Choosing the Perfect Wedding Date

Congratulations on your Engagement! At Capriotti’s Palazzo, we know what an exciting time it is as the wedding planning process begins!  Too many times that excitement gets diffused by all the stress and details that come along with planning for your big day! But don’t worry, it’s easy to get started.  Just take a deep breath and get yourself organized. The best place to start is in choosing a date for your wedding. To select your perfect date, there are a few questions you may want to think about:

  1. Is there a specific date or month that is memorable to you and your fiancé?
  2. Is there a time of year or season you both prefer?
  3. Is there a specific local wedding venue where you would like to hold your wedding reception?

Many couples have found the best way to ease the anxiety of picking their date is to have some flexibility. Often they have a particular date in mind and get easily frustrated trying to coordinate that steadfast date with their ceremony and wedding reception venues. With flexibility, you open yourself up to:

  1. More options at the wedding reception venue you prefer
  2. Possible cost savings on choosing a Friday or Sunday with your venue, wedding vendors, and hotels
  3. Added incentives for booking on a Saturday during a less busy time of year

So relax and think about your options.  Make a list of what is extremely important to you and what areas you are more flexible with.  Do you prefer a spring or summer wedding or are you set on the month of May only? Does a Saturday work best or are you able to take advantage of Friday night wedding reception savings? Do you plan on honeymooning in the Caribbean and want to avoid the stormy months or take advantage of travel discounts during the off-season?  These are just a few of the questions you and your partner should talk about before actually choosing your wedding date.  Of course, Capriotti’s is always available to answer your wedding reception questions. And remember, no matter what day you choose, it will be the perfect date for your wedding!

It seems that from generation to generation, weddings all followed so many of the same traditions from ceremony to reception.  In fact when I got married 25 years ago (wow 25 years…how can that be possible when I state my actual age as 39 to anyone who asks??!), I went with many of the traditions my mother and grandmother had followed.  Sure, I had all sorts of Bridal Magazines and the Yearly Newspaper Bridal Supplement for the “latest bridal trends”, but I didn’t have what the millennial couples have today…constant access to new trends, Pinterest, social media opinions and input, and the desire to make it the day they want, not the day everyone else thinks it should be! Hats (or veils) off to this new generation!

Couples today are looking to provide a quality experience for not only themselves but for their dearest friends and families who will attend their wedding. They have a very different approach to the wedding planning process.  The focus of the entire event (now starting from the engagement party to the Wedding Weekend) is based on sharing the things they love as a couple with their guests, including the food and drinks they enjoy to the entertainment and all the little details in between.

A recent survey revealed some of the top details that grab guests’ attention and some of the details that just go unnoticed!

Top Ceremony Details Guests are paying the most attention to:

  • Bride’s and Bridesmaids’ dresses
  • Bride’s entrance
  • Look on groom’s face when bride enters
  • Couple’s vows
  • Decor and setting of the ceremony 

Top Ceremony Details Guests are paying the least attention to:

  • Ceremony Readings
  • Recessional
  • Groom’s attire
  • Wedding programs
  • Other guests (people-watching)

Top Reception Details Guests are noticing:

  • Decor and Setting of Reception Location
  • Couple’s Entrance and First Dance
  • The Food
  • Bar or Specialty Drinks/Bars
  • Music and Entertainment (photo booths, magic mirrors, etc.)

Top Reception Details Guests value least:

  • Escort cards
  • Extra amenities (flip-flops, toiletries)
  • Favors
  • Bouquet or garter toss
  • Couple’s Grand Exit

The first impression Millennials want their guests to have may start with the engagement venue.  Dressing up, dancing and visiting new places are their top priorities. And interestingly enough, the main focus of the Reception now is the Food.  Back in the day, everyone expected the typical overcooked chicken or dry piece of meat smothered in gravy. Today’s couples are paying particular attention to the quality and presentation of their dinners, many of them having Tastings months in advance.  The Reception is becoming more of a dinner party type of feel with exceptional foods and specialty bars.

Speaking of the Reception, the Weddings Reception Venues come in all shapes and sizes, indoors or out, from traditional ballrooms that are now being custom decorated by couples to their tastes to old mansions, barns and ultra modern restaurants.  As a wedding venue, Capriotti’s focus is on listening to the style of wedding a couple wants and what their priorities are by getting creative with new ideas rather than suggesting all the usual traditional “wedding must-haves”.  Putting their time and budget on the items they are excited about will make for a much more meaningful day!

Although the list of important and least important details from surveyed guests may hold some value, the millennial couple is still pursuing the wedding they envision and are certainly not pressured into following such traditions as doing “the bridal money dance” at their reception that had been done for generations. As the decades have gone by, people do value tradition; but in my opinion, there is always time to create a new tradition or perhaps just a once and done fantastic feature!

Hello from Capriotti's

Tommy takes a few minutes to talk about how we handle our Wedding Appointments and the many options available to make your Reception unique.  We look forward to seeing you at Capriotti’s where our goal is to exceed your expectations of our venue, service, and food.  We’re available 7 days a week for appointments in order to accommodate your busy schedule and are happy to speak with you via a phone consultation or meet with you personally as often as necessary to make you feel comfortable with the entire planning process.   We want to make sure your Wedding Reception is exactly as you had planned!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bride-To-Be’s Top 10 Things to Do During a Blizzard

According to the calendar, Spring is less than a week away! But, according to the view outside my window, it looks like we are stuck in a winter wonderland that one would expect to see in January! Has mother nature gone into stand up comedy?

Don’t let all this snow bring you down…put a positive spin on your snow day!  For Brides-To-Be, it’s the perfect day to cross off a few items that may be lingering on their Wedding List. So bring it on, Mother Nature…we’ve got a whole list of fun “Bride Items” to do to make it through this storm.

  1. Crank the music! If you’re still deciding on whether to have a DJ or band and which one to choose, go onto You Tube or a music site like ReverbNation and check out the locals.  You can spend the entire day listening to band after band to narrow down your choices.
  2. Dance the Day Away – Planning an epic first dance?  A snow day is a good day to stay in your sweats and come up with the dance moves to your favorite, sentimental songs.  Throw in some wine or beer and your fiancee may just be on board with you!
  3. Finalize Your Guest List – Sure you’re excited about your wedding, but give some careful thought and consideration on who you realistically want to invite (and how many guests you can afford to invite).  Even though the girl at the coffee shop is super nice and gets your order right every time, don’t feel compelled to have to invite her to your wedding.
  4. Order Your Invitations or Write Them Out – Picking out the invitation that portrays your style and the theme of your wedding can take hours.  A snow day is an excellent, uninterrupted day to take on that task!  If you’re ready to address them, set up an assembly line on your table and enlist the help of your family or a few friends….if they can get there!
  5. Do Your Seating Chart – The calm of the snow falling should put you in a peaceful state of mind.  Take some time and start arranging your seating chart.  The sense of accomplishment of having tackled this difficult and dreadful job, will allow you to enjoy the upcoming spring weather without having to carve out time to do the seating chart when you’d rather be out for a run.
  6. Re-Arrange Your Seating Chart – Everyone knows the seating chart is never complete after the first attempt (or 2nd or 3rd)! So if your seating chart is already done, go back and take a second look and make sure that persnickety Aunt Patty isn’t sitting next to careless Cousin Sue to avoid Wedding Day drama!
  7. Honeymoon Shop – Who doesn’t love to do a little online shopping??? Nothing is better than picking out clothes for a sunny destination in the middle of a blizzard. It will certainly make the storm seem less horrific.
  8. Complete your Bridal Registry – Most stores now allow you to choose your Bridal Registry online instead of spending hours dredging through a store with a clip board.  Sit back in your PJ’s and start clicking!
  9. Buy Bridesmaid and Groomsmen Gifts – There are so many sites available with unique ideas to show your appreciation for your Bridal Party. Sites like Pinterest, Etsy and beau-coup are full of ideas and gift options for your Bridesmaids. For the guys, CigarBox  has a great selection of Cigars and Cigar Gift Packs and ManCrates is loaded with gifts from personalized growlers to travel and everything you can imagine in between.
  10. Write Your Vows – Snuggle up on the sofa and let your sentiments flow onto paper (or laptop).  Watching the snow fall while writing your vows will give you a feeling of serenity without all the pressure of rushing to come up with vows on the night of your rehearsal.

Before you know it, the storm will have passed and spring will have sprung!  If you are recently engaged and just starting to plan, give us a call at Capriotti’s.  We have packages available for every budget and style. And keep in mind that Cortney, our Wedding Planner, is always available to answer questions and give suggestions to our Brides…no matter what the weather!