Setting the emotions aside, wedding receptions are remembered for the sheer grandeur of the arrangements made in terms of food, drink, music, the wedding site, and the ambiance. No wonder people are willing to spend lavishly on wedding receptions to make it a memorable one. Wedding entertainment has an endearing importance, as the bride and the groom are interested in entertaining the guests to make the day memorable. Variety is being added to songs, dances, food and decorations. Jugglers, fire-eaters, magicians, stand up comedians and professional band have all entered the scene as a part of wedding entertainment.

Wedding entertainment mostly means music entertainment that can be live or otherwise. Wedding music bands, wedding DJs, solo wedding musicians, solo wedding singers, and wedding music ensembles all comprise the wedding entertainment schedule. Depending on the mood and atmosphere of the day, these performers can be hired to perform. While a DJ would play music as per planned, he also would ask the guests to request for songs of their choice. Music entertainment also means performance either by musicians and singers, solo or in groups. A pianist playing your favorite music while the guests enjoy the delectable food can be very soothing. If you wish, your guests to dance chose such music as Latin, Swing Band or even Rock and Roll. A Jazz or Cover band would give a more sophisticated feel. As far as live music entertainment is concerned the band selection offers choice across the spectrum that include Country, Cover, Dance, Jazz, Latin, Motown, Oldies, Reggae, Rock, Steel Drum, Swing, Top 40, and the periods like 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and 90’s band.

While live music entertainment limits the music to a particular genre once the selection is made, a DJ offers a mix of whatever you want, from any era, any musician and any song. You should make up your mind to what tune you would love your guests to enjoy and dance to, whether slow and romantic, or hip and exciting. Whether it is going to be Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a wonderful world’ or a Whitney Houston romantic song. The results are the guests would be left with an unforgettable wedding experience and treasure it forever.

Unquestionably, one of the hottest topics that must be dealt with when planning a wedding reception is whether to have an open bar or a cash bar. Why does this particular topic tend to be so controversial?

Well, for one thing, some people will tell you that it would be rude to invite guests to your reception, then ask them to pay for their own drinks. On the other hand, an open bar—at which your guests drink for free, perhaps into the wee hours of the morning if they last that long—could leave you with a bill that will forever remain etched in your memory.

Both points of view are well taken. It’s true that one wouldn’t ordinarily invite people to dinner or a party with the expectation that they will pay for what you serve. But it is equally true that people tend to be overly indulgent, not to mention downright wasteful, with alcohol they aren’t paying for. They will take a sip or two, set their glass down and begin talking, then walk away. Later, instead of returning for their glass, they will head for the bar to order yet another drink. So, what’s the answer?

Options, Anyone

There really isn’t a correct answer, but there are options. You could:

*Serve free champagne punch. Since it is relatively light in terms of alcohol content, your guests aren’t as likely to become obnoxious, even if they’ve had more than their fair share.

*Have an open bar for the first hour or two. This approach will prevent you from feeling, and looking, like a cheapskate but will allow you to keep your bank account in the black.

*Have each table set to include the allocated bottles of wine or champagne. For example, a table seating six to eight people might be decked with two bottles of wine or champagne. Since you can expect each bottle to hold between 4 and six glassfuls, everyone will have one to two glasses for dinner and the toast. (Obviously, you will want to have the toast as early as possible to avoid an embarrassing situation in which guests will be forced to hold up empty glasses.)

*Use the open-and-shut-case approach. This requires purchasing beer kegs or cases of good-quality beer, plus several cases of good-quality wine. Since you have purchased the supply in advance, you will determine just how much is being spent on drinks.

For guests who insist upon drinking until the cows come home or would like something stronger, make a cash bar available.

*Have waiters and waitresses serve drinks from a tray. This approach is not only stylish, it is also quite cost effective because you remain in control of how much is consumed.

Choose a few different drinks to be served, including beer and wine. Then have the staff circulate throughout the reception area at pre-scheduled intervals. Perhaps the waiters and waitresses might offer drinks when the reception starts, then just before or during dinner, then a few times later in the evening but not throughout the night. With tray service, you guest will not pay for their drinks, but this will still be a lot cheaper than having an open bar.

At-home Receptions

If you are planning to have your reception in a home or backyard and you will not be using a caterer, here is what you will need to know.

In this situation, a cash bar is simply not one of the available choices. It is against the law to sell alcohol without a liquor license. (You wouldn’t want to spend your honeymoon in the pokey.)

If the home is not equipped with one, you will need a rented bar (or a sturdy table or two, dressed to the floor or ground with linen). Plan to stock the bar or table(s) with beer, vodka, rum, whiskey, tequila, cordials (liqueur), brandy, gin, wine, sparkling juice, and possibly punch.

Offering a sparkling white wine is also nice. If you are planning to serve champagne (Although only a sparkling white wine made in the Champagne region of France can be truly called champagne, people often refer to any bubbly by that name.), expect to pay more. A decent bottle (You will only disappoint the true connoisseur, and they are a dying breed.) will cost between $10 and $12 and will serve seven to eight glasses. Even at these prices per bottle, you may want to reserve it for the toast.

Borrow or shop for a bartender’s guide (Mr. Boston Deluxe Official Bartender’s Guide, for example). For your mixologist, you might also stock such things as lemons, limes, celery, maraschino cherries, and olives. You’ll also want to have soda water, tonic water, sparkling water, coke, ginger ale, and a few other soft drinks, plus swizzle sticks and cocktail napkins. Last, but not least, remember to have an ample supply of ice (crushed and cubed) on hand.

Standard Guidelines for Consumption

Expect each guest to have four to five drinks at the reception. You’ll get twenty-five drinks from a fifth of liquor, providing you’re using a one-ounce pony to make them with one ounce of alcohol each. Using one and a half ounces of alcohol (that is, a one-and-a-half-ounce jigger), you’ll get eighteen drinks per fifth of alcohol. A single case of alcohol contains twelve bottles. Assuming that you’re using one ounce of alcohol to make every drink, then one case will yield 300 drinks.

If you would like to serve beer on tap, half a keg will yield 260 eight-ounce glasses of beer. Seven cases of beer will yield the same amount.

With regard to unopened bottles of alcohol, don’t be too concerned about over stocking. It is better to have too much, rather than not enough. Besides, unopened bottles of alcohol can usually be returned to the store.

The Law and Your Liability

Needless to say, it is against the law to serve alcohol to anyone under the legal drinking age. The sobering fact is that courts have consistently ruled that restaurants, caterers, and hosts are financially liable when minors who are served alcohol are injured, become involved in a car accident, or break the law.

You can also be held liable for an adult who suffers an injury, become involved in a car accident, or step outside of the law after drinking too much in your home. Caterers and restaurants are subject to the same liability.

Your best protection against legal liability involving alcohol is to plan ahead and react sensibly. If your reception is to be catered, discuss a plan of action with the caterer before hand. He or she undoubtedly will cooperate.

Avoid serving salty foods since they make people thirsty. Foods high in protein—such as meat, fish, eggs, and cheese—will help to keep your guests sober.

Once a person is drunk, it’s too late to reach for the pot of coffee. Giving your happy drunk coffee will only make him or her hyper and jittery. If you need to sober someone up, try to get the person to drink water, which will dilute the alcohol in their system and flush it out.

By no means, let that person drive—no matter what they say. Instead, call for a taxi or find another driver to take the person home.

Here then are 9 Bullet Proof Tips to hiring a wedding reception planning service…

Tip #1: Be sure to hire a qualified and capable wedding planner who understands your needs and expectations…

This may sound obvious but what often happens is the wedding planner or service begins to take over and your plans get thrown out the window. Be careful of this!

One good way that a friend told me to be sure is to tell your spouse to be these plans in detail, this way it will be 2 on 1 and you’ll have less of a chance of a takeover.

With newfound popularity, probably due to the internet and quick money enticements comes a slew of wedding consultants who are new to the business or not qualified to plan a wedding, so…

Tip #2: Choose a wedding planner who has the experience and resources necessary to plan your wedding so that it meets and exceeds all of your expectations. After all, this is YOUR day, the one you’ve been dreaming of for years and years.

Tip #3: If you are not comfortable with your wedding planner you are likely to not communicate with them as well as you should

Tip #4: Leaving out details or are not completely honest with your wedding planner will probably result in a series of decisions being made that do not meet your standards or expectations.

This kind of goes with number one. Share these details with your wedding reception planning service and make sure to exude the emotions of what you want and how much you want it.

Tip #5: Review their resume and references…

Carefully check the wedding planners references to shed some light on their abilities. You’ll want to contact each reference that is supplied to you and ask them pertinent questions about the wedding planners attitude, professionalism and punctuality. Basically anything that is important to you

Tip #6: Unless you’re doing someone you know a huge favor, (don’t do it!) you’re taking a huge chance if you opt for a wedding planner with little or no experience.

Yes I know that everyone needs someone to give them a chance, but it’s not going to be you. Let your cousin you hate give that person a chance.

Tip #7: Take time to decide if your wedding reception planning service are going to be full or part-time consultants to you.

If you plan to have an elaborate wedding, consider opting for a full time wedding planner. This is to ensure that the wedding planner has the time to devote to planning your wedding.

Tip #8: Be sure that your wedding reception planner has a contingency plan in case they are unable to assist you in planning your wedding reception.

You don’t want to be left standing naked in the crowd (I almost mean that literally) when your wedding planner doesn’t show up.

Hire a wedding planner who belongs to a reputable company. This frequently affords you the magnificence of having a full staff at your disposal.

Unexpected things are going to happen, therefore you should….

Tip #9: Know how the wedding planner would react in certain situations.

You can do this by presenting him/her with instances that might happen during the wedding reception and asking them how they would deal with it.

You certainly want someone who can make decisions on the go.

So, in a nutshell, your wedding planner will be responsible for the happiness of your guests at your wedding so it is important to choose a qualified candidate. A few things to consider before choosing a wedding planner are how comfortable you feel with them, their past references, the amount of time that they have to devote to your wedding and how they react in a sticky situation.

All of these factors will help to ensure that you choose a qualified wedding reception planning service who can meet all of your needs.

When planning a wedding cost is a huge factor. I want to give you a free email course that could help save you up to $10,000.

By: Tracy Brittany
Article Source: http://www.bestweddingarticles.com
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracy_Brittany

The wedding music plays a very important role both in the wedding ceremony and all throughout the culmination of the celebration. At the church, or at any place the wedding rite was held (garden, estate, etc.), a soft and mellow wedding music is normally the type of song that is played for the solemnity of the exchanging of the vows. People protect this solemnity by attending to the ceremony with everyone else in a silent mood.

In the reception, the couple can choose a varied type of music. Whether they would like it to be funky or jazzy, they could opt for their kind of wedding music. The visitors and the guests will have an influence to the choosing of the wedding reception music. They need to be entertained, together with the bride and groom, so they contribute to the factors when it comes to determining what type of music should be played in the entire celebration.

As mentioned earlier, the guests and visitors will have an influence in choosing the type of wedding music. But the primary factor that should be utilized in choosing the best wedding songs, are the bride and groom’s personal consideration. While it will be great to have the guests and visitors duly entertained, the songs that are going to be aired in the entire course of the party will manifest the newly wed couple’s personality, and their personal taste.

Another factor in choosing a wedding music for your party is the wedding theme. Of course, you don’t want choosing wedding songs that are contradictive with the otherwise romantic and formal wedding motif and theme that will spoil the celebration. If you and your partner just don’t care enough, then by all means, you can pick avant-garde type of music. But you must also consider other people especially your folks and olds.

If you can’t handle the choosing of the wedding music, you can check with your chosen reception venue. Most of the time, they offer the service of providing the venue with music. But first, you must know what type of music they have for wedding parties. Usually they have a performing live band that render the service so you are going to enjoy the party with live music.

However, there are reception venues that have some restrictions in terms of playing live music. In this regard, it is important to contact them first and ask things regarding the matter. If they don’t play the kind of music you and your partner want, you may have a negotiation with them to adjust the matter.

Other reception venues offer the same service but in different form. Instead of a live band, they employ a disc jockey to provide different kinds of songs. The advantage of this is that you will have the opportunity to choose songs from their playlist. But prior to the wedding party, make sure that you have met with DJ to ensure that the playlist contains your favorite songs along with others that will complete the wedding music list.

By: Kenny Yong
Article Source: http://www.bestweddingarticles.com
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kenny_Yong