It’s been customary for our wedding planning team to write stories after the weddings we cater, sharing information that may be helpful to future couples about how we used the various spaces around town for different types of weddings. This post is a bit of that plus a bit more, as it was my wedding! I’ve been on a crusade since beginning the planning process to learn how to plan a non-stressful wedding and to share all my secrets with our future wedding clients. I can say now, post-wedding, that I succeeded in doing what I set out to do.
I previously wrote a post titled How to Plan a Less Stressful Wedding that included many tips that I used myself. However, there were even more stress reduction strategies I employed that I didn’t mention in that post. The major one was that we didn’t take RSVP’s. I know, crazy, right? And we invited just over 300 guests. We went through our guest list and discussed who we thought wouldn’t make it and ordered most of the food in quantities of 275. Some dishes we ordered less of, like the two ceviches on the app station. We had 6 large round tables with 8 chairs at each and then 25 hightop tables scattered around the space. It all worked together to create the feeling of a large cocktail party. The tables all had flower arrangements in the center, but since we only had 6 large tables, that cut down on our floral cost. We had a large bridal party – 15 people including us – and I didn’t have bouquets for anyone, including myself. I don’t think anyone missed them.
Here’s the thing – it’s about the people. Period. It’s about you two, the couple, and making your love so tangible that everyone who’s paying attention can feel it. We both wrote our own vows. We had two very special people co-officiate the ceremony who know us well and spoke to that during the ceremony. My mother played a song on the piano during the ceremony that her late brother had arranged for her wedding nearly 50 years prior. And there were several very meaningful speeches from family members. Those were the things that people commented on. Not the flowers or the dj or the colors of the linens. So I can’t stress enough how important it is to focus your energy on what counts. As I suggested in my previous post, I BROKE THE RULES. I wore a pink dress. We had an uneven number of bridesmaids/groomsmen and several of the groomsmen were ladies. We didn’t send paper invitations, but rather sent a text with a canva graphic, inviting everyone.
The decision fatigue that sets in, particularly towards the end of the planning process, is real. Even for someone who knew all the vendors she wanted to use. Do your future self a favor at the beginning of the process and make it simple. It will help you be less stressed and enjoy the process more.
In case you want to look up the vendors we used, here are their names. Supporting local, woman & minority-owned businesses was a priority for us.
VENDORS
VENUE: Gardencourt
WEDDING CATERING: Mayan Cafe (Minority & woman-owned)
REHEARSAL DINNER CATERING: Happy Belly Bistro (Black & woman-owned)
CUSTOM DRESS DESIGN: Elizabeth Crum Bridal (woman-owned)
CUSTOM RINGS: Lackadazee (woman-owned)
PHOTOGRAPHER: Kriech-Higdon Photography (woman-owned)
CUPCAKES (vegan): Emily May (woman-owned)
FLORIST: Botanica (woman-owned)
DJ: Coop Le Moderne (Black-owned)
DAY OF COORDINATOR: Kayla Hanak (woman-owned)
And if you’re curious, here’s the menu we chose for the wedding.
MENU
APPETIZERS
- Guacamole & chips
- Shrimp ceviche
- Scallop ceviche
- Ojaldra puff pastry with smoked salmon, cream cheese & guava
TACO BAR
- Corn tortillas
- Braised beef
- Shredded chicken
- Rice with black beans
- Tok-sel lima beans
- Toppings: cucumber-mango salsa, pineapple-poblano salsa, pickled onions, cabbage, queso fresco, jalapeño sauce
