Posts Tagged ‘caterer’

So we have decided. We are going to forge ahead and have an all vegetarian wedding. Which is a load off of mine, I have to be honest that I struggled with it because outside Lash, my dad, my dad’s second wife, and myself there are no other vegetarians (that I know of) that will be coming to our wedding. Most of the people that we know are avid meat lovers so I really didn’t want to put people at odds over our reception. I get like that at times, I get wrapped up in making sure everyone else has a wonderful time that I forget the reasoning behind why everyone will be gathered there in the first place. Which is, to celebrate the love that Lash and I both share.

I figure that I have gone to plenty of places and a couple of weddings where I couldn’t really eat anything and I put my feelings aside because the event was not about me. After all, vegetarian doesn’t mean a reception that serves nothing but salad! Hell, I love myself salad (which is not a requirement, I know plenty of vegetarians that hate vegetables – it is quite funny) but I would go crazy if I was surrounded by a sea of leafy greens!  So, I have resubmitted proposals to the caterers that we are looking at in Maryland changing our food options to all vegetarian to see what they come up.

I can’t wait to see the options, even though I wish we were allowed to bring in our own caterer because there is a place that we love (well, we love the Atlanta locale – we have to try the DC one) called Soul Vegetarian, which is an all vegan American, soul food restaurant. They are small with a few locations along the Southeast, they have one in both Atlanta and Charleston. The prices are reasonable, the food is delicious (well, I’ve only had the barbecued kale bone as a entree because it is so damn good) and they cater!

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We are now in the stage of planning where I need to start thinking about catering.

And I am terrified.

For reasons unknown to me, I cannot shake this strange fear of choosing a caterer and everything that comes along with it. Everything else about wedding plans has been fun in at least some way. But the thought of sitting down with a professional and breaking down our menu just does not appeal to me. The oddest part is that Rose and I both LOVE food. However, even when throwing parties at our place, my biggest stress is always what to feed people, how much to get, how long it will take to make, how to clean it up and if guests will enjoy it. I can turn into quite the frazzled hostess!

I hate going anywhere unprepared. I never travel to a new place without my trusty GPS and a printout of the directions and having looked at the exact location on Google Earth so I am completely ready for anything. I’m the type of girl that shows up to an interview with three unnecessary copies of my resume “just in case.” Yes I was a Girl Scout, and I just so happen to still live by that motto.

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So to recap, my fiancée and I are currently debating wedding venues. Should we have it in DC or Maryland (hopefully, MD will legalize soon), factor being the cost. I told my father after our dramatic Christmas trip back up north, thankfully he is on aboard. I have my maid of honor – well, I didn’t officially ask her; we just knew that she as going to assume her rightful place (LOL) right next to me. I am going to my first LGBT wedding expo here in Atlanta this Sunday – I will be taking plenty of pictures – and then I’ll be going somewhere to watch the Superbowl (see how I prioritize?).

Now the hard part is coming, saving up money for the wedding. Our budget is going to be S10, 000 and I’m going to try my best to tow that line, which is why I’m leaning more towards having the wedding in Baltimore over DC; while at the same time, I’m trying my best not to panic.

$10,000 is a big chunk of change to me but I feel when it comes to the wedding industry it is seen as laughable. I am worried that when some things fall through the cracks (which they will, it just happens) that the end results might bite us on the butt. My main concern is with food and alcohol because of how damn expensive it is. I have already started my hand wringing, so thinking of my sanity, I happily signed over this task to the fiancée and she seems to be enjoying it.

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So the wedding happened! You’re married! Huzzah! The planning is over, everything was amazing, so now you can relax and not worry about wedding crap EVER AGAIN.

Except not.

You definitely have earned a break, but don’t get too comfortable… there’s still stuff to be done! Wrapping up with your vendors is important, and the sooner you take care of the things the sooner your transition into married life! Below are some tips for following up with your vendors.

Paying: If you’re being billed after-the-fact by any of your vendors, make sure to take care of it as soon as that bill arrives. Leaving it too long is going to sour the happy memory of your special day while it’s hanging over your head. And don’t forget to tip when appropriate!

Photographer: It’s a really great to have an idea ahead of time what sort of follow-up our going to want/need/have with your photographer. While you might not be able to nail down a specific date, do try to establish before the wedding a basic time-frame in which you can expect to follow-up with your photographer after you are back to normal post-wedding life. Our photographer was really great, in that we got to have a full conversation after-the-fact about what all the next steps were, and how to proceed with selections, ordering, product choices, and our expectations for timelines.

Catering/DJs/Florists/Etc.: While it’s not necessary, it is a great idea to follow up with your some vendors if you’ve had a great experience. It can be good to contact the person/planner you were dealing directly with to say a simple thank you, or even write a letter or email to their manager/owner commending the work and service you were provided with. And some vendors participate in online rating listings, so be sure to rate/recommend/leave comments if appropriate. This is definitely not a must, but depending on your situation it can be nice to maintain a good relationship – you never know when you might want to use their services again in the future for any number of things like birthday parties, events for work, etc.

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