By Heather Cole – Bekker’s Catering | Expert Advice
When you begin planning a wedding, it can be truly remarkable how quickly the numbers start adding up. Especially now, with food costs on the rise, paying for a wedding can seem like an insurmountable task. The first question many couples ask me is “what can we do without?” and I thought that would be the perfect topic to discuss in this month’s article.
Of course, it is natural to want to save the most money possible when planning a wedding. Instinctually, we will try to rationalize cutting corners where the corner is the sharpest. In recent years everyone and their Aunt Mildred believes that with the help of their trusty iPod, they are DJ Funky Fresh. I get asked at least once a week “can’t we just use our iPod and a speaker for the music?” There are a plentitude of problems with this. First, you are pretty busy on your wedding day. You have more important things to do than try to figure out why your favorite gangster rap song started playing instead of the Bridal March. You also probably do not work for the Geek Squad, and there is always the possibility of a technical malfunction. The main problem with cutting a DJ, is that they are the only connection between your plans and your guests. The DJ adheres to your timeline, they know which music goes where, they release tables for dinner, they announce your entrances and dances, they coordinate any games or activities you may have, and generally control the flow and feeling of your event. I have been the Master of Ceremonies at a wedding, and without years of experience with weddings, I do not believe that I would have been capable of successfully completing the task. There are a lot of things you can live without, but a DJ is not one of them.
In your mind’s eye, you have a vision of your wedding. You can see the table settings, the flowers, the decorations, the elaborate candy bar…who is going to set up all of those things? What about after the festivities? When the music stops and the happy couple slip away for their first night in wedded bliss, who will be left holding the trash bag? Set-up and clean-up are both VITAL tasks. This is one project that occasionally works out to coordinate yourself. Now, I am not going to tell you that you will not have problems getting your friends and family to follow through with their agreement to help set up and clean up, but it can be done. If you have reliable (and sober) friends and family who are outside your bridal party and parents, and they want to help, let them. Make lists of what you need set up and how/where everything goes, what needs to be monitored throughout the evening, and what needs to be cleaned up before leaving the venue. Some venues allow you to return the following day for clean-up, in which case it is much easier to coordinate. Give each task to a specific person, and plan out everything ahead of time. If you can afford to hire someone for set-up and clean-up, of course I would suggest it, but in this instance, good planning and great friends can save you.
Cake cutting and champagne corkage are also services that you may or may not require. Cake cutting is absolutely necessary if you are having a tiered cake. There are very specific ways to cut tiered cakes, and chances are, you have not been trained in proper cake cutting procedure. You also need to think about plates, forks & napkins, and who will be getting the cake to your guests. If you are having a sheet cake or cupcakes, it is not unrealistic to have a friend take care of it for you. Cutting a sheet cake is easy, and passing out cupcakes isn’t impossible either. Just make sure you have enough plates, forks and napkins for all of your guests, and an apron for the designated cake cutter. Champagne corkage is the opening, pouring and passing of your champagne. Some venues and/or caterers provide the champagne, as well as the service, but be sure to check. If you’re going a more D.I.Y. route, and providing your own champagne, you need to keep in mind the steps that lead to the toast. The champagne needs to be chilled, all the bottles need to be opened, and the champagne needs to make its way into champagne flutes or glasses. If you are attempting to coordinate this yourself, it may be easiest to get a bottle of champagne to each table, and ask your guests to pour for themselves. This will work out fine, but make sure to have the champagne flutes pre-set on the tables, the champagne chilled with plenty of time before the toast, and someone to open the bottles and pass them out.
Last but not least, a wedding coordinator can make or break your wedding. If it is within your budget, a coordinator can truly save the day. Aside from setting up décor, coordinating with your vendors, controlling the flow of the event and troubleshooting throughout the event, a coordinator can help you sort out what will work best for you, and how best to save money. Not all weddings need a coordinator, but speaking with one can help you decide if yours is one that does!
If you have any questions, or need any advice, feel free to email me at [email protected] and I will be happy to help!
