01.29.08
Wedding Speeches – when to do them
Speeches are traditionally done after the meal however an alternative approach now is to give the speeches at the start of the reception so that nervous speakers can then relax and enjoy the meal which was so carefully planned – breaking with tradition can be a good thing and hunger may also produce shorter speeches which everyone will enjoy!
Alternatively, have the speeches after the second course, by doing it this way hunger pangs are quietened and speakers still save on the indigestion! If you do decide on either of these options be sure to tell the venue management, as the chef will have to time the courses accordingly. If you do have the speeches at the beginning, then arrange to have a toast at the end of the meal to wrap things up. For a full guide on wedding speeches see: www.blarneyspeeches.com
Settling On the Size Of Your Wedding
First you need to decide if your wedding is going to be an once-in-a-lifetime huge party or smaller more intimate event.
Your budget will most certainly limit the number of guests. Once you set your budget for the reception, you can quickly do the sums and decide the maximum number of guests. Your reception will probably account for the largest part of your wedding budget. In some cases, nearly half of the total wedding budget is spent on the reception.Most reception sites charge per-head. If your budget is 6,000 euro for the reception, and the cost per head is 65 euro, you could have no more than 92 guests. There are many ways to cut expenses such as buying your own alcohol, having a buffet instead of a served dinner. Undoubtedly, you must take budgetary boundaries into account when preparing the guest list.If your parents are paying for the wedding, you are going to have to respect their input for the final list. The more your parents are footing the bill, the more you may need to compromise. The more relatives you have to invite, the longer the guest list is going to be. Your list will also be affected by the size of the reception site. Be sure that you don’t fall in love with a site until you are sure that it can accommodate all the people you plan to invite.Traditionally, the bride and groom’s family each invite half of the total number of guests. Usually, the major cheque writers are calling the shots. If you and your fiancée are paying for the wedding, you should decide the majority of the guest list.
