Archive for the ‘guests’ Category

Gild the Lily

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

When it comes to hosting your wedding guests it feels great to gild the lily whenever possible.  Of course it’s easier to gild if you’ve got a gold leaf budget, but here are seven simple ways:

Greet your guests with cocktails upon arrival at the ceremony site (if it’s not religious, or at 10am that is!).  If it’s a mid-afternoon ceremony in the summer or you’d prefer not to serve alcohol you may want to serve lemonade and iced tea before the ceremony. 

Have a slightly longer cocktail hour (an hour and a half will do) with ample food offerings.  Serve a signature cocktail or two and allow folks to mingle and enjoy being your guest.  Don’t forget to include some non-alcoholic beverages, too.

Place a flower or fresh herb at each table setting either in the napkin fold or on the edge of the plate. 

Go for a live band.  If dancing is something you love to do there is nothing like live music!

Serve a small slice of cake to each guest with a chocolate truffle and/or cream puff on one small plate with a piece of fruit as a ‘dessert course’.

Offer coffee and hot cider to guests as they leave your reception along with chocolate-chip cookies or cider donuts for a final treat as they walk out the door!

Arrange for transportation back to the hotel/inn from the wedding for your guests.  You can skip the limo for your wedding party and arrange for everyone to get a lift that may want one.

Orange mokara orchid with lavender.

Photo:  Daria Bishop Photographers.

Wait! I’m in the middle of nowhere!

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

For some of your guests travelling to Vermont may seem like a far away place.  Introduce your guests to the state you love so much by telling them why you chose Vermont for your wedding weekend (if it is not already obvious!) and give them a list of fun things to do.  Aside from a local map it’s a great idea to give some insider tips about breakfast, lunch and dinner spots (including whether or not they should expect a long wait for a particular location or can make a reservation) and suggest activities for different ages & physical abilities considering your friends with children as well as avid bikers, hikers and hard core shoppers.  Try to steer people in the right direction so they see the best of what your chosen location has to offer.  For example if you are having a wedding in Burlington during Jazz Fest it would be great to give your guests a heads up or if there is a farmer’s market nearby you could direct them to it.  Free concerts, museums, parks, wineries, pick-your-own blueberries/raspberries/apples, orchard-made cider donuts and much more are ripe for the picking.  Find travel tips on vermontvacation.com.

Out-of-town Guests

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Whether you are a destination couple or a hometown crew it is likely that you will have a portion of your guest list travelling to your Vermont wedding.  Planning from your guests’ perspective is the key to planning a great wedding weekend.  Consider these tips to be the ultimate host-and-hostess with the mostess:

  1. Host a welcome reception the day or two before your wedding.  This can be as informal as a BBQ or cocktail hour at a local pub or something a step away from a rehearsal dinner depending on your budget and style of the wedding.
  2. Create a printed itinerary or newsletter that your guests will receive upon check-in at their hotel.  Include a local map, a list of your favorite dinner and breakfast spots, shopping or hiking areas (depending on your sport!) and information about the weekend (like directions and timing for the wedding day so people don’t arrive late).
  3. Invite as many out-of-town guests to the rehearsal dinner as you possibly can.  
  4. Put welcome baskets in the hotel rooms of your guests with a note welcoming them to VT!  It can be as simple as a couple of water bottles, some local baked goods and chocolates or as elaborate as a bottle of wine, local bread or crackers, chocolate truffles or toffee, fresh fruit and granola bars.  If you can’t do the basket at least do the note or the newsletter!
  5. Budget Tip:  Consider taking your “favor funds” and putting them towards welcome baskets or a welcome reception.
  6. Try to provide 2 options for your guests’ lodging so they can select a room with a rate that suits their budget.  Some guests may stay an extra night to enjoy a long weekend!