wedding food

Summer Weddings

It’s no mystery why summer weddings are on average more sought after than their winter counterparts.  While of course, winter weddings have lots of special qualities of their own, there’s no denying that a summer wedding brings with it lots of advantages to leverage the beauty of the outdoors.

That said, in Ireland you can never predict what the summer weather will do… it may rain in the middle of June and be sunny and bright in October. However, going for a summer wedding date gives you a greater chance of being able to have part of your reception or even your vows outdoors!

With all of that in mind, here’s some visual inspiration for you, to get the ideas flowing. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Outdoor I Do

Planning an outdoor wedding ceremony in Ireland might seem risky, but I’ve planned dozens of successful outdoor weddings. It’s all about being prepared, having a backup plan and a good wedding co-ordinator to help bring it all together. Summer time allows you the opportunity to plan more fully for an outdoor wedding.

 

Lawn Games

Get the guests outside and having fun with some giant lawn games! From giant Jenga, to Connect Four, to more traditional games like chess or croquet, it’s a great way for guests to break the ice, relax and get ready to have some major fun!

 

Embrace Your Location

Summer weddings tend to offer up more varied wedding locations. Such as near the beach, glamping in a yurt, a festival style wedding, on a clifftop and so on. Leverage the opportunities the good weather will hopefully bring and embrace some stunning outdoor locations for your ceremony, reception and photos.

 

Outdoor Eats

Be it a main meal that’s a buffet or BBQ, or your midnight snacks, eating al fresco is always a special thing to be able to have at your wedding and people love to eat outdoors. Think about having ice cream vans, or food rucks for your pre dinner reception or why not get the marshmallows out for a midnight fire pit? Don’t forget to have lots of blankets on hand for after the sun goes down

 

Images via pinterest

Interactive Wedding Food

Gone are the days when weddings were centred around a sit down meal. Of course, for many that is still a focal point of the evening celebration, however the way in which we present the food experience to our wedding guests has evolved.

Today, it’s all about interactive food and whether you decide to have that as the main meal or just incorporate it into your pre-meal canapes, your dessert table or late night snack, it’s a really on-trend way to get your guests involved in their food.
And they sky really is the limit when it comes to ideas. You could keep it simple and have one main element, such as a chocolate fountain, or go all out with donut decorating stations, sliders, dessert tables.

Here’s some ideas to get you thinking. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

Pre-Meal Ideas
These days many couples have trays of canapes for guests when they arrive at the reception. Weddings can be a long day, so it’s nice to be able to offer them a little something to keep them going. If you want to inject a little more fun into proceedings, then why not supplement the canapes with something like a chocolate fountain? Or instead of canapes why not have some small food stations set up, such as sushi, crepes, build your own crostini or some Italian inspired antipasti filled with meats and cheeses?

 

Dessert Tables
We all know the cake is still a showstopper and traditional part of the wedding and by having a dessert table it doesn’t have to diminish the importance of your cake, but let’s face it who doesn’t love sweet treats? So why not add pick ‘n’ mix station, donut, cookie or cupcake decorating stations? Plus if you have kids at the wedding they are going to just love this.

 

The Late Night Snack
After a couple of hours of bopping on the dancefloor, guests tummies can be rumbling, so instead of the old fashioned sandwiches and cocktail sausages, why not mix it up with some more interactive ideas? What about pizza stations where guests can choose slices, or slider stations where they can create their own mini burgers? Nachos and tacos are another super customisable treat.

 

Drinks Stations
Don’t forget the drinks too! Prosecco stations or cocktail making stations where guests can get creative with the help of a mixologist are a super idea. For the non alcoholic choices, you could have hot chocolate stations with a variety of toppings guests could add, as well as lemonade stations which could be adorned with fruit and umbrellas, again huge fun for the kids.

 

Images via Pinterest

Wedding Food Trucks Ireland

Food culture has come a long way in Ireland over the last number of years. Farmers markets, artisan producers and a real hunger (pardon the pun!) from the public for fresher, tastier and more creative food choices has raised the bar all around.
And this is very evident when it comes to weddings. More and more, it’s the food that’s one of the key driving elements when picking a venue for the big day. People want more than just ‘beef or salmon.’ They want something modern, fun creative and tasty. There’s also an appetite (sorry, not sorry!) for organic food with an eye on sustainability as well as food that can cater for different diets.

What’s great about the food trucks is that they can be a real surprise for your guests. You can have them as the main meal provider, or to cater for the drinks reception, the late night snack or the day after celebrations.

Here’s some visual inspiration for you. In the meantime don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly if you wish to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning and décor.

 

Any drawbacks?
As far as cons go, the only drawbacks to consider for food trucks really are the cost. Make sure it fits with your budget and find out what your venues policy is on having these vans on their premises. Also while it might be tempting to get a hog roast van in for your main meal, bear in mind it might not suit all styles of weddings.

 

Main Meals
If you’re having a festival or glamping style wedding, or a more relaxed atmosphere, then a food truck catering for the main meal is perfect. And there are so many cuisines to choose from! Literally there are options from all over the world to consider.

K Chido Mexico 

Late Night Snacks
Having a food truck for your late night snack will be a real treat and surprise for your guests. In this case, look for vans that serve snack style foods, such as fries, poutine, bagels, pizza, fish n chips or even sliders. These would also be ideal for your day after get together.

Home Fries 

Drinks
From prosecco trucks, to gin caravans and even mobile traditional Irish pubs, there is a huge move toward these snazzy drinks vans in recent years. Ideal for your drinks reception or again for your day after get together if you’re having one.

The Shebeen 

Sweet Treats
Again, sweet treats are going to be super addition to your wedding day festivities and you could have these at the drinks reception or in the evening time. Think Ice cream vans, doughnuts, cotton candy, cakes, coffee, teas, cakepops and crepes.

Rockfield Ice Cream 

Pros and Cons of a Restaurant Wedding Reception

Restaurant weddings have become increasingly popular in recent times. Ideal for smaller, more intimate wedding parties, this is also the perfect choice for foodies who want to make the most of their budget.

Look for restaurants that offer private dining spaces, flexible menus or indeed special tasting menus and somewhere that has a beautiful location to boot.

While the pros are obvious, there are of course some compromises to be made with this sort of wedding reception, however if you’re looking for something really different, then it’s well worth considering.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor, then don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

 

Pros

The Food

If you and your partner are major foodies, then of course, choosing a restaurant wedding is a no brainer. You can expect a superb level of food, as well as service to match. Wine choices will again be more varied and succinct with the food. Chat to your prospective restaurant about what they can offer in terms of even multiple course tasting menus and wine pairing for something really special.

 

Bespoke

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with the traditional hotel/ballroom style of wedding reception, a restaurant reception will automatically be something a little more special and unique. Of course it’s something that will have to fit with other considerations such as numbers, but you can be guaranteed a really bespoke experience.

 

Small Numbers

Speaking of numbers, this is a key deciding factor for whether or not you can have a restaurant style wedding. Generally speaking you’ll have to have smaller numbers then you would for a more traditional reception, so keep this in mind when considering your choice.

 

Maximise budge

If you’ve got a smaller budget to play, with a restaurant wedding means you can really make the most with it and get more bang for your buck so to speak. The food will be better, the service will be excellent and you can make more of a splash for smaller numbers.

 

 

 

Cons

No Band/Dancing

This might be a deal breaker for a lot of couples and generally speaking you won’t be able to have a band and dancefloor as you would with a traditional hotel style wedding. That said, if your restaurant has a private dining room option, check and see if they can accommodate you in some way. However overall, you’ll need to accept that the music and dancing will be absent or very different.

 

Decor

There won’t be as much scope for décor as there would with a more traditional wedding reception. Of course you can still ad you own touches, but these won’t be on the same scale as they normally would.

 

Accommodation

There won’t be accommodation attached to your restaurant, generally speaking, so this may cause problems for your guests in terms of where they will stay.

 

Location

Often, good restaurants tend to be located in urban areas, so if you want a country feel, this may not be the right option for you.

 

 

1950s Americana Style Wedding

If you’re looking to try and spice up your wedding décor with something a little different, then why not consider a sprinkling of 50s retro American style kitsch? If you and your husband or wife to be love the era and icons like Elvis, and Marilyn Monroe, have a penchant for rock ‘n’ roll and love the quirky fashion from the time, then it’s the perfect theme for your wedding day.

It’s all about having a little fun and you can really go as full on or a subtle as you like. Think about tea length dresses for the bride, polka dots for the bridesmaids and even a little Pink ladies and T Birds vibe a la Grease. Channel the trend in your food with modern takes on diner inspired American classics like sliders, posh dogs, Coca-Cola, milkshakes and popcorn.
Why not hire a retro style Chevrolet as your wedding transport, have a retro photobooth with 50s style props and have a juke box in your venue too playing the hits from the ear?

If you’d like to chat about this, or any other aspect of your wedding day décor or planning, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

 

The Fashion
Set the tone for the day with the fashion and have a tea length dress for the bride. Think lots of lace and short veils and why not mix it up and have converse shoes instead of heels? For the bridesmaids why not have bright polka dots or have some Grease style pink ladies chic elements to the hair and makeup.

Table Décor
Music is a huge part of the Americana era, it was all about rock ‘n’ roll, so why not have records as your table names and as you centrepieces? Think about including nods to the big icons of the era, such as Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. Have mismatched retro china and glassware reminiscent of the era. Lace was big, so think about having lace table runners to for added elegance.

 

Creative Touches
What about arriving in a pink Cadillac as your wedding car? Nothing screams 50s kitsch like a caddy car or truck, no matter what the colour. Also why not have pieces like jukeboxes, vintage luggage, old fashioned food crates filled with florals and retro style photobooths with lots of 50s props for guests to have fun with.

 

Food and Drinks
You can really have fun with your food with this theme. Think retro Americana in the form of old fashioned Coca-Cola glass bottles, milkshakes, 50s style champagne towers, straws, ice cream cones, hot dogs, sliders and popcorn to name but a few.

 

 

The Day After the Wedding

These days weddings have become something of a two or three day affair with many couples having intimate dinners the day before the ceremony and hosting something more casual for close family and friends the day after the ‘I do’s too. It’s a great way to keep the party going in a laid back less formal setting and indeed it’s perfect for catching up with those you might only have had a fleeting moment to chat to on the wedding day, which is hectic.

However, while it’s nice to extend the celebrations beyond just one day, there are certainly things to consider, first being the cost and your budget. Second, it can also be a stretch for some guests to stay an extra day or night and you’ll need to take this into account when organising something. Finally, remember you don’t have to organise something for the following day, so don’t feel under pressure if you just want to relax as a newly married couple.

If you do want to organise a special day after the wedding event, then feel free to get in touch to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day plans or décor.

 

Keep it Casual
The key word for the day after the wedding is casual! Guests will be tired from the night before and a sit down affair is something to be avoided. Also many people may need to hit the road early enough and may unable to stay for an evening meal, so think about having a casual brunch, late lunch or early dinner where people can pop in and out without feeling tied down. Forget seating plans, suits, centrepieces and cake cutting and instead just sit, chat and enjoy the day after.

 

Who to invite?
Generally speaking the day after the wedding celebrations are for close friends and immediate family, but there’s no hard and fast rule on this. If you do want to make the event something for everyone who’s coming to the wedding, then make sure to have this information on the invitation as you’ll need to confirm numbers in advance. Otherwise often just word of mouth is enough.

Venue
Your venue will probably have plenty of options available if you want to do something on site, from BBQ areas, to private dining or even small function rooms. If not though, why not think about heading to a local pub for some casual food and drinks, or you could always arrange a caterer to offer some food and drinks in your own home

 

Food and Drinks
If you’re budget allows then you might want to push the boat out and hire in a food truck or host a buffet BBQ or even a pig on a spit, but don’t feel you have to foot the bill for everything, you can cover the food but let the guests order any drinks themselves; many will be driving home so it’s likely to be a non-issue. You could always ask your close family and friends to head to the local pub for some laid back food and drinks instead and you can ask for the pub to throw in some complimentary finger food if the numbers allow.

 

Mason Jar Wedding Ideas

The humble Mason jar may have started off as a way to preserve fruits and foods, but they have now become a firm favourite as a stunning, yet inexpensive way to enhance wedding day décor across the board. These super versatile items can be used in practically all areas of your wedding day. From the church or ceremony venue, to the wedding venue itself, on the tables, as part of your food and drinks, favours and much more.

What’s great about mason jars is that they are easy to source in various colours and sizes, they are relatively inexpensive and are super versatile. Plus if you’re a DIY lover you can let your imagination go wild pre-wedding getting them ready to fit in with your theme in a variety of fun projects.

If you’d like to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day décor and planning, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me directly.

In the Church / Ceremony Venue
Mason jars make ideal pew ends and they are so adaptable they can go with practically any theme. Fill them with florals of your choosing, floating tealights, sand, pictures, quotes; you name it you can fill a mason jar with it! They look equally good either hanging or along the ground of each pew. Also they look fab dotted around the church or ceremony venue too, at the main door on welcome tables etc.

 

Centrepieces and Table Décor
Mason jars were made for centrepieces. They are so incredibly easy to dress up and as mentioned you can fill them with anything that you think looks good. Stack them with rustic pieces of wood, books, florals, on vintage cake stands, fill them with photos of you as a couple, your favourite love quotes, candles, fairylights, sand, shells, leaves, flowers and much more. Have one Mason jar or go for a large cluster. Also if you’ve got children coming to your wedding then make sure to fill some mason jars with crayons or pencils and leave them as favours at each child’s seat.

 

Around Your Venue
Hanging mason jars filled with tea lights or even battery operated fairy lights looks just stunning hung either indoor or outdoors depending on your venue. Also why not have some DIY fun and turn them into a mason jars style chandelier? They also look great on decorative mini wooden ladders along with some florals or initials. If you’re going for a rustic theme, arrange some on wooden barrels filled with gypsophelia for a never fail look. Arrange them on windowsills, your guest book table, mantelpieces and anywhere you feel like.

 

Food and Drinks
Serve your favourite cocktails in these retro style mason jars for great effect and have some ‘mocktails’ on standby for non-drinkers. Or allocate each guest their own mason jar for the proceedings and allow them to serve themselves from your drinks table that could be filled with alcoholic cocktails or lemonades. Milkshakes in mason jars are ideal for kids. And don’t forget desserts! These can work so well in mason jars too.

 

 

Advantages of a Small Wedding

A large wedding is not something every couple wants for their special day. While some weddings can run in excess of 300 people, the average wedding size tends to be in and around the 100/150 mark. But many couples opt to keep things much more intimate with smaller numbers attending, choosing to only include their very close family and best friends.

While a small wedding might not be the ‘norm’, it is certainly full of fantastic possibilities to make it truly unique and special. From access to a wider range of incredible venues, to budgetary impacts, to the food, décor and much more, small weddings have so much going for them.

If you’d like to chat about how I can lend my award-winning wedding planning services to your intimate wedding day celebrations, then don’t hesitate to get in touch.

 

Budget
There’s two ways of looking at how a small wedding can impact on your budget. First, if you’re looking to keep things more economical, then a smaller wedding will of course yield plenty of savings across the board, then you would have with a larger party.

However, smaller weddings also mean you get essentially more bang for your buck and if budgetary reasons aren’t the main driver behind why you’re having a more intimate affair, then you can really splash out on more incredible food, décor and venue options.

 

 

Small Gathering
For many couples, the whole idea behind having a smaller wedding is that they want their closest family and friends around them on their big day. It can make for a much more relaxed atmosphere, akin to a family dinner or occasion, rather than something that can feel too big and overwhelming. Also smaller weddings mean you can spend more time with each of your guests and your new husband or wife, rather than spending the entire day and night trying to have a few quick words with everyone.

 

 

Venue
Often times, couples will automatically look for a hotel with an appropriate sized room for their wedding venue. However, if you’re having a more intimate celebration, then this opens up a whole host of new venues to you. Consider your favourite restaurants, or museums and galleries. Also don’t forget that a smaller group means that it is easier to have your wedding abroad.

 

Food
Food can be somewhat formulaic at larger weddings, especially when your each the 300 or more mark. When you’ve got a smaller party, you can really have fun with the food. From splurging on Michelin starred food, to family style platters or nibbles, the sky is the limit.

 

 

More Creativity
Finally, smaller weddings will allow you to channel your creativity in different ways. You’ll be thinking of ways to include favours or activities that the entire, smaller group can get involved in, rather than something that has more mass appeal. More intimate venues can also take a different sort of décor and music options, as you don’t have to go for the usual larger band set ups.

Wedding Food Stations

Gone are the days of the traditional rules when it comes to wedding food. These days’ couples can choose from a variety of options, with food stations becoming a very popular choice. The trend really started with sweet tables, which morphed into dessert tables and now we’ve got everything from cotton candy stations, to pizza, ice cream, sushi and everything in between.

What’s nice about a wedding food station or table is that you can choose how and when it is served. You can have a table of antipasti for grazing before the ceremony, or a spread of make-your-own nachos for your midnight snack. The choice really is up to you, but generally speaking they are a super fun way to entertain your guests and are a fabulous ice breaker too.

If you’d like to chat about any aspect of your wedding planning, then please get in touch.
Sushi and Asian
Plates of colourful sushi really makes a great visual impact for your guests. Make sure you have veggie options available too, as not everyone likes the idea of raw or even cooked fish inside the sushi rolls. Why not add some Asian noodles too and let guests put them into mini takeaway boxes at the food station?

 

Make it Yourself
The essence of a Make-it-Yourself food station is fun, fun, fun! They are a great way to get your guests mingling and you can really choose from anything your taste buds can imagine. Some popular ideas are; nachos, tacos, cupcake decorating, s’mores, baked potatoes and even snazzy sandwich stations!

 

Fun Junk Food
Yes junk food is naughty, but it’s also a treat and what better time to indulge than on your wedding day. Think pizza, mini burgers or sliders, hot dogs and fish and chips! These sorts of foods tend to go down really well with young and old alike. Why not get creative with the packaging and have takeaway style boxes and containers for you guests to use at the food station.

 

Antipasti
Everyone loves an antipasti platter. Think of having an array of cured meats, cheeses, breads, focaccia, olives, roasted veggies and tapenade. This sort of food station makes a great grazing table for pre or post main meal times.

 

Carnival
This option is ideal for bringing out your inner child! Think of having popcorn, candyfloss, candy apples, retro sweets and chocolate fountains with lots of fab dippers like marshmallows and fruit to complete the carnival feel. Everyone young and old will enjoy this style of food station.

Something Blue

The saying goes; ‘something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue,’ for what a bride should wear on her wedding day for good luck. The rhyme has its roots in 19th Century England, but it’s a ritual that is still popular today with many brides around the world. While it can be easy enough to get you hands on something new, something old and something borrowed, many brides are left wondering what they can have for their something blue, apart from the obvious blue garter!

As an award-winning wedding planner, I’ve chatted to lots of brides about different ways to incorporate that ‘something blue’ into their wedding day. Thankfully today brides are spoil for choice in what they can use. Here’s just a small selection of some of the more unusual and modern ways to add in that ‘something blue.’ If you’d like to chat about your wedding day in more detail, please get in touch.

Shoes
Carrie Bradshaw’s Manolo Blahnik proposal shoe from the Sex and the City Movie has inspired a whole generation of women to go for blue shoes on their wedding day. But if you don’t fancy the stark contrast of a rich blue shoe, why not consider blue shoe clips, blue ‘I Do’ stickers for the soles of your shoes or look for shoes with a blue sole or insole for that hint of the colour.

 

Secret Label or Bows
When it comes to your ‘something blue’, it doesn’t necessarily have to be something that’s visible to everyone. Sewing a custom label with the wedding date and details on it, into your wedding dress is a subtle and very personal way to get your ‘something blue’ included in your day. Equally tying a blue ribbon on the underside of the dress is a quick, easy and also very personal touch.

 

Bridesmaids
For the bride who likes to multi-task, why not have your bridesmaids dressed in blue? It’s a really simple way to make sure you’ve got that ‘something blue’ box ticked and it solves the questions of what colour to have for your bridesmaids dresses!

 

Wedding Hanger
More and more brides and their bridesmaids have custom made hangers for the big day, so why not go for a blue one, for a unique take on ‘something blue?’

 

Flowers
Flowers are a more visible way to inject that splash of ‘something blue’ into your wedding, but the beauty of flowers is that the colour can be as strong or light as you wish, depending on the flowers. Also don’t forget you can wrap some blue ribbon around the base of the bouquet either.

 

Hair
There is something really vintage chic about hairpins and combs on a wedding day, whether your hair is up or down. And if you’re lucky enough to have a special hair slide or pin from a relative that has a touch of blue to it, then it’s the perfect way to tick ‘something blue’ (and something old) off the list!

 

Nails
Not every bride is into nails, but it’s surprising how amazing a pop of colour can look on those wedding day talons. If the thought of blue nails scares you, think about super light baby blue shades or some cool 3D embellishments. Don’t forget you could paint your toenails too, as those are less visible!

 

Cake
If you’re not keen on having something blue in relation to your dress, hair or makeup, then why not go with a blue cake? It’s a great way to inject some colour into your big day and a really unique way to get that ‘something blue’ in there.

Transport
Have fun with your wedding day transport and go for ‘something blue!’ Vintage style VW campers or beetles are a great choice, as are Vespa’s and even push bikes too!

 

Cocktails
For a really unique take on the ‘something blue,’ why not create a signature blue cocktail and have it waiting for your guests when they arrive? Or have blue bubbles for the wedding toast?