Wedding Wednesday: What the heck is a "King's Table"?

Happy Wednesday everybody!  I promise I will get some recipes and home improvement posts up here soon, the summer has just been very busy.  In the meantime, I will continue to regale you with tales from the crypt  of marriage ;).

First and foremost, I want to give an early "Happy 1st Anniversary" shout out to my wonderful husband, whom I love very much!  I don't know that I will have a Wednesday post next week due to the holiday, and I can't believe it has been almost a year since our wedding!

So where was I?  Oh yes, what the heck is a "King's Table"?

When it comes to your wedding, you will have many table arrangement options, particularly for the wedding party.  Today we will be discussing the pros and cons of each (for wedding party and guests).  This is not an exclusive list, I'm sure there are other options, these are just the most common I've seen.  Advanced warning that I am quite biased as to which is the best, we decided to go with the King's Table.

Wedding Party Seating Options:

Option #1: Standard head table seating

Description: Typically a banquet style table or 2 with bride, groom and wedding party sitting on one side, facing out into the room, sometimes placed on risers to make the party stand out even more or to provide a tiered effect if 2 tables are used.

Pro 1: You and your wedding party will be on display for everyone to watch.
Con 1: You and your wedding party will be on display for everyone to watch.

This one can be a pro or con, depending on how much you like to be in the spotlight.

Pro 2: All of your wedding party can fit at a single table or at maximum 2 tables.  You will be surrounded by all of the people in your party.
Con 2: There often isn't room for the wedding party's dates.  The dates are frequently seated at a nearby table.  This may not seem like a big deal to you, but someone's date likely doesn't know anyone else and is quite uncomfortable without their other half.  If you do choose to go with this option, try to leave room for your party's dates.

Pro 3: By having so many people around you, you will limit the number of people that come up to you to talk during dinner.  You will, hopefully, have a chance to eat some dinner.
Con 3: If you want people to visit your table, it may be intimidating to guests to approach.

Again, this can go either way depending on how you want dinner to run.

Option#2 Sweetheart Table

Description: A table for 2, just you and your sweetheart, usually flanked by round tables for people in the wedding party and their dates.

Pro 1: You will get to spend some much needed time taking in your reception with your new spouse.  The wedding and reception can go by quickly.  This provides you a way to get a few minutes alone to talk about how cool it is that everyone you love is in one room.
Con 1: Because you are alone, people can feel disconnected to you.

Pro 2: You will be able to set up the table anywhere in the room.  It is much easier to place a table of two somewhere in the room than a large banquet table.  This can allow more unique room configurations
Con 2: If you place the sweetheart table too far from guests, you could feel disconnected from your guests.

Pro 3: You will be served first and you can make requests that food be left on your table instead of cleared like everyone else's place settings.
Con 3: You won't have your bridal party there to help you out.  My MOH helped me get in and out of my chair with my dress while my husband pulled out the chair, as well as helped me change my shoes under the table.

Pro 4: Because it is just the two of you at your table, people will want to come up and talk to you.
Con 4: Because it is just the two of you at your table, people will want to come up and talk to you.

Again, depends on your perspective on this one.

Option #3 King's Table
Description: Rectangular table with wedding party (and dates) OR bride and groom's family sitting all around the table.  We chose this option and to allow for easier toasting, we didn't place anyone opposite us on the table.

Pro 1: It is kind of a combination of a standard head table and a sweetheart table in that you can be surrounded by your wedding party but it provides seating for all the wedding party's dates without having to have a gigantic head table.
Con 1: It doesn't provide the intimate feel that a sweetheart table does.  You can obviously talk to your new spouse, but the table is most conducive to many conversations, and you may want to get involved in the conversations others are having.

Pro 2: If you don't like the limelight, having people on both sides of the table provides a bit more of a shield from everyone staring at you while you eat.
Con 2:  If you like the limelight, you may not be as much on display as a standard head table, and you likely will not be able to use risers.

Pro 3: When you and your new spouse get up to "work the room" and greet your guests, everyone else at the table can still have normal conversations since people are sitting on both sides of the table.
Con 3: If you want people to visit your table, it may be intimidating to guests to approach.

Pro 4: Since it is just a longer rectangular table, it can still be placed in several locations in the room (usually).  It typically is not nearly as long as a standard head table because you can wrap and have people sitting on all sides of the table.
Con 4: I'm out of cons :)

I liked the King's table because it felt much more intimate than a standard head table, but it also provided a more connected experience than a sweetheart table.  Mr. Bear and I are close friends with all of our wedding party's dates so it was also nice to get to sit with them and catch up after the ceremony (many came in from out of town and we don't get to see them often).

Guest Seating:

There are two main types of tables that I've seen used during weddings.  The most common is the round table, usually consisting of 8-12 people per round (depending on the size).

At more recent weddings, I've also seen long rectangular tables, banquet-style, or a combination of round and rectangular.

Round Tables:
Pros: 

• More conducive to conversations among guests.  Guests are not just limited to talking to people directly on either side of them.
• Only one centerpiece needed for each table
• The center of the table is out of the way of anyone's reach.  (They will not even be able to reach across to pass the salt and pepper, so there is no way they are going to accidentally ruin your centerpiece by passing things during dinner)

Cons:

• If in a smaller space, you will be limited to the number of people you can seat in the room.
• Not as trendy.  Banquet tables are very trendy right now.
• If the round is too large, it can be hard to have a conversation with the people directly across the table from your guests.

Rectangular Tables:
Pros:

• Many more guests can fit at each table and in smaller spaces
• Guests will be closer to the people directly across from them, providing easier conversation with those guests

Cons:

• Less ability for guests to talk to people not in their direct vicinity
• Multiple centerpieces will be needed for each table
• Rectangular tables are usually narrower than rounds.  It is very possible that the centerpiece could get knocked over when someone is passing the salt to the person across from them
• Less elbow room.  Rounds inherently provide more arm room for guests because they essentially have a pie-shaped slice of the space around the table (wider on the outside and narrower as you go in).  When you sit directly around a table, you have to make sure to leave enough arm room for each guest.

Whatever arrangement you end up providing, please just keep your guests' comfort and your wedding party's (and their dates') comfort in mind.  Weddings are a social event, people want to be able to talk and catch up with friends and family they don't see very often.  Make sure that whatever you end up doing it is what works for you as a couple but also allows your guests to enjoy themselves.

-Danielle

Wedding Wednesday: Let them eat cake!

Yummy, yummy, yummy!  Who wants cake!?!

Today's Wedding Wednesday post is about the ever important star of the dessert world...wedding cake!

Truth be told, I'm not a HUGE fan of cake, however,  I love red velvet with cream cheese frosting!  Because of this, I couldn't justify the huge amount of money it would have cost to have a tiered cake large enough to feed all of our guests.



Let me introduce you to this wonderful thing called the sheet cake!

Almost all of the bakeries I looked at for our wedding made sheet cakes at a fraction of the cost of a tiered cake.  We ended up with a three tier cake plus two sheet cakes (one in red velvet and one in black forest chocolate)  I had budgeted $700 for our cake.  The tiered cake came out to about $300 (way below budget) with the two 1/2 sheet cakes totaling around $100.  Since we had a couple hundred dollars to spare, we ended up purchasing a few more desserts for guests like me, who don't love cake.  In total, we got a three tier cake, two sheet cakes, 4 cheesecakes, a cannoli tray, chocolate covered strawberries, and a cookie tray for well below my budgeted cost.

Things to note if you are going for a sheet cake:

1. My bakery offered single or double sheet cakes.  We went with the double sheet cake that has a filling so that guests wouldn't feel like they were getting slighted if they got a piece cut from the sheet cake.  Make sure you ask your baker about this option if it is important to you

2. Many bakeries do full or half sheets.  Note that if you are doing sheet cakes, you can only have one flavor of cake with filling and frosting per pan.  We did one 1/2 sheet cake as chocolate and one as red velvet.

Of course if you really dislike cake, there are tons of other options: Cookies, pies, brownies, doughnuts, cream puffs, etc.

The nice thing about the wedding cake is that you can really customize it any way you like!

Other tips for finding your cake:

1. Make sure you have a tasting.  Many of the bakeries around here have begun charging for tastings, however, the fee is waived if you purchase a cake from them.

We only did a tasting at one bakery and decided it was too delicious and cost effective not to go with them.
Make sure you find out if the tasting has a fee.  I will give a shameless plug for the amazing cakes they do at Michael Angelo's Bakery!

2. Go in with an idea of how you want it decorated, but don't be afraid to tweak after talking to the bakery.
 I had a general idea of what we wanted for the cake decoration, but the bakery had a ton of photos of cakes past that I ended up borrowing from to create ours.  The nicest part was they the bakery could reference those cakes and they were able to point us to designs that were similar but more cost effective.

3. Know where you will have the cake on display at your venue, it may impact your decision on frosting vs. fondant.

I don't like the taste of fondant, however, it usually holds up better in the heat.  I knew we were getting married in July and it would likely be hot in any of the outdoors spaces.  I did, however, know that where the cake was going to be was air conditioned so I felt comfortable purchasing buttercream.

We still had a little sliding by the time we got to the cake, but it would have completely melted if it was outdoors.

(notice how the top tier is not level...we had a bit of a melting situation on our hands)

4.  Figure out if you want to keep the top tier of your cake for your anniversary.  This will alter the amount of cake you will need to order.

5.   Make sure you get a piece of cake (besides just the small piece you cut during the cake cutting).  We didn't have that much foresight into the fact that we likely wouldn't get a piece.  Fortunately our coordinaters set aside a piece of each for us for after the wedding.

-Danielle

Wedding Wednesday: "Every Girl Crazy 'bout a Sharp Dressed Man"

ZZ Top was right, “Every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man”.  

You want your groom and groomsmen to look like sharp dudes!

A few weeks ago, I wrote about finding your wedding dress, but we don’t want to leave the fellas out!  What they wear on your wedding day is a big decision as well!  Since I knew NOTHING about men’s formal wear, I figured there are probably other readers just as lost as I was.

To start, figure out the formality of your wedding.  Is it a casual, laid back vibe on a beach, a black-tie affair, or somewhere in between?

Things to note when determining formality:

1.       You will want to make the formality match the location of your wedding.  If you are getting married in the sand on the beach, you probably don’t want to have your groom and groomsmen in a top hat and tails

2.       If you decide to go toward black-tie or white-tie, please note that there are a few things etiquette-wise that you must adhere to in order for it to be classified as black-tie.

a.       It must be an evening affair

b.      Open bar with top shelf liquor, a band, and plated meal with passed hors d’ouevres are desired.

Essentially, it should be a top-of-of-the-line event if you are going to make your guests rent tuxedos and wear formal gowns.

3.       The largest number of weddings I have been to have been semi-formal or cocktail attire, but the invitation style should indicate the formality here.

a.       This usually means nice suits or tuxedos for the men, cocktail dresses and/or longer for the bridesmaids.  Most guests typically wear a nice suit and/or cocktail dress

We’re about to pick out the groom’s attire.  What are all these styles?

Jackets

You will make the largest decisions surrounding the jacket (and in turn the matching pants) for your groom’s attire.  Here is a list of the types of jackets, descriptions, and suggestions as to when to wear each.

Suit

For casual elegance, the suit is your best bet.  These are often used to make the event semi-formal.  These are also great for the summer and/or during the day when a tuxedo likely wouldn’t fit the style of the wedding.

You will need to have the men buy the suit, or find a tuxedo rental location that ALSO rents suits if you are looking to go this route.  (See Tuxedo for lapels and breast)

Tuxedo
This jacket is very common among weddings and can go from semi-formal to formal.  You will have to make a number of choices once you have settled on the Tuxedo (See Lapels).  Tuxedos, like most suits have various options when it comes to how it is “breasted” (aka how many and the configuration of buttons on the jacket. 

Options include: Single-breasted (with a one- to four-button front)

Double-breasted (with a two- to six-button front).

You will also likely need to determine the venting on the jacket.  The vents are the slits in the back of the jacket that allow for additional air flow under the hot wool.  Vents usually come in the following configurations: no vents, single vent, double vent.  Ask to see all types at the shop.  You will likely want to see all types on your groom as the vents do impact how the jacket fits

Tuxedos are good for evening weddings.  Technically you are supposed to wear a morning coat if you are doing a more formal daytime wedding, however, many modern weddings also have tuxedos at semi-formal-formal daytime weddings too.

Tailcoat
Think “penguin”.  The tailcoat is cropped in front, with two tails in the back and a two- to six-button front. These are generally worn at VERY formal evening weddings.

Mandarin, a.k.a. Nehru jacket, Mao jacket
This jacket features a vertical collar with no lapel (Think The Beatles in Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band)  The collared shirt that is worn with this jacket often comes to a closure with a button.

Again, this can be worn in place of a suit or tuxedo, I have never actually seen this worn at a wedding.

Morning coat
For formal daytime weddings, the groom wears the cutaway coat -- short in the front, long in the back, and tapering from the front waist button to a wide back tail. Cutaway jackets are either black or gray and are worn with matching striped trousers.

(Think formal English day wedding)

Lapels

Notched lapel
Notched lapels have a triangular indention where the lapel joins the collar. This is considered the least formal lapel style.

Shawl collar
A shawl collar provides a smooth lapel, without notches.  (See Hugh Hefner’s smoking jacket).  These can often be in a different fabric than the jacket (i.e. satin).  This can be formal, but is less popular.

Peaked lapel
Peaked lapels are named such for the V-shape the lapel makes as it points up and out below the collar line.  This is very common for tuxedos, tailcoats and morning coats. This broad, V-shaped lapel points up and out just below the collar line.

Shirt Collars

Wing collar
Wing collar shirts are very formal.  They are mostly reserved for those opting for bow ties and have a collar that stands vertical except at the points.  The collar points are folded slightly downward.  Standard ties don’t look great with this type of collar because the collar does not fold down around the rest of the tie.

Mandarin collar, a.k.a. band collar
This collar stands vertical around the neck and is frequently worn with a Mandarin Jacket.  It is the most contemporary-style shirt..

Spread collar
Spread collars are very common.  This type of shirt resembles a standard button-front shirt but features a wide division between points in front. The wider collar looks great with a Euro tie or a standard necktie tied in a Windsor knot.

Neckwear

There are many types of neckwear, but I’m only going to cover the two main ties.

Bow tie
Bow ties scream “Classic Tuxedo”.  You can get bow ties in many colors besides basic black, however white is only reserved for super-formal events.  Colored bow ties can be worn at any occasion

Necktie
For  a more casual, but still elegant, look at a standard necktie. I’ve seen these at many weddings.

Mr. Bear, groomsmen and the fathers wore these at our wedding.  Mr. Bear had ivory tie, the groomsmen had plum and the fathers had black.  It was a nice way to provide distinction between each, while still creating a cohesive look.

    (notched tuxedo with vest and necktie)

Accessories

Vests, a.k.a. waistcoats

Vests can go from ultra-formal to semi-formal.  Pair it with a Tailcoat for a very formal look.  You can also pair with a standard tuxedo in various colors to match the tie.  This is a very common look.

We went with the necktie and vest for our wedding.

Cummerbunds
Cummerbunds are worn around the  waist in lieu of a vest. They are usually basic black and paired with a bow tie, however,  you can choose a colored cummerbund to match the bridesmaid dresses or the wedding colors.  These were very popular in the 80’s and 90’s.  I haven’t really seen them lately

Whew!  And you thought wedding dresses had a lot of options!  Above all, make sure your groom wears what he is comfortable wearing.  He should have a large amount of input since it is what he will be wearing for the day of your wedding.  We decided that Mr. Bear would select the actual tuxedo style for the wedding and I would help with colors for the vests/neckties.  It worked out well.  He got to try on a lot of different styles before making a decision, determining which style fit his body-type.

-Danielle

Green Monster Smoothies

Mr. Bear and I have been trying to lose some weight.  After analyzing what we were eating, I realized I hadn't really been reaching my veggie and fruit goals.  Additionally, I realized that I was eating lunch at about 11am because I was STARVING.  This led me to eat large lunches and then snack later in the afternoon.

To help with this, I have been reading about Green Monster Smoothies for a while now and decided it would be good to try.  I've been making smoothies for breakfast for about two weeks now, and I can say that it really does help curb my hunger.  It takes about an hour for me to finish, keeping my hunger levels in check for a while.  Hopefully curbed hunger = weight loss down the road.  For now, I can say that it at least is helping me achieve my goal of more fruit/veggie consumption.

I've included directions for my favorite fruit combination below.  I really like the combination because it masks the spinach flavor.  Since it has cherries, it turns a reddish brown (not so appetizing), instead of green.  I put it in a stainless steel travel mug so I can't see the color. :)

1. Add 1-2 cups of spinach to your blender with 1/2 cup of water and puree.  

I have a KitchenAid blender that has a puree setting.  If your blender doesn't have a puree setting, set to blend until it almost looks like spinach juice with small flecks of spinach leaves.

The more spinach you add, the more you can taste.  If this is your first time doing green smoothies, I suggest erring on the side of caution with the spinach, increasing the amount after you have gotten used to the taste.

2. Add 1/2-1 banana and puree.  

The banana is key.  It masks the flavor of the spinach and provides a creaminess to the smoothie.  I've seen other blogs indicating that you can substitute avocado for banana if you don't like bananas.  The banana sounded more appetizing.  I usually use 1/2 a banana, unless my bananas are getting too ripe and I need to eat them quickly.  If I buy a large bundle of bananas at the store, I'll split the bundle in half, leave 1/2 out on the counter to eat and use while freezing the second half.  The frozen banana is just as good in the smoothie, and then it doesn't go bad before you can use it!

3. Add 1 cup FROZEN peaches and 1/2-3/4 cup FROZEN dark cherries, puree.

I like frozen fruit so that I don't have to add ice to my smoothie.  It prevents it from becoming watered down and keeps ice chunks from scratching up your throat.

4. Slowly pour smoothie into container of choice, and Enjoy!  

Again, I like to put it into a travel mug with a straw.  This makes about 1.5 smoothies.  I pour the smoothie into the travel mug and then pour the remaining into a glass that I can seal with a lid.  The extra smoothie becomes a starter for my next smoothie.

Your smoothie will keep for up to 24 hours in the fridge.  The fruit will defrost and the smoothie will become more "juice-like" the next day, but like I said, it provides a great smoothie starter.

I was apprehensive of the taste on my first try.  Mr. Bear didn't seem too enthused about the first two I made. I think I have it down to a science now, and it takes about as much time to make as any other quick breakfast.

Feel free to substitute spinach for any other green, leafy veggie!

Other fruits I've tried that weren't as successful:

1. Mango--The frozen mango wasn't as sweet as fresh which resulted in a bit of a tart smoothie.  It didn't hide the spinach well.
2. Strawberry-- The strawberry seeds made it hard to drink.

-Danielle

Wedding Wednesday: Wedding Itinerary

Can you believe that it is once again Wednesday!?!  This week has been flying by.

As you are well aware, Wednesdays equal tidbits of wedding knowledge.  Today I’ll be discussing a very important part of the days leading up to your wedding, an itinerary.

Mr. Bear is a groomsman in a friend’s wedding in July.  We just received his itinerary.  I put together a similar one for our wedding.  It included all the vendors, bridal party, and key family members’ names and phone numbers.  I also included a breakdown of the schedule for the day of the rehearsal and the day of the wedding.

I gave everyone in the party, my wedding coordinator, my photographer, and our families a copy so they knew where to be, and when.  It was also helpful so that everyone had all the other important contacts’ phone numbers. 

As I type this out, it sounds like I was micromanaging things.  I promise, you will not turn into a bridezilla by putting together a detailed schedule.  In fact, it can help you relieve stress about the days before.  We tried to stay close to schedule, but the schedule was more to act as a guideline for the maximum amount of time that could be spent on each thing.

If you aren’t exactly on schedule, it isn’t the end of the world!  We took a bit longer getting ready than anticipated, so our photographer started with the guys’ photos.  Additionally, one of the band members showed up a bit late due to traffic, so we switched around the timing of the speeches and the father/daughter and mother/son dances.

Because my coordinator and photographer had a copy of the schedule, they worked together to rework when those would be so the right photos could be taken.I’ve included a sample of the schedule I had put together.  Feel free to download and use for your own wedding!  It is also helpful if you are throwing any large event!

Click here to Download Wedding Itinerary

-Danielle

Recipe: Pretzel Encrusted Chicken

A few weeks ago, I bought a large amount of chicken breasts on sale.  I cut each in half and froze them in sets of 2.  Since then, I've been trying to find different recipes  so that Mr. Bear doesn't have to eat the same thing three times a week.

Months ago, I found a recipe on Pinterest for pretzel encrusted chicken.  It required honey mustard dressing to dredge the chicken in before coating in the pretzel mix.  I love honey mustard, so I thought this would be the perfect recipe to try.  Mr. Bear, on the other hand is not a huge fan of honey mustard, so I ended up making the chicken two ways, one dredged in honey mustard, the other in an egg mix.  The chicken turned out well on both fronts, so I'll provide you with a recipe for both!

Pretzel Encrusted Chicken 

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup Ken's Steakhouse Light Honey Mustard dressing OR 2 large eggs scrambled  with garlic powder, onion powder salt and pepper to your liking.
1/2 cup flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Line baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. In a skillet, toast panko bread crumbs over medium heat until toasted to a golden brown.  Be sure to stir panko constantly or it may burn.

3. Crush pretzels until 2 cups of crumbs are created (make sure your crumbs are small enough to stick to the chicken.).  add to a shallow dish (like a pie plate) and mix with panko.

4. Put flour into a second. shallow dish, then in a 3rd shallow dish, put your honey mustard or egg mixture.

5. Pound your chicken breasts to an even thickness using a mallet, then season with salt and pepper.

6. Dredge chicken in flour first, then egg/honey mustard, and finally into your pretzel mix.  Be sure to coat all sides evenly during each step.

7. Place onto greased baking sheet and bake 15-20 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken.

Tips:

1. You can crush pretzels in a food processor by pulsing until they are small enough.  I didn't want to dirty the food processor, so I put pretzels into a freezer bag and crushed with a rolling pin until I got the size I was looking for.
2. If making with honey mustard, be sure to reserve enough honey mustard to provide as a dipping sauce.
3. I served with broccoli, but most veggies would work.
4. The recipe provided is pretty plain.  If making again, I'd up the amount of seasonings used as it turned out a bit bland.  It is a great starting point to adjust for your own taste.

-Danielle