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6 Ideas for a Healthy Wedding Reception

What are the best ideas for a healthy wedding reception?

  1. Healthy Finger Foods
  2. Start with Leafy Greens
  3. You Don’t Need Beef
  4. Desserts Don’t Need to be Unhealthy
  5. Healthy Drinks
  6. Healthy Wedding Cake

People from all over the world are becoming more and more conscious about their health, whether it be residents of California, Tokyo, London, or even here in Manila. Wedding packages now feature more diverse offerings as a result, since providers are riding the health wave to keep up with the demand. In today’s generation, more and more people are looking to be healthy; therefore, healthy habits like proper diet and daily exercise routines are now becoming normal activities, most especially on the former.

With this in mind, people are now looking to apply their healthy lifestyle in any event and special occasion, which includes weddings. Healthy food choices are now becoming more abundant and more accessible, especially with the wide array of selections anyone can choose from. With the rise of these ingredient substitutes and more innovative and healthy recipes, there is more than a wide selection of food ideas for you to choose from and try.

Not sure how to insert healthy dishes in your menu? Here are a few ideas:

Healthy Finger Foods

Hors D’oeuvres are a staple in any wedding reception, or any meal for that matter, those fancy finger foods that you just love to chow down on before the actual program starts is a definite diet killer. Instead of sticking to the traditional menu of appetizers you can look to some alternatives. Look to have seasoned grilled vegetable skewers or small bites of grilled seafood as your starters. These can be very tasty, and even if you eat more than one it’s unlikely you will feel any bit of guilt afterwards. Other choices include vegetable quiche, steamed dumplings, bean salsa, and stuffed onions.

Start with Leafy Greens

Get a salad station! You can have a varied selection of greens and let your guests help themselves to it. Don’t forget to request for a variety of dressings as well! If it’s a sit-down style of reception, choose a tasty seafood salad or a simple Tuscan salad. Vegetables like lettuces, tomatoes, cabbages, and kale would be nice leafy vegetables that would make your salad selection a solid one. You can also offer a variety of salad dressings to enhance the flavor. Dressings like Thousand Island, Ranch, Herb, and Chile are great selections that would satisfy a lot of tastes.

You Don’t Need Beef at a Wedding

The main course is usually either a selection of beef, pork, or chicken. But there are other, healthier sources of protein such as salmon, lamb, or chicken.

Imagine a main course of boiled salmon with herb and butter seasoning, and grilled vegetables on the side, or a rack lamb grilled to perfection perfectly seasoned with herbs and spices. There are other variations of seafood you can serve in your reception such as squid or other forms of clams, even a perfectly cooked chicken breast can beat pork if done right.

Having these wonderful main courses on your menu would ensure that you have some hefty, yet nutritious meat to enjoy. For sides, sweet potatoes, mixed vegetables, and brown rice would complete the healthy package.

Desserts Don’t Need to Be Unhealthy

Desserts are the best way to end the meal with a bang, and having a healthy selection, which is why it’s not impossible to have a good dessert station with healthy options. You can start off with fresh fruits and some yogurt!

There are also other variations such as fruit tarts or fruit-based cakes, which are healthier alternatives to chocolate covered desserts. If all else fails a good fruit sorbet is the perfect back up. It’s full of flavor and is absolutely refreshing! Mixing up these healthy foods would give some nice diversity that would satisfy all of your guests.

Healthy Drinks

Most weddings serve a selection of sweet juices, which may not be healthy after a good number of glasses. The best alternatives to sweetened juices are fresh ones. You can choose from fruits like oranges, lemons, pineapple, pomegranate, and coconut for your healthy drink choices. These are great alternatives to sodas and alcohic drinks like wine, whisky, and champagne.

If you want to be a bit more creative, you can mix and match these fruits to create some wonderful flavors that go along well with your main course. Another option besides juices are smoothies. Simply get some ice and fruits, and put them into a blender. Smoothies are a tasty and chill choice that your guests would surely enjoy.

Healthy Wedding Cakes

The most important part of your wedding reception dinner is the wedding cake, which tends to be the centerpiece of your meal selection. One of the issues that these cakes have is that they are heavy and unhealthy. This is attributed to the high amount of dairy products and sweets present in most cakes.

One of the best ways to make sure your cake is healthy, yet still delicious at the same time, is to use substitute ingredients. These ingredients would be able to substitute your regular sugar, honey, milk, butter, and eggs which make sure that it will still be as good. You can also incorporate fruits into your cake to give it some fresh flavors that the couple and the guests are bound to enjoy.

Key Takeaway

With these alternative ideas in mind, it’s time to step away from the stereotypical wedding reception. You can do your guests a favor and feed them what they need more than what they want. They might even thank you for introducing them to other alternative types of cuisine! They might get blown away with these wonderful food ideas that they may not have seen before, and look for more of them in your next parties and events in the near future.

11 Food Station Ideas Your Guests Will Go Crazy For

 

What are great food station ideas for a wedding reception?

  1. Cheese and Crackers
  2. Pizza
  3. Pasta
  4. Pancake and Waffles
  5. Sushi
  6. Dessert/Cake table
  7. Popcorn
  8. Taco and Nachos
  9. French fries
  10. Ice cream

Some argue that sit-down dinners and typical buffet layouts should be a thing of the past, as it can come across too traditional and impersonal. Wedding packages these days offer a variety of options!

One that stands out is food stations. A food station is not just your typical buffet spread, where the food is on one long table and people queue up for their food. Food stations are more dynamic than that, you can customize different food stations for different themes and offerings. This helps the host to create a more personalized menu and it can help show off their personality much better. The layout is also different, as stations can be placed around the venue or grouped together depending on the theme.

 

Cheese and Crackers Station

This is perfect for receptions especially in the beginning when everyone is socializing. The best part about a cheese station is that there are various cheeses to choose from, from creamy to soft or even hard. There are also numerous types of crackers – the variety of flavors and textures really make your mind race for which combination to try next! Just be sure you have the perfect glass of wine to pair these with!

Pizza Station

Everyone loves pizza so having a station dedicated to this crowd favorite is sure to please your guests. You can cover all kinds of pizza from thin crust, thick crust to stuffed crust. There are a few decisions you have to make mainly what flavors to offer – going with a classics like 4 cheese or all meat is always a safe bet. Just prepare enough to feed crowds of guests, last thing you want is to run out in the middle of the reception!

Pasta Station

Who says you have to settle for choosing between cream or tomato based when you can have both or even more! Having a pasta station in your reception can please many of your guests because of all the choices you can offer. From pesto, tomato, cream and even olive oil there is a lot of variety, that’s not including all the different types of pasta there is. Just to add a bit more fun put some olive, tuna or other toppings to give more of a homey feel.

Pancake and Waffles Station

This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to have your reception in the morning, you might just love breakfast and want to share that with your guests. Imagine a station with freshly made waffles and pancakes, paired with different types of syrups and honey. Why not top it off with a selection of nuts or fruits? Having all that in one table is sure to tempt anyone to more than one serving!

Sushi Bar/Belt

Slowly becoming a more popular option at wedding receptions, a sushi bar provides a great bite size snack that is both convenient and exciting. With wide a variety of the raw Japanese dish, your guests will go crazy either picking out their favorites or exploring new ones they haven’t had before.

To add an authentic flair to this food station idea, you can hire an authentic and professional Asian chef. That way you can make it a create-your-own sushi type of station that the chef will professionally prepare for your guests. The interactive and customizable element is sure to please those with picky palates. For more authenticity, be sure to add soy sauce, chopsticks, and wasabi. But if you really want to go all out with the legit Japanese experience, then have a whole sushi conveyor belt installed!

Dessert and Cake Table

In place of the traditional cake as a dessert, dessert and cake tables are quickly making their mark as a staple at weddings. With such a setup, more guests are satisfied because they can choose the sweets and flavor of their preference rather being served something that’s “just ok” to them. With that in mind, if you choose to go for this option, make sure to have a whole assortment of flavors for the cakes and a variety of sweets for the desserts – such as cake pops, brownies, cupcakes, donuts, etc.

Popcorn Cart

The best thing about this idea is that it is so easy to do. Just have a lot of popcorn kernels, a popcorn maker, and some powdered flavoring and you’re good to go. It is also becoming a hot trend to have at weddings because this perfect little snack can be served conveniently during any part of the celebration.

Tacos and Nachos Table

Though it could be messy and could stain really expensive outfits, a taco and nacho bar is something no one can resist no matter what he is wearing. You can provide bibs so that guests can be carefree while enjoying their Mexican food creation. This will definitely bring a festive vibe to your wedding, especially since it goes perfectly well with some tequila. With a pairing like this, it also makes for a great option to serve during cocktail hour.

French Fry Station

Nothing spells guilty pleasure more than French fries. This fast food favorite is usually seen enjoyed by all; either by workers on a casual lunch or by the health buffs seeking a worthy cheat meal. But your wedding is not the time to worry about health. In fact, it could be everybody’s most epic cheat day ever. Let loose with your guests let loose and enjoy some fried potatoes. Offer all kinds of fries: regular, curly, waffled, sweet potatoes, etc. Then just provide all the condiments that fit the simple snack and the whole guest list is sure to leave all their inhibitions behind.

Ice Cream Bar

There’s never a bad time for ice cream; even during a wedding! This is a definite favorite for all ages and is a surefire way to make your guests happy. Offer them many ways to enjoy this kind of food station: give bowls, cones, syrup, candy sprinkles, bananas, strawberries, Oreos, and anything else that goes great with ice cream. There is sure to be endless fun for all when they’re trying to create their perfect ice cream concoction.

 

Key Takeaway

Events aren’t restricted to set menus anymore. You can be more creative and have food stations to make your wedding the most memorable one that your guests have ever experienced. Just make sure that the stations you end up choosing will cater to most of your guests as well as your theme.

8 Tips for Writing a Wedding Day Love Note

How can one write a wedding day love note?

  1. Agree to it if you want to exchange letters.
  2. Write it casually as if you’re talking to your partner comfortably.
  3. Dedicate time to do it, whether you choose to do it on the day itself or not.
  4. Find a quiet and/or meaningful place to write it.
  5. Write it in a way that will give your partner confidence that he/she made the right choice to get married.
  6. Talk about your love and your future with each other.
  7. Don’t sweat over misspelling, and grammar.
  8. Keep it personal.

Of all the elements that go into the big day – from the actual ceremony to the wedding catering – the wedding day love note is hands down the most romantic and personal part of it. These notes are usually written days in advanced or on the night before the wedding day when emotions are overwhelming. The note is meant for the respective partners to read on the morning of the big day, as a reminder of its purpose and to prepare each other for the vows they are about to make.

There are no strict rules about what or how it should be written, but there are things to keep in mind.

Agree to It

While writing a love note may be tradition for some families, your partner may not have the same traditions. If you want to exchange love notes, then it is important that you discuss it with your partner.

When it comes to this, it’s important to not just do it out of nowhere. This could lead to your partner being surprised and, possibly, being pressured into writing one for the sake of it; you want the letter to be honest. That being said, discuss with your partner days in advanced so both you have enough time to gather the right words to show your love for each other. Of course, you could always write a love note without expecting one – if you’re really the one for surprises. Just be sure that you do it a way that doesn’t pressure your partner to rush to create his or own.

Keep it Simple

You don’t have to write like you’re the greatest poet this century has ever seen, nor use big words and complex metaphors to wow your partner. Remember that your partner loves you for who you are and should know you inside and out. A sprinkle of elegant language here and there will be good to show some class but for the most part sound like yourself because that is what matters most.

Dedicate Time to It

This is a very meaningful note for your partner, dedicate some time for it. May it be weeks or days ahead or even the day before, don’t rush this letter because it will be a something you and your fiancé will likely keep and cherish for many years. Find time to plan and reflect on your relationship together. Embrace all the emotions you’re feeling and find inspiration in them. Have enough time to write down your thoughts in a relaxed state and look back at the note and see if it’s the love note your partner deserves.

Now, love is a great big ball of emotions and you may have a hard time sorting out your feelings. It will be helpful for you to list down these thoughts in a notebook or your smartphone so you can reflect afterwards.

Gather Your Thoughts

As just mentioned, you want to dedicate time to writing the letter. However, many would recommend that you write it the night before the wedding or even on the day itself! This is because this is the time when both sides have overwhelming emotions about the big day; finally, their love will reach its peak. Even though things may be running crazy in your mind during this time with all the planning, you must remember that the most important part of any wedding is the love you have for your partner. With that in mind, find a quiet spot to think. Even better, go to a place special for the both of you to further amplify your feelings.

If you choose to make it on the morning of your wedding, then do it just a short while after you wake up. You will be really busy on the day itself and waking up could be your only time alone for the day.

Give Your Partner Confidence

This is your opportunity to be the voice your partner needs, to remove all their jitters and give them the confidence boost they need. Your wedding day is a very nerve racking day for both parties so it will be really help to know that the person you are marrying is confident in this decision. Remind each other of the reasons you are together and why this will be the best decision you’ll ever make.

Write What You Love About Them and More

It is important for your partner to feel loved, to know that every part of who they are is important to you. This will give them confidence and assurance in your relationship with each other.

Aside from that you should write about your relationship, write about the future, and your hope for each other individually and as partners. Remind your partner of the love that you share and the numerous years to come together and how it makes you feel. Then, talk about the future – the honeymoon, having kids, travelling around the world, etc. – to let him/her feel secure about the rest of his/her life.

It’s Not a Formal Letter

Your fiancé loves you – flaws and all. So, don’t worry about making grammar mistakes or misspellings. If you notice them, then don’t start over. Just cross it out and leave it messy; but at the same time don’t make it look like you rushed it. Maybe you can even apologize in the letter itself by adding a quirky disclaimer such as, “I’m sorry I have so many mistakes in this letter. You know me: forever fidgety”. It’s these nuances that will make your partner know that the note is honest and personal. Speaking of personal…

Keep it Personal

Remember, it is not just about what you feel right now, it is about what you plan ahead and how you want your marriage to be. The most important thing in this note is that it comes from you, not based on what your friends or family say, but from you alone. Pour your heart out and just let your partner feel the love you feel through this simple gesture.

Key Takeaway

The key to writing a touching love note is remembering. Think back to all the love you’ve shared over the years. Even the fights you’ve had which you overcame to learn how accept each other more. Remember all the things that made you say yes to the marriage. Then word it well in an honest letter. When your partner reads the letter, he/she will be reminded why you are celebrating in the first place. Then later on in the day, you both will no longer just be partners; you will be each other’s husband/wife.