Planning A Wedding

Try not to do too much yourself

These days, websites like Pinterest provide great inspiration for wedding decor. If you’re crafty, you might consider making some of your wedding decorations yourself to save money and have something handmade instead of store-bought.

But it’s important to know your limits when it comes to DIY projects; the last thing you need is to be a week away from your wedding and spending every waking moment meticulously folding paper flowers for your bouquet.

Consider in advice how much time you realistically have to dedicate to DIY projects. Remember that there are some great sites like Etsy where you can buy unique, handmade decor items for your wedding without having to lift a finger!

Think Outside The Box

couples today have really begun to get creative with unique themes and out-of-the-box ideas. Rather than worrying about what people will be expecting of your wedding, think about what’s important to you and your partner and go from there.

Neither of you likes cake? How about donuts, pastries, or even an ice cream sundae bar for dessert at your reception instead? Not a fan of dancing? Consider having a more casual reception with yard games, board games, or other activities as your guests’ entertainment! The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

And whether you’re interested in a traditional-style banquet hall or you like the idea of hosting your reception in the Berkeley Hotel, we’ve got two of the nicest wedding venues in NJ, just waiting for you.

Remember, at the end of the day, it’s your wedding. Why should you have to conform to other people’s ideas of what a wedding should be like?

Choosing a NJ wedding venue? Don’t be afraid to let others help

It may not seem like it yet, but figuring out all the little details of your wedding can become overwhelming, especially as you get closer to the big day.

More than likely, you’ll have friends and family members offering to help in any way they can. Take these offers seriously and don’t be afraid to accept them if you’re feeling stressed out! These people love you and want to be a part of your day.

If you’re a bit of a control freak and like to handle things yourself, consider delegating smaller tasks to your loved ones, such as picking up the wedding cake, setting up centerpieces, or even distributing tip money to your vendors at the end of the night. And by all means, when you’re touring New Jersey’s best wedding venues, bring one or two of them along for another opinion.

And if you haven’t already received any offers for help, don’t hesitate to ask for assistance if you’re feeling overwhelmed. Consider using a wedding coordinator if many of your friends and family members are from out-of-town and can’t do much now.

Some New Jersey wedding venues like Buona Sera will even include day-of coordination services in your wedding package.

Establish guidelines for your guest list

Guest lists can quickly get out-of-control if you and your partner don’t establish guidelines up-front.

If you’re working with a specific budget, it’s a good idea to decide approximately how many guests you’d like to invite while remaining within that budget. Since caterers at wedding venues in New Jersey typically charge per person, tacking even a few extra people onto your guest list can cause costs to balloon. But if you and your partner agree on a maximum number of guests to invite, it can be helpful to come up with a few general guidelines for keeping the list within that number.

For example, let’s say you want to invite no more than 150 people to your wedding, but you’re worried that you’ll have a hard time deciding who’s going to make “the cut.” You can make this easier by setting a rule that states a person will not be invited to the wedding if you or your partner haven’t seen them in person in the past two years.

While most couples would like to have a “more the merrier” attitude when it comes to their wedding, that simply isn’t realistic for most.

And don’t forget to check on room capacity when you’re looking at wedding venues. New Jersey law limits the number of people you can have in a room, so it’s better to find out now—instead of after you’ve sent out the invitations.

Take time to research your vendors

Last but not least, when it comes time to book vendors (such as NJ wedding venues, photographers, caterers, etc.), always take the time to extensively research your options before you put down a deposit or sign a contract.

Specifically, reading online reviews of people who have worked with each vendor in the past can really give you some great insight into how they conduct their business.

Here at Buona Sera Catering, we’re proud of our excellent client reviews; in fact, we’ve been featured on the Wedding Wire “Couple’s Choice Awards” in 2015 and 2016, in addition to being a top pick for The Knot’s “Best of Weddings” both years.

These reviews really speak for themselves, and we feel they set us above other New Jersey wedding venues. (We love seeing our clients come back to us after their weddings for help with future events, such as baby showers, corporate events, and more!)