Soundtrack

(via)

We all know that music/dancing is in the top three awesome things about weddings (the other two being food, and people we like gettin' hitched), so if you don't have a DJ what should you do? Make your own playlist!! We all have that friend who really wishes they were a professional DJ and with the iPod docks getting cheaper, smaller, and louder by the day you can take your speakers with you to the venue and get a feel for how loud they are. If not, talk to a friend in a band (yeah, you know you have one) and see if they can hook up the speakers to your dock which is something even I can do. (For the record, there are five year olds who can work sound systems better than I can!)

There were some obvious choices (for us, Blues Brothers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Etta James) but then I sat down and started looking at the guest list-- were there songs that I associated with folks that would be good for the event? Were there more musically in touch people than myself who might have a better suggestion than BSB's "Everybody"?

Utilize your guest list, make everyone feel like they're part of the planning process, and take some of the stress off your shoulders all at once!

Something for Everyone!

I've been thinking about this particular subject for a while now-- ever since the press started pondering the menu at Chelsea Clinton's wedding. Many outlets slammed the family's assumed choice of a vegan, gluten-free wedding, and shamed them for pressing their own dietary needs on the guests, and though I generally would agree with that, I'm quite certain that the Clinton/Mezvinsky event had enough funding to get some tip top options. But what about you? What if you can't afford to dish out $100/head? 

I believe that you should put out something for everyone at your reception-- yes, the wedding day is "all about you" but your guests are there to help you celebrate and have surely been a part of your life and therefore a part of everything leading up to this day. Notice that I didn't say audience, I said guests... When you have an intimate dinner party, it's easier to know off the top of your head if you should adjust the menu for allergies or dietary lifestyles, but a party of more than 10? That gets tricky.

This is where a buffet comes in handy-- sure, it's not as formal as a sit down dinner, but that doesn't mean it can't be just as classy and high-brow. These days, companies like Avalon Catering offer some amazing choices for a cocktail reception (fancy speak for buffet), including Georgia peaches wrapped in serrano ham, cheese and preserves, tortellini, pork shoulder, and oh so many more. If you're doing stations (another form of buffet), they offer h'ors dourves like gazpacho, lighter fare like bean salad, sage tarts, pasta salads, and main courses like Georgia trout and beef brisket! 

The point is that no matter your dietary needs and the needs of your guests, looking in to the cocktail and station alternatives may be the best way to suit everyone's needs and provide delicious food at the same time!

The buffet at my friend Jill-Marie's wedding-- Chopped BBQ Pork, Crab Souffle, Fresh Crudite, Stone Ground Grits, Cheddar Cheese Ring