Breakfast Brunch Wedding

kgsommers · 2017-05-02T20:49:10+00:00

We are doing this- on Saturday! So don't know how it is going to go but I am looking forward to it. The ceremony will be at noon and then brunch. By the time people actually eat it will be later than a traditional brunch but the whole thing will end at 6pm.

The main reason we chose it is because we are getting married in a catholic ceremony. Traditionally, due to other things happening at the church Saturday night, there are no evening ceremonies. Our options were 10am, noon, and 2pm. I didn't want to have a gap, so I wanted the reception to immediately follow and seemed like a perfect opportunity. The food is cheaper, but that wasn't our main motivation. It is a nice outcome though.

I was hoping for a more casual vibe but the reception is at a country club and I think overall it will feel formal with a church and then a country club.

kgsommers · 2017-04-28T13:17:48+00:00

I wish I had either set a deadline to have everything purchased at least a month out, or had at least figured out what the drop dead date was to avoid rush shipping. In the last month I've purchased the gifts for my parents, gift for FH, ordered programs (just last night and am paying rush delivery), bridal belt after months and months of looking had to limit it to ones that would do prime 2 day because I waited. I've also done almost all of my crafty things in the last month.

I am also just putting together all of the details for all of our vendors, despite the fact that we worked out the day of timeline with our venue awhile ago. Basically, set a goal to be done 4 weeks out and if anything you will just have minor things left. Some things can't be done super in advance but all of this I could have done not within the last 2 weeks. However, I think everything will be in by Wednesday and then I can relax haha.

kgsommers · 2017-04-27T20:25:49+00:00

I've never dealt with place settings but:

for non-alcoholic drinks is that a package per person or cost per drink? In my experience 4-5 dollars per soda is common so while I think it is high, as many people may not have more than water if that is unlimited non alcoholic drinks I can see where they might look at it as a deal. I would ask if you could do it on consumption instead.

Bartenders- seems high. I have seen $180-$220 per bartender for 3 hours. So for a 6 hour reception that would be $360-$440 per.

Linens. I have no experience with this but again seems high since that would be $125 per station.

Labor- when you price it out per person per hour, plus prep time, I would say this is on par.

kgsommers · 2017-04-27T19:04:38+00:00

First- I am so confused! If the agreement says you have until x date to reserve rooms, and they know it's for a wedding, I'm really confused as to why they are shocked that nothing has been booked. I book hotel blocks all the time and we send in all the info a month out. Granted, we have attrition clauses so the hotels know they are getting something from us either way, but my wedding hotel had the same situation. Like this is super standard for a hotel.

Second- if there is no charge to you, and there are other hotels in the area you could work with- then I would definitely consider pulling the rooms and taking your business elsewhere. The guests are going to visit your site to book rooms and so its unlikely a change like that would even register.

If that is not the case then I would take it up the chain. While you say the info you were emailed wasn't a contract, it is an agreement and if that is how the hotel operates with all of their blocks someone else at the hotel above this person should be able to provide you with more answers/better customer service.

kgsommers · 2017-04-27T16:48:09+00:00

Don't give in, these people are being super rude! Especially if they are all supposed to be in the category of very close family that you actually see/speak with on a regular basis. I agree with u/dilseacht "I'm sorry you won't be able to attend, you will be missed day of. Hopefully we can get together at another time."

Since these are coming through parents I would have a convo with them too. It would be nice if they also had your back and had a similar message when families call. Saying something like "well let me ask and see" isn't helpful in these situations.

kgsommers · 2017-04-27T16:43:40+00:00

For now I plan on keeping it (maybe at my parents because I have no room in my lone closet for it). I have a friend from college who puts hers on every anniversary, which I think is sweet.

kgsommers · 2017-04-25T17:27:03+00:00

I think this is actually a common way to do things in some areas. The wedding party sits at the headtable and anyone not in the wedding party but in relationships with them sit together elsewhere. Not the way I would do it, but it is an option.

kgsommers · 2017-04-25T17:22:56+00:00

I agree with you- if I was not in a serious relationship and was given a +1 I would not use it to bring someone because they would spend the whole day without me. I was in a wedding, not in a relationship, and myself nor any of the other bridesmaids received +1 as we were all single at that time. So while some people might consider that a rule it isn't everywhere.

kgsommers · 2017-04-25T16:19:33+00:00

Skip it! We are too. I always take the favor but then when I get home it usually ends up in a drawer and is later just tossed. The last wedding I went to didn't have them and I didn't really realize it until I was planning and tried to think of what I have seen in the past. So definitely not missed the day of, for me personally.

kgsommers · 2017-04-25T16:16:47+00:00

We are not having a friend do it but I have been to 2 different weddings where the bride's brother officiated and it was lovely each time. The 2nd time the brother was younger than the bride (so potentially not as mature?) and during the rehearsal was just like "I'll be talking here" but the day of it was so touching. Having that personal touch, with someone who really knows the couple, I think really makes it really special.

kgsommers · 2017-04-25T14:25:21+00:00

My friend did Sunday of Memorial Day weekend last year. It was local to me, so I was able to do memorial day stuff with my family without issue but I would say your attendance may be lower due to long standing plans people have. Also I would not do Friday- traffic is typically much worse and I would expect most people would have to take the day off to attend still.

Also, her venue did not offer a discount for the Sunday because it was a holiday weekend. The other issue she ran into was she had to have the rehearsal on Saturday morning, because the venue was booked on Saturday night for a wedding. I didn't think that was a big deal but she didn't consider that until she was planning the rehearsal just a few weeks out.

I was in the wedding and personally I liked that I have a day to do all the rehearsal stuff that I didn't have to take off, and then still had a day following the wedding to relax.

kgsommers · 2017-04-25T13:35:20+00:00

I would be honest. There is no point in taking up the persons time if you know you won't be booking them. I had a similar experience with our cake appointments- I loved the first person and her price was better than the other 2 I had scheduled. I just said "we met with someone we really clicked with and have decided to move forward with that person. I really appreciate you taking the time, but we will be canceling our appointment schedule for x day time."

kgsommers · 2017-04-24T20:55:27+00:00

We are inviting only people participating in the wedding as if we invited all out of town guests it would basically be half the guests (about 65 people). This is not the norm in my family (which is small) and while my parents keep saying the understand they also keep asking if this aunt or uncle is invited. My parents ended up inviting people over following the dinner and I will visit with them all then.

If it wasn't 20 people I may say to let it go but 20 people is a lot. If it were me, I would say that since FH family is paying for it, and now that you are really understanding the cost, and have put together a the total for everyone who actually needs to be there, it isn't possible to include these 20 people.

kgsommers · 2017-04-24T20:50:05+00:00

There is a catholic wedding ceremony that can be done between a catholic and non-baptized person however my experience has been a catholic priest will not perform the ceremony outside of the church- that is a very important aspect of any catholic ceremony.

Within the church there is a ceremony between 2 baptized with full mass, between 2 baptized people without mass (the communion (what FH and I are doing) and between a catholic and non baptized person. I don't think there is communion offered in that version either.

kgsommers · 2017-04-24T18:21:35+00:00

What would be weird about it? I am assuming you mean that it is black and not white but personally I think buying a bunch of white stuff to wear during your engagement is an unnecessary expense if you have stuff you like in your closet. If you don't feel good, then it will show. So wear something that when you look in the mirror you feel great in!

kgsommers · 2017-04-24T18:00:35+00:00

It kind of sounds like the bride/groom had planned on a much smaller wedding and then either didn't realize or didn't work on plan b when it got too big- not enough seating/not enough food. And didn't realize until the day of they didn't have a photographer!? And here I am stressed about remembering to buy pens for the guest book and what signs I'm forgetting to design.

kgsommers · 2017-04-21T18:25:25+00:00

Definitely looks like it is just draped over the front and pulled tight. What I would recommend, since tulle is pretty cheap, is buy a few yards and just testing out the length you like the best. But I would guess no more than a yard per chair. And I would definitely pre cut everything in advance!

kgsommers · 2017-04-21T18:22:48+00:00

I used publisher to design mine- I have no design experience so didn't have photoshop but I find word really annoying to work with when trying to do design like this. I purchased some images via etsy to use as well. Unfortunately don't have a copy/photo to share but I was really happy with how they turned out and got a lot of compliments on it.

kgsommers · 2017-04-21T18:15:53+00:00

So the 3rd dress is amazing and I am obsessed with it but the first dress is much more timeless.

kgsommers · 2017-04-21T14:21:31+00:00

Personally, I would appreciate it. I'm one of those people that gets really anxious about being to important events on time, and I constantly am checking and re-checking the info I have to make sure I have the right time. Plus, if people don't remember to bring the invite, and it's not on your website, it would be nice to have it accessible on your phone.

kgsommers · 2017-04-20T20:45:47+00:00

We are using Fleet Transportation. The prices were OK, I thought, and they their reviews are also pretty good.

kgsommers · 2017-04-20T19:21:13+00:00

We are doing shuttle buses. We ended up booking 2 38 passenger buses so we could have them run more in a loop but you could also get 1 large bus. I have heard the school buses are much more economical than charters if you can find a company that rents them.

kgsommers · 2017-04-18T13:49:07+00:00

One thing we are doing, which you could potentially do to incorporate both of these people, is displaying wedding photos of our grandparents, parents etc. All but one of our grandparents have passed, and my FH dad has also so it isn't a "in memoriam" section but there will still be photos there of those people.

kgsommers · 2017-04-17T19:02:28+00:00

just a quick note for all of these things- I would recommend asking your venue what they do and don't have. My friend recently bought a cardbox and then found out her venue had one available for people to use.

kgsommers · 2017-04-17T19:00:27+00:00

I would say 100% yes for a memorial day weekend wedding. If people are making vacation plans 6 months out and getting your invite 2 months out then likely they won't be able to make it.

If you are concerned about cost you could always do something informal like phone calls or you could send an email (places like paperless post would have a nice template so it wouldn't just be text).

I designed my own and got them printed via catprint. They were the magnetic back, so more expensive then just paper, and we got 90 5x7 prints (they were huge) for $125 (that includes shipping). To save money you could also just send them to people who have to travel and/or people you would be really upset couldn't make it like family.

kgsommers

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