close, most planners also provide day-of services. In this situation, theyll come onboard a few weeks early. First, they'll wrap her head around the plans you've already made and create an itinerary for the day. Then, they'll become the point person for your vendors. Day-of, they'll be on-site to make sure people and objects are where they need to be.

*Did you know that I offer both services, but specialize in day-of coordination?!

2012 Arkansas Razorback Football Schedule

Well, the Hogs wrapped up a great year on January 6th as they beat Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl!! We know how serious football is here in the south and we definitely don't want your guestlist to dwindle by scheduling your wedding on a home Razorback game! (I've seen it happen all too often!)

2012 Arkansas Razorbacks Schedule (1 game to be added)

Sept. 1 Jacksonville State Home

Sept. 8 Louisiana-Monroe Home

Sept. 15 Alabama Home

Sept. 22 *Potential Home/Away Game or Open Date (TBD)

Sept. 29 vs. Texas A&M# TBD

Oct. 6 at Auburn Auburn, Ala.

Oct. 13 Kentucky Home

Oct. 20 * Potential Home/Away Game or Open Date (TBD)

Oct. 27 Ole Miss Home

Nov. 3 Tulsa Home Nov. 10 at South Carolina Columbia, S.C.

Nov. 17 at Mississippi State Starkville, Miss.

Nov. 24 LSU Home

* Additional non-conference game will be added on Sept. 22 or Oct. 20. Other date will be open date. # Texas A&M will be the home team at site to be determined

Have you heard?

If you are reading ANY bridal magazine, you have seen an advertisement for Dessy. Dessy group is the leading manufacturer of bridesmaids dresses, social occasions dresses, flower girl dresses and destination wedding gowns. Dessy, together with Pantone LLC, the global authority on color and provider of professional color for the design industries, have launched the Pantone Wedding color guide. This is the ultimate wedding color guide for brides and planners. The Pantone Wedding color guide is a collection of color tools that makes it easy for a bride to achieve a perfectly color-coordinated wedding.

The HOT color for 2010 is Pantone 15-5519. Otherwise known as Turquoise!

Dessy allows you to choose a wedding day color palette and also create inspiration boards that you can share with your bridal party, family and vendors. You can also order swatches or cards of your chosen colors to make sure your colors are spot on! This is an invaluable site for the bride who hasn't quite decided what colors to choose, or what accent colors to use. I"m totally

addicted to this site!

Black, charcoal and pale yellow

New England Shoreline

Oyster, Daisy and Clementine

Color Mania!

I love color! I love monochromatic schemes, warm tones, pastels, and off the wall color combinations; I love it all! Brides usually know right away that they want "pink" as a wedding color, but may have a difficult time deciding what color(s) to choose as accents. You can check here for a great color design source! I could spend hours on this site choosing a monochromatic, complementary, and triad color combination. 2010 has lots of fabulous new color trends and I am sure you can find a color scheme that will wow you and your guests!

Planning 101- Budget

It is probably THE busiest planning season for brides, and coordinators! Thousands of brides are just beginning their wedding planning and realizing what a daunting task this is! It isn't just fun details like deciding on colors and the gorgeous dress, but the headaches of bigger issues, like your budget! To those of you who read my blog you are aware that I do not condone going into debt to pay for your one "perfect" day, but to decide on a wedding budget and stick with it.

First, decide who is going to help contribute to your wedding. If you are one of the 59% of today's couples paying for your wedding, you should know what your budget is early on and be able to stick with it. Are your parents paying for 100% or only certain expenses?

Second, sit down with both sets of parents and have the "budget talk". If they are willing to contribute, how much? Are your parents paying for certain expenses like the dress ,cake, reception and lodging? Are the groom's parents paying for the caterer and alcohol? Everyone needs to feel comfortable with what they are able and willing to help pay for.

Third, will the money go into a special wedding account,will they give you the total amount up front, or will they provide you with the money when the vendors need to be paid? Getting all of this settled in the beginning will help to ease stress as the wedding plans progress and more and more vendors are required payment simultaneously.

Once you know how much your wedding budget is you should start to feel more comfortable as you begin to contact vendors. You should also decide which details of your planning are more important to you. Are you just hard set on getting married in this church, but not so picky about the species of flowers in your bouquet? Are you just determined to have this specific DJ and ice sculpture? You can give your budget an adjustment when you determine what is really most important to you and your groom.

Where to start your wedding planning process

Two weeks ago officially started the Engagement season and with that, the wedding planning season. There are thousands of brides currently planning their Spring and Summer 2010 weddings and the reality is setting in; this is a HUGE process! Brides today are completely overwhelmed with the amount of information available to them in print and online. Here are a few suggestions to help get you started in a calm and organized manner. Enjoy!

1) Decide on your budget

As I've mentioned in previous posts, the average wedding in Northwest Arkansas ranges from $16,000 to $25,000. This is a large amount of money to plan this one "perfect" day and it is not recommended that you come home from your glorious honeymoon to mounds of wedding debt. According to the December 2009 issue of Brides, 59% of today's brides and grooms are paying for their wedding themselves. Decide who is contributing to the wedding and how much they are contributing. Are your parents covering 100% of the bill or are they willing to just cover certain categories (attire, catering and venues). Make sure that you set your expectations in line with your budget and decide which items are the most important to you and what other items are negotiable.

• Remember that the easiest way to control your budget is to control your guest list.

2) Selecting your Venue(s)


Many brides tend to pick their wedding date because they desire a June or October wedding, their parents were married on the selected date, etc. only to find out that the venue they desperately want is booked. If you begin planning early enough you might get lucky and get both! Keep in mind when selecting your ceremony and reception venues the type of event you want for your wedding. Does the modern museum help with your sailing theme? Does the Celtic church help with your chic modern theme?

• Keep in mind the number of invited guests


• The season


• The time of day your ceremony and reception begin

3) Selecting your date

Be cautious when selecting your wedding date that you are not booking on a major holiday or on a three day weekend. You can schedule your date, but this may affect your guest's attendance. Make sure that you give your guests plenty of notice (four to six months in advance) if you plan to marry on a holiday or long weekend so that they can make arrangements. Also make sure that your venue is suitable for your wedding season. Your guests will appreciate the proper venue and accommodations in the rainy and cooler seasons

4) Selecting your Style/Theme

This is where the fun begins! This is where you and your bridegroom get to personalize YOUR wedding day. You can choose a color scheme, theme, style, favorite hobby, favorite city/state/country, whatever you want and have fun. Once again, make sure that your venue is suitable for the style of wedding you are wanting.

5) Guest list

Begin compiling your guest list early. The best way to approach the guest list is to have you and your fiance compile your own lists and then have both sets of your parents compile their lists. Bring all four lists together, cross off any duplicate names and start from there.

Tips:

• If you have never met nor seen someone in twenty years, it might be best to send them a Wedding Announcement after the event.
• When it comes to co-workers you are not obligated to invite your entire office. You can invite those that you are truly close to and send an Announcement to the rest of the office staff.
• Make sure that your guest count is in line with your budget and venue capacity
  

6) Vendors

Wedding vendors are all vying for your business! You should research all vendors; check out their websites, blogs, Facebook pages, portfolios, testimonials, etc. Make sure that the vendor is someone credible and legitimate. Once you have selected your venue(s), wedding date and budget schedule an appointment with your top vendors. Be prepared with names of other vendors in case your top vendor(s) is booked for your wedding date. This isn't the case with all vendors, but photographers and wedding coordinators may only book one wedding a weekend.

There are plenty of details that need to be addressed when planning a wedding, but these are the biggest issues that should be handled promptly. Once these have been secured the rest of the planning should begin.



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