Wedding Receptions: Jewish Reception Rituals

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You signed the ketubah, raised the huppah, exchanged rings, and stomped on the glass -- but wait, the wedding's(by flora gown) not over yet! There are a few more rituals left to make your reception a true simcha (joyous celebration).

Blessing The Challah
The wedding(buy flora gown) meal begins with a blessing over the challah, an elaborately braided bread. The couple's parents or another honored guest can make the hamotzi, or blessing.

S'eudah Mitzvah
This is the food portion of the reception -- chicken and fish, both fertility symbols, are ever-present dishes at Jewish weddings. The first course at Sephardic weddings is called Sutlach, a sweet rice pudding made with coconut milk, honey, and almonds -- all symbols of a sweet and prosperous life. If you're wondering whether or not to serve a kosher meal at your wedding, take it from us -- kosher doesn't mean unappetizing. Dry brisket and lead latkes aren't your only options -- there are plenty of yummy kosher treats to satisfy the crowd. Imagine seared salmon and sundried tomato and artichoke penne. Or rosemary chicken and roasted veggie couscous. How about garlic marinated Romanian tenderloin, or even spicy tuna sushi? Decide whether you want a meat or a dairy meal. (Remember, fish and eggs are parve, which means they go both ways.) Find a glatt-kosher caterer: if that's too hard-core, ask your caterer to devise a "kosher-style" menu that adheres to kosher rules but isn't cooked in a kosher kitchen. Eliminate treyf no-nos like pork and shellfish. No lobster salad or oysters Rockefeller? Who cares? Hey, you might even save a few shekels.

The Hora
No Jewish wedding is complete without the Hora, or chair dance, most likely derived from the tradition of carrying royalty on chairs. A few strong and brave guests hoist the bride and groom high above the crowd on chairs to the infectious sounds of "Hava Nagila". Friends and family dance around in an ecstatic circle as the elevated couple tries not to look (or fall) down.

Mitzvah Dances
Entertaining the bride and groom on their wedding day is not only a mitzvah (good deed) but also an obligation. At traditional Jewish weddings, the couple is seated on chairs and guests dance before them with masks, silly costumes, and props.

Mezinke Tanz OR Krenzel
The Mezinke Tanz is one of the concluding dances of the night and honors parents who have married off their last child. The dance is also known as Krenzel (Yiddish for "crown") in reference to the crown of flowers often placed in the mother's hair during the dance. The proud parents are seated on chairs in the middle of the dance floor while friends and family dance around, kissing them as they pass in front.

Birkat Hamazon
The traditional way to end the festive meal is with the birkat hamazon, the blessings after the meal. Booklets of prayers, called benchers, can be handed out to guests. After the prayers, the seven wedding(buy flora gown) blessings are repeated, giving friends yet another opportunity to participate. Finally, the blessing over the wine is recited as two glasses of wine are poured together into a third, symbolizing the creation of a new life together with a new marriage.

Wedding Receptions: How to Find a Wedding Caterer

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It's time to roll up your sleeves and focus on finding a caterer who can cook up the feast of your dreams. Tackle this major to-do as soon as possible; the best caterers can be booked up to a year in advance. Here are how-tos:

Finding
Ask recently married friends for referrals.
Check The Knot Local Wedding(buy flora gown) Resources.
Hotels, country clubs, and large special-event facilities will probably have in-house caterers. If not, they will certainly have preferred-caterers lists.
Ask your favorite restaurant to cater the affair. If they don't do weddings(buy flora gown), confident establishments will point you towards a trustworthy joint that does.
The photographers, florists, videographers, and bridal salon owners you're speaking with will likely keep a list of reputable caterers they've heard of through the industry grapevine or know personally.
Visit the website of a reputable professional organization, like the International Caterers Association or the National Association of Catering Executives. They can refer you to catering pros in your area.

Making Appointments
When you call to make appointments, try to schedule tastings as part of the interviews.
Before you leave, don't just take a business card -- ask each caterer to draw up a rough outline including the cost per person; menu options; exactly what the fee includes (alcohol, rentals, tips, etc.); service and presentation style; and less-expensive alternatives.
Check references. Find out: a) Number of guests they had, the venue, and menu items b) Was the meal tasty, well presented, and served hot? c) How was the service and table-clearing? and d) Were there any surprises on the final menu or final bill?
Be sure to get the 411 on a particular catering firm through the Better Business Bureau before you make any moves to hire them.

Wedding Receptions: Creative Cuisine

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There's a familiar staple at weddings (buy flora gown)that caterers go to great lengths to disguise. But no amount of smothering in sauces or garnishing with parsley will prevent guests from knowing what the main course is: chicken. And while we can all agree that this innocuous bird rarely offends dining guests, when it comes to receptions there are alternatives aplenty that will please even the most discerning palates. We've sampled the options and bring you the latest on food trends from several wedding industry notables, to help you plan your menu.

Creative Cocktails
There's more to beverages than iced tea and an open bar. Usher your guests into the reception with an eye-catching cocktail. Special events designer and planner David Tutera is a whiz when it comes to whetting whistles. He's planned parties for the likes of Elton John and Prince Charles, and created signature cocktails for celebrity brides Angie Harmon and Toni Braxton. "For specialty drinks, you're either going to use vodka or champagne," says Tutera. One of his tricks is serving cocktails that match the color scheme of the wedding. "They add that little detailed touch," he says, "and eliminate the need for a full bar." Another bonus according to Tutera: "People look great holding them in photos." Don't stop with the reception. Serve a different signature drink during each of your wedding events -- from the rehearsal dinner to the morning-after buffet.

New Ways to Nosh
The idea of cocktails is so appealing to some couples that they base their entire reception upon them. "Cocktail parties allow for more variety of food, which in turn allows for more creativity in the menu and presentation," says Alison Awerbuch, partner and chief culinary officer for Abigail Kirsch Catering and Events. The environment at a cocktail reception is casual, with no assigned seating and a constant flow of food, conversation and, of course, spirits. Awerbuch recommends a three-phase cocktail party that evolves over the course of the reception.
During phase one, bite-size hors d'oeuvres are served. "We incorporate many different ethnicities into our hors d'oeuvres with hints of authentic spices, cooking methods, and ingredients," says Awerbuch. "Asian, Latin American, Indonesian, Moroccan, and Mediterranean are all popular." Examples include Portobello mushroom steak fries with balsamic aioli, crisp nori tuna with wasabi, tobiko and papaya relish, and Moroccan spiced lamb pastels with preserved lemon chutney.
"In the second hour we butler small vessels that are like an amuse-bouche or tiny starter you would get in a restaurant," continues Awerbuch. Four to eight different items are presented at once. Guests are greeted with everything from martini glasses to skewers made from sugarcane that serve up such dishes as passion fruit vodka lobster martini on coconut jasmine rice and lemongrass-threaded carpaccio of tuna drizzled with mint chili vinaigrette. If the reception will last for several hours, couples should bear their guests' appetites and dinner hour in mind by adding some food bars to the mix.
"In the third and final phase we switch to butlered hors d'oeuvre sweets that are interesting and unique combinations of flavors, and hot, cold, and frozen items," says Awerbuch. The offerings range from an amethyst cachepot filled with purple berry shortcake infused with lavender cream to warm banana wontons drizzled in chocolate with peanut nougatine.
Awerbuch is seeing more couples entertain with multicourse wine tasting dinners. Much like a chef's tasting menu, signature dishes are each served with a complementary wine choice. The meal can include from four to seven courses. "Typically, you start with a hot fish course, then a vegetable, followed by an entree. After the entree, a cheese course and a dessert," Awerbuch advises.

Make it Personal
Treating guests to some of your favorite dishes is another way to go. When formulating a menu, Awerbuch considers the bride and groom's favorite fare, as well as family culture and travel experiences. Guests learn more about the selected dishes through an explanation written on the menu card or announced during a toast. For a couple who shared a love of sailing and planned to pilot their way across the ocean during the honeymoon, Awerbuch whipped up something special: She transported the entire wedding party to the high seas through a dinner that kicked off with miniature raw bars shared among every four guests. "There were hammered buckets filled with crushed ice and brimming with jumbo steamed shrimp, oysters, clams, and lobster," she recounts. "In each bucket were miniature bottles of Tabasco, cocktail sauce served from scallop shells, netting, lemons, seafood crackers, and oyster forks."

Comfort Food
Perhaps your tastes are simple, and you hanker for grilled cheese sandwiches accompanied by tomato soup after getting hitched. Awerbuch suggests serving chilled heirloom yellow tomato soup in a shot glass and warm Grafton cheddar and bacon panini on grain bread, or what she describes as designer comfort foods. "This trend is about taking more traditional items and contemporizing them," she says. Great news for lovers of macaroni and cheese!

Precise Presentation
Details, details, details. Weddings are full of them. When it comes to reception fare, don't scrimp. "People get so caught up in menu selection, they forget about presentation," says Tutera. "There are ways to make your food thematically, seasonally, and colorwise match your wedding," he says. Tutera begins with a look at the current season's hues and fashion trends. When visualizing the overall look of your tables, consider using various shapes and different colors for the dishes. Elements from the wedding can also be reflected through food presentation. If your dress has distinctive buttons or corset ties, mimic the design on serving plates. This can be as simple as lining up morsels symmetrically, adding flourish with a garnish, or drizzling balsamic vinegar. "There are teeny ways to make it visually happen," says Tutera. "It looks spectacular and entices you to see what the next course will be."

Dessert Decadence
Whether they've saved room or not, guests always manage to devour dessert. When it comes to wedding cake, Sam Godfrey, founder of Perfect Endings, has a motto: It's dessert first and art second. Godfrey is seeing a resurgence of what he calls vintage flavors at weddings -- those cakes from your childhood that set your heart racing. These can be anything from old-fashioned coconut, layered chocolate, banana, poppy seed, red velvet, or pound cake. "Your wedding is an introduction to family and friends of your taste and style," says Godfrey. "Even if it breaks any of the cardinal rules, choose something that you enjoy eating and don't be shy about it." As for the exterior, Godfrey says simplicity is waning. Simple and beautiful can be striking, but it gets a little boring after a while. People are daring to be bold and more detailed.
Beyond the wedding cake, Godfrey recommends offering a dessert buffet. "Use the buffet to supplement the cake, not replace it." Godfrey has included nostalgic desserts ranging from homemade Ding Dongs and cupcakes served with milk to a variety of beautiful petit fours, which he calls dessert hors d'oeuvres. "They're colorful, bite-size jewels of pastry."
For chocolate lovers, fountains of the rich milky stuff are taking center stage at receptions. David Schoffstall and his wife Wendy of Chocolate Fountain Fun say the multitiered fountains of flowing chocolate tend to draw a crowd. "It's fun to watch and tastes so good and fresh," says Schoffstall. Couples offer a variety of "dippers" for guests, such as fruit, pretzels, and marshmallows, to be plunked into a white or milk chocolate mixture of Ghiradelli chocolate. Schoffstall recommends using wooden toothpicks for more secure spearing of dipping elements, and says to avoid splatter by not placing a chocolate fountain outdoors on a windy day.

Late-Night Eats
The evening doesn't have to end with dessert. Brides and grooms who like to kick up their heels until the wee hours can keep the festivities rolling with after-party sustenance. "We serve everything from kitschy gourmet hamburgers and milkshakes to a buffet with omelets and sweet, savory crepes," says Awerbuch of postreception grub. Or break out the decadent fare while the reception is still in full swing.
Toward the end of one of our favorite weddings(buy flora gown), after guests had loosened up and danced for hours, waiters offered wrapped hamburgers from McDonalds on silver trays. This was an upscale affair in a fancy ballroom, and yet the couple had enough confidence to know that this unexpected treat was just what the crowd would be hungry for.

Take Out
Don't forget the doggie bags! Remind guests of the delights they've experienced by sending them home with a bite or two. Awerbuch packs giveaways such as brownies made from the mother of the bride's recipe, or hand-painted monogrammed cookie lollipops with an accompanying note from the happy couple.

Wedding Receptions: At-Home Wedding Secrets

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When it comes to weddings(buy flora gown), there really is no place like home. Maybe your parents have an amazing lakeside house, or Grandma has that perfect country cottage. But odds are your childhood homestead isn't quite prepared for 150 wedding guests, 75 cars, 20 waiters, 15 tables, and 1 happy couple. Although it may be more work (and more expensive) than you anticipated, you won't regret saying your vows in the place that means the most to you. It's all about being prepared for what it takes to throw a wedding in your very own backyard.

You Need Room to Say "I do"
Does your setup have enough space for all your guests? If not, you'll have to start trimming the list. Don't mistake overcrowded for cozy. If you plan to use a combination of indoor and outdoor space, know that if the weather takes a turn for the worst, everyone will need to fit indoors. Will there be enough space in, say, the living room, to set up white folding chairs with a wide enough aisle? The general rule is six to ten square-feet of floor space per guest for row-seating.

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See how other couples pulled off their own amazing home weddings.

You Can't Do It All Yourself
Since you're so accustomed to your home, hiring a wedding coordinator will give you a fresh perspective on the property and what you can and cannot do. You will also need people to cover all the basics: setting up, cooking, serving, parking cars, and cleaning up. Hiring a cleaning crew may be the best decision you'll make. In the days leading up to the wedding, the last thing you (or your parents) want to have to do is a massive house-scrubbing.

You'll Need to Tend to Your Lawn
Your yard will be on display, so give the space a manicured look. Whether that means dragging out the lawnmower or hiring a landscaper, you'll want your lawn to be in peak form. If you're planning on a spring wedding, start preparing in the fall. Talk to your professional landscaper about reseeding, replanting, and sodding.

You'll Need to Plant Early
Most perennials need a winter to take hold, and it takes some time for annuals to fill out. Make sure to find out the appropriate planting times for the flowers you'd like, so they'll be in full bloom on your wedding day. For a spring wedding, cool-season flowers like tulips, daffodils, and lilies of the valley will be in bloom (which need to be planted the autumn before). For summer, try annuals like geraniums, Gerbera daisies, and African daisies, which should be planted after the threat of frost; you'll probably want to plant perennials for fall, like Japanese anemones, chrysanthemums, and blue salvia -- these should also be planted the fall before.

Your Wedding Officiant May Not Comply
Make sure your wedding(buy flora gown) officiant will give you his or her blessing at your chosen location (some aren't able to perform the ceremony outside their place of worship because it's not recognized by the church). You'll want to give yourself plenty of time to find a licensed officiant who will do the honors.
Wedding Guests May Try to Stay At Your House
Try to dissuade them from this idea. Unless you're marrying at a 25-room estate, the only people who should be staying at the wedding site are the homeowners and their immediate family (the bride or the groom, other siblings). You don't want to be fighting your cousin for shower time the morning of your wedding. What you should do is recommend a hotel that's as close to your property as possible.

You'll Need to Rent Everything
Your must-have items are tables, chairs, dinnerware, napkins, table linens, place settings, barware, portable bathrooms, and a tent. Rent enough chairs so everyone can be seated for the ceremony. If you need more room for the reception, remove most of the chairs after the meal, keeping just enough around so half the party can sit during the festivities.
You'll Probably Need a Generator Too
Most homes can't accommodate the amount of power necessary to light a tent or provide power to a catering kitchen. You don't want to risk a power outage, or even worse, blowing out the whole neighborhood! Check with your caterer to see if you need to rent extra coolers, grills, or roasters. Don't wait on this; you'll want to start researching and reserving equipment six months before your wedding.

Wedding Vendors Need to Check Out Your Home
In order to determine what extras they'll need to bring, vendors should stop by for a visit. Have your caterer survey your kitchen to make sure it is well-equipped and large enough to prepare the menu. Otherwise he may need to bring in a completely functional traveling kitchen.

The Ground May Not Be level
Chairs, tables, the dance floor -- you don't want any of these items to be on uneven ground. Professional tent companies can ascertain whether or not they need to put down a foundation or if they'll be able to lay a dance floor directly on the ground. Your other vendors (caterers, florist, band) need to determine what is necessary to keep floral arrangements and the cake table from tipping over.

You May Need a Permit to Party
From the city permits to fire department inspections, make sure everything is in order. Bring in an electrician to inspect your area, find out if local noise ordinances require a permit or place restrictions on noise, and determine if you need to file for a permit to park cars along your street. The last thing you want is cops crashing your party.

Port-A-Potties Have Gone Luxe
You'll want to account for three bathroom trips per guest. Most septic tanks can't handle that many flushes, so portable bathrooms are a must. A general rule of thumb is to have one bathroom for every 35 guests. Keep in mind that your guests will need a place to wash their hands and do a mirror check, so keep the area well lit. Upscale portable bathrooms are now available that have lighting, sinks, heated water, and even air-conditioning. Don't forget to make them even more home-like by including an amenity basket filled with hair spray, tampons, Band-Aids, and breath mints in the ladies' room.

You Can Save on Decorations
What makes your home unique -- an elegant dining room, a massive oak tree in your backyard, a gorgeous lawn, or a spectacular view? Play up that feature to create a homey feel. It adds to the trend of making it look like you've emptied Grandma's china cabinet of all its unique and beautiful pieces. Use different centerpieces and mix-and-match vases. Bring in fresh, home-grown-type flowers or play with outdoor lighting possibilities. Garden lamps, paper lanterns, and tiny white lights strung on branches will create a stunning atmosphere.

Have a Plan B That's as Good as Plan A
Unexpected weather can bring about unique challenges. Always plan for the worst by making sure guests will be covered in the event of a sudden downpour. If there's no way to pitch a tent at the ceremony area, arrange to have the ceremony at a house of worship in case of rain -- make sure to have an insert in each invitation that gives the alternate address and a number to call to find out if the ceremony has moved. If a tent is your Plan B, make sure it has sides to keep out a driving rainstorm. Stifling heat can pose just as many problems as rain, so make sure ceremony chairs aren't in direct sunlight and that there are plenty of shaded areas, cool drinks, and even hand fans available. If it's a warm day, extra electric fans and portable air conditioners can be brought in; on wintry days, propane heaters can warm up the place.

You May Have to Include Your Neighbors
Let them know of your wedding(buy flora gown) plans well in advance. They may be planning to host a party the same night. Also, make sure they know the ceremony time so nobody's mowing their lawn during your vows, and ask if they'd offer their driveways for extra parking space. But you can't rely on neighbors' generosity completely. Make sure there's enough street space for parking, or arrange for guests to park at a nearby lot like at a school or church, and provide round-trip shuttle service. If you want valet parking, hire a reputable company. You don't need a Father of the Bride scenario on your hands.

Insurance May Cover Home Repair
From guests dancing on your lawn to vendors traipsing in and out, your home may take a bit of a beating. Find out what your homeowner's insurance covers. You may want to consider getting a supplemental policy. Check with your domestic insurance company to see if your policy covers third-party liability, and with your vendors to make sure they have their own insurance policies, as well. Click here for more wedding insurance tips.

It's All Worth It
We want you to be prepared, not scared. Having a wedding at home -- even at your new home as newlyweds -- is an amazing idea, and an event your family will always remember. The best thing about having your wedding at home is how personal it can be. Nothing compares to getting ready in your childhood room and coming down the staircase in your gown. Find the right people to help, and you'll walk down your homespun aisle stress-free.

Wedding Receptions: 15 Ways to Wow Them

Kiss the old cutting-the-cake moment and garter toss good-bye? No, not exactly, but you can add some new traditions to the mix. When it comes to hosting a wedding reception today, the trend is to throw a sophisticated party that reflects the couple -- and allows guests to feel pampered. How are couples doing it? By adding one or more highly personalized, highly spirited extras.

1. Amazing Arrivals
Beyond limos, some couples are transporting guests in old-fashioned trolleys or even having everyone arrive on foot European-style (if feasible) with the bride and groom leading the way to the celebratory soiree. Find wedding transportation in your area.

2. Heartfelt Displays
A special toast from the groom to the bride is also a hot trend, and one bride we know said it was her favorite part of the entire wedding! Alternatively, toasts from the bride and groom together to their guests are a tasteful way for the newlyweds to thank friends and family verbally. This is especially true as more couples host and pay for their own nuptials.

3. Special Performances
For brides and grooms who are talented vocalists, getting up on stage and crooning a sentimental tune adds a wonderful, personal note to the day's festivities. We know one bride and groom who performed together, shaking up the festivities with a lively rendition of "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

4. Artists On Hand
Some couples are hiring artists to create caricatures, sketches, or trendy black hand-cut silhouettes of guests during the cocktail hour and throughout the reception. While the dancing is in full swing, guests can take a break and
pose -- then have something unique to take home with them.

5. Novelty Acts
Fortune-tellers or palm readers have become popular additions to the event. They can predict wonderful developments for curious (and single!) partygoers ("You will meet your future husband at this wedding...") -- or for Aunt Jane, who's wondering if she should buy that lottery ticket.

6. Musical Additions
Couples are infusing their shindigs with special music beyond the main band or DJ. During the cocktail hour everything from a pianist or jazz trio to a steel drum band -- even a well-crafted compilation CD -- will kick the party off on a high note.

7. Photo Finish
Capture the spirit of the evening by renting a photo booth. Friends and family can really ham it up and create great keepsakes. Another idea is to set up a photo area by creating a backdrop so that guests can stop by and have playful portraits snapped by a photographer.

8. Illuminating Idea
When hosting an evening affair, lighting goes a long way to set the mood. Many caterers and event planners hire lighting designers to highlight different areas of the room, or to provide special effects like an overall tint (amber is popular) or appropriate shapes (your new monogram, perhaps?) spotlighted onto the dance floor. A more low-tech approach is to hang beautiful Chinese paper lanterns or line a walkway with luminarias -- paper bags weighted with sand and filled with votives. Or do like one of our Knotties did and suspend wrought-iron chandeliers filled with candles for rustic charm.

9. Table Toppers
Table numbers are easy to do and bona fide crowd pleasers. Give your reception tables clever monikers. Flower types can be fun, say, if you're getting married in a garden, or names of runs are cute for ski buffs. Movie fans name tables after Hollywood classics. After guests pick up their escort cards and sit down with their tablemates at their special outposts, the table name becomes an instant icebreaker.

10. Dance Fever
Rather than get out on the dance floor and go through the motions, many brides and grooms take professional dance lessons to get ready for their big night. However, we are now seeing couples go several steps further (literally) by mastering intricate, choreographed moves from tango to disco that they can show off at the reception for their first dance together.

11. Lounge Acts
Creating a swanky lounge area of sofas and chairs where guests can hang out at the end of the reception is a trend that's been gaining popularity since the cigar bar craze. A new take on the lounge idea is adding a self-serve dessert wine and artisanal cheese station -- an oh-so-chic way to wind down the evening. Handmade chocolates can (and should, yum) be offered.

12. Super Send-Offs
As guests leave the reception, many thoughtful hosts are sending them off with a breakfast bag -- a new take on the old favor idea. Filled with bagels and cream cheese or OJ and scones, the bags are tagged with a cute note thanking guests for attending the wedding and left on a table by the door.
(See TheKnot.com/favors for a gallery of great gift ideas.)

13. Close Calls
Brides and grooms who want to keep the party going into the wee hours are now capping off the reception with a lively parting song (see our favorite wedding music ideas)and then leading guests (who wish to continue the merrymaking) to the after-party venue.

14. Transit Issues
Providing guests with transportation back to their hotel or home is a thoughtful way to show that you want them to whoop it up, yet not get behind the wheel if they've had too much to drink. Have a bus or van driver on hand to shuttle guests over the course of the evening, or rent several flashy cars (convertibles are fun if weather permits) with drivers to take a few guests at a time to their destination. Display a placard explaining the service (near the restrooms is a good spot) so everyone knows that it's okay to leave their cars in the lot overnight.

15. Clean Getaway
Some couples are ending the party by inviting guests to watch them take off in an attention-getting vehicle—from a vintage convertible to a helicopter (go for a private spin before landing at the after-party!). We even know one military couple who departed the reception in an army-green truck. How's that for fun?

Wedding Receptions: 15 Unique Reception Ideas

Looking to have a wedding like none other -- at least like none other you've ever attended? Don't be afraid to try something new and something that's intrinsically you. The first step is to define who you are as a couple. Investigate your likes and dislikes. Ask yourselves: What do we enjoy doing in our spare time? Which is our favorite season? Favorite artists, movies, and music? Favorite era? Once you've unveiled your personal style, you're ready to take the second step and start developing a wedding-day theme.
Your theme doesn't have to be something so complex as a Hawaiian luau, replete with a roast pig, leis, and grass skirts, but it should pinpoint an element that can be used as a thread throughout your wedding day -- a color, a flower, or even a vintage brooch. You may be inspired by pink roses, a pearl-studded purse, or snowflakes (because the two of you met on the ski slopes). Or you may love sunsets so much that you host your ceremony at sundown, have wedding programs designed in shades of the sunset (from burnt orange to pale pink) and choose amber-color pin-lighting in your reception venue. Need more ideas? Here are 15 ways to craft a one-of-a-kind celebration.

1. Find the right wedding venue.
Locating the right spot to host your fun, formal affair is your greatest challenge. Having the wedding in a hotel ballroom will lend a very different tone than having it in an old weathered barn on your grandfather's farm. Locate a distinctive venue -- scout out old nightclubs, movie theaters, city roof gardens, hip restaurants, art galleries, or historic mansions. Get reception ideas in your area! Or transform the space you choose into something different by setting up screens to create different environments for dinner and dancing. You can even change the mood from one area to the next with the lighting: one room might feature white and ivory paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling while the next may be outfitted with deep red beaded lampshades on every table.

2. Develop a theme.
Finding a common chord to play through all the elements of your wedding -- from your paper products to your party -- will help you put on a production that's truly unforgettable. Try a masquerade ball! Infuse your theme from the reception venue (a fancy ballroom or an old theater) to what to wear (have guests come in costumes, such as butterflies and angels) to the favors (give guests handmade masks) to the honeymoon (go to Venice during Carnevale).

3. Pick an unforgettable guest book idea.
Have a photo booth set up at the site so that your friends and family can take their own pictures or group shots. The results are a little like a home video without sound. Whether you pose properly, make funny faces, or try your best Rockette kick line, you'll be caught on tape showing your true colors. Compiled into a visual wedding-day guest book, these are photographs that will be treasured by brides and grooms for years to come.

4. Pay attention to the decor.
The vibe of every wedding is dictated by the decor. To achieve an event that reverberates with romance, adorn your space with dozens of red roses and golden ornamentation. For casual elegance, try candles set afloat in pools, flowers floating in fish bowls, and a string quartet playing love ballads.

5. Go classic.
White-on-white is never out of style. As many people as there are looking for hot, hip new colors and coordination there are those craving the ultra-traditional. Talk to your florist about mixing shades of whites for the bouquets; use all-white linens or linens that mix various shades of white -- ivory cloths with white overlays, for example; and have a white wedding cake with white rolled fondant frosting and accented with ivory sugar blossoms. Final touches: waiters dressed in tuxedos with white jackets (hello, James Bond), and, of course, a white limousine.

6. Embrace color.
Develop a visually stunning scene using monochromatic color, whether blue, violet, or kiwi green. See our favorite wedding color ideas. Consider setting up different sizes and shapes of tables (circular, square, rectangular) and use different textures or designs for the fabrics (pin-stripe fabrics on round tables and tiny polka-dot covers on square ones). Although your color palette will remain the same, each tabletop will render a distinct personality.

7. Set your tables apart.
Who says the tables must sport uniform arrangements? Think of your spread of tables as a garden, each row or corner with its own identity. Place some of your chosen blooms in tall opaque vases, float other flowers in short bowls, use others in clear vases filled with rocks and water. Accent the shorter centerpieces with tall taper candles and the taller ones with shorter votives or tea lights. Get more wedding reception table ideas.

8. Make it intimate.
If you've chosen a huge reception space to accommodate your massive family, make it more intimate by adding lounge furniture. If you can't bring in couches and plush chairs to create a sitting area, try seating only four people to a table instead of eight to ten, or drape the walls and ceilings with rich velvety fabrics to close in the space.

9. Go for good lighting.
Lighting is a key (and usually forgotten) element. Okay, so there's always candlelight or chandeliers or strung twinkle lights. But before you take an easy way out, ask if your venue has another form of lighting and use it! Find out if your venue can provide cool effects like gobo lighting to create shapes with light. Yes, it could border on cheesy if you overuse it, but initialing the white walls with your new monogram during your first dance can add an unexpected element to the occasion.

10. Give your guests a taste of the town.
Serve something regional. We know a bride who had a popular East Coast seafood soup poured at each place setting, as guests arrived in the tent. Another bride we know served sour-cream cornbread with mayhaw jelly, a local southern favorite. If you're marrying in a city that brews its own beer, be sure to stock the bar with it or with another signature drink from your hometown.

11. Drink it up.
Espresso bars are hot and a good accessory to dessert -- especially if you serve your espresso with cordials. These bars also provide a good jolt toward end of the night as the party winds down and the yawns start pouring in; plus, lattes and cappuccinos served on dainty china can be very sexy drinks.

12. Have a dessert buffet.
Bring in 20 different sweets like chocolate-covered strawberries, banana fosters, and creme brulee. Talk to your caterer for clever ways to decorate tables and present mini desserts. Your family can join in the fun -- ask your best friend's mother to make her famous brownies or your aunt to make those pecan delights. A dessert buffet encourages mingling and ensures getting people off their seats and closer to the dance floor. If you still can't pass on the multitiered confection, box the individual cake slices and distribute as favors.

13. Go pro.
Book professional entertainers. An a cappella group or singing waiters during cocktail hour will turn on the charm. Hire a group of dancers -- choose from belly dancers to Irish jig or salsa dancers -- who'll perform during courses. Bring in some different music for an hour or so, perhaps a steel drum band, a barbershop quartet, or a mariachi band.

14. Add a cigar roller to your reception.
A master cigar roller who demonstrates the art of cigar rolling will prove to be a big hit. You might ask him to display and hand out an array of rare or limited-edition cigars for guests to enjoy after dinner -- do this in conjunction with a lounging area or around a martini or vodka bar for an added chic factor. Or, have him entertain guests during the cocktail hour while you two are busy taking pictures.

15. Invest in a watercolor artist.
There are wedding watercolor artists who will draw in pastels, or paint in watercolors, the reception as it unfolds. This can be a great gift for the bride and groom, but it's also some quiet entertainment for guests and especially good for weddings set in great scenery -- creating a collage of events like guests dancing outdoors on the sand and the best man's toast by the water at a beachside bash.

creative getaways
Give guests a lasting impression with a fabulous send-off. Have a fireworks display over a nearby lake; be the last to leave and thank each guest personally as you hand out favors; or have one final dance song with everyone on the floor!

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Wedding Guests: Reception Seating How-Tos

If you're having 50 guests to a buffet, you may or may not want to give people specific seating assignments. But if you're having 100 guests or more and serving a seated meal, you'll want to make sure everyone's got a specific place to sit. Why? For one, people like to know where they're sitting -- and that you took the time to choose where and who they should sit with. It's also helpful if you're serving several different entree choices, because the caterer and wait staff can figure out beforehand how many chickens, filets, or veggie dishes a given table gets because they (you) know who's sitting there. Read on for tips on how to seat neatly.

The parent-seating question is a flexible one. Set it up in whatever way best suits everybody.

Start Early
We've been at kitchen tables the night before the wedding (or even wedding morning) with a bride and groom just starting their seating chart. Don't let this be you -- you've got more important things to think about at that point! Sure, it's fine to make last-minute changes, but try to get the chart mostly done at least a week before the big day.

Hit the Keys
Create a new spreadsheet. If you haven't already, insert a column into your guest list document categorizing all the invitees by relationship: bride's friend; bride's family; groom's friend; groom's family; bride's family friend; groom's family friend. This way, you'll be able to easily sort the list and break it down into more logical table assortments. Now you'll need to separate these lists into distinct tables.

Create a Paper Trail
If you're feeling more low-tech, draw circles (for tables) on a big sheet of paper and write names inside them (make sure you know how many people can comfortably be seated at each). Or you could write every guest's name on a post-it to place accordingly.

Head Up the Head Table
A traditional head table is not round, but long and straight, and it is generally set up along a wall, on risers, facing all the other reception tables. It may even have two tiers if your wedding party is large. Usually the bride and groom sit smack-dab in the middle (where everyone can see them), with the maid of honor next to the groom, the best man next to the bride, and then boy/girl out from there. Flower girls or ring bearers usually sit at the tables where their parents are seating, much to the relief of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Decide to seat this way, or plan a sweetheart table for a little one-on-one time.

Switch Things Up
But you don't have to do it that way. All the maids can sit on the bride's side, all the groomsmen on the groom's. Or maybe you're not into being on display, or you don't want your wedding party to feel isolated from other guests. Let your wedding party sit at a round reception table or two with each other and/or with their dates/significant others, and have the head table be a sweetheart table for the two of you. (How romantic!) Another option -- you two sit with your parents and let that be the head table, with the wedding party at their own tables.

Place Your Parents
Traditionally, your parents and your sweetie's parents sit at the same table, along with grandparents, siblings not in the wedding party, and the officiant and his/her spouse if they attend the reception. But if your or your honey's parents are divorced, and are uncomfortable about sitting next to each other, you might want to let each set of parents host their own table of close family and/or friends . This could mean up to four parents' tables, depending on your situation -- or have the divorced parent who raised you (or your honey) and his/her spouse/date sit at the table with still-married parents. (Phew, confusing!)
Remember, the parent-seating question is a flexible one. Set it up in whatever way best suits everybody. If you're unsure, don't hesitate to talk to the parents in question about it before you make your final decision.

Tame Tensions
There may also be situations in which certain family members just do not get along. Maybe they haven't spoken in years. Maybe the last time they saw each other there was a drunken catfight. Understandably, you want to keep them as far apart as possible. Think about these kinds of relationships (or lack thereof) before you even begin making your chart, so you can take them into consideration in the first place and begin by seating Aunt Hattie at table 3 and Aunt Lucy across the room at table 15. Trust us -- they'll appreciate it.

Play Matchmaker
Again, all your college or high-school friends will be psyched to sit at a table together -- and especially if you and your beloved went to the same school and have the same friends, this works out well. It also gives them all an opportunity to catch up with each other, because they may not have seen each other for a while. But again -- reception tables offer a cool opportunity to mix and match your friends and your honey's -- who knows who'll hit it off? Consider seating friends who don't know each other (yet), but who you think will get along exceptionally well, at the same table -- and the rest is history. It can't hurt!

Wedding Guest Books: The Basics

Spending quality time with each and every wedding guest can be a challenge, but a guest book, where friends and family pen special sentiments to the happy couple, can be a great way to fill in the gaps and relive the moments of the day. Read on for five creative twists on guest book tradition.

Pre-printed Questions
What it is: Avoid a book full of variations of "Best wishes! Love, Aunt Nancy" by gently directing guests to be more reflective and creative on cards printed with fun questions to answer.
How it's done: Think about the stories and sentiments you'd like to read (and revisit) most and have cards printed with these type of questions (like "who are you happiest to see today?"). Spread them out on a table next to a big glass bowl where guests can drop their completed cards. Whatever you do, make sure to include a space for guests to sign and date them.
Tip: The key to getting good responses? Do not make your guests feel as if they're doing a homework assignment. Stick to one or two fun-to-answer questions per card:
How did you first meet the bride and groom?
When did you know they were in love?
What's the secret to a great marriage?
Can you share a funny memory about the bride and/or the groom?
Get more DIY wedding ideas.
guest book photos
See the creative ways other couples made and displayed their reception guest books.

Toast to Tradition
What it is: Like the true oenophiles you are, mark the milestones of the first few years of your marriage with fabulous bottles of wine, surrounded by the loving tributes of your friends and family.
How it's done: At the reception, set out five bottles of vino, one for each of your first five anniversaries. Tag each bottle with the specific anniversary that it will commemorate. Start with a great champagne, and then include four special vintages that will improve with age until their scheduled opening time. Gather a bunch of pens that write on glass (silver and gold Sharpies work well), and then invite your guests to cover the bottles with their well-wishes for that anniversary.
Tip: Be sure to store the champagne cork up, and the other four bottles on their sides in a dark, cool environment (a wine cellar or dry basement is best) until you're ready to enjoy them.

Branch Out
What it is: Just about anything, including tree branches, can serve as an easel for your guests' sweet sentiments.
How it's done: Purchase a small sapling from a local nursery or take a piece from an existing tree with sentimental value (like a willow tree in your parents' yard), and plant it in a decorative pot. Cut paper flowers from card stock and have guests sign the blossoms and attach to the tree's branches with ribbon. To make hanging a breeze, punch a hole in each card and loop a ribbon through. Double knot it to make a loop that can easily slip on the branches. At the end of the night, you'll have a tree in full bloom. After the event, gather the blossoms in a book, and for those who used a real sapling, plant the tree that has now been anointed with the loving and supportive words of your guests.
Green Note: Save space and paper by doubling the guest book cards as escort cards. On the back of each guest's calligraphed table card, print, "A note to the newlyweds." Place a pen at every place setting (favor idea!) so guests know to fill them out.

Sign Language
What it is: Create a sign-in board that doubles as a piece of art for your newlywed home.
How it's done: Find a great eight-by-ten photo of the both of you (use a fun candid, or your engagement photo. Find a wedding photographer to take the perfect shot.) and mount it on an extra large white mat. For an elegant and classic look, use a black-and-white photo. At the reception, encourage guests to sign their well-wishes directly on the mat. After the festivities, frame it and hang in a place of honor.
Tip: For something a little less traditional, have guests sign card stock cutouts (in some relevant theme) that you then affix to your mat. For instance, if your photo is of the two of you against gorgeous fall foliage, have guests sign little mini leaves, which you can later arrange on the mat around the photo.

Wish Upon a Ribbon
What it is: Incorporate wedding guest sentiments directly into your ceremony décor with wishing ribbons.
How it's done: As guests enter the ceremony, assign someone to hand them 2-inch-wide and about 2-feet-long satin ribbon pieces in your wedding colors, plus a pen to write a message (you might need a fabric pen). A few minutes before the ceremony, have someone gather the ribbons and tie them to the ceremony arbor or archway. It's especially great for outdoor ceremonies, as the ribbons will flutter in the breeze.
Tip: Too labor intensive? Use wishing stones instead. As guests enter the ceremony space, hand out a small stone that they can hold during the wedding ceremony to make a special wish for the couple. Afterward, they can drop the stones in a large vase that you can display in your home. See more wedding ceremony ideas.

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Wedding Catering: 17 Questions to Ask Your Caterer

You'll spend more money on wedding food than any other aspect of your reception, so you'll want to work with a top-notch professional. When making appointments to interview wedding caterers, try to schedule a tasting of their wares at a later point. Don't forget to ask them the questions below, and choosing a caterer will be as easy as pie -- just make sure your taste buds have a say in the matter too.


Does the caterer specialize in certain types of food or service? (They should provide you with sample menus to review.) Find a wedding caterer who can make a memorable meal.


Can the caterer arrange for a tasting of the specific foods you're interested in prior to hiring? (They should.) Schedule a tasting if you get a good vibe.


What is the caterer's average price range? Are costs itemized depending on the foods you choose, or is there an all-inclusive flat rate? What would that include (linens, tax, and gratuity)? Does the caterer have printed price sheets for food selections? Make sure there's room in your wedding budget.


How involved is the caterer in a typical reception -- does she work like a wedding coordinator or banquet manager, cueing the band, telling the couple when to cut the cake, adjusting the schedule if guests don't seem ready to sit down to dinner? (You will need to find someone to fill this role -- if your site manager or caterer isn't going to do this, think about hiring a wedding coordinator.)


Will the caterer provide tables, chairs, plates, table linens, silverware, salt-and-pepper shakers, and more? Ask to see these items to make sure they're acceptable. Do you have to rent tables, place settings, or other equipment? Or will they arrange for the rentals? If not, find wedding rentals in your area.


Who is the main contact? Will the same person you work with when planning also oversee meal service on the day of the wedding? (You want this to be the case.)


Will the caterer work any other weddings on the same weekend, the same day, or at the same time as yours? (You want to be sure they will devote sufficient attention to you.) You may want to pass on a smaller outfit who indicates they have another job or two scheduled for that day.


Does the caterer handle all table settings? Will they put out place cards and favors?


Will the caterer provide wait staff? How many would they recommend for the size of your wedding? What will the waitstaff wear? (Top caterers say they always use their own serving personnel, even if the site's staff is available, because they understand the caterer's way of doing business.)


Will the caterer be willing to include a recipe you provide, like a special family dish, or an appetizer with some sort of sentimental significance? Can they prepare vegetarian, kosher, kids, or halal meals for just a few of your guests?


Where will the food be prepared? Are there on-site facilities, or do you, the caterer, and the site manager need to make additional arrangements? If the caterer must bring in his own equipment, is there an additional fee?


Does the caterer work with fresh (not frozen) food? 


Does the caterer have a license? (This means her business has met health department standards and has liability insurance -- make sure this includes a liquor license if you're having a bar.)


Can the caterer provide alcohol? Or can you handle the bar separately? If you can provide it, is there a corkage fee? How and when will you get the alcohol to the caterer? If the caterer will provide it, do they have an flexible wine list, and can you make special requests? How is this list priced?


How will the caterer arrange the food on the buffet table or on plates? Can you see photos of previous work displays?


Can you speak to previous clients? (Get at least two references that had a similar number of guests and a similar menu style.)


Does the caterer also do wedding cakes? Can you use an outside baker if you desire? Is there a cake-cutting fee?

Wedding Catering: 10 Ways to Make Your Wedding Reception Menu Memorable

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food," said George Bernard Shaw. While you and your sweetie may disagree, your wedding guests will most likely be eager to fill their bellies with tasty treats. A little menu planning can easily woo the crowd. Here are ten tantalizing tips to make your wedding meal memorable -- and have your guests licking their lips:

1. Dream Up a Theme
One of the most fun (and often easiest) parts of developing a theme wedding is deciding the menu. From a traditional New England clambake to a spicy Southern barbecue, theme-wedding menus create a fun, exciting, and memorable event. It might even be the way you eat the food that stays in your guests' minds -- cracking crabs at a Maryland riverside wedding, nibbling satay at a Thai-inspired city garden reception, or roasting marshmallows over the flaming bonfire at a wedding "campsite." See real casual, elegant weddings.

2. Go Regional
There are many people who take culinary vacations, traveling through countries in search of the local fare. Turn your wedding reception into its own culinary vacation by creating a menu featuring regional specialties. It may be foie gras from the Hudson Valley, spicy chicken wings in Buffalo, or even the largest cheese spread ever seen in Wisconsin.

3. That's Entertainment
Who said that food only pleases the palate? You can devise a wedding menu where the food preparation is as flavorful as the food itself. Consider a sushi bar complete with professional sushi chef -- the performance of slicing and rolling turns simple ingredients into works of art right before your guests' eyes. Or perhaps French chefs donned in aprons and hats will create flaming crepes tableside. Find a wedding caterer who can pull it off!

4. All in the Family
Something in between a sit-down meal and a buffet, family style offers a natural way to get tables of guests talking while creating a very festive and homey atmosphere. Each dish is delivered to the center of the table and guests pass them politely (or grab and hoard, depending on your family). Italian food might be an obvious choice, but Asian, Mexican, and Indian cuisines work well here too.

5. That's So You!
The wedding day is all about the bride and the groom, so why not plan a menu that has special meaning to the two of you? Perhaps your first date was at a baseball game -- why not serve hot dogs? Or maybe the two of you love to fly fish -- highlight freshwater fish on the menu. Or he proposed over a romantic picnic lunch -- recreate the magic by recreating the meal. When your guests think about what they ate, they will automatically think about the couple of honor.

6. Presenting...
The eyes have it -- when it comes to remembering things, that is. Your guests will very likely recall a fabulous-looking buffet table before they remember what foods it featured. Be creative -- instead of serving soup in a bowl, have it ladled into a hollowed-out acorn squash. Or have asparagus tied up like a present with leek leaves. You could even serve coconut shrimp inside a coconut and garnish with a tropical flower.

7. Less is More
Sometimes the simplest foods presented in an elegant, bountiful manner have a more memorable effect than a wide variety of offerings. Colin Cowie offers this advice in his book For The Bride: "You can make a statement of style with one or two spectacular dishes. For example, instead of having ten different tray-passed appetizers during the cocktail hour, serve mountains of jumbo shrimp or sliced smoked salmon." Remember, KISS -- keep it simple, sweetie.

8. Ride with a Trend
Trends come and go and if you can jump on one before it's passé, all the more power to you. Ask your caterer what's up and coming. Perhaps she's got some unusual idea that will make the kind of memorable statement you're looking for. It might be something as homey/funky as a mashed potato bar, complete with your choice of spuds and toppings, presented in a martini glass. Or maybe a true Belgian treat -- pomme frittes served with the traditional mayonnaise in paper cones. Just remember -- they're trends, so plan accordingly if you're setting up your wedding menu a year in advance.

9. A Honeymoon Preview
Don't worry-we're not suggesting anything X-rated here! Just that you consider planning a menu based on your honeymoon spot. If you're off to Venice, serve a spread one could imagine eating in a gondola. Or if Hawaii's your destination, feature luau fare (without the flame-eaters) -- perhaps even the spit-roasted pig. Maybe it's Japan where you'll be spending the week -- how about a Tepanyaki station (Japanese barbecue), where guests choose raw meats, shrimp, veggies, noodles, and sauces and watch it get stir-fried. Get honeymoon ideas, if you're not sure where you're off to.

10. Five-Star Elegance
If dining out in the fanciest of restaurants is your idea of luxury and you happen to have a lot of dough, treat you and your guests to gourmet, white-glove-service dinner. Plan a multi-course meal, complete with a refreshing intermezzo (with hot lemon-scented towels after the fish course, of course). You can choose from French or Russian service: With French, the waiters prepare food on stands set up next to the table and then serve individual plates; Russian service features white-gloved waiters who carry each course on a large tray and serve guests directly from it. For that added touch, offer a different complementary wine with each course.

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Wedding Cakes: Dessert Ideas Beyond Wedding Cake

As you're planning the wedding reception menu, know that it's not just about wedding cake anymore. In fact, the latest trend is to cap off your nuptial meal with totally scrumptious confections that are all about who you are as a couple, while giving your guests a sweet reward.
Come Up With Dessert Possibilities
Here's the fun part of adding a dessert to your menu: research is required! Seek out your favorite delectable delights and sample the goods (so many treats, so little time). To put you on the express path to indulgence, here are a few key questions to ask yourselves:

Where do you go out to eat? Maybe there's a special dessert on the menu at your local haunt that you always order-and always find yourselves fighting over that last bite.

Is there a regional specialty that signifies where you live now or where you grew up? If you're from Ohio, you definitely know what buckeyes are: peanut butter balls rolled in chocolate designed to resemble the nuts that fall from the state tree. Paired with a special ice cream, these would be delectable.

What are your favorite candies or childhood indulgences? If you grew up on the seashore you may have fond memories of saltwater taffy on the boardwalk. Don't rule it out. You can even base a dessert on a beloved candy bar like GooGoo Clusters (think chocolate, caramel, peanuts, and marshmallows).

What's your comfort food when you need something rich to soothe your soul (and belly) -- is it a hot fudge sundae? Milk and cookies? Any seemingly simple treat can be transformed into a witty (not to mention delicious) wedding dessert. We love San Francisco-based Fork & Spoon Production's idea of passing trays of mini milkshakes in tiny frosted tumblers with straws.

Did you travel somewhere special together and discover something wonderful? A getaway to France may have inspired a perfect-for-an-October-wedding apple tarte tatin. A cross-country road trip spent noshing on Krispy Kremes could spark some dressed-up variations on the humble (yet legendary) doughnut.

Is it important to incorporate something from your ethnic background? If you're Italian, you gotta have cannolis -- but why not do mini ones with a variety of creams from ricotta to French? Likewise, Latino couples might opt for a creative spin on the traditional flan.

Be specific with your caterer or baker about what you want. Bring a picture from a food magazine or track down the recipe. And don't worry about pleasing every single guest -- no matter what you serve, you'll score points for originality.

Skip Wedding Cake Altogether
If you're not a wedding cake kind of couple, don't feel obligated to have a four-tiered, fondant-covered masterpiece. Some brides and grooms are opting out of serving a traditional wedding cake. Cupcakes on stacked tiers with the top tier as a small cake is a stylish alternative. Down South, there's a trend to forgo the groom's cake and do mini pastries, logo cookies with the bride and groom's photo on them, or miniature wedding cake cookies instead. Other options:
Serve individual cakes in the shape of, say, an open Tiffany-style box filled with cream and berries.

Have a dramatic chocolate fountain, actually shaped like a three-tiered wedding cake. The word on the street, however, is that the fountains can get messy if not manned properly, but no one ever said indulgence was a tidy business.

Can't live without a grand wedding cake? Wedding cakes are gorgeous, but who says you can't pair yours with treats? If you choose a cake with light and fruity fillings, try richer desserts (chocolate, anyone?).

Decide How You'll Serve Dessert
Dessert is king, so why not serve it regally? Dessert stations -- basically a buffet setup that guests visit -- are where it's at right now. Even if you're doing a seated meal, a dessert station gives guests a chance to circulate a bit. We've seen stations that range from totally elaborate Viennese tables with every confection imaginable to simple themed offerings. Case in point: the candy bar. Many caterers include the sweets the couple loved from their childhood-like malted milk balls, jelly beans, and caramel popcorn. Empty bags are available for guests to take home their favorites. More trends:
Truffle stations -- where an assortment of individual chocolates is offered -- will dazzle chocoholics. Have chocolate cordial cups filled with a delicious liqueur alongside truffles. Even a table chock-full of a variety of beguiling plated desserts makes a stylish presentation (think of gazing into a pastry-shop window). Some couples take this one step further by offering homey butterscotch or rice puddings in petite demitasse cups.

Mini desserts passed on trays like hors d'oeuvres at the end of the meal will make a statement. Or have fancy flourishes added to the table: It's a nice finishing touch that can be as simple as pouring a special sauce or whipped cream on ice cream or as over-the-top as serving a flaming dessert.
Love ice cream bars? Have a cart -- like the ones sidewalk vendors use -- positioned in a corner of the dining room so that guests can dig right in after dinner. That way, you can have your cake, or ice cream, or pie...and eat it too.