Which Is Right for You? Plated vs. Buffet Dinner Service

Haley McMackin Photography

One of the biggest discussions couples have around wedding planning is what will be served for the wedding reception. It's one of those family discussions where everyone feels very strongly about having a plated dinner service versus having a buffet. The wedding reception makes up between 48–52 percent of the average wedding budget. A lot of which will depend on your preference of food, liquor, and type of dinner service you decide upon. Today on the blog we are sharing the pros and cons of each to help you choose which is right for you!

---

J. Sonive Photography

Buffets

One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding a buffet reception is that it's less expensive than a plated dinner. Typically, caterers need to plan for extra food to ensure that there's enough of everything for each person, even if they're taking multiple portions, which will up the costs. A buffet can be made more affordable by picking extremely inexpensive entrées. Pasta entrées and multiple vegetable side dishes can create a menu that would be less expensive than a steak, chicken, or fish entrée.

Consider the feel you want for your wedding reception. If you're looking for a reception where people are going to pack the dance floor, enjoy a photo booth, and party all night long, a buffet where service moves reasonably quickly with salad and entrées being served at the same time might be more your style.

---

Molly McElenney Photography

A Plated Reception

If you're a foodie and want a more leisurely multicourse dinner, a plated dinner service might be a better fit for your reception. It allows your guests to select a specific entrée in advance, so they know what to expect. A plated entrée typically takes a little longer to serve and enjoy, often consisting of an appetizer or salad followed by an entrée and dessert.

It might surprise some couples to know that often found when comparing the same protein for a plated reception versus buffet, the plated dinner service has proven to be less expensive. This is because caterers have a confirmed guest count and are able to control the number of portions of each item being served, therefore controlling their costs.

---

Shaleena Danielle Photography

Mix Things Up

If you've looked at your style and preference but are still unsure about food service for your wedding reception, try mixing things up a bit! If a buffet is more your style and you want wedding guests to be able to get up and party, but you want a little more upscale feel, you have a few great options. Offering a pre-plated salad on tables or adding a chef attended action or carving station can dress up the guest experience while still giving them options to choose from. One of the popular “mix things up” for dinner style has been taco grills and food carts. Think outside the box if you like to wow your guest a fun way with dinner service.

Whether you're considering a plated or buffet reception, take a look at what elements of your wedding reception are most important to the two of you and build from there. Either way, your guests will surely have a wonderful time celebrating!

Happy Planning

XOXO

Content: www.theaisleguide.com

Wondering if You Should Let Your Bridesmaids Choose Their Own Dresses?

Haley McMackin Photography

You whittled down your social circle into the perfect wedding party and now it’s time to decide what everyone’s going to wear.

While it’s not necessary for the wedding party to wear matching outfits, many couples like to achieve a cohesive look. Traditionally, bridesmaids wear the same dress or outfit. This helps the bride stand out, makes for cohesive photos, and also helps other wedding guests identify the members of the wedding party. However, many couples are loosening the reins and even letting bridesmaids choose their own dresses. There are a few benefits to this—and, of course, a few downsides. Here’s everything you need to know to achieve the look you want.

---

Haley McMackin Photography

Why would I let my bridesmaids choose their own dresses?

We get it: It’s your wedding and it can feel easier to maintain control and just put your girls in the same dress. There are some pluses to giving your bridesmaids this freedom, though.

• Comfort. Anyone who’s ever been a bridesmaid (or dress shopped for that matter) understands that being assigned a specific dress isn’t ideal. What works for one body doesn’t necessarily work for another and the potential resulting discomfort of a unified bridal party look can leave your bridesmaids feeling meh. If they can choose their own dresses, they can seek out styles and cuts that flatter their figures.

• Confidence. In that same vein, when you look good, you feel good. Let your bridesmaids choose dresses they love (or at least feel comfortable in) and they’ll radiate confidence, not discomfort on your wedding day.

• Price. Money is often one of the biggest pain points for bridal parties. It’s expensive to be a bridesmaid! You don’t have to worry about settling on a price point that fits into everyone’s budget (or feeling guilty for choosing expensive dresses) if you let your bridesmaids choose their own dresses.

Haley McMackin Photography

Couldn’t this go a little off the rails?

Definitely. Offering your bridesmaids free rein to choose their outfits for your wedding is nerve-wracking. You don’t want to end up with an entirely mismatched situation (unless you do!). There are some cons to letting your bridesmaids choose their own dresses.

• Cohesion. Obviously, if you let your bridesmaids choose their own dresses they won’t, well, wear the same dress. If you really want a traditionally cohesive look, maybe reconsider this route.

• Confusion. Too much of anything isn’t great—the same is true for bridal party freedom. Without any guidelines at all, you may find yourself answering a lot of texts about what’s OK and what’s not—from materials to color to price to length and more.

What are some Guidelines for Letting Bridesmaids Choose Their Own Dresses

Make the dress hunt easy for your bridesmaids and yourself by being clear about what you really do and don’t want.

Be specific.

Sure, you told your girls you wanted everyone in seafoam green. Great! No, not great. When we say be specific, we mean be specific. If you have a look in mind, be clear about that. Here are some details you may want to be extra clear about:

• Dress color. If you have a dress color in mind, that’s great. However, what looks mauve to one person may be more pale violet to another. Picking a single color can make it difficult for bridesmaids to find dresses in the exact same shade from different vendors. Consider putting together a color palette of 3-4 complementary colors for your bridesmaids to choose from or offer up a few vendors you’d like for them to order from.

  Try Birdy Grey - Same color dresses all different styles at a great price: https://www.birdygrey.com/

• Length. Some brides don’t mind a variety of hemlines—floor-length, knee-length, mini, midi, etc. If you want all of your bridesmaids in the same length dress, let them know. Alternatively, if you really don’t mind different lengths, let them know that, too.

• Material. Satin, chiffon, charmeuse, taffeta—the world of dress materials is vast. If all of your bridesmaids are wearing the same exact color, dresses in different materials can be a nice way to add some dimension to the look. However, too many materials can also be a bit distracting. If you don’t want anyone in a jersey knit, make that clear.

• Style. By this, we mean the level of formality. If you’re having a black-tie wedding, you may not want your bridesmaids in semi-formal dresses. Be sure to outline the dress code clearly.

Clarity is key. Before you tell your bridesmaids they can choose their own dresses, come prepared with your own suggestions and requirements.

Haley McMackin Photography

---

Pro Tips:

Haley McMackin Photography

Do: A final check-in.

There are the hair and makeup trials, the catering and cake tastings, and, of course, the bridesmaid dress check-in. It’s always a good idea to get on the same page before anything is finalized. Make sure your bridesmaids run their final dress choices by you before they purchase. This way you can see if it fits into your ultimate vision or theme—and you eliminate any surprises and last-minute stress.

Give your bridesmaids an absolute deadline for their final dress check-in. It sounds like a bridezilla move, but, trust us, it benefits them, too. You want everyone to have ample time to either find a new dress or get any necessary alterations. We recommend scheduling your check-in for about seven months ahead of the wedding.

Haley McMackin Photography

Don’t: Disregard shoes and accessories.

Bridesmaid attire doesn’t end with the dress. Accessories are everything, especially if you’re going for a mismatched bridesmaid dress look. Choosing a pair of shoes or a specific shoe style and color is an easy way to bring cohesion to your bridal party. If you don’t have a shoe in mind, be sure to be clear about style. This way you avoid one girl in heels and another in flats. (If one of your bridesmaids needs to wear flats for a personal reason, though, we recommend hearing her out on that, of course.) Alternatively, you may want your bridal party in flats or sneakers. Again, just make sure you’re aligned.

Similarly, let your bridesmaids know what jewelry you do or don’t want them to wear. Traditionally, brides will purchase and then gift the jewelry they want their bridesmaids to wear. If you want to let them choose their own, that’s cool, too.

In the end the thing to remember is to be sure to be clear about what you expect!

Happy Planning

XOXO

---

Photographer: Haley McMackin Photography

Content: Zola.com

How Much Do Wedding Venues Cost?

On average, couples spend anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000 on their wedding venue. This price range includes additional fees, services, and hidden venue costs. While it’s romantic to get lost in the beauty, location, and ambiance of a venue, it’s crucial to stay focused on how the overall venue cost will factor into your wedding budget. So, let’s break down exactly how much wedding venues cost. Plus, share some money-saving tips.

No matter what your wedding venue budget, there's a place for you! Be upfront with venue owners about your budget and be sure to do your research ahead of time.

---

What Factors Impact Wedding Venue Costs?

There are many factors that go into a wedding venue’s cost. In some instances, venues can cover and handle logistics like catering, rentals, and event providing an event coordinator or planner. Additionally, your desired wedding arrangements and details can all impact the price. Here are some common factors that influence wedding venue cost:

• Size of Reception Space: Some wedding venues like hotels, banquet halls, and specialized event spaces have different rooms (allotment of space) to offer you based upon your guest list. Naturally, the larger the square footage of their room offering, the higher up in price the venue can charge. The size of your dance floor or the arrangement of your seats can also affect how much space you need.

• What The Wright House offers: We have two venues at our location both with gardens, Ballroom Garden hold 250 guest and Provencal Garden holds 175 guest. There is NO price difference in between the venues.

• How Many People: Some venues charge a ‘per-head’ fee based upon the number of guests you have coming to your wedding. This cost can be in addition to the catering fee.

• What The Wright House offers: Our packages are broken down by the amount of guest you decide to have at your event. Our first group is up to 75 guest, you can jump into the next range 76-125 or pay per person.

• Catering: You may encounter a mandatory or optional fee for wedding catering. As catering is one of the largest contributors to the overall wedding budget, having a venue include this number in your price can cause the venue estimate to skyrocket over what you originally allocated.

• What The Wright House offers: We have a package option that allows you to bring your own catering staff in or we have two other packages, (Emerald and Diamond) that has our preferred catering staff included in the price.

• Outside Vendor Fees: If a venue doesn’t provide catering, or has it as an optional catering package, a service charge for outside vendors may apply. In addition to catering, using outside vendors for music, lighting, bartending, and more can rack up fees.

• What The Wright House offers: We do not charge any fees to have outside vendors

• Rentals: Rental equipment can also contribute to the overall venue cost. Rentals usually include chairs, tents, and tables. Rentals can also mean electricity and floral arrangements. Many event locations (like hotels, banquet hotels, houses of worship, and specialized event spaces) include rentals at a minimal and reasonable cost for their customers.

• What The Wright House offers: We do not charge for rentals, our chairs, tables, linens and center pieces are already included in the venue rental price.

• Location: Once you’ve narrowed down your wedding location, you can start looking for your perfect wedding venue. Wedding venues in a big city or near a major airport can cost significantly more than those venues outside of metropolitan locations. In addition to location, the popularity of the particular venue can also cause an increase in the overall price.

• Day of The Week: As (almost) everyone is after a primetime weekend wedding, venues can often increase their price point to secure a couple that particular day of the week.

• What The Wright House offers: We do give a price break to events that are scheduled Monday - Thursday, verses the weekends. However, the price is the same through out the entire year, there are no increases for more favorable dates or times of the season.

---

---

How To Save Money On A Wedding Venue

Weddings are expensive—save where you can. Fortunately, there are a few ways to minimize wedding venue costs.

• Host the ceremony and reception in the same place. In addition to canceling out cost for transportation to and from the ceremony and reception, oftentimes venues will strike a deal with a couple to host both their ceremony and reception with them. This can be anything from a percentage off to a packaged deal with inside or outside vendors.

• Throw a weekday wedding. Hosting a wedding on a Friday or Saturday is expensive—venues can charge a hefty premium for the demand. Instead, consider a weekday wedding. While less conventional (and sometimes less convenient), weekday weddings help you save a massive fee on the venue and give guests have a reason to celebrate on a weekday if they can make it.

---

Photographer: Ashtyn Nicole Photography

Content: www.zola.com