A BBQ Wedding guest

A Wedding That Is In The Pits

Slap on the Sauce and Let’s Get Busy
I have met many Brides weary of the idea of a big fancy catered event. "I would love to have just a simple back yard Cook out" lamented one worn out bride. So why not have what you want. Heat up the grill, slap on the sauce, and have plenty of Wet Wipes on hand.
Let’s Get Grillin’

Helpful planning links at the bottom of this post

1. Begin with choosing a location. This shindig could be planned at many different locations, like a family’s home, friends back yard, local park or even your own home.

Home

• Choosing a home can feel just right but first can the home hold the number of guest you want to invite?
• Speak to the local police department and find out about the noise ordinances. You may have the shut down at 11pm.
• Parking on the block. Neighbors can get sticky on this one. When you have the date and time inform the neighborhood association. Give them an educated guess of cars and get a plan that everyone can live with.
• Higher a clean up crew. Your guest may drop a paper or two be sure that the clean-up crew also keeps an eye on the street. If you leave a mess it could cost you a fine and that’s not fine at all.
• If you don’t want everyone using your bathroom, rent one. Porta Pottys are not as skeevy as they seem

• Discuss with your home owners insurance "extra" for the day of the event.
• If the whole block is not invited be sure to send out thank you gift baskets.
• Out doors is lovely but what if, there is bad weather, the back yard looks like an abandoned lot, or killer bees are on the attack. You got the idea, have a Plan B, can everyone fit inside.
• Or, is the area large enough for a tent. There are many styles to choose from and they can be as cozy, with heating, air conditioning, floors, creative lighting and more.

Sugarlum Tents

• Top Shelf Liquor, remember to limit the drinking you could be responsible for any irresponsible drinkers. That could include relieving themselves on someone else’s property to driving and becoming a menace to society.
• Benedryl, bug spray, Sun Screen
• Is the house wired for fun. Check with an electrician if the wiring can stand the extra equipment (DJ, Lights, Other). Also keep cables covered and out of the way. You don’t want any slip, trip, and falls.

The above list is not packed with fun, but it is necessary. Now let’s get to the fun part. Your back yard bash can be as fancy as you can afford or low frills as you like. Below some ideas to build on

• Who is the Grill Mister in your family. See if he/she is willing to man/woman the grill. If you can have two, that’s great. Fish and chicken on one, red meats on the other. Can’t afford all the protein hold to just one meat and have a spicy or mild sauce.
• Everyone can dress casual, even you. Wear a light airy gown, even a short one will be fun. If you are game, after the ceremony put on some shorts.

Quick Change Artist

• Centerpieces can include mini bottles of hot sauce and wet wipes.
• Family BBQ recipes books, make this yourself, use a publish yourself service.
• Plenty of food is obvious, but get creative. Baby lamb chops are all the rage now or include sweet, mild, and hot chicken wings.
• Create a special drinks (non alcoholic), Watermelon lemonade, Sorrel, or Ginger Peach Tea. Search the net for more exciting recipes and ideas.
• Make it personal with napkins that sums up the day.

Keep wedding guest Happy

We've all been to "one of those weddings" — the kind where you need to amuse yourself between the ceremony and the reception because they're hours apart, or you find yourself stuck in a receiving line that never ends.
To keep your friends and family smiling instead of gritting their teeth in frustration, consider these tips during your wedding planning stages.

Have Your Wedding Pictures Taken Before The Ceremony

Many couples want to hold to the old-fashioned "the groom shouldn't see the bride before the ceremony" tradition. But it's also important to consider just how long the pictures can actually take. Guests can be left waiting anywhere from one to three hours between the ceremony and reception. Not only will your guests find it frustrating, you'll also have many guests showing up late to the reception... or not at all!
Be considerate of your friends' and family's time. Remember, some of them may have to pay for babysitters and can't afford to spend an entire day at your wedding. Plan on having your wedding photos done before the ceremony, when everyone in the wedding party is looking fresh.
This will allow you to glide smoothly from ceremony to the reception with only a short travel time in between (assuming the reception is being held in a different location). Your guests will appreciate it.

Forget The Receiving Line

Traditionally, the bride, groom and wedding party stand in a receiving line so that guests can wish them well. Consider dropping this custom if you've invited a lot of guests to your ceremony. It is very time consuming and most people don't even know a good portion of the wedding party. As well, you'll always have "chatters" that will hold the line up, causing the guests behind them to become impatient. Most people really only want to congratulate the bride and groom and move on. If you insist on a receiving line, keep it minimal. Have only the bride, groom and parents receive the guests, rather than the entire wedding party.

Consider the Timing of Your Ceremony and Reception

If you're holding your wedding on a Friday or Saturday, then this usually doesn't cause much of a problem. But if you're holding your wedding on a Sunday evening or a weekday, keep in mind that people have to get up to go to work the next day.
Tight timing is important here if you're including a dinner and dance reception. In fact, it's probably best if you hold the ceremony and reception in one location to cut out travel time. Do your photos before the wedding as well. The ceremony should be as short as possible, then move smoothly into the reception area for dinner. Rather than starting your dance at 9pm according to custom, plan it for some time earlier, such as 7:30 or 8pm.

Cash Bar Or Not?

Cash bars have become more commonplace lately, for two main reasons:
a) the cost of an open bar can be tremendous, and
b) guests can easily drink too much if it's free liquor.
This is a touchy area for most bridal couples and their guests. Family and friends often expect drinks to be free as part of the reception. As a couple, including the cost of liquor should be a part of your wedding budget.
On the other hand, if guests have to pay for their drinks, they tend to drink a lot less and it may help curb someone from trying to drive home drunk. Free-flowing drinks can also cause other problems, such as disorderly drunkenness where guests are dancing on the tables — or even breaking into fights. So whether to have a cash bar or a free bar is something you'll want to carefully consider. A possible solution to this is to include one or two bottles of wine per dinner table, and have a cash bar during the dance.

Do All The Speeches Early

As the evening progresses, people tend to drink more. It's best to ask anyone who is to give a speech or toast to keep their drinking to a minimum (or not to drink at all) until they've presented their speech. Schedule speeches early in the reception. Once people get drinking, their tongues tend to get looser and they may say things that aren't appropriate during their speech if they've consumed too much liquor.

Try Not to Split Up Your Attendants and Their Partners

It can be very awkward not only for your attendants, but especially for their spouse and/or date to be seated separately. It's really not necessary to have a head table for the wedding party. Consider having two or three tables at the front of the room to hold the wedding party and their respective partners. If you do want to include a head table, consider placing another table close to the front and seating your attendant's partners at that table together.