Romeo's Chair, Image courtesy of Rowan Turner Photography
Image courtesy of Blumenthal Photography
Elegant Wedding Cuisine, Image courtesy of Deyan Photography
Image courtesy of Diverze Photography
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Many couples choose to have their wedding reception in a private home, in a garden setting, or in a hall or historic house... and they engage the services of professional catering and hire companies. You certainly don't want to spoil your mother's fun by putting her in charge of the cooking! Some of the wonderful venues you could consider include Fort Denison, the Sydney Town Hall, Vaucluse House, Tusculum, Juniper Hall, the Opera House, a catamaran, an art gallery, a beautiful park or garden, a farm, a beach or your very own house or backyard! Ask caterers for their suggestions on other possible venues. (You will need to get council approval to have a function on public property).
You can hire a caterer to simply organise the food for your reception or you can arrange for a caterer to co-ordinate every detail so that you don't have to lift a finger... the site, flowers and other decorations, hire of all party requirements, uniformed staff to serve food and drinks, the cake, musicians, clearing up afterwards and anything else you desire! It's entirely up to you how much your caterer organises for you. Explore your options by discussing all the possibilities with catering companies.
choosing a caterer
One of the first things you need to do once you've set the date is to select your caterer. It's wise to book caterers well in advance. In fact, 9 to 12 months in advance if possible. This gives everyone plenty of time to put a lot of thought and planning into the occasion.
- It's so important to select a professional caterer. You want to make sure that your food will be delicious, the food and drinks will be served efficiently and that everything will run smoothly. A caterer who is experienced in wedding receptions in particular is by far your best bet.
- Before calling caterers, decide what style of reception you'd like - buffet, banquet, cocktail, finger food - and consider your
guests' tastes.
- You should also have an idea of your budget limitations, approximate numbers of guests and the style of affair you would like. This will help the caterer to work out the best options for you.
- Caterers usually specialise in certain numbers of guests - some under 100 and others over 100. It's important to find out how many guests they are used to catering for.
party hire
Very few people have a spare 100 chairs or 15 large round tables in their garage and no one has a spare 15 extra-large round damask cloths in their linen closet! Not to mention a few hundred pieces of cutlery and plates and glasses...
If you are organising the hiring yourself, companies that specialise in party hire are by far the best option. Hire companies can provide everything you'll need from tables and chairs, tableware, candelabras and accessories to gas ovens, refrigerators, microwaves and other catering equipment, such as chaffing dishes and bain-maries to serve from and ice tubs to chill the champagne flutes in. Even dance floors! And of course, marquees - just perfect for a garden wedding.
Just picture yourself in a silk-lined marquee with fairy lights or chandeliers, an indoor garden and even heating or air conditioning! Marquees come in a large range of different colours and sizes with a choice of imitation grass, wooden or parquet floors. You'll need to give plenty of notice if you want to hire a marquee, but not as much notice for tableware. Again, make sure you confirm all details in writing.
ideas for wedding themes
Themed weddings have become very popular in the last couple of years. They add a special excitement to the event and help make your wedding truly individual. A well thought out and executed theme can create a vibrant party atmosphere, helping everyone get into the mood of the celebration.
Some thought-starters for wedding themes are:
- Hollywood - 1950's Grace Kelly
- Historical eras - such as Medieval, Renaissance or Victorian
- Caribbean - go troppo!
- Outback Australian - R.M. Williams attire
- Wild Western - try some line-dancing
- Masquerade - as in Phantom of the Opera
- Black & White - simple but stunning
- Hawaiian - have a luau on the beach!
- Mystery - don't tell anyone you're going to tie the knot... Surprise!
- Seven Seas - plenty of seafood, shells and a sandcastle cake
- Mid-Summer Nights Dream - an outdoor feast in costume
- Tiger lilies or Sunflowers - on the invitations, table decorations, your gown and bouquet
Let your imagination run wild - dream up your own sensational theme and live out your fantasy wedding!
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