Wedding Breakfast Essentials
Of course every bride and groom want their guests to have a good time at their wedding and once the ceremony is over, the wedding breakfast provides the perfect opportunity for guests to let their hair down, meet new people and start to celebrate the happy union.
It's also where your organisational skills are tested to their limit.
Have you provided enough bubbly for everyone? Has everyone got an allocated place? Do the table decorations match the theme? Is everyone happy with the menu? When you take into account the average wedding cost of £20,000 in the UK according to You and Your Wedding bridal guide, with the wedding breakfast being the most expensive part of the day at around £50 a head, you want to make sure that everyone has a great time! So if you are panicking about pleasing everyone at the wedding breakfast and anxious to get everything right, then read our guide to your wedding breakfast essentials.
1.
Place Cards and Holders.
Make sure you've done a table plan which you need to show the venue so that place name holders can be arranged accordingly.
It's essential that names are spelt correctly so if you aren't sure, it's far better to ask beforehand than take a guess and risk offence by not getting their name spelt right on the day.
There are loads of chic, unique, modern, traditional and quirky place cards and holders on the market so finding ones to suit your overall design shouldn't be difficult.
2.
Table Decorations.
The venue which is hosting your wedding breakfast should be able to provide some basic table decor in the form of matching napkins and perhaps even flowers, but if you want to personalise your table decoration then just a few pounds can get you some preserved rose petals to scatter around or gold/silver/coloured confetti to make an instant impression and jazz up those tables.
You could even add sparklers and balloons - after all what's a party without a bit of sparkle and the balloons are great for keeping kids entertained! 3.
Background Music.
Some couples choose to hire a band, soloist or even bagpipes to serenade everyone to their places and if you have the budget to do this, it's a great idea! Or you could just get a couple of CDs prepared full of your favourite tracks to play throughout the wedding breakfast, saving the band or DJ for the reception.
4.
Table Trivia.
There can be nothing worse than an awkward silence at a wedding breakfast as the formality of the occasion renders our social instincts impotent and can reduce even the most well behaved child to a fit of screaming.
Ice breakers are a great way to help everyone to relax, get to know the people on their table and start to have fun! There are all sorts of table trivia themes including ones just for children, so keep your guests entertained and happy! 5.
Bubbly.
If you are budgeting by opting to bring your own wine and bubbly instead of going for the venue's more expensive liquid refreshment, then you'll need to make sure that you supply plenty of bubbly for the toast (bear in mind there will be a toast after every speech so it's best to cater for around 2 glasses of bubbly each) and a certain amount of wine.
If the wine runs out you can ask the wine waiter to politely inform guests that additional bottles and glasses can be purchased from behind the bar.
Always buy slightly more than you think you will need as it will almost always be drunk! 6.
Wedding Favours.
It is traditional for the bride and groom to present guests with a small token of thanks for sharing their big day with them.
This needn't be an expensive gift, just a small item such as traditional sugared almonds presented in an organza bag, small chocolates or even a lucky lottery ticket! Guests will feel appreciated and valued and you'll be honouring hundreds of years of tradition! 7.
Guest Book.
To have a keepsake of every guest who attended along with a small message from each is a wonderful wedding keepsake, so whilst it's not essential, it is a great idea! Other essentials such as the food will of course be provided by the venue, just in case you needed to ask! All that's left is for the happy couple and the guests to make sure that the celebrations go off with a bang and the day is a memorable occasion for everyone!
It's also where your organisational skills are tested to their limit.
Have you provided enough bubbly for everyone? Has everyone got an allocated place? Do the table decorations match the theme? Is everyone happy with the menu? When you take into account the average wedding cost of £20,000 in the UK according to You and Your Wedding bridal guide, with the wedding breakfast being the most expensive part of the day at around £50 a head, you want to make sure that everyone has a great time! So if you are panicking about pleasing everyone at the wedding breakfast and anxious to get everything right, then read our guide to your wedding breakfast essentials.
1.
Place Cards and Holders.
Make sure you've done a table plan which you need to show the venue so that place name holders can be arranged accordingly.
It's essential that names are spelt correctly so if you aren't sure, it's far better to ask beforehand than take a guess and risk offence by not getting their name spelt right on the day.
There are loads of chic, unique, modern, traditional and quirky place cards and holders on the market so finding ones to suit your overall design shouldn't be difficult.
2.
Table Decorations.
The venue which is hosting your wedding breakfast should be able to provide some basic table decor in the form of matching napkins and perhaps even flowers, but if you want to personalise your table decoration then just a few pounds can get you some preserved rose petals to scatter around or gold/silver/coloured confetti to make an instant impression and jazz up those tables.
You could even add sparklers and balloons - after all what's a party without a bit of sparkle and the balloons are great for keeping kids entertained! 3.
Background Music.
Some couples choose to hire a band, soloist or even bagpipes to serenade everyone to their places and if you have the budget to do this, it's a great idea! Or you could just get a couple of CDs prepared full of your favourite tracks to play throughout the wedding breakfast, saving the band or DJ for the reception.
4.
Table Trivia.
There can be nothing worse than an awkward silence at a wedding breakfast as the formality of the occasion renders our social instincts impotent and can reduce even the most well behaved child to a fit of screaming.
Ice breakers are a great way to help everyone to relax, get to know the people on their table and start to have fun! There are all sorts of table trivia themes including ones just for children, so keep your guests entertained and happy! 5.
Bubbly.
If you are budgeting by opting to bring your own wine and bubbly instead of going for the venue's more expensive liquid refreshment, then you'll need to make sure that you supply plenty of bubbly for the toast (bear in mind there will be a toast after every speech so it's best to cater for around 2 glasses of bubbly each) and a certain amount of wine.
If the wine runs out you can ask the wine waiter to politely inform guests that additional bottles and glasses can be purchased from behind the bar.
Always buy slightly more than you think you will need as it will almost always be drunk! 6.
Wedding Favours.
It is traditional for the bride and groom to present guests with a small token of thanks for sharing their big day with them.
This needn't be an expensive gift, just a small item such as traditional sugared almonds presented in an organza bag, small chocolates or even a lucky lottery ticket! Guests will feel appreciated and valued and you'll be honouring hundreds of years of tradition! 7.
Guest Book.
To have a keepsake of every guest who attended along with a small message from each is a wonderful wedding keepsake, so whilst it's not essential, it is a great idea! Other essentials such as the food will of course be provided by the venue, just in case you needed to ask! All that's left is for the happy couple and the guests to make sure that the celebrations go off with a bang and the day is a memorable occasion for everyone!
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