Ceremony & Reception site: Penns Landing Caterers
Officiant: Father Charles Magee, Citi Team Ministries
Photographer: Richard Barnes Photography, www.rbarnesphotography.com
VIDEOGRAPHER: Martins Accent Wedding Videos
Ceremony and Reception Music: Jason Roy of Schaffer Sound
Flowers: Marcus Hook Florist
Dress: Bridal Sophisticate
Venue: Huntingdon Valley Country Club, www.hvccpa.org
If you want to avoid a stint in the psych ward, bankruptcy, family feuds, and – don’t even think it! – calling off the biggest party of your life, consider hiring a wedding planner to avoid headaches and any potential for disaster. If that doesn’t convince you, here are 10 more reasons to consider it:
1. Sanity Preservation
You called the church where you want the ceremony, and it’s already booked. You found your dream dress, but it’s $1000 over your budget. Your fiancé is begging to have his ex-con uncle act as best man. You’re at your wits end, and ready to throw in the towel. Wait! A wedding planner’s job is to listen to your needs and wants, and then deliver. They know where to find great dresses at lower prices, available venues that you may have never even considered, and they can help you navigate the strange etiquette twilight zone that threatens to turn your wedding into a Twin Peaks meets Family Guy episode.
2. Money Honey
Instead of relying on yourself to make the 73 phone calls and trips to the store to find the most gorgeous cake, perfect shoes, and affordable floral table arrangements, let the expert take the helm! A wedding planner has experience doing all of the things you are likely tackling for the first time, and one of those things is planning a party on a finite amount of cash. Let them sniff out the deals that suit your budget so you can be free to look after the myriad other things that need attention. Like you!
3. Oh the Fights
Having a personal consultant around is a great buffer against family members and partners eager to impose their opinions and ideas. Unlike your mother-in-law, a wedding planner is emotionally removed from the decision making process involved in every aspect of planning. This makes it much easier to cut to the chase when it comes to deciding on details like the seating arrangement, invitations, and wedding cake. A wedding planner will tell it like it is, support you, and remind you that this is your day, and no one else’s.
4. Excuse me, do you have the time?
Most people do not have the luxury of taking time off of work to plan a wedding; and opting out of things like raising children, cooking, doing laundry and running errands is not a viable option. This begs the question, do you have time to plan a wedding? Everyone could use a hand or two to make a beautiful thing happen, and nominating your family members to do the work is a recipe for a little something called resentment, exhaustion, and irritability. You can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by hiring someone who already has the time, and won’t be there to begrudge you for it.
5. I Have a Dream
You have so many ideas about how you want the food, decorations, dresses, and even the seating arrangement, but you still aren’t sure how the naked Elvis impersonator is going to fit in with the whole Hawaii Five – O theme. Not to worry, your wedding planner can help you with your visions, dreams, fantasies and absurd notions even when you can’t. Especially if you have no idea where to begin, working with a wedding planner can be the difference between just another wedding, and the experience of a lifetime.
6. Let them eat cake!
You envision a simple yet elegant selection of organic, whole foods based entrées followed by a seductive array of decadent desserts. Your fiancé, on the other hand, prefers a more down to earth menu of buttermilk fried chicken, grits, and mashed potatoes with pork gravy, followed by bumbleberry pie. With the help of an expert, the haggling over who gets to choose three of the five appetizers will soon be turned into the happy sighing of a couple who have reached a very satisfying compromise.
7. Insider Information
Being the savvy and experienced experts they are, wedding planners have the inside scoop on the world of nuptials to a degree that most of us wouldn’t have the first clue about. Your wedding planner will know where to find the best caterers, floral shops, designers, car rentals, even the name of the best unadvertised DJ, plus the connections to swing a deal where you wouldn’t be able to. They know the right people that are right for you, which saves you precious energy, money, and time.
8. Details, Details, Details
You may think you know what you’re doing, in fact you may know very well how to arrange, organize and plan your big day, but did you remember the gift opening, the registries, wedding favors, garter belt, and thank you gifts for the bridal party? Maybe not, that’s a lot to remember, and the great thing is you don’t have to. A wedding planner will look after those details and even send you a reminder of when to pay for the flowers, book the hotel rooms, and be ready to walk down the aisle.
9. You’re engaged, remember?
With a heavy case of wedding fever, and a lengthy list of to-dos, you may be forgetting to take time to enjoy being engaged to the someone you will be spending the rest of your life with. Spending the time before your wedding in a stressful, high pressure, non-stop whirlwind trying to figure out how to orchestrate such an important event is no way to start off a good thing with your mate. Sharing the load with an experienced, knowledgeable hired hand will lend you invaluable support, and free up time and energy for some special moments with your loved one, hopefully planning the honeymoon.
10. The Big Day
Picture your wedding day and really think about how you want to feel. Bets are that you do not want to feel anxious, harried, or on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Nor do you want to morph into the dreaded Bridezilla. You want to be as relaxed as possible, your mind free of concerns and fleeting panic, confident that everything is unfolding smoothly. This is the very essence of what a wedding planner does. They ensure that a timeline is tightly adhered to, that the ring-bearers have their rings, the photographer shows up on time, and the organist continues to play soothing music until it is time to crank out the Wedding March, all while you take a moment to appreciate the smell of your gardenia bouquet. Now, doesn’t that sound good?
By Chaplain Mirabai Galashan MTh.
That most Super of Sundays is just around the corner. If you are hosting a party (or even just attending), we have you covered with fun Super Bowl party ideas, decorations, and of course – food. Because it doesn't matter whether your team wins or loses ... it's what you serve at half-time that counts.
Décor & More
Let your guests know that it’s “Game On” from the moment they arrive by using white tape or chalk to mark off the yard lines from the curb to your front door.
Once inside, choosing the color palette is simple. Incorporate your favorite team’s official colors (or to be fair, both teams’ colors) into everything: plates, cups, napkins, tablecloths, balloons, steamers, candles – even light-up ice cubes. Bonus: solid color party supplies are much less expensive than officially licensed Super Bowl party supplies.
If you really want to make it feel like the Super Bowl, add electric lighting showcasing the team colors. At www.oogalights.com, you can purchase helmet string lights or paper lanterns featuring your NFL team’s logo.
Add festive touches by displaying your team paraphernalia, framed football photos, team flags and any other football chochkes you own. Fathead.com sells HUGE hi-definition wall graphics that are so lifelike, you’ll swear you are in the game.
And don't forget pom-poms and foam fingers. Whether as decorations or as party props, they always add to the fun.
Entertainment
If your group is the wagering kind, host your own Superbowl Fantasty Draft. Write down the star players’ numbers on pieces of paper and drop them in a bowl. As guests arrive, have them randomly draw one player from the bowl. At the end of the game, whoever has the MVP wins a prize or cash. It’s a great way to up the stakes so that even non-sports fans will be yelling at the TV.
At halftime, break out your XBOX, Play Station, or Wii and setup a mini-Madden tournament. Set the quarters on two minutes or less, and have guests play using this year's Super Bowl teams. If you don't own a gaming system or Madden, borrow from a friend (if you don't have a friend who owns Madden then you probably aren't the type to be throwing a Super Bowl party). Get everyone involved even if they've never played and award a prize for the tournament winner.
Food and Beverage
There's something about football that makes us want to eat with our hands. And by serving food that can be eaten without utensils, guests won't have to divert their eyes from the action. Provide your guests with an ongoing supply of easy to handle nibbles like pizza, hot wings, hearty dips, hoagies, pulled pork sandwiches, and this mouthwatering slider recipe from Martha Stewart.
Set up a well planned Do-It-Yourself Bar and you can relax while offering guests a chance to play bartender. Decide on two or three Game Day mixed drinks, like the Patron Pigskin (2 oz. Patron Tequila, ½ oz. Patron Citronge Liqueur, 2 oz. Cranberry Juice, shaken with ice and served on the rocks with a lime wedge). Print out the cocktail recipes, place them in photo frames, and display on your bar along with the liquor, mixes, and garnishes that are needed for each recipe; don't forget cups and a cocktail shaker!
Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes
Football + Beer = Good
Football + Beer + Chocolate = Amazing!
Of all beers, Guinness is the perfect one for desserts because of its distinct chocolate and coffee notes. These cupcakes are light in texture, but heavy in the chocolate department.
Ingredients
1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness stout
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for garnish
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
For the frosting:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
Cocoa powder, for dusting
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, and baking soda.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the Guinness, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream until smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet Guinness mixture.
Divide the batter among 24 lightly greased muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake 12 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 10-12 minutes until cupcakes are risen and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool completely to room temperature before turning out of the tins.
To make the icing:
Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a bowl on medium until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the heavy cream. Slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Icing can be made several hours ahead and kept covered and chilled.
Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and a dusting of cocoa.
Enjoy the game! After all of your preparation, you deserve it!
Caterer: Christina’s Catering, www.christinascatering.com
Officiant: Rev. Terri Carter
Photographer: Leslie Barbaro, www.lesliebarbarophoto.com
Videographer: VF3 Productions, Michael Dell’Aquila, www.vf3productions.com
Ceremony/Cocktail Hour Music: Avalare Strings, www.avalarestrings.com
Reception Music: Philly Star DJs, www.phillystardjs.com
Cake: The Cake Art Studio, www.cakeartstudio.com
Flowers: Natalie’s Floral Boutique, www.nataliesfloralboutique.com
Date: Saturday, June 12, 2011
