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Most wedding
receptions include a buffet-style meal where
everyone stands in an enormous line waiting
while those at the food table decide if they
want Italian or Ranch dressing on their salad.
There has to be a more unusual way to get people
to their food, and a faster one at that, right?
There are several fun options you can employ to
feed your guests quickly and with a minimum of
groans of hunger.
Here are some fun options.
One of the most popular is the number system.
Each table is assigned a number and the MC or DJ
calls numbers at various intervals. The people
at that numbered table then find the buffet and
begin their feast. You can place the numbers in
a variety of locations. For the most utilitarian
version, just place the number in the flower
arrangement on the table.
Some brides don't like this look of numbered
table as if at a convention. In that case, you
can put the numbers under the flower
arrangements, or under the chairs. If you have
place cards at the tables, you can write a small
number somewhere on the card so people know
which table they're sitting at. For a fun
variation, you can have the florist play around
with the table floral arrangements. If the
arrangements are going to have a dozen flowers,
you could have the florist add one extra flower
to table "one", two extra flowers for table
"two" and so on and make the guests figure out
which number table they are based on how many
extra flowers they have in their arrangement.
The flower method could be cost-prohibitive, of
course, if you have a large guest list and many
tables.
Now, if the number system doesn't thrill you or
make you think "unique", there are other
options. Each table can have a color and the DJ
simply calls out the color name. Depending,
again, on how many tables you have at your
reception, you could coordinate the tablecloths
with the color of the table. So you might have
white, pink, lavender, beige, and yellow
tablecloths, and the guests sitting at that
table simply move to the buffet table when the
color of their tablecloth is called.
Another popular option for moving people easily
to the buffet table involves having a little fun
with your guests. You provide each table with a
buzzer, either a bell like you might find at a
store, or a small silver bell. Just something
they can buzz or ring. The DJ or MC asks a
trivia question, or a question about the bride
and groom. The tables buzz in with their
answers. The guests at the table with the first
correct buzzed answer move to the buffet table.
You repeat the process until everyone is finally
on their way to getting some grub.
The trivia method is an especially fun way to
help guests to get to know one another, as they
might have to work together to come up with an
answer. If your guests are hungry, you're sure
to hear muffled groans and sighs of
exasperation. But even with the small
complaints, this is always a crowd pleaser
because it's fun and gets everyone involved.
Now, this next option is fun but can engender a
bit of jealousy sometimes. When people get their
place card, whether it's placed on the table, or
they pick it up when they look at the seating
chart, you can put a number on it. But not
everyone at the same table will have the same
number. If you have 100 guests, for example, you
might choose to have 10 people at the buffet
table at a time. So each person would be
assigned a number 1 through 10.
In the same scenario as above, the DJ or MC will
call a number and those numbers will head for
the buffet table. There are sure to be more than
one person from each table heading for the
buffet table, but the guests at each table won't
get their food at the same time.
This staggered feeding can be fun or a nuisance,
depending. It solves the problem of half the
room being finished with their meal while
waiting for the "later" table to finish theirs
before the festivities start, but it can also
mean that one or two guests might be long done
with their food (or wanting to head back for
seconds) when others at the table haven't even
eaten yet.
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2007
: Articles
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FLORIST | |
