To DJ or Not To DJ, That Is The Question

One where the answer keeps becoming more and more apparent. It is very difficult to find a DJ around here. One that has his/her own equiptment and who is willing to get the important songs I have picked that they don't already have is even harder. I think it is time to give up and look into renting a sound system and enlisting a friend to spin tunes for the evening. Must call Long & McQuade in Regina tomorrow when they are open and get some prices.

Midnight Lunch? How About Midnight Bonfire?

Yes, that's right. A bonfire. At a wedding. No, I'm not joking.
I think the idea is great. Why feed people a bunch of lousy cold cuts when we can eat hot food cooked fresh? Weather permitting of course. If the weather turns miserable on us, then we will fire up the BBQ for our hot dogs and smokies. Good times to be had. Don't forget about the marshmallows, it's not a bonfire without marshmallows. :)

Reception: Sample Timeline

Sure, you may have been to dozens of weddings, but when it comes down to planning your own reception, it’s hard to know what is supposed to happen when.

00:00 - Cocktail Hour – (bridal party takes pictures). After your “I dos,” you and your husband leave the ceremony first – followed by the bridal party and your photographer – to take your first photographs as husband and wife. At this time, your guests will head to the reception site. To keep the mood festive and fun, cocktail hour should begin as soon as guests arrive at the reception, whether that happens five minutes or an hour after the ceremony.
01:00 - Grand Entrance/First Dances Husband and wife…..Mr. and Mrs….this is the time for your grand entrance. The facility or event coordinator will gather your guests to await your arrival. Typically the bridal party and both sets of parents are introduced, followed by the bride and groom. Since all eyes are on you, this is the perfect occasion to step immediately into your first dance. Sometimes the father/daughter and mother/son dances can take place at this time as well – or you can choose to hold those dances after the meal.
01:20 - Welcomes and Toasts After your first dance, all eyes are still on you. With everyone gathered, this is a perfect time for the parents, the bride and groom, or the honor attendants to speak. The host (often the father of the bride) may choose to welcome and thank your guests for coming. Someone may say a blessing. The best man and maid of honor may also choose to speak at this time.
01:30 - Eat, Drink and be Married… Whether you serve a sit down meal or buffet, this is the time when everybody eats. The bride and groom and their parents are typically served first or are the first to hit the buffet. This may seem contrary to etiquette, but serving them first affords the time to make table visits while the rest of the guests are seated. Your band or DJ will play subdued “dinner appropriate” music at this time (Sinatra and old standards are a favorite). Word of advice to the bride and groom: make sure you take advantage of this time to eat!
02:30 - Get your Groove On Take the lead and hit the dance floor! Guests usually follow the lead of the bride and groom, so do your part to ensure a packed dance floor. At this point, you should have already greeted your guests and accomplished your duties as hostess. Remember – this is your party, so have fun.
04:00 - Cake Cutting About an hour before the reception’s finale – your waitstaff will begin preparing for dessert and coffee. The cake cutting signifies to guests that it is appropriate to depart anytime thereafter, so make sure it doesn’t happen too early, or you could find yourself alone at an empty reception.
04:15 - Back to the Party Of course, many of your guests will forego cake and coffee for more drinks and dancing. The band or DJ should kick right back into lively dance music for those all-night partiers who relish another turn on the dance floor.
04:30 - Bouquet Toss/Garter Removal If you plan to do a bouquet toss, it usually occurs as one of the last events of the evening. Make sure your florist prepares a throwaway bouquet so you can keep your original as a keepsake.
04:45 - Last Dance/Last Call Take advantage of this opportunity to leave a lasting impression, and end your wedding on a high note. The right tune for the last dance will have your guests reluctant to leave. It needn’t be slow song; something lively can ignite the mood for the after party, should you desire.
05:00 - Send-off! These days, receptions are so fun and involve so much pre-planning, the bride and groom no longer wish to make an early getaway. In fact, they’re often the last to leave! Make your send-off the evening’s finale. Your coordinator will usher everyone to watch as you make your getaway. Have guests blow bubbles, toss rose petals or even light sparklers to wish you on your merry way towards a lifetime of happiness.

Reception: Rental Checklist

Depending on your wedding venue – and the type of reception you’re planning - you may need to supply some, if not all the items needed to host your event and serve your guests. Here is your ultimate reception rental checklist

When you book your reception site, be sure that you understand what’s included in the rental fee. Each venue is different, so you have to clarify with the site manager which items the venue provides and which you must provide. As always, make sure that everything you have agreed upon is put in writing. Depending on the venue – and the type of reception you’re planning - you may need to supply some, if not all the items listed below. Here is your ultimate checklist:

Tables
Here’s a breakdown of the types of tables you may need:
Guest Tables
36-inch rounds seat 4-6 guests.
48-inch rounds seat 6-8 guests
60-inch rounds seats 8-10 guests.
6 ft rectangle seats about 8 guests
Cake Table(s)
Appropriate size depends on size of cake, whether you’ll also have a groom’s cake, and whether you’ll display both cakes on the same or separate tables. 48-inch round usually works well
Head Table
Seats bridal party. Often consists of rectangular tables placed end-to-end.
Sweetheart Table
in place of head table, small table that seats the bride and groom while the rest of the wedding party sits at guest tables.
Buffet Tables
If you have decided on a buffet dinner, you’ll need to arrange several food stations, such as meet carving, etc. (Buffet tables may be provided by the catering company.)
Gift Table
Size depends on the number of guests you are expecting.
Guest Book Table
A small table for your reception guest book.

Chairs
To Consider: For a seated dinner or buffet, you will need to provide seating for all reception guests. For a buffet style cocktail reception you may able to get away with enough chairs for half or more of the total number of guests. You may need to rent or purchase chair covers separately. High chairs for children should be available from rental companies.

Linens and Chair covers
Consider: Linens and Chair covers may be included with the rented tables and chairs, or you may need to source them elsewhere.

Tableware
For a formal sit-down reception, tables are usually set with complete place settings. At a buffet reception where guests serve themselves, plates and silverware may be located at the buffet table.

Tent
A large tent or canopy may be required for receptions held outdoors to protect you and your guests from the sun or rain.

Options: Tents and canopies come in different sizes and colors. A smaller tent (20-by-20 feet) will accommodate about 40 guests at a sit-down dinner. A 20-by-40 about 200, and a 60-by-100 about 500 or more. Depending on the shape of your reception area, you may need to rent several smaller canopies rather than one large one. Contact several party rental suppliers to discuss the options.
Take pictures of the site for references for your tent rental company. Although they should survey the facility themselves before they set up the tent, the pictures are a good reference for them when you first set up an appointment.

Heaters/Air Conditioners
You may need to rent heaters if your reception will be held outdoors and if the temperature may drop below sixty-five degrees. There are electric and gas heaters, both of which come in different sizes. Gas heaters are more popular since they do not have unsightly and unsafe electric cords. In warmer climates, portable AC units may be rented for outdoor events.

Dance Floor
The size of your dance floor will depend on how many guests you expect. They can range from 12 by 12 feet up to 20 by 30 feet or larger. Get some graph paper and make a floor plan, and bring this to you when you visit your rental company.
16’x16’ (up to 100 persons) - 16’x20’ (up to 150 persons) - 20’x24’ (up to 200 persons)

Decor: Balloons & Balloon Ceilings

The venue that we are leaning towards is going to be inexpensive and somewhat of a sentimental value, as it is in the very small home town of my fiance. Unfortunately, it is going to take some very clever decorating to make it look good. It is a curling rink, built into a quonset type structure. It has a concrete floor, but it is not finished inside so all you see is the tin of the structure. I have found somewhere to buy polyvinyl plastic rolls large enough to cover the walls, giving us 10 feet until the "ceiling". But I wasn't sure how to hide the tin roof, and still make it look good, until my mom thought of balloons. Here are some pictures of balloon ceilings I found from Google Image Search...

I love the long streamers. They make it look so whimsical. I especially love the streamers in the next set of pictures. I love how they hung stars or moons on the streamers. Some look to be just cut outs, and some are actually small mylar balloons for a 3D look.

The next pixctures are other various ballon decor that I thought was cute. The first picture is of a balloon column where they used a balloon and set each balloon at a different level to fill the column, topping it with a large mylar star. In the second picture, they filled the balloons on the floor with helium and used balloon cups and sticks to have them look as though they are dancing along the floor.

The first picture is a huge balloon drop, imagine that on the dance floor at the last dance of the night... The second picture shows the large 3 (or more) foot wide balloons. I thought they were intersting. Picture 3 is an arch, and Picture 4 is a balloon centerpiece (shown from top view).

Decor: Simple Centerpieces

I thought these were stupidly cute. As you see they can be decorated in anyway and can be filled with anything. I see that they put a plastic bag liner inside ones that are to be used as fresh flower vases. They come in 2 sizes, short: 5"x5"x6" and tall: 5"x5"x10". I imagine they would be fairly easy to make yourself.








The last picture is of their bud vase collection, it comes with the tiny "test tube" vase. Again, I think it would be easy to make.

Color: Red Ideas

As you can tell, red is s hugely popular color. I even had to narrow down which red pictures I posted in here to keep the number down. There are some gorgeous ideas in here that would look great in any color.