Baltimore Bride – July 2019

• Always have your escort display list
  guests’ names categorized alpha-
  betically and not by table.


• If you have long tables for guests,
  place cards so that couples and
  friends don’t get split up are helpful.


• Always make sure you have the cor-
  rect number of bartenders. Most
  people follow the one bartender for
  every 50 guests rule of thumb, but
  adding one or two more depend-
  ing on your headcount can be
  beneficial and will keep your guests
  happy, especially at the beginning
  of your affair. We never want to
  have anyone waiting for a drink,
  let alone standing in long lines.


• The biggest rush to the bar is
  directly after the ceremony as
  everyone enters cocktail hour.
  We always recommend trayed
  and passed drinks (champagne
  is a crowd pleaser) so that guests
  can grab a drink and the bar won’t
  be completely bombarded.


• When it comes to speeches, your
  guests are most likely hungry and
  ready to celebrate and mingle, so
  capping out at three speeches is
  the best plan. A welcome from
  the parents along with the Maid
  of Honor and Best Man is a great
  combination. Anyone else can
  talk at the rehearsal dinner.


• Urge those giving speeches not
  to talk longer than two or three
  minutes (knowing they’ll creep
  up to five minutes). Anything past
  that can interrupt dinner service
  and getting everyone on the dance
  floor. As planners, it’s so hard to
  see one speech carry on for over
  10 minutes—we know the bride
  and groom just want to get on the
  dance floor, and long speeches
  truly do detract from that.

Clockwise from top: Caskata arbor blue

collection at White Glove Rentals. Kennedy

collection with Catalina charger at Pretty

Little Wedding Co. The Stella collection at

Pretty Little Wedding Co. Royal Emblem at

Rentals to Remember. The Aegean from

Something Vintage Rentals.

MENU: MLC DESIGN

Bread, olive oil, herbs: The Fresh Market. Gray plate: Target. Kai handmade

gold and black flatware: Something Vintage Rentals. Linen: Table Toppers.

BREAKING BREAD

THE DOs AND DON’Ts

of Wedding Receptions

Dish It Out

Tabletop possibilities

are as varied as food

choices these days—

from simple and elegant

to bold and modern.

The options are

endless.

• Lighting can make or break an
  event. If you’ve spent countless
  hours and a large portion of your
  budget on floral and reception
  design, you will definitely want
  lighting so that it doesn’t get
  lost. Uplighting and pinspotting
  are very important to not only
  highlight the tables but also cre-
  ate the vibe you are going for.


• Don’t forget about the guest experi-
  ence. If you’re having an outdoor
  element or your reception is in a
  tent, then it’s important to think of
  the weather and plan for the worst.
  If it’s fall, having heaters—or at least
  having them on reserve—is impera-
  tive. Warm drinks and offering blan-
  kets/shawls to keep guests warm is
  also a nice touch. If it’s in the middle
  of July, make sure you have fans and
  ice-cold beverages available.


• Have a Plan B. We always have a
  backup plan, whether it’s moving
  inside or bringing in a tent. And defi-
  nitely make sure the design for the A
  option can be repurposed for Plan B.

BY LEMON & LIME EVENT DESIGN

BALTIMORE | 65 | WEDDINGS

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