Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
REHEARSAL DINNER
“It is important to invite those guests that have come from afar to the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding.  The dinner should be very informal and should, by no means, upstage the wedding. The main purpose for this event is [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
WELCOME BAGS
“For out of town guests, I think a welcome bag is a very nice touch to have as they are checking into their accommodations. It lets your guests know that you are thankful for their travels.”
 
For more wedding info or to talk [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
LAST THING REMEMBERED
“With about an hour left in the reception, pass out a memorable snack on the dance floor, such as mini desserts, sliders, mini parmesan chicken sandwiches, or even breakfast sandwiches. After a long night of dancing and mingling, this treat is [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
COCKTAIL MUSIC
“Cocktail music is nice to have as the first 40 or so guests arrive. However, I think it is hard to carry on a conversation when music is played during cocktail hour. Therefore, keep in mind what purpose you want the music [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
COCKTAIL FOOD
“Passing out hors d’oeuvres are much preferred by guests. It is not necessarily important how many different hors d’oeuvre choices you have, but rather the quantity of the most popular options.  If you were accounting for passing out 5 pieces per guest, [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
COCKTAIL HOUR
“Guests love to have cocktail hour last longer than one hour. It allows individuals to have long conversations without music, while enjoying great food that is either being passed around and/or displayed. Guests will remember the first part of a reception, the [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
INTRODUCTION
“A wedding day is about the bride and groom and their parents, so why not keep it only about them. The majority of wedding parties don’t care if they are introduced and it allows all the attention to be centered on the bride [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
DANCE FLOOR
“When planning a reception, you want to pick a place with an appropriate size dance floor. A good party is judged by a full dance floor. If it is packed then it is a good party. However, if the floor looks half [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
BRUNCH WEDDING RECEPTION
“A brunch wedding reception allows you to save money because there will be less drinking and the food tends to be not as expensive as a dinner, but you are still able to keep the affair formal.
You can do a great [...]

Ted’s Tips – Weekly wedding insights from Westin’s wedding planner Ted Daniels…
SEATING YOUR GUESTS
“Seating your guests can be and is often the hardest thing to do.  As you are sending out your invitations, write each persons name on a post it note and stick them to a paper plate as you think you would [...]