A WEDDING GEM FROM YES, WE CATER

We would like to include a wedding gem for you...

If it should happen to rain on your wedding day, gather some rainwater...a gift from Heaven's own precious spring... and use it for the Baptism of your first child...

A BASKET OF CANDLES...FOR THE BRIDE AND THE GROOM...

     October is becoming one of the most popular months for weddings. In part, this is due to the glorious weather and the wondrous flowers which romantically bloom as each couple walks down the aisle of love and enchantment.

     With the weddings, come pre-wedding festivities, namely, the bridal showers, and the Jack and Jill showers as well...honoring the bride and her groom, together, and as one, registering at Sears as well as Bed, Bath and Beyond.

     We want to share with you a beautiful and unique gift to give your favorite to-be-weds for the shower...a Basket of Candles to light the way throughout their wedding bliss.

     Let us share with you...
 

     A Basket of Candles for the Bride and Groom

 A Basket of Candles that come in a pair 

 In all different colors for you two to share

The white ones burn first

They are wrapped in white lace

To celebrate your first married night in your new chosen place

The green pair is taller, and also much thinner

Burn with the first company you have over to dinner

The dark blue candles are for after your first fight

Use them to burn while making up through the night

Pink candles set the mood and pave the way

For your very first married Valentine's Day

Now, when your first year of marriage is through

The cream anniversary pair will light for you two

Red candles aflame, both your futures are bright

Celebrate Christmas and promotions you've worked toward with all of your might

By this time we hope, maybe, just maybe

You can light the purple ones on the birth of your baby

And just when you thought, you'd put these away

Take the light blue ones out for your Fifth Anniversary Day

Now just one more pair left for the big twenty-five

The anniversary pair that will keep your love alive

Congratulations to (Bride and Groom enter their names)! On the start of your forever, may the two of you always be happy together

And burn these candles just the way we said

But please don't forget, blow them out before going to bed...

A special note...In the case of families with a child who is already a part of the marriage...please adjust the line to read..."By this time we hope, maybe, just maybe, you can light the purple ones to welcome another baby."

Also, you can use taper candles for the basket, or even give a lovely box of votive and tea light candles in the colors of the poem, and perhaps, include a candle holder.

Whatever you choose, we know, will be very special.

Your professionals at Yes, We Cater, can have contact information for the Basket of Candles...

Submitted by Carolaine to Yes, We Cater

THE TRADITION OF THE GROOM'S CAKE!

     We all have been seated at weddings and have dreamily listened to Lohengrin's lilting march of "Here Comes The Bride," or the beautiful "Canon in D" by Johann Pachelbel, and have watched the bride glide down the aisle to her awaiting groom.

     Folks tend to think of a wedding as "her" day, but it is "his" day, too, and a wise bride will make certain her groom is feeling extremely important and sharing the limelight as well.

     In our previous blog submission, we talked about the Cookie Table, and mentioned the Bridal Cake and the Groom's Cake, and we have received some questions asking, "What is a Groom's Cake?"

     The original tradition for a groom's cake began in Victorian England. It eventually made its way to the United States, settling in the South with Southern belles mixing up or ordering a very special cake for their beaus.

     This sweet Southern tradition has made its way all over our country and, in many cases, is the bride's gift to her groom, her tribute to "the one" of her dreams.

     Brides found the idea of a groom's cake appealing because it is a way to give a special recognition to the groom on a day when most of the attention seems to center around the bride.

     While the traditional wedding cake, or the "bride's cake", may often be made in a light texture batter and decorated in variations of white frosting, the groom's cake can run the gamut from a cheesecake, or carrot cake, to incorporating chocolate, confections and fruit into the mix in a dramatic, humorous and memorable way.

     The taste of the groom's cake should delight his palate and the decoration can reflect his work, hobbies or interests. The groom's cake is in direct contrast of the wedding cake with nary a rosebud or dove in sight.

     Many brides keep the groom's cake as a surprise for her groom, and they may cut this very special cake at their wedding, with the groom's treat set alongside the wedding cake, or on a separate table. It may even be served as dessert at the wedding rehearsal dinner.

     Sometimes, the bride and groom want to showcase the groom's cake at the rehearsal dinner, and then take it to the wedding to share with guests.
Whatever the couple want to do is the way it should be, with their wedding reflecting the best of the two and the wonderment of their love on this day of days.

     To further explain the Groom's Cake, remember the moving movie, "Steel Magnolias" ? That particular groom's cake was a novelty featuring a red velvet cake fashioned in the shape of an armadillo and was served at the wedding, in fun.

     Your favorite wedding professionals at Yes, We Cater, are knowledgeable of the groom's cake, and just may have an album of great photos for you to peruse.
Pieces of the groom's cake can be placed in decorated wax bags or small boxes, imprinted with the couple's names and wedding date, for guests to take home.

     Legend tells that a lady fair placing a slice of wedding cake or groom's cake beneath her pillow, after attending a wedding, will dream of the man she will marry...

THE FABULOUS COOKIE TABLE!!

Oh how I love being asked this question!

"If cake is served at weddings, what is a Cookie Table?"

     I want to share with you a fabulous idea sweeping the country for weddings and all events...The Cookie Table, which began in Western Pennsylvania, per some mighty proud bakers in the Keystone State!
     Now we know that the proverbial icing on a wedding is the bridal cake and the groom's cake...however, cookies are playing a big part, as well, from sea to shining sea, in addition to the cake.
                                                                                                                   
     In our family, when a member and or even a good friend seems "sweet" on someone, we ask..."Is it time to fire up the pizzelle irons?!"

     Lighting their hearths and baking the sweet treats, weeks before the wedding, are families of the bride and groom, friends and neighbors...all very happy to be involved in this labor of love.

     There may be no greater tribute to cross-cultural friends and marriages than The Cookie Table. It's what makes America great; a medley of nationalities taking the best from each. The best, in this case, being favorite and famed family cookie recipes.

     Nestled in a corner of the main event room, is a table or tables laden with a multitude of cookies...everything from biscotti, Russian tea cakes, Baklava, pizzelles, buckeyes, thumb prints (with the filling featuring the wedding colors, of course) nut, poppy seed and apricot rolls, peanut butter blossoms, pecan tassies and ladylocks, to name but a few.
Cookies can be purchased from bakers or bakeries, as well.

     Your wedding experts at Yes We Cater can address your Cookie Table questions!The Scandinavians may get involved and the Native Americans, too. The Germans do cookies and so do the Irish and the Spanish. If I have left anyone out, like the English, add them to the cookie equation, too."

     The Cookie Table can be regally on display at every social event a family may plan from: Baptisms, graduations, anniversaries, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, birthdays, funerals...you name it, and let the baking begin!

     An extremely vital part of The Cookie Table are small boxes, baggies or napkins for guests to take some cookies home to enjoy.

     We usually tell our brides and grooms to have at least six cookies per guest.

     So, now-a-days, in addition to asking...How was the wedding? Many folks will ask...Were the cookies good?!

    As a wedding planner/consultant, I always add candy, fudge and assorted nuts to The Cookie Table to enhance the decadent extravaganza.

     According to national food critic, Suzanne Martinson, who has written in depth about The Cookie Table, "Nobody knows the exact origin of the tradition of The Cookie Table...It may be Italian, or Slovak, or Polish, or Croation or Greek.

     We add that along with the Cookie Table, you can dazzle your guests with a coffee bar, as well.
     All of this, all of your event questions and plans, the pros at Yes, We Cater can handle, most wonderfully, graciously and professionally.

     Submitted by Carolaine for Yes, We Cater...

SOMETIMES, THOSE YOU WISH TO BE ON THE GUEST LIST, CANNOT BE...

       IN THOUGHTFUL REMEMBRANCE... 

      The beauty and magic of a wedding invokes visions of the bride and groom being surrounded by the most cherished of their families and friends on this day of wonderment. 

 

       However, there are times when he or she, or both to-be-weds, may have beloved ones gone on to their eternal reward, or they may realize the sadness of someone's absence at their Nuptials due to other circumstances. 

 

      Not having a Mother to help select her wedding dress, or not walking down the aisle on the arm of her Dad, can be a sorrowful time for the bride. And, the bond between Mother and Son is very strong, and the groom will most definitely be missing his own Mother on his day, as well as not having his Dad as a possible Best Man, offering sage advice.

 

        Of course we want to remember these very precious ones on a day that is described as the "happiest day" in the lives of two in love. 

 

     May we suggest some ways to honor these special people, because to bestow  a remembrance to a wonderful someone, on the wedding day, is among the most profound gestures that can be given.

 

       Let your loved ones light the way on your day, with glowing candles lit in their memory. The candles can be extinguished and re-lit at the reception. A pew, or chair, can be "Reserved in loving memory of. . ." and a bouquet or favorite flower, memento or note can be laid upon a program book. 

 

     A special ribbon or cascade of tulle will denote that no one else is to sit within the ribbon or tulle of the chair or pew. A daughter can carry her Mother's most loved flower, or a picture of her parents caught in her bouquet, a religious article, the family Bible, or duplicate Mom's own wedding flowers.  The groom's boutonniere can reflect his Mother's cherished of botanical wonders or he can tuck his parents photo in his pocket or close to his heart.

 

       During the ceremony, a special moment of silence can be observed, and the ceremony can be dedicated to the beloved ones, and the pages of the program book can carry lovely messages of tribute.  Include cherished hymns or songs in their memory during the ceremony or reception, even share special scripture passages, quotes or poems.

 

       At your reception, offer toasts or tell a sweet or loving story. Create a Memory Table with family wedding photos, or add a traditional family food to the wedding feast, such as Nana's Italian wedding soup, or Granddad's favorite cookie. Maybe a cake knife and server have been handed down through the generations, if so, be sure and use them to cut the wedding cake. Your wedding can take place on a day special to your family, a relative's birthday or anniversary, and the ceremony or reception can be at the church or venue used by your parents or grandparents.

 

      Maybe even wear your Mother's, Grandmother's or future Mother-in-law's wedding dress in tribute.

 

       We recall a very thoughtful bride and groom who did not want to forego having the enchanting "Daddy's Little Girl," played on their day.  Since the bride's own parents were deceased, this beauty of a song by Al Martino was played for all Dads and their Daughters.  With the groom's parents having passed on, also, "A Song For My Son" was rendered for all of the Mothers and Sons.  Oh what a glorious site as Dads danced with two and three Daughters at a time, arms entwined, or Moms held toddler Sons in their arms, or waltzed with their Boys.  At that reception, we were told by a guest that since she had a destination wedding, and her parents could not attend, she, especially, loved dancing with her own Dad on a favorite cousin's day.

 

       A wedding day can be a time to spotlight family traditions or nationalities, and if you are blessed to have your parents and grandparents attend your wedding. . .maybe they can renew their own wedding vows when the bride and groom say, "I do."

 

       One of the most endearing things a couple can do is to visit a loved one in the hospital or personal care home on the wedding day, or lay a bouquet on a beloved's grave, and ask in prayer for beautiful wishes to be bestowed on the bride and groom.

 

        To the bride and groom. . .As you both are holding hands, and vowing your eternal love, when you remember your loved ones, you are inviting their loving spirits to share in this very wondrous of moments, and they are with you, you are never alone...

 

        

We are here for all of your Awesome Events in the 'Burgh!

Hello to All...

Welcome to our new blog for Yes We Cater, the company who is dedicated to serve you, with your awesome event in mind.

We have received a question, "My fiance' and I would like to have a Thanksgiving wedding, what are some pros and cons?

      A THANKSGIVING WEDDING

     As we are wrapped in the glow of the autumn season, warm wishes to all visiting our site.

     One of the sweetest and most awe-inspiring weddings we ever had the pleasure to attend was on Thanksgiving Day.

     The very thoughtful to-be-weds made certain invitations were issued to the entire family, children included, so everyone could be together to break bread and give thanks on this wondrous holiday. 

     Thanksgiving is a time when families get together in love and celebration, and a very befitting setting for a wedding as loved ones are joined in a cornucopia of love.

     As soon as the bride and groom decide on the date for their nuptials, simply made "save the date" cards should be sent to those whom you plan on inviting to your wedding, so your guests travel arrangements can be made.  Remember, etiquette suggests that everyone you do send a "save the date" to must be invited to your wedding, as well as every person you invite to the pre-wedding festivities.

     Echoing the gorgeous hues of autumn for this Thanksgiving Day wedding, the grand hall was adorned with colorful autumn leaves resplendent in white tulle, amid arrangements of miniature pumpkins and gourds.  Pumpkin and cinnamon-scented candles in red, gold, brown, burgundy, rust, cranberry and orange holders were placed on mirrors lavished with leaves and set around a stately open cornucopia of fresh fruit as the centerpieces.

     Guests toasted the bride and groom with warm apple cider.

     The reception menu featured platters of turkey, stuffing or dressing, cranberries, mashed potatoes, candied yams, succotash, green beans, squash, and with the bride's family being Italian, wedding soup and stuffed shells were on the tables as well.

     Complimenting the Cookie Table were pumpkin loaves, pumpkin and pecan pies, candy apples (made by the bride and groom,) alongside the stately wedding cake, made with pumpkin-spiced filling and cream cheese frosting, and decorated in the gorgeous golden leaves of fall.

     Knowing that wedding guests, generally, enjoy receiving an edible favor, everyone delighted in the grand array of trays with autumn colored M&M's or Hershey's Hugs and Kisses, Nestle's Treasures and Dove Promises...caught in white tulle with red and gold ribbons bearing the inscription..."Hugs and Kisses from the New Mr. and Mrs." and the date of their marriage.

     Thanksgiving weddings can also take place the Friday or Saturday after the holiday, and in regard to the menu, may we suggest the main entree be something other than turkey, as most folks may have had their fill from Thanksgiving. Meat, pork, chicken or fish can be prepared to delight every palate.

     Please do keep in mind that some folks have food allergies, are vegetarians or prefer Kosher food, so do offer menu options to your guests.

The youngsters will enjoy chicken fingers and fries or macaroni and cheese, or pasta with mini-meatballs, which will not cost as much as the adult meals. 

     The executive chefs at Yes We Cater can comply with your every request, and give expert advice as well.

     Flowers for a Thanksgiving wedding can run the glorious gamut of: chrysanthemums, roses, daisies, dahlias, lillies, orchids, hydrangeas, sunflowers, baby breath, fall leaves, berries or dried wheat.

     The bride for this particular wedding carried a prayer book with cascading stephanotis, the wedding flower. Freesia, can also be used, and is a bit less costly.

     A holiday wedding can bring some cost cutting savings because the ceremony sites and the reception venues will be already decorated for the holiday, thus you will not need as many flowers.

     Her bridal gown can be accented with the golden hues of fall, or in off-white or ivory, with leafy embroidery or gold beading, and a shawl or wrap since the weather may be a bit chilly.  Bridesmaids can be attired in fall colors in a warm material with sleeves, or a wrap. Indigo blue is beautiful for fall and winter weddings.

     The groom and his groomsmen will be dashing in tan, beige or brown with ties matching the bride and bridesmaids dresses.

     We look so forward to answering any questions for you, and to share all of our wedding wishes.

    

     Any questions you have, or any ideas you have for this blog, may be directed to:

allweddingwishes@aol.com