Locally-Grown Reception is in Good Taste

One of the most delicious ways to be an earth-friendly Good Bride is to use locally-grown, organic foods for your reception. For example, for a Georgia wedding, menu items might be Stone Ground Whole Corn Grits, Warm Banana Bread, Tomato Basil Mozarella Salad, Peach Salsa or Chutney to accompany the meat (ham, grilled trout, chicken), and Toasted Pecans. These could be used by a caterer, but we are seeing more and more brides and grooms who are buying their own foods locally and then preparing them communally, with the help of friends. The cost savings in the latter approach could be astronomical, and in most cases, the food will taste much fresher and pleasing. These days it's pretty easy to find a farmer's market, even in small towns. In fact, LocalHrvest.org has an easy-to-use website that allows you to search for Farmer's Markets in any zip code. Even better - you can probably pick up some locally-grown, organic flowers and plants at a Farmer's Market as well for a fraction of the cost that the florist will charge. Photo by karen.fromthelbc

What Ever Happened to the Morning Wedding and Breakfast Reception?

We think we should strongly consider bringing back the idea of a morning wedding with the breakfast reception. There's no time of day that is sweeter, cleaner and fresher than the morning, and the idea of a new day is in concert with starting a new life. Just glancing at the catering menu of one hotel, popular as a beachside wedding site, we note that the plated dinner meals begin at $31 (for a chicken dish, salad, rolls, and vegetable, tea coffee), while their most expensive breakfast meal is $15 (eggs benedict, corn beef hash, crab, fruit, potatoes, juices, coffee). With 100 guests, this is the difference in a $3100 meal and a $1500 one (plus service charges and tax). The savings on alcohol also be substantial. Consider the difference in serving an average of 2 drinks to 100 people at $8 a drink ($1600) versus 2 glasses of champagne punch at $125 per gallon for $900.

Now what about dancing? While it may be hard to imagine a disco-type scene in the daytime, you may be able to pull off dancing (if you wish) with a beachside or poolside reception. Another idea would be to have a smaller informal gathering of close friends who like to dance later in the evening at a local pub or hangout.

Now whatever happened to the morning wedding and breakfast that was so typical at the end of the 19th century, and well into the 20th century? According to a 1905 New York Times article: weddings were moved from mornings until afternoons or evenings to ensure that the "bridegroom turn up in prime condition...whereas in the morning the chances were of his appearing decidedly seedy, to say the least." The reason? In those days, the night before the wedding was not dedicated to a rehearsal dinner, but rather a bachelor supper (and alcohol fest) which usually lasted all night long.

Here's some good menu choices for a morning wedding: Gazpacho or other cold or warm soup, Crab Souffle, Broiled Tomatoes, Stuffed Mushrooms, Cheese Grits, Melons, Muffins and Croissants with various jams and honey, juices, coffee, champagne. The centerpiece should still be the cake!

Do You Really Need a Caterer?

Okay, maybe your initial response is "YES, of course I need a caterer!" The general expectation these is that you will serve some sort of food or meal, and clearly the focus of the Good Bride will not be on garnishing the finger sandwiches and heating up meatballs at the last minute. But let's look back to the weddings of the 50s, 60s, and 70s for a bit. We recall (or have heard about) a time when wedding food usually meant either a buffet of food prepared by various friends and relatives, or cake, punch, mints, and nuts for an afternoon reception. Since that time, we've moved through an era of somewhat-affordable catering by local restaurants into very-pricey venues with often-mediocre menus priced at $25-$100 per guest. And these days, it is the exception rather than the rule to find one who will allow you to bring in your own alcohol or cake. The reasonable Good Bride should carefully consider these options when selecting a reception location. Among the better, more responsible choices:

• If your location allows, enlist the help of family and friends to prepare food a menu, incorporating favorites of the two of you. Hire someone who is not a wedding guest to take care of setup, replenishment, and cleanup. You will not only be pleased with the quality, but will save up to 90 percent.


• Use a hybrid approach, using some foods from a caterer, and other favorites that you, your family or friends have prepared. Bring your own alcohol, if you plan to serve alcohol. Enlist the caterer for the responsibility of setup, replenishment, and cleanup. This option may cost a little more than the first option, but will still save you mega-bucks, particularly on alcohol.


• Fully catered, but with simple, affordable selections. The actual food is not what the guests will remember - it is the feeling, the atmosphere, and the magic.