Where & how to seat my guests?

This can be one of the most challenging parts of planning your wedding. Where do I seat everybody? It needs to be done and it might take awhile, but if you don't want utter chaos at your reception you need a plan. Although, you do need to ask yourself a few questions first.

What kind of wedding reception am I having? Am I having just a cake and champagne reception? Or a Cocktail reception? Or is it a seated 5 course meal? For the first two you don't even really need tables just a few belly bars/high boys {tables that come up to your waist}, but if you are thinking of a meal every guest needs a seat. This is where the fun part comes in.

Are your guests going to be served their meal~will you offer one meal for everybody or a choice of entrees? For this option you do need to ask them their choice on their response card. If you are only having one entree you still need to offer a vegetarian meal.

Are you having a buffet? Everybody gets their own meal. No need to put anything on the response card, although you might put ___________ special needs. {you should add this for a seated meal, too} With so many vegans, lactose intolerant, and gluten free people these days, you don't want somebody not able to eat because you didn't ask. Plus, you are paying for their seat.

From there you need to decide if you want each guest seated at a certain seat at a specific table. If you have more than one entree this is a must. Which means you need to have place cards at each table setting, and indicate which meal they are having on the place card or the staff will be 'auctioning off' the food. Which means they will be yelling out, who has beef? Who has the chicken? Great mood breaker and so very classy.

If you are having a buffet you don't need this extra step. But be forewarned everybody is going to sit where they can get the best view. {which means your mom & dad will have their backs to you} They are one of the last guest to arrive and the 'good' seats will already be taken.

Either way your guests need to know where to sit when they first get to the reception site. For this you need either escort cards {place cards that are at the door} or at least a chart with their name on it.

You do need to have every guest listed, or at least someone needs to know exactly how many guests are seated at each table and it needs to add up to your guarantee. Nothing is more fun for the banquet staff or wedding planner than rearranging seats and place settings after guests are seated.

There are several ways to do this. Like I said you can make a chart and list the guest by last name with the table name. Or you can have a whole table lined with escort cards, or have them hanging from a board. However you decide to do this, they should be alphabetical by last name. That's how people look for things, it will take less time for them to find the right table and less hang up at the 'door'. Especially if you have more than 20 people at your reception. Please don't forget this step. It is so confusing to have 100+ people roaming around a banquet room trying to find their name and table

So sit back have a glass of wine and decide exactly where the both of you want your guests to sit. Guests expect this, the banquet staff expects this and it makes keeping everyone in order a lot easier.

Then you can have fun naming your tables. Instead of having them numbered, name them.. You can choose places that you have been, if you are travelers. Your honeymoon place and words/places from there. Love in different languages. If you are having your wedding on the beach, beach words, the names of bodies of water, or names of shells. If you are having your wedding in a winery, different grapes, different wines or wine in different languages. If you do number, why not have pictures of the both of you at that age on the table. The list goes on. It is another way to put your signature on your wedding, just don't forget to name yours.

Happy reading,

Venues of the Southland~Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa

I was wowed last week, when I was invited along with other local Wedding & Event planners to experience the Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa. Fabulous. What a luxurious place to stay in the mountains. When I was a little girl my family used to rent a cabin in Twin Peaks {just a couple of miles from Lake Arrowhead} each year, so the area holds lots of memories for me. This was also an early birthday present for me. It is today!

It is a great place to have a destination wedding without leaving Southern California. Plus, they do enjoy all four seasons up there. And it is only about 90 minutes from LA.

You can have your wedding outdoors on their Lakeside lawn and deck or on their beach, weather permitting of course! They have a traditional ballroom, the Lake Arrowhead Ballroom, that seats up to 270 for a wedding, the room also has a foyer that is all yours. If your guest list is smaller they have ballroom with a view, the Lakeview Terrace, it seats about 130 for a wedding.

The Lake Arrowhead Resort & Spa

The Lakeview Lawn & Deck


The Beach,
we sat down there by the fireside in the evening


The Lake Arrowhead Ballroom


The Lakeview Terrace Room

The Magnum Room, located off of the restaurant, Bin 182, perfect for a small rehearsal dinner

These are the treatment beds in the VIP Journey Suite at the Spa of the Pines. It is a treatment room with a fireplace, private patio, and living room. Great for relaxing & getting pampered as a couple the day after getting married.

Below are some photos from my favorite suites.

This bed above & tub below are in the Cedar View Suite.
A favorite for brides. It is located right by the Lake View Deck & Lawn.

This spa tub with a view is in the Enchantment Suite

I just love this rustic display they have in the lobby.
The cake is by Lake Arrowhead cake designer, Niki's Custom Cakes.


My table for dinner. We also had a cocktail reception in the lobby.
The florals are by Fleuris Flower Studio.

My place setting


Our first course was Frisee and Red Oak Salad, with crumbled Roquefort Cheese, Pancetta & Garlic Croutons


Our second course was a Garlic Shrimp Crepe, it was a Blue Corn Pancake with Ancho Chilies, Roasted Corn and Cream.


This mango sorbet was our Intermezzo

Our Entree was a Petit Filet Mignon & Alaskan Halibut, with Potato-Leek Gratin, Mushrooms & a Port Wine Reduction with Green Peppercorns.


Our dessert was a Mango Raspberry Tart



After dinner they provided us with blankets and hot toddy's.
We then went down to the beach for a fireside chat.

My & my boys by the fire. Yes, it was that COLD!


The next day we enjoyed a breakfast cruise on the Arrowhead Queen and saw the lake and all the beautiful homes around it.

Enjoy,

.

Beverage Monday

Blavod is a black vodka. They add the herbal extract catechu to acheive the color of the vodka. Perfect for this time of year & because my birthday is tomorrow and this is the mood I am in! So here are a few black cocktails to try.

Black Widow

2 oz Blavod vodka
3 oz cranberry juice

Pour the cranberry juice first into a Highball Glass filled with ice. Slowly pour the Blavod over a bar spoon to float it on top. If you don't use Blavod you won't get the effect.

Black Magic

2 oz Blavod black vodka
1/2 oz grenadine
lemon-lime soda
maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour the vodka and grenadine into Collins Glass filled with ice. Fill it to the top with soda. Garnish with the cherry.

Black & Gold
2 oz Blavod vodka
1 oz Goldschlager

Pour the Blavod into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Cocktail Glass. Top with the Goldschlager.

Black Cat
2 oz. Blavod Black Vodka
1/2 oz. Chambord

Combine in a cocktail shaker with a cup of ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Cocktail Glass.

Cheers,

Traditions & Superstitions~The Men

On this edition of Traditions & Superstitions we are going to talk about men! Their attire, groomsmen, & even the boys.

• The word bridegroom is from the 17th century, It is from the word bride and the archaic goom, from Old English guma, "boy"



• A Groom usually has a best man and groomsmen.



• What the groom wears depends upon the time of day, the location of the ceremony, the style in which the ceremony is performed, and whether or not the groom is a member of the armed forces.



• In most parts of the world, active-duty members of the military and some law enforcement agencies wear their military uniforms instead of civilian clothing.



• In the US, the groom usually wears a dark-coloured suit during the day or tuxedo in the evening



• In the united Kingdom, the groom, male ushers and close male family to wear morning suits.



• We call the male attendants groomsman in the US and usher in the UK



• Groomsmen used to be called bride-knights. They were there to help the groom capture his bride.



• Nowadays the help the groom plan his bachelor party, assist with the gifts, they might even help decorate the get-away car.



• Men might be asked to be ushers without being in the wedding ceremony. To help with the seating of guests during the ceremony



• For a military officer's wedding, they have swordsmen of the sword honor guard. .



• Swordsmen form the traditional saber arch for the married couple and guests to walk through



• The Best man is the chief male assistant to the bridegroom at a wedding.



• If the groom chooses a woman she could be either Best Woman or Honor Attendant



• A Best man's duties are to assist the groom on the wedding day, keep the wedding rings safe until needed during the ceremony, act as a legal witness to the marriage, and
  make the first toast to the bride and groom at the reception.



• A page boy is a young male attendant at a wedding. Traditionally, page boys carried the bride's train, especially if it was a long train. Page boys are generally no younger than age seven.



• In a formal wedding, the ring bearer is a special page who carries the wedding rings for the bridal party.



• The ring bearer as a separate role is a fairly modern. If you don't have one, the best man carries the rings.
  

• 
  
  Traditionally the bride stands to the left of the groom. That way his right arm is free to fend off attackers and use his sword.
  

The Tuxedo

There are a couple of differnt stories about the origins of the tuxedo.

The first one is about Pierre Lorillard. His family were wealthy tobacco magnates who owned country property in Tuxedo Park, just outside of New York City. At a formal ball, held at the Tuxedo Club in October 1886, Pierre Lorillard made a new style of formal wear for men. He cut the tails off of a black jacket, like the jackets worn for a fox hunt. He decided not to wear it, but his son Griswold and his friends did. He decided to name his tailless black jacket the tuxedo after Tuxedo Park. The tuxedo caught on and became fashionable as formal wear for men.

The other story is about a resident of Tuxedo Park, James Brown Potter, he was vacationing in England in the summer of 1886. James and his wife, Cora were introduced to the Prince of Wales at a ball in London. Potter asked the Prince for advice on formal dress. The Prince sent him to his tailor on Saville Row, Henry Poole & Co. Potter was then fitted with a short black jacket and black tie. At the time formal tails with white tie that was worn in the United States for formal occasions. This new tailless formal wear was said to have been designed by the Prince of Wales. The Prince and his tailor drew inspiration from the British military uniforms of the time, which used short jackets with black ties.

The two stories come together in Tuxedo Park where James Brown Potter brought the design back, then Pierre Lorillard modified it, named it, and his son made it popular during the Autumn ball. So that is why you probably will be wearing a tuxedo instead of formal tails.

Happy Reading,

The photo of Pierce Bronsan as James Bond is courtesy of the BBC. I personally think nobody where's a tux like him! Mr. Joyeux is a close second! Although, I have never seen him in a black tux. His was silver for our wedding.

Beverage Monday

Apples

It's fall now, although it dsoen't feel like it here in So Cal. So time for apples. Apple cocktails are a great way to get your 'apple' a day!

Apple Granny Crisp

1 oz apple schnapps
1/2 oz brandy
1/2 oz Irish cream
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
2 crackers
1/2 oz whipped cream
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend well, and pour into a Cocktail Glass. Add whipped cream, dust with cinnamon, and serve.

Apple Manhattan

2 oz Maker's Mark® bourbon whiskey
1 oz Berentzen's® apple liqueur

Put the whiskey and liqueur into a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Cocktail Glass. Garnish with a slice of apple, and serve.

Green Apple

1 shot Southern Comfort® peach liqueur
1 splash Midori® melon liqueur
1 splash sweet and sour mix

Mix all three ingredients togetherin a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a ShotGglass and serve.

Cheers,



The photo is mine. These are from an escort card table.

Beverage Monday

Who knew Tequila came pink? This is Rosangel, a Gran Centario Tequila that is is mellowed for two months in port barrels then is infused with hibiscus flowers, resulting in a beautiful color.
It yields notes of ripe fruit and floral notes with hints of vanilla. Not your traditional tequila! The recipies are from their website.

Rosangel Margarita

1½ oz. Rosangel

½ oz. orange liqueur

1 tbsp agave nectar

Juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp cranberry juice

Splash of ginger ale

1½ cups of ice
Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filed with ice. Shake and strain into a Margartia glass.

The Rosangel Ruby Fizz~created by Julie Reiner, Owner of Flatiron Lounge, NYC & Clover Club in Brooklyn

2 ounces Rosangel Tequila

1/2 ounce Agave Syrup

1/2 ounce Ruby Port

1 bar spoon Pomegranate Molasses

3/4 ounce Lemon Juice

1/2 ounce Egg White

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a Highball Glass with one large ice cube. Top with Club Soda and garnish with a cherry.

The Rosangel Cosmopolitan

2 oz of Rosangel

2 oz Cranberry Juice

1/2 oz of Premium Orange Liqueur

1 oz lime juice

Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Martini Glass.

Cheers,

200th A Joyeux Blog Post!

This is the 200th post of A Joyeux Blog. I have had visitors from all of the continents over the last year and a half. When I started this blog I just thought I would have people from Southern California visit. I didn't think about having an audience throughout the world. Besides the United States, I get the most visitors from Malaysia. I wrote about pre-wedding parties and it was posted to a forum. So hello, Malaysia Brides. If you look on Cluster Maps you can see where all our visitors came from during the last year. I have tried to post a least twice a week but that doesn't always happen. I have a few series, Beverage Monday { I am the most consistent on this one}, Venues of the Southland, Traditions & Superstitions {I havn't posted in awhile to this one} & our newest one ~Friday Shopping~. I have also posted a few Inspiration Boards. So I hope you keep on stopping by my labor of love and check out what is going on with A Joyuex Blog & my life.

In celebration of 200, I have introduced a new signature and a new blog banner.

Happy Reading,