May 7th, 2007
Once a staple of a good street stall, the cupcake has taken Australia by storm (Australian wedding cakes at least!). Many cake makers have embraced their quirky appeal and have seen them become one of their most popular designs.
Jennifer Graham - of Melbourne’s Crabapple Bakery - has, however, taken the humble cupcake to new heights with her stunning creations. She has even been contracted by Chanel to produce cupcakes for their fashion launches.
If you fancy yourself as a baker, Jennifer, together with Penguin Books, has just published some of her secrets in “The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook.” Even if you are not courageous enough to attempt the designs yourself, the wonderful images in the book will provide plenty of inspiration (or, like us, you can sample some of her cakes at her retail outlet at the Prahran Market).
As a footnote, an oft forgotten benefit of cup cakes is that they are incredibly easy to serve; simply pop them in them in small noodle boxes and hand them to each guest to take home.
April 30th, 2007
Always conscious of our community responsibility, we have already written about how your wedding day can help alleviate Third World poverty. Everyday though we hear, read and see alarming reports of climate change, salinity, greenhouse gases, pollution and water shortages. Overseas, environmentally friendly weddings are becoming incredibly popular and although there are many eco-friendly options, we have three examples of how you can take a greener approach to your wedding day.
Green Events at Red Scooter
Red Scooter, a unique venue located in Melbourne’s St Kilda, has undertaken an extensive review of their operations and is now Australia’s first carbon neutral venue by supporting Greenfleet, a non-profit organization who, through an ambitious program of reforestation and tree planting, aim to absorb the dangerous greenhouse emissions generated by Australian motorists.
Additionally, Red Scooter has implemented strategies for the more efficient use of electricity, gas, water and even waste disposal in an attempt to reduce their impact on the environment. They even offer organic menus (reducing the amount of pesticides released into the environment), wines and beers (which they claim reduces hangovers as well!)
Bomboniere Blooms
Why not give a small envelope of seeds to each guest so that they can plant them in their garden as a reminder of your wedding day? They could be your favourite flower or herb. We have even seen couples plant a tree for every guest attending the wedding – what better way to give back to the environment!
Websites dedicated to environmentally friendly weddings
For further reading on environmentally friendly weddings:
www.weddinglistgiving.com - helps couples to use their wedding day to give money to charities and not-for-profit organisations by having a charity wedding list.
www.ethicalweddings.com - A UK-based list of ethical wedding services and products.
www.portovert.com - the first and only magazine dedicated to eco-friendly weddings. You can even use their emissions calculator to determine the environmental impact of your wedding day.
April 8th, 2007
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the loyal readers of Wedding Update! for your support this year and to wish you all a safe and happy Easter!
The Team
Oneperfectday.com.au ı where perfect weddings begin
April 1st, 2007
A carefully planned format and timing for your wedding reception is essential to the smooth transition of formalities, allowing enough time for the service of the meals and to party! Often overlooked, the format is as important as the quality of the food and service and the entertainment at any wedding reception.
After a huge amount of discussion we feel that the following format allows a perfect balance of formality and fun for a five hour three-course wedding reception. We have made several assumptions with regard to the length of the speeches and the speed at which the menu can be served.
6.30pm
Pre-Dinner Drinks and Canapes
7.00pm
Guest Seating
7.15pm
Entrance of Bridal Party
Welcome
7.25pm
Entrée
7.55pm
Bridal Dance and Dance Bracket
8.30pm
Main Course
9.10pm
Speeches
Cutting of Cake
9.40pm
Dance Bracket
10.15pm
Dessert
Coffee
10.30pm
Dance Bracket
Service of Wedding Cake
11.00pm
Throwing of Bouquet
Throwing of Garter
Farewell Circle
Arrival of Wedding Car
11.15pm
Departure of Bride and Groom (Departing 15 minutes prior to the conclusion of the reception allows your guests to enjoy three more songs before having to leave)
11.30pm
Close
We would, however, suggest discussing the format and timing with your wedding reception venue or caterer to ensure that they are able to manage the night according to your wishes while still accommodating their own.
March 26th, 2007
Stipulating a dress code when preparing your invitations can avoid confusion for your wedding guests (particularly male guests!) and set the tone of the occasion. Similarly, when you receive an invitation where the couple have suggested a style of dress the following explanation will hopefully avoid you resurrecting your powder blue safari suit from 1973.
Black Tie / Formal – Wear a dinner suit, dinner shirt and black bow tie. If you do not own a dinner suit click here for some wonderful formal hire companies.
Semi-Formal – A lounge suit or a jacket, collar and tie.
Smart Casual – We would suggest avoiding denim and wear a pair of trousers (we hope you would anyway) and a shirt.
White Tie – If you have received an invitation for a white tie wedding and do not know what this means, you are not alone. Unless you have been invited to a royal wedding it is unlikely you will receive an invitation instructing you to wear white tie anyway!
March 21st, 2007
We hope that you have now found your wedding reception venue. If you cannot decide between your two favourite venues – similar price, atmosphere, service and reputation – perhaps the answer lies in the number of staff that will be allocated for your reception.
The hospitality industry calls the number of staff required for any event the “staff to guest ratio.” This ratio is dependent on the complexity of the menu and the other requirements involved in conducting the reception. To a point, the higher the ratio, the better the service you and guests will receive.
The following ratios are particular to sit-down or cocktail party receptions held at a dedicated venue or those that will be professionally catered for up to 150 guests. We would suggest adding one additional waiter for every 50 guests above and beyond 150.
You should expect at a minimum a staff to guest ratio of:
Sit-down Three-Course Menu (set menu) – 1 : 20
Sit-down Three-Course Menu (a la cate menu) – 1 : 15
Sit-down Four - Five Course Menu – 1 : 15
Cocktail Party – 1 : 20
If you are considering options above and beyond the standard reception package offered by the venue or caterer you may need additional staff to accommodate their efficient execution without impacting on the level of service.
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March 12th, 2007
If you have started contacting or viewing wedding reception venues you will have no doubt received a flood of brochures and information regarding everything from menus to centrepieces. Even for professional event managers, trying to compare “apples to apples” can prove a challenging task.
Each venue will structure their packages a little differently. You may find those venues that appear to be more expensive initially could, after careful comparison, ultimately prove a more reasonably priced option by including a number of services for which other venues charge extra.
Pricing and packages can be largely dissected by considering and comparing the following elements:
- Pricing – Is the pricing “all-inclusive” or are food, beverages, decoration and other elements priced separately. Ensure that you combine all your preferred options to determine an accurate cost of the total package.
- Duration – What is the duration of the package? Does it include the pre-dinner drinks period? What is the duration of the beverage service?
- Menu – This is a matter of personal preference to a large extent; however, do you find the menu appealing? Does the food package include an a la carte selection or alternating service of the dishes? If you would prefer a cocktail party, how many canapés are included in the selection?
- Beverages – Are you able to select the wines included in the package? Are you able to supply a selection of your own wines and spirits? If so, at what cost? Is the package based on consumption or on an “unlimited” package basis?
- Decoration – What, if any, decoration is included by the venue in terms of centerpieces, candles, floral arrangements, etc?
- Venue Hire Fee – Does the venue charge a “venue hire fee” in addition to the greater package?
- Ceremony Fee – If you are considering conducting the ceremony at the venue what is the cost involved and the options available to you?
- Table Dressing – Will the venue set the tables with your placecards and bomboniere or will you have to organize a friend or function decoration company to attend to the table dressing?
- Coordination Services – Will the management and event sales staff be able to assist you in planning your floorplan, selecting menus and wines, establishing formats and timing and coordinating the finer detail of the reception?
- Additional Charges / Additions (Above and beyond the standard package) What are the charges to upgrade wines and menus, the wedding cake cut and served, extend the duration of the reception, additional floral arrangements, etc.
- Obligatory Charges - By this we mean additional costs that you incur due to the nature of venue. For example, will you need security, car park attendants, additional parking facilities, a water taxi (!), special permits, a dance floor installed, etc?
- Special Offers and Discounts – Frequently venues will offer a discount for off-peak (generally Winter) and short-term bookings. If you are a little flexible on the date or time of year you may be able take advantage of such savings.
Entertainment, stationery (ie. place cards and bomboniere), wedding cakes and celebrants are rarely provided by the venue. They are, however, additional expenses to that of the reception package and must be taken into account when calculating the total cost of the reception.
This list does not discuss the feel, atmosphere, dynamic, condition of the venue and the professionalism of the event sales staff that are all equally important criteria when choosing a wedding reception venue. Though there is no list to quantify these factors we would suggest being led by your impressions (if you are happy with the level of attention you receive and the venue itself that is the most important thing!) and, as always, recommendation from friends and family who have actually attended receptions at the venue in the past.
Remember to vote in our Question of The Month!
March 8th, 2007
In keeping with this month’s theme of wedding reception planning, we thought that an injection of glamour and extravagance was in order to provide a little inspiration and a welcome distraction!
The United State’s wedding industry is enormous - every conceivable option, theme and special effect is available – and influences wedding trends worldwide. As such, many Australian wedding suppliers and designers watch the American market closely for new ideas and products.
For truly extraordinary wedding receptions, one cannot look past the work of celebrity event designer Preston Bailey. Based in New York City, Bailey has coordinated receptions for the likes of Donald Trump and Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones. View his wonderful website here.
Perhaps not the understated cocktail party or barbeque that you may have in mind for your reception but what is a celebration without an 18th Century ballroom full of tables with blossoming cherry trees as centrepieces?!
For those who have embraced the podcasting revolution, Preston Bailey has been interviewed on the American Wedding Podcast Network. Click here for a direct link to the episode.
Remember to vote in our Question of The Month!
March 5th, 2007
We have been inundated with emails requesting advice on choosing the perfect wedding reception venue. Over the coming weeks we will examine those factors we believe to be most important in a series of feature articles written by some of Australia’s leading wedding coordinators.
Your choice of venue is one of the biggest decisions (and areas of greatest expense) you will have to make in planning for your wedding (aside from the proposal!). However, once you have secured your reception booking, you have a date and a location and can start considering sourcing/booking other suppliers.
The search for a perfect wedding venue can seem quite daunting. Where does one start?
Firstly, browse our directory of quality wedding reception venues and visit their websites. You will quickly get a feel for those venues that appeal to you and those that do not. If you are a Oneperfectday.com.au Member (if not, sign-up now for free!) you can create a shortlist by adding those venues to your Address Book (now all your preferred suppliers’ contact details will be in the one place and accessible at anytime from any computer).
When contacting venues, ask five simple questions:
1. Is the venue able to accommodate the number of guests I am considering inviting?
2. Is the venue available for the date or time of year I am considering? Some of the more popular venues may be booked up to two years in advance. You may need to be a little flexible on the date if you have your heart set on a particularly popular venue.
3. What is the base price per guest?
4. Are you able to post or email me further information (menus, pricing and other related options).
5. When am I able to arrange an inspection when the room will be set for a wedding?
You may have several other special requirements of your own to add such as the ability to hold the ceremony on site, special catering requirements, etc. The questions above will, however, allow you to further refine your shortlist over the phone or by email very quickly.
In our next post we will discuss some of the finer detail of different packages and how best to compare them.
Remember to vote in our Question of The Month!
February 26th, 2007
Quat Quatta, located in Melbourne’s Ripponlea, has recently undertaken an extensive refurbishment bridging the warmth, character and unique architectural features for which Quat Quatta is known to create an elegant, stunning and more contemporary setting.
The works were overseen by internationally renowned interior designers, Hecker, Phelan and Guthrie who have been behind some of Melbourne’s most spectacular projects including The Prince of Wales (St Kilda), Carousel (Albert Park) and Comme (Melbourne CBD) in addition to several retail projects including the design of the Alannah Hill boutiques. Quat Quatta is now, more than ever, a truly unique and striking setting for any event.
Quat Quatta has always maintained a reputation for fine catering and service and has recently been admitted to Restaurant and Catering Victoria’s (RCV) Hall of Fame after several years of success in the RCV’s Annual Awards for Excellence in both Function Caterer and Wedding Caterer categories.
For all wedding and event enquiries, please contact events@quatquatta.com.au or telephone 03 9528 6483.
All images kindly provided by Urban Artistry
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