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How To Do Your Own Candy Buffet Table

wedding candy buffetI’ve visited quite a few wedding receptions over the last year and one of the latest trends that I’ve seen are these candy buffet tables where there are jars of different types and colors of candy that you can self serve yourself and snack on all night. I thought it was downright brilliant and was so yummy. I’ve also seen them at a few baby showers and wedding showers, so they aren’t just limited to wedding receptions :)

Because I loved these candy buffets so much, I decided to put together this post that talks about how to do it yourself, because having a caterer take care of it for you can be soooooooo expensive and you can do it much cheaper on your own. So here we go.

The Buffet Table

I’ve seen a few different types of tables at the different receptions that I’ve attended. I’ve seen round tables, square tables, and long rectangle tables. I think that my favorite by far were the rectangle tables, probably because you can fit far more of the candy jars on it and give your guest a much larger selection than if you opt for a square or round table.

If you don’t have access to rectangle table, you can rent them for fairly cheap from a wedding events company. In Utah, the biggest one is diamond rental. Also, if you are in Utah and of the LDS faith, you can probably borrow one from the local ward house for free.

The Candy Jars

This one is probably pretty straightforward, I mean, they are glass jars that house the candy. I’ve seen tables where all of the jars are the exact same and some tables where they are all different sizes and shapes. I think I really liked the randomness of the different size and shaped candy jars and you can pick them up at Wal-mart for about $10-50 per jar.

The Wedding Candy

What you are going to want to do here is pick a bunch of candy that you and your groom both love. After you decide on the candy, you will want to purchase the candy in BULK and in the colors of your wedding. You don’t want randomness when it comes to your candy color because you want it to match the rest of your wedding. You can purchase your candy in bulk from sites like CandyWarehouse.com.

The Candy Bags

Lastly, you will want to find some great looking bags to have your guests place their candy in. These can be simple, clear plastic bags, or you can even get some that are decorated. these bags are relatively inexpensive, so I’d opt for those with designs on them.

After you pull these four things together, all you have to do it get it set up and let your guest enjoy. If you have any other suggestions or recommendations, please feel free to share in the comments section below.

Photo courtesy of Slice of Sweetness

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Dress up Your Outdoor Wedding with Easy DIY Projects

Today’s post on the EmpyreJewelry.com blog is an awesome guest post about easy DIY projects that you can put together to spice up your outdoor wedding. These can be for the wedding ceremony or the reception.

Weddings are a major expense, and for the couple just starting out in life, saving money on the wedding can leave a little more money in the bank. Outdoor weddings are one way to save some cash, as they don’t require you to rent a church or large meeting place for the ceremony, and the reception can often be held at the same location. Furthermore, in an outdoor garden setting much of the décor is built in. With just a few simple DIY additions, the outdoor space for your wedding can look romantic and magical without breaking your wedding budget.

Arbors

An arbor makes the ideal central focal point for the ceremony itself, and it also works well for pictures afterwards. You can purchase a simple, undecorated one at your local craft or hardware store, and with a few power tools you probably already have on hand, you can decorate it to match your wedding theme. Ribbon, flowers and even lights quickly turn the arch into a decorative centerpiece for your wedding.

Rustic Signs

Outdoor weddings lend themselves toward rustic décor, and a rustic sign directing the guests to the ceremony and reception areas is quite simple to make. Purchase some small chalkboards, add a rustic wood frame and paint the frame with the colors to match your wedding. Use chalk to write whatever message you want on the board, and you have an instant piece of décor that also serves a vital function for your big day.

Outdoor Centerpieces

If your reception will be outdoors, consider creating your own centerpieces for the tables. Using the natural beauty of your reception area, create floral designs that highlight the flowers and trees growing around you. For instance, if you are getting married under cherry trees, use cherry blossoms as the central focus of your centerpieces. A clear glass jar or vase with wildflowers arranged inside is not only affordable, but also beautiful. For an evening wedding, a large glass dish with floating candles and a few floating flowers works well and won’t cost much.

Paper Lanterns

If your wedding or reception will take place after dark, paper lanterns are an inexpensive way to not only create ambiance in your outdoor space, but to also add some light. Purchase rice paper from an import shop along with tea light candles. Paint the paper with designs from stencils to match your wedding. Then, arrange the paper into lanterns and use these as centerpieces or hang them from wire to add light to the garden. A modern trend at outdoor weddings is releasing paper lanterns into the sky as a sendoff to the couple, so you could add this tradition as well.

Your wedding needs to be a day to remember, but that doesn’t mean it should cost a fortune. Each of these ideas costs very little, but looks charming in an outdoor setting. With the right tools in hand and a little bit of creativity, you can decorate for your own outdoor wedding and save substantially, all without detracting from the ambiance of the day.

About the Author: Holly is an Indianapolis native who loves to bake, regularly tackles DIY projects and blogs for Sears in her free time.

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How to Choose the Best Wedding Reception Venue

elegant wedding receptionToday we are publishing an awesome guest post. After you do your pre-wedding planning and select your wedding bands, you need to plan your wedding reception. Here are some great tips to help you choose the best wedding reception venue. Enjoy!

For many, a wedding is a long-dreamed-of event. If you are in the process of planning your wedding, laboring over every detail and trying to get every element just right, one important thing to consider is your reception venue. The venue you select for your reception can have a major impact on the quality of this post-wedding party. As you move through the deciding process, consider some of the factors that could play a part in determining just how ideal the venues you are considering are for your special day.

Capacity

The capacity of the space is the first thing you should consider when screening wedding reception venues. For the space you are considering to be a perfect fit, it must be neither too large nor too small to accommodate the number of guests you plan to host. If the venue is too large, it will likely appear empty and may seem impersonal. If the venue is too small, your guests will be cramped and far from comfortable at your reception. Because of the importance of finding a site with the perfect capacity, make this high on your list of determining factors.

Convenience

On your wedding day you will want everything to be easy and convenient, both for you and for your guests. When picking your reception venue, seek one that is conveniently located, ensuring that your guests don’t have to travel a long distance from the site of the wedding itself to this post-party place. While it is perfectly acceptable to ask your guests to drive a short distance to get to your site, the less they must drive the better. If you plan to host out of town guests, also take into consideration the proximity of the reception site to a hotel. If you can select a reception site that is very near a hotel, you can allow these guests to enjoy your wedding celebration then travel to their hotel with ease and substantially decrease the likelihood that guests who have imbibed alcohol at your wedding get behind the wheel as they will have a nearby place to sleep post-reception.

Ambiance

The perfect reception space will fit seamlessly with the theme you are trying to establish for your wedding. If you plan a sleek and modern wedding, seek specifically a reception space that echoes this theme, choosing an inner-city penthouse with sweeping views of the skyline or a stark loft-like space with exposed brick walls and metallic accents. If the wedding you have planned is more quaint and romantic, select an old-world space, such as a centuries old winery or a historically significant space that still has all of the charm of a bygone era. By selecting a space that already fits with your wedding theme, you can reduce the amount of money and effort you have to dedicate to decorating the space, as the space will already fit with your wedding motif.

Dance Space

Dancing plays an important part in many wedding receptions. When selecting your reception venue, keep in mind whether the venue you are considering offers adequate space for your guests to cut loose and dance the night away. Seek specifically a site with a dancing-ready flooring option, such as engineered hardwood flooring. Flooring of this type not only looks sleek and attractive, but also provides the perfect space for dancing. If the space you are considering lacks a dance-ready space, it may not be the ideal option as you will not be able to offer your guests a space for this popular reception activity.

Personal Significance

If there is a reception venue that has personal significance for you and your partner, it may prove the ideal space for your post-wedding party. Think back in your relationship to determine if any reception-appropriate space holds special meaning for you and your partner. For example, if you first started seeing your partner romantically after sharing a dance at your high school prom, the venue at which this first dance took place may be the ideal one at which to have your reception as the site already holds special meaning for you and your soon-to-be-spouse.

Cost

Many people are willing to splurge on their wedding days, paying more for a reception venue than they would for any other event in their lives. You should, however, consider cost when seeking out the best venue for your reception. Even if you are willing to stretch your budget a bit to get that perfect reception site, you shouldn’t abandon your budget all together as doing so could set you and your new spouse up for financial hardship. If you have budgeted an amount for your reception venue when initially planning your wedding, try not to deviate too much from this original figure, as doing so could put serious stress on your new union. If you worry that you will completely abandon your budget if you find that perfect reception site that is outside of the budget, don’t go to see sites that are too far above the monetary amount you hard earmarked for this portion of the wedding expenses.

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Weddings in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina

wrightsville beach weddingThis is a guest post written by Hardee Hunt and Williams. Regardless of where you live, Wrightsville Beach is an amazing place to exchange vows, exchange wedding bands, and to hold all wedding related celebrations. Enjoy the post!

Wrightsville Beach on the southeastern coast of North Carolina is known for its classic beauty, gorgeous real estate, beautiful views, ocean piers, and miles of white, sandy beaches. These elements and more combine to create the ideal wedding destination.

The beauty of the landscape on its own, however, is not quite enough to complete a great wedding event. Accommodations, catering, venues, and wedding vendors including photographers, florists, and planners are also essential elements in creating a memorable event. Because Wrightsville Beach has become such a popular wedding destination over the years, area businesses offer every product and service desired for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Here are some of the resources that can be used for weddings in Wrightsville Beach.

Accommodations – Popular hotels and resorts in Wrightsville Beach include Shell Island Resort, the Holiday Inn Sunspree, and The Blockade Runner Beach Resort. Guests may also consider renting a beach house or condo for their stay.

Church Ceremony – There are a few churches in Wrightsville Beach and others close by in Wilmington. On the island, there is Wrightsville United Methodist Church, Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church, St. Therese Church Parish, and The Little Chapel on the Boardwalk Presbyterian Church. St. Mark’s Catholic Church, Port City Community Church, and St. Andrews Episcopal Church are all in close proximity to the island and may accommodate larger groups.

Beach Ceremony – For a wedding ceremony on the beach in Wrightsville Beach, couples have to plan for a minister who will conduct the ceremony, chairs or benches for guests, and decorations or other structures they need or want. They also have to get the required permit and approval from WrightsvilleBeachParksAndRecreation.com as well as obtain fee information, rules, and regulations.

Transportation – For couples who need to get their family and friends from hotels to the ceremony to the reception and back again may want to consider providing transportation given that parking during the peak season is extremely limited. Trolleys are a popular option at the beach. They may also want to check with the hotel to see if buses or transportation may be arranged through them.

Reception – Popular reception venues on or near the beach include the resorts we mentioned earlier as well as restaurants including The Oceanic, Blue Water Grill, or The Bridge Tender. Airlie Gardens close to the island also hosts weddings and receptions and would be a beautiful coastal gardens setting.

These resources and suggestions cover some of the biggest elements in planning a wedding in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina. There are many more vendors available in the area including bands and DJs, florists, supplies, rentals, and even dance instruction. So, in addition to the gorgeous setting that Wrightsville Beach offers, couples planning their wedding here have many options and resources to help with their planning.

About the Author:

Hardee Hunt and Williams is a boutique real estate firm specializing in Wrightsville Beach real estate, Figure Eight Island, Landfall, Wrightsville Beach Condos, and Intracoastal Waterway properties. For more information visit http://www.HardeeHuntAndWilliams.com.

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