Food For Thought

When planning your wedding reception, you have an incredible number of decisions to make including music, decorations and of course, food. Before planning your exact menu, you should consider how the meal will be served. Do you prefer a sit-down dinner, a buffet, or something else entirely? Here we look at the benefits, as well as the disadvantages, to each option.

 

• The event time is a primary factor when selecting your reception menu. Breakfast is usually served until 11AM; brunch from 11AM until 2PM; lunch from 12:30PM to 3:30PM; tea or desserts from 3PM to 5PM; cocktails from 5PM until 7PM; dinner from 6PM to 9:30PM; and a late-night dessert from 9PM until 10:30PM.
• Many couples try to stick with foods that appeal to a  wide variety of guests. Most gatherings include members of every generation and social background.
• When giving your final head count, don’t forget to include the other wedding professionals (musicians, DJ, wedding coordinator, photographer, etc.) who will be on hand.
• Many couples are so busy that they miss out on much of the menu served at the reception. We can prepare a special selection of food samples for you. It’ll make a great snack when you collapse in your hotel room and realize you’re starving!
• Consider the way your guests will be eating the foods you are serving. Will they be sitting at tables or will they be mingling as they eat? One setting allows for the use of silverware, while the other calls strictly for finger foods.

Meal Styles

Consider the following meal styles to determine which option best suits your taste.

Seated Dinner
With a sit-down dinner reception, your guests sit at assigned tables and the meal is served to them by the wait staff. Dinners are normally plated on individual plates and then served to each guest. This is considered more formal than the other kinds of services. The advantage of this type of reception is that your guest don't have to wait in line for their food and you have a lot more control over the timing of the other activities at the reception. One disadvantage of a sit-down dinner for your guests is that it limits the number of choices they have to eat. Normally only two entree options are offered in a sit-down dinner.

Buffet-Style
A buffet-style reception is less formal than a seated dinner and offers your guests more menu choices and creates a more casual, sociable atmosphere. With a buffet, a long table (or two) is set up with the courses in order. Guests take a plate and serve themselves. Buffets are sometimes cheaper than sit-down dinners because they cut down on the waitstaff needed. However, if you offer your guests a wide array of options on the buffet, including seafood, sushi, and other pricey items, the costs can actually exceed a sit-down dinner. The disadvantage of this type of meal is that the lines can get long, making the dinner portion of the reception last much longer than you’d like.

Family Style

A combination style meal strikes a balance between buffet and seated service. Similar to a sit-down dinner, guests are assigned to tables and waiters bring the food. However, this time large platters of food are placed on the center of the table. Guests can pass around the platters and choose which items and how much food they would like. The waitstaff will clear away the platters as they are emptied. It lets people have more food than a plated dinner but doesn't require the standing in line for a buffet.Though family style is normally considered a little more casual than a traditional sit-down dinner, you can keep it formal if you'd like with elegant china and glassware, along with waiters in tuxedos serving top quality, sophisticated foods.

Themed Stations

Offer your guests a wide range of culinary experiences by providing specialty or themed foods.Food stations are similar to buffet dinners, except different tables of food are set up throughout the wedding reception facility, rather than having one long table in a line. This allows your guests to get the food they would like much more quickly. Food stations are often interactive, including Sushi Station, carving station, Italian Station, Oriental station, Crepe Station,and even A Candy Bar.

Hors d’oeuvres and Cocktails
An hors d’oeuvres reception allows your guests to socialize while sampling an array of hot and cold appetizers.

Brunch
If your wedding is early in the day, consider a brunch reception with fresh pastries and fruit, an omelet station and champagne, or bloody Mary bar.

Father’s day recipes

Father’s day recipes

There’s no better way to show Dad you care than with a special meal. This Father’s Day, treat Dad to a feast full of favorites with these simple and delicious recipes. To top it off, try one of our Father’s Day cakes to make Dad feel like a king.

                       

Salmon Cakes with Tropical Fruit Salsa

Croquettes are cute and elegant for your starter course. They’re also wonderfully light and refreshing. The tropical salsa is a combination of fresh pineapple, mango, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice—the perfect complement to the richness of the salmon. The balance of sweet and savory flavors instantly pleases the palate. This is a starter with zing!

Times

• Prep Time : 15 min
• Cook Time : 45 min
• Ready Time : 60 min

Servings

10 Cakes

Ingredients

For cakes

• 1 (2-pound) side of salmon, skin on
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons matzo meal
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil

For salsa

• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1/2 cup diced mango
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease a large baking sheet. Bake salmon skin side down for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked all the way through. Let cool completely.

Once salmon is cooled, gently flake away from the skin and break into large chunks. Place in a large bowl and combine with eggs, red onion, matzo meal, salt and pepper. Stir to mix well. Scoop about 1/3 cup at a time into your hands and form into a round patty about ¼-inch thick. Place on a sheet pan and repeat with remaining mixture until you have formed 10 cakes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine pineapple, mango, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and salt. Mix well and set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Fry 5 cakes at a time for about 5 to 8 minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel lined plate while frying remaining cakes.

To serve, top each cake with a few tablespoons of salsa.

 

 

Sephardic Brisket

 

Servings Ingredients

• 2 dried pasilla chiles
• 1 (4-pound) beef brisket, trimmed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour, for dredging
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 tablespoons peeled and chopped fresh ginger
• 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 4 cups chicken or beef stock or water, more if necessary
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 4 tea bags strong black tea
• 2 cups dried pitted prunes
• 2 cups dried apricots

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Soak the chiles in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Seed them, remove the stems, chop the flesh into tiny pieces, and set aside.

Season the brisket with salt and pepper to taste and dredge with flour. Heat the oil in a heavy roasting pan just large enough to hold the brisket snugly and brown the brisket on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Remove from the pan.

In the same pan, over medium heat, add the onions and ginger and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onions are transparent. Add the reserved chiles and deglaze with the orange juice. Reduce the liquid by half. Add the brisket and enough stock or water to cover the meat. Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and peppercorns. Place in the oven and cook, uncovered, until the brisket is
tender, about 3 hours, turning at 30-minute intervals.

Transfer the brisket to a platter. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf from the liquid and pour it into a food processor or blender. Purée until smooth. If the sauce is too thin or not flavorful enough, reduce in a pan over medium heat. Cool the meat and the sauce separately, then cover and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. In a large bowl, steep the tea bags in the water to make a strong tea. Discard the bags. Put the prunes and apricots in the tea to plump for about 30 minutes, then drain them. Meanwhile, slice the brisket against the grain and place the slices in a pan. Remove the congealed fat and pour the sauce over the brisket. Add the fruit to the sauce, cover the pan with aluminum foil, and heat the brisket in the oven until hot, about 45 minutes. Check the seasonings before serving.

 

 

 

Brisket in Tahina Sauce

An Israeli-American dish. If you love tahina (the other name of tahini, when pronounced in Hebrew), the lush sesame seed paste, this is the brisket for you.

 

Servings

8-10

Ingredients

• 1 envelope onion soup mix
• 1 cup canned pineapple juice
• 1 large onion, finely sliced
• 1 cup beef broth, plus extra if needed
• 1 cup tahina
• 2 cloves garlic, mashed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus extra if needed
• ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 (4-pound) beef brisket, trimmed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the onion soup mix, pineapple juice, broth, tahina, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, lemon juice, and ¼ cup water.

Trim the brisket of most of the fat. Place in a shallow baking pan and rub with the onion-tahina mixture, making sure there is at least 2 inches of liquid beneath the meat. If there’s not enough, add more water. Scatter the sliced onion on top.

Bake, covered with heavy-duty aluminum foil, for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fork-tender. If it is too dry after an hour, add more broth or pineapple juice.

When done, remove the meat from the sauce and cool. Refrigerate the sauce so that the fat can be removed. Slice the meat against the grain and place it in a pan. Cover with the sauce. If it is too thick, again blend in some pineapple juice or water to thin it out. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover and heat in the oven until hot, about 45 minutes, and serve.

 

 

Chocolate-Coffee Layered Cream Dessert

A very simple and classy dessert. It’s easy to make and you can make and freeze it ahead of time.

 

Servings

25 servings

 

Ingredients

Basic cream:

• 2 cups soy milk or coffee whitener
• 5 egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding powder
• 5 ounces pareve bittersweet chocolate
• 2 tbsp coffee grains diluted in 2 tsp water
• 2 (8-ounce) containers Rich’s Whip

Glaze:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 4 ounces Rich’s Whip, unwhipped

Directions

To prepare basic cream, heat soy milk until almost boiling. In a bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla pudding powder with a handheld whisk. Pour hot soy milk into mixture while beating vigorously. Mix well, return mixture to pot, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Remove from heat.

Divide mixture into one-third and two-thirds. Add bittersweet chocolate to the two-third and diluted coffee into the one third. Let cool completely. Beat the Rich’s Whip. Fold two-thirds of the whip into the chocolate mixture, and fold one-third of the whip into the coffee mixture.

Line 2 log pans with baking paper and pour ¼ of the amount of chocolate cream into the logs.

Freeze for ½ hour and pour ½ of coffee cream to each log. Freeze for and additional ½ hour and pour again ¼ of chocolate cream into each mold. Freeze for 4 hours.

To prepare the glaze, melt chocolate and Rich’s Whip over a double boiler until completely melted. Let cool for 5 minutes and pour over frozen dessert. Freeze for an additional ½ hour. Release from pan and cut in to thin slices.

 

Enjoy!!!

Wedding Planning

Helping you plan the perfect wedding reception is one of the most exciting aspects of our business. We are just as excited about all the other celebrations that may come before and after the ceremony such as bridal luncheons, showers, anniversary parties, engagement parties, post-wedding receptions, Friday Dinner, shabbat chatan, sheva brachot, and farewell brunches.

Because every wedding reception is unique, we work with you to plan all the details to ensure your day is perfect. Below are some of the topics we will discuss.

General Information

• Date of event
• Time and length of event
• Estimated number of adult guests
• Estimated number of children (3-12 years)
• Estimated vendor count
• Venue & Catering budget

Kind of Reception Desired

• Passed hors d’oeuvres
• Buffet Stations
• Combination of passed hors d’oeuvres & Buffet Stations
• Formal sit-down
• Food stations
• Sit-down “Family Style”
• Buffet

Food Selections

• What kinds of food do you like?
• What kinds of food do you dislike?
• Have you made any selections from our menus?
• Are any vegetarian dishes required?
• Any guests with known food allergies?
• Special food requests?

Kind of Beverages and Beverage Service Desired

• Bartender
• Self-serve bar
• Served wine and/or champagne
• Wine with dinner only
• Champagne toast only
• Non-alcoholic drinks only
• Beer and wine only
• Full bar

Rental Requirements

• Table linens, overlays, napkins
• Special Tables/chairs
• Chair covers and sashes

Event Details

When the menu, the type of service, and rentals are decided, it’s important to plan the event details to ensure your day is perfect. Depending on the scope of our involvement in your event, below are some topics that we may discuss to help plan for your special day.

General Information

• Wedding colors
• Table centerpieces/decorations
• Type of flowers

Final Guest Count (needed at least 7 days before event)

• # of adult meals – non vegetarian
• # of adult meals – vegetarian
• # of child meals
• # of vendor meals

Vendor/Other Contacts:

• Wedding coordinator
• Florist
• DJ
• Band
• Photographer
• Rental company
• Bakery
• Family member or friend in charge

Floor Plan/Diagram:

• Guest tables
• Head table
• Buffet table(s)
• Bar
• Gift table
• Cake table
• DJ table or band area
• Dance floor

Seating and Serving

• Is seating for the meal assigned? How?
• Are guest tables numbered or named?
• If buffet, will tables be called to buffet by DJ?
• Who will queue DJ that meal is ready?
• If buffet service, what order to call tables to buffet?
• If meal is served, what order to serve tables?
• If a multiple entree meal is served how to tell who gets which entree?
• Special requirements for head table service?

 

Read More on our website: www.CateringEden.com

Why you’ll love doing your event with us?

• We will make your Dream Party come true.
• Our exclusive & affordable menus are customized to suit any occasion.
• We use the best ingredients that are always fresh, healthy and tasty.
• Our brilliant eye-catching presentations are colorful and elegant.
• Our professional staff provides exceptional service.
• Our culinary delights are prepared to meet almost any type of cuisine, Vegetarian, Vegan, Glatt Kosher ( by the strict ORB), Parve or Dairy, and Gluten Free.
• We always pay attention to the smallest of details.
• Our newly renovated beautiful banquet hall is the perfect place for your unforgettable celebration.
• Our event planning services are highly creative and imaginative.
• Our “A-to-Z” full range party planning services are also available off premises.

 

 

Why the torah was not giving to us on Wall Street?

This week’s Torah reading is called Bamidbar, “in the desert” and is always read before holiday of Shavuot. The connection is obvious—after all, Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah, an event that transpired in the Sinai Desert.

In the desert there are no towns or neighborhoods–you’d be neither on the right nor on the wrong side of the tracks. There aren’t any department stores or grocery stores– which is why, say our sages, G-d gave us the Torah in the desert.

Had He given it to us on Wall Street, He would have had to decide whom to appoint to the board and who should retain a controlling interest. Had He given it to us in the Holy Land, He’d have had to decide if He wants it in religious Jerusalem, mystical Sefat or hi-tech Tel Aviv Tel. Or perhaps He’d have preferred a Marxist kibbutz or even a neo-Zionist settlement?

G-d wanted no shareholders in his Torah, no corporate structure, no social or political context. In fact, no context whatsoever. Just us and the Torah.

Wouldn’t it have been great to stay in the desert?

But as soon as G-d was sure that we’d gotten the message–that we understood that the Torah is not the product of any particular age, environment or cultural milieu, and that it belongs, absolutely and unequivocally, to each and every one of us–he sent us to the cities and the towns of His world, to its farms and marketplaces, to its universities and office complexes. He told us that now that He’s done His part, it’s up to us to make His Torah relevant in all these places and in all these contexts.

G d gave us the Torah there to teach us that our job is to transform a world which is a spiritual desert, lacking morals, ethics and humility, into a world of Torah and peace.

And more personally speaking: At times we find ourselves in a moral Sinai, when our life seems empty and dull, uninspiring, depressing and barren. There, specifically there, the Torah must enter and push us out of the rut.

Torah is not only for the synagogue. It is for the desert as well.

May the literal title of our parshah of Bamidbar and the many lessons it conveys serve as a fitting prelude for the beautiful festival of Shavuot. May we receive the Torah with joy and earnestness so that this important festival will be both meaningful and memorable?

Have a meaningful and uplifting Shabbos and a joyous Shavuos!

מדוע התורה לא ניתנה בעזריאלי

 

במדבר אין בנייני משרדים או מפעלים. אז לו היית חי במדבר, רוב הסיכויים שלא היתה לך עבודה. לא יהיה מעליך שום בוס ולא עובדים כפופים לך.

במדבר אין ערים ואין שכונות, אתה לא תהיה בצד הנכון ולא בצד הלא-נכון של תחנת הרכבת. אין שם בתי כלבו או מרכולים. אתה תאכל שם מן מן השמיים ותלבש את אותם זוג נעליים במשך ארבעים שנה

על כן, אומרים חז”ל, ניתנה התורה במדבר.

לו נתן לנו ה’ את התורה בוול סטריט, היה עליו להחליט את מי למנות למועצת המנהלים ומי ישמור על הריבית במשק. לו נתן לנו את התורה בארץ הקודש, היה עליו להחליט אם הוא רוצה לתת אותה בירושלים הדתית, בצפת המיסטית או בהיי-טק התל-אביבי. או אולי היה מעדיף בקיבוץ של השומר הצעיר או אולי בכלל במושב?

השם לא רצה בעלי מניות בתורה, לא מבנה ארגוני, ושום הקשר פוליטי או חברתי. למעשה, שום הֶקשר בכלל, רק אנחנו והתורה.

לא היה יותר טוב לו נשארנו במדבר?

אך ברגע שהשם היה בטוח שקיבלנו את המסר – שהבנו שהתורה אינה תוצר של כל גיל שהוא, סביבה או רקע תרבותי, ושהיא שייכת באופן מוחלט, שאינו משתמע לשתי פנים, לכל אחד ואחד מאיתנו – הוא שלח אותנו לערים הגדולות והקטנות בעולמו, למשקים ולשווקים, לאוניברסיטאות ולבנייני המשרדים. הוא אמר לנו שעכשיו, כשהוא עשה את חלקו, זה תלוי בנו לעשות את התורה שלו יתברך לרלוונטית לכל אותם מקומות ובכל ההקשרים הללו.

למרות הכל, זה נחמד לחזור למדבר מדי פעם לפחות לביקור…

חג שמח לכל עם ישראל

Delicious Blintzes Recipe

Blintzes are a traditional dish for the holiday of Shavuot.
Top with sour cream, apple sauce or cinnamon and sugar.

BATTER
4 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 package vanilla sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Tbsp. oil

CHEESE FILLING I
1/2 pound farmer cheese
4 ounces cream cheese
4 Tbsps. honey or
maple syrup
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 egg yolk

CHEESE FILLING II
1 pound cottage cheese,
strained
2 egg yolks
2 Tbsps. flour
2 Tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla sugar
1/4 cup raisins (optional)

USE: 7 inch skillet
YIELDS: 12 blintzes

BATTER: In a large mixer bowl combine eggs, milk, water and blend well. Gradually add flour, then both sugars, salt and oil. Beat well until there are no lumps in the batter.

FILLING I: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat well. Or combine all the ingredients in a blender container and blend until smooth.

FILLING II: Combine all ingredients, except raisins, in a bowl and beat well. Or all the ingredients can be combined in a blender container and blended until smooth. Then add raisins.

TO ASSEMBLE CREPES: 1. Prepare batter and filling of your choice. Using a paper towel or basting brush, apply a thin coating of oil to a 7 inch skillet. Place skillet over medium heat until skillet is hot but not smoking.
2. Ladle approximately 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet. Tilt pan to swirl the batter so it covers the bottom of the skillet.
3. Fry on one side until small air bubbles form, and top is set. Bottom should be golden brown. When done, carefully loosen edges of crepe and slip out of skillet onto a plate..
4. Repeat the above procedure until all the batter is used. Grease the skillet as needed..
5. Turn each crepe so that golden brown side is up. Place 3 tablespoons of filling on one edge in a 2 1/2 inch long by 1-inch wide mound..
6. Roll once to cover filling. Fold the sides into the center and continue rolling until completely closed..
7. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the skillet and place each crepe seam side down in the skillet and fry 2 minutes on each side, turning once.

VARIATION: Whole wheat pastry flour can be used instead of white flour.

Celebrate Shavuot! Make a Cheesecake!

Sundown on Saturday, May 26, marks the beginning of the two-day Jewish holiday of Shavuot. If you’re asking yourself ”What’s Shavuot?” don’t worry, you’ve come to the right place.
Shavuot (also called Shavuos) commemorates the day God gave the Torah to the Jewish people. This great event happened at Mount Sinai, and today you’ll find lots of Jewish preschool kids coming home with their own little Mount Sinai’s, covered in the many flowers that are believed to have bloomed there immediately preceding the giving of the Torah. There is also a beautiful story about why Mount Sinai was chosen as the place for the Torah to be given – because even though it was not the biggest mountain, it was the most humble.
On Shavuot it is customary to eat dairy desserts, as the arrival of the Torah was the first time the Kosher dietary laws of not mixing milk and meat were introduced. Ice cream, cheesecake and cheese blintzes are all traditional favorites.
One of my favorite holiday recipes is No Bake Cheese cake – this easy recipe is perfect to make with kids, and it is a holiday treat I look forward to every year. The recipe is for a crust that is baked, so if you don’t want to use the oven just purchase a pre-made crust.

Mom’s Favorite French Toast Recipe

Ingredients

3   pz	Sour   Dough Slices
for   the custard
1/2   cup	milk
1/4   cup	heavy   cream
1   oz	contreau
2   tbs	sugar
1   tsp	orange   zest
1   ea	whole   egg
for   topping
1   cup	Seasonal   Fruit
2   tbs	Butter
1   oz	Rum
1	Mint   leaf

Mix together all of the custard ingredients in a mixing bowl

 

Directions

Soak the slices of sour dough bread in the custard mix for 2 minutes

Melt butter for cooking in a nonstick pan and cook the French toast for two minutes each side, or until both sides of each pieces are golden brown

Remove French toast from pan and place on plates. In the same pan add the sugar and the fruit and cook for 3 minutes on high then add the rum, and let the alcohol reduce.

Pour fruit mixture on top of the French toast and decorate with whipped cream and a mint leaf

Makes two servings, for you and your mom!

Suggested presentation:         

Serve on a tray with fresh squeezed orange juice mimosas

 

Wedding Day Tips for the Bride

There are lots of things to think about when brides plan their wedding. In the rush they tend to forget about taking care of themselves on the day of their wedding. A number of simple but practical tips to help pave the way to truly enjoying the wedding day.

Every bride has lots of things to think about when she’s planning her wedding, but so many tend to forget about taking care of themselves on the day of their wedding. And it’s important that those small, but mighty, details not escape even the most well prepared bride!

What should be at the top of every bride’s list on the day of her wedding is to relax and enjoy it! Whether you’ve been working with a wedding consultant or have done all the planning and preparation on your own, it’s now the big day and you deserve to have at least as much fun as any of your guests.

Here are five simple, but practical tips to help pave the way to truly enjoying your wedding day:

Making Up is (Not) Hard to Do

Create a wedding day make-up bag two weeks before the wedding. Do a complete test of your wedding-day look (make-up, hairdo and shoes), for as long as you expect to have it together that day, so you’ll know if it will “go the distance.”

Put together a little make-up bag for touch ups that you can take along with you the day of the wedding to keep you looking your best. And on the big day, have a friend, bridesmaid, or family member hang onto it or stash it somewhere handy so you can get to it when you need it. Be sure to use waterproof mascara, and don’t forget to pack the hairspray!

Hint

When purchasing your make-up, see if you can persuade the sales gal at the cosmetic counter into giving you samples of everything you’re buying (they’ve got ‘em, you know they do). They won’t take up much room and it will be more than enough for the day!

Wedding Day “Emergency” Kit

Create an emergency kit for those unexpected emergencies just like the back-up, make-up bag for touch ups (say that three times fast!). Consider an “emergency kit” filled with items you may need on your wedding day. Fill a small bag with items such as a travel size sewing kit (you’d be amazed at the magic tricks just one safety pin can perform), clear nail polish (for panty hose/stocking runs), an extra set of panty hose or stockings, throat lozenges, and aspirin. Other ideas for the “emergency kit” include tissues, breath mints, tampons, hand cream, and band-aids.

Hint

Most of these items can be found in the travel size bins in your local drug store.

Food for Thought

Start your wedding day with healthy and filling nourishment. Since most brides don’t get to enjoy the meal served at the reception, you really should consider having something to eat before the wedding, no matter how worried you are about how the dress fits! While food may be the last thing on your mind on your wedding day, it’s nonetheless important that you start the day with some healthy and filling nourishment. It’s going to be a long (and wonderful) day and you’ll want to have plenty of energy so you can keep dancing and socializing for hours!

Hint #1

Stash a power bar snack in your purse or “emergency kit.”

Hint #2

Pre-arrange for there to be something to eat at your honeymoon hotel (believe it or not, most couples are starving after the wedding day festivities and will want to re-fuel before the wedding night festivities!)

If the Shoe Fits

Kick off the heels & settle into a more comfortable shoe; you know those stunning, sexy, strappy, ultra-high heels that work perfectly with your wedding gown? They’ll be great for the ceremony and for the formal pictures, but if you’re planning to kick up your heels at the reception, you’ll be better off kicking off the heels and settling into something more comfortable. So get a pretty, more practical pair of shoes that you can change into to keep your dogs from “barking” the entire week after the wedding!

Hint #1

It’s not a bad idea to practice walking in the shoes you’ll be wearing during the ceremony. Take a test run in the shoes and the wedding gown and get used to both.

Hint #2

Kenneth Cole reaction makes a snappy little flat, beaded thong that is heavenly comfy, inexpensive and just fancy enough to go with your gown. I’ve got a pair in bronze and black (and they come in white as well) that I carry with me everywhere. Not a bad gift for your bridesmaids either!

Point it Out to a “Point Person”

Keep track of time with an itinerary and a point person. Whether you’ve worked with a wedding consultant or carefully planned everything yourself, you should have an itinerary for the big day. Make copies, give them to a few good friends and/or close family members, then choose someone to be the “point person” who will make sure things are running smoothly and reasonably on time. You will be able to rest easily knowing at least one of your deputies will keep track of the time while you’re busy greeting those out-of-town guests and brand new in-laws whose names you can’t quite remember!