Lighting Basics for Your Reception
Monday, November 21st, 2011When planning your special day, lighting for your reception is just as important as the flowers and the cake. Making sure you have the right amount of light will turn your wedding site from simple to spectacular. Lighting creates the mood for the whole event, including making your wedding flowers, cake, and guests look better.
A Few Tips To Guide You In Your Lighting Selection Include:
Find a Pro
There are a couple of ways you can find your wedding lighting specialist. First, ask your event planner or wedding florist if they do their own lighting. If not, they may have a lighting pro they regularly work with. You can also ask the coordinator at your reception venue to recommend a lighting company that has worked with the site before. Also, ask to see pictures of the space having been changed by various lighting arrangements.
Assess Your Site
If you’re having an evening reception, make sure to visit your site at least once when it’s dark outside—this will allow you to look around the room and see where the lighting is being focused. Lights that illuminate the walls, windows, and ceiling draw attention away from the center of the room. You want to make sure the lighting keeps everyone’s eyes on the tables, dance floor, and each other. In addition, ask if the site has dimmers for their overhead lights, and if there’s any florescent lighting at all, keep it turned off!
If your wedding is taking place at home, discuss how much electricity your lighting designer is going to need. You may want to consider having your lighting expert bring a generator before blowing a fuse.
Learn About the Different Types of Lighting
Pin spot is a focused beam of light that shines directly onto an object, like a centerpiece or wedding cake, as a highlight effect.
Color wash is a blanket of colored light covering an entire area.
Gobos are circular stencils that are put over a light to project a design or pattern. Some popular gobo designs are monograms, dates, or any other wedding motifs. Keep in mind that the complexity of the design will affect the gobo’s cost. A simple stencil can be stamped out of steel, while a more intricate design must be laser etched out of stainless steel or a glass that can withstand high heat.
Led is short for light-emitting diodes. This type of lighting is currently popular for weddings because they use much less electricity and don’t get as hot as the regular, incandescent light bulbs. LEDs are great for color changes and vibrant colors.
Don’t be Afraid to Use Color
Think outside your wedding palette when you use colored lights. Stay away from colors that are part of your decor. Opt for colors that complement all skin tones, like magenta or a soft rose. Take advantage of the effect color can have on the atmosphere by changing the shades through the course of the night. For example, if your cocktail hour starts around sunset, you can splash your room with golden tones. During dinner, consider soft lighting that will mimic flickering candlelight. Remember you can change the mood of a room with the push of a button.
Lighting Set Up Outside
If your site has a path or steps that people will be using throughout the night, keep it lit with luminaries or paper lanterns so that no one trips. More dramatic lighting might include using dramatic, sculptural lights like large orbs, or rows of vertical poles of light that look like pieces of modern art. You can also fill your centerpieces with clear—glass marbles as well as small battery-powered lights to give an interesting glow to each arrangement.
Choose the Right Lights
The layout of your reception site can determine how you’re going to use lighting techniques. If dinner and dancing are happening in the same room, use a color wash to set the dance floor apart. Work closely with your lighting designer to figure out which type of lighting fits your budget. You can create a lasting impression with just the basic form of lighting and the right preparation.
Caterers For An Exclusive Event
Thursday, September 1st, 2011While many catering companies may only focus in on larger events or corporate meetings, many catering companies may also offer the distinct options of sending specific meals to a family or individual. There are many ways to use this option, whether you are sending meals to a new mom and dad or someone who is recovering from surgery or a serious illness. It is a great way to let your friends and family members know you care. It can be compared to sending roses or a humble get well card, but in addition to the thoughtfulness you are also giving the receiver something that really makes his or her life easier.
For Example:
Catered Meals For A New Mom and Dad
When a new baby is born, it brings joy, happiness…and of course a certain amount of anarchy! New parents are usually stressed by all of the hassle that goes into taking mind of a baby in its first few weeks (not to mention the serious lack of sleep they suffer due to those late-night feedings and lopsided sleeping patterns.) So, that’s why sending new parents a catered meal through a local catering company can be one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give them. It alleviates their worry about what to make for dinner so that they can relax and enjoy more time with their newborn. Plus, you save them money by generously buying them dinner!
How Can You Get Premium Banquet Facilities in 3 Easy Steps
Friday, February 4th, 2011In order to avail premium banquet facilities may not take a substantial amount of time and energy on your part. However, by hiring the services of a premium banquet your event or wedding may turn out to be very memorable and extremely pleasurable. You may just have to follow simple guidelines and other procedures so that you can avail the services of a premium banquet for your event. However, the best and the most advantageous step is to start consulting your family members, friends or other acquaintances who may hire the services of a premium banquet company in the past. You will be able to obtain extremely beneficial advices and recommendations that may be of immense help to you. In this way you can get the finer details and other important facts about a premium catering company. All these advices or suggestions may be truly genuine without any false impressions and therefore you can easily decide as to which type of banquet facility would be more effective as per your requirement.
Secondly, you can also explore the internet in order to find the best premium banquet service according to your current needs. You just have to explore the net and you can easily get in touch with several premium banquet services located in your city or area. You can call the office telephone number and may inquire about the necessary aspects. Don’t forget to bargain with the selected banquet company in order to avail attractive discounts and other reductions in charges. At the end of the day, your event may turn out to be more eventful if you can manage to secure the best possible deal according to your desired expectations.
Thirdly, you can also check the local advertisements that may publish specific ads about premium banquet companies and their overall packages. It has been observed that several premium banquet services try to promote their products and services to the maximum number of probable client and hence you may obtain an effective and feasible deal from a prominent banquet company. Yellow pages may be other alternative in order to find affordable premium banquet services that may be able to gratify all your aspirations in the most professional manner. In the end you may also have to analyze your existing obligations in order to have a clear understanding.
In order to avail the services of a premium banquet facility you have to make it sure that the number of invited guests is no more. It has been observed that any catering or banquet company may only cater to 75% for invited guests and the rest of the guests may be totally neglected. You may definitely want to avoid this embarrassing situation and thus you have to make a complete list of all the invited guests. In this way a premium banquet company will be able to cater effectively to all the limited numbers of invited guests in the most accurate manner.
Seven Basic Rules for choosing the catering service
Wednesday, October 27th, 2010Are you planning a party at home? Or are you planning the party in your office? Well, under both the conditions it is very necessary that you hire a right and professional catering service. A party with good quality food completely relishes heart mind, body and soul completely from top to the bottom. Make sure that you have the best catering service available for your occasion, and for which you need to follow seven fundamental rules of choosing the catering service. Here are the rules:
Rule#1 – Search on Internet – There are many private and qualified catering services available online, and all you need to do is to shop around and search for the best one that matches your party requirements. Keep in mind that you search through the details of every catering service that you have short listed for the purpose.
Rule#2- Does the Catering Service Provider has the Necessary Experience? – Make sure that you check out in detail about the experience of catering company. Is the catering service provider experienced? What type of catering experience does the service provider has in its kitty? Is the catering service provider adept at providing Continental, Traditional or Sea food catering or just any type of catering service?
Rule#3- Is the catering service Located in Your Area? – A catering service located in the vicinity of your home or office will serve out to be a cheap option, and moreover it will be very accessible to approach. Here again, you should explore the antecedents of catering service providers in your area to get fair idea. Catering in Philly will be a good option if you are residing or located in and around Philly. Likewise, catering services in Philadelphia, Bucks County PA can turn out to be the right option for you if you are located in the Pennsylvania area.
Rule#4- Make sure that Catering Service is Affordable – Affordable catering service should be the preferred choice in case you are hiring catering service in your area. Even if the catering service provider is expensive, make sure that you have discounts available out there. This will save you money and also get the best quality food to enjoy.
Rule#5- Catering Service should be Complete Value for Your Money – Is the quality of food being offered good? If not, then obviously you to bid adieu to the services of such catering company.
Rule#6- Catering Service should offer Variety in Food – A catering service provider offering variety in food will always be preferred and should be preferred to the catering service
Rule#7- Catering Service should Provide Hygienic Food – Hygienic and tasty food provided by catering service provider will show that it is a professional caterer. There’s nothing more left to say.
Once you have followed them with complete seriousness, you are ready to host the most delicious and memorable party of your life time.
Visit http://www.cateringbymarios.com to know more about “Catering Services Philadelphia“.
Event management with affordable catering service
Thursday, October 14th, 2010A properly managed event should and will always have professional full service catering. An event without catering service fails to fit in the category of corporate catering. Full service catering for any corporate or non corporate event is available on internet, and you need to search for only the professional event management companies who have the adeptness in organizing catering as the part of any event. However, the crux still remains on how you should go for event management solutions that also integrate affordable catering services? Here are some of the key tips that you need to consider when choosing event Management Company:
- • Make sure that the event management company has not only got the experience in organizing the events, but should also be good at managing corporate catering services, or for that matter, can also offer full service and affordable catering service. Affordability is the second prime consideration here if you are planning to hire an event management company.
- • The professional event management company should be professional in every little sense. The company should provide quick catering services without making any compromises on the quality of food items offered.
- • The event management company should be ready to offer customized catering services for corporate events, wedding parties and holiday parties, besides, affordable catering services to all kinds of big and small events. Most of the times event management companies just list themselves as affordable catering services provider, but in real sense they do not list the costs of hidden services.
- • There are separate event management companies that offer affordable wedding catering services for wedding and engagement parties. Such companies do not provide catering services for the corporate events. Therefore, when choosing the event management company for any wedding party which will also include the catering services, then you should be completely aware that the event management company is offering its services in organizing wedding events.
- • Besides offering completely affordable event management and full service catering solutions, it becomes very necessary that the company is time efficient so that it minimizes any last minute delays in the events.
- • The event management company which is otherwise professional in all respects of catering and organizing the events, and ability to communicate the things in the right manner. A professional event management company will give all the event hosting services.
- • Make sure that you get the price quotes from event management companies in order to get complete information about the services and the prices charged for those services.
It is very important that you go for the best event management company that is offering quality based and affordable catering solutions. This will save you time and provide complete set of services.
Further information about Catering in Bucks County visit http://www.cateringbymarios.com
How to find out ratable catering service for wedding functions
Friday, October 8th, 2010
Are you planning to host dinner ion the occasion of your friend’s wedding? Do you want to throw a special party on the occasion of wedding of your brother? Or you want to give a really relishing wedding party to the guests on your wedding anniversary? Whatever be the occasion the best part about hosting wedding party or organize any kind of wedding function is to give lunch or dinner party to your friends, relatives and acquaintances. And for this you ought to go for wedding caterer who will provide you with variety in the food menu and also treat your guests with amazing and finger licking food. But, all this can only happen if you explore and find ratable catering service for wedding functions. But have you ever thought on this fact with detail as to how will you go about choosing the right and appropriate catering service to host your wedding function?
Here are few tips that you need to consider immediately:
• You can find a professional wedding caterer from internet. There are many online catering stores thronging over internet, and by choosing the right wedding caterer you’d get the jackpot to prepare relishing and gushing food menu for your wedding party, or for that matter organizing wedding party for your friends. But before you go for this endeavor, it is very important that you check the authenticity of the caterer at least twice, because you don’t want to miss the chance to hoist the best and memorable wedding party for the guests.
• Yellow pages are yet another means from where you can easily get the information about professional wedding caterer. This will ensure that you have the best catering service for the most special day of your life. Keep in your mind that wedding is an important occasion, and you want it to become the most happening event, and this can only happen if you have professional wedding catering services.
• Ask any reference or acquaintance who on any previous occasion hired wedding catering service. Ask him or her about the best catering service available, and what would be the right place to get the catering service for your wedding. The information that you seek from your acquaintance will be genuine and reliable, and this will make you confident that the wedding caterer is a complete professional by all means.
• Check out about the services of wedding caterer that you otherwise get from any advertising or infomercial. Make sure that you clearly look into detail the kind of catering services offered by the wedding caterer.
Follow these points seriously and do not be in haste when choosing a wedding caterer, when thinking about organizing a mega wedding event.
How can you get best catering services?
Thursday, September 16th, 2010Catering services are required in all types of party occasions which also include marriage party, betrothed party, birthday party and many more. The real taste of any party or merry occasion can come only from quality catering.
With many catering services available out there on Internet and elsewhere, the most important factor that comes into the picture is how to choose the best catering services provider. Choosing the right and professional caterers isn’t that easy a task, and it requires some real smart planning. Newark catering and Catering by Mario’s are some of the popular catering brands that you can search for. But in general when you go for hiring any catering services.
Here are some of the key points that you always need to keep in your mind:
- 1. When choosing the catering company look for Internet based catering advertisement. It is the right place to search for professional and certified caterers. Make sure that you take all the necessary precautions in seeing whether the caterer that you hire is good and have experience in preparing for large party gathering. Also check out what type of regional and exotic food items does the caterer hold the experience in. A caterer with multi cuisine experience would be the best option to go for.
- 2. You can place an advertisement in leading national dailies about what qualities you want in the caterer. This is again one of the effective ways to choose the catering service according to your choice. Do not make any hast decision out here, or else, the taste of your party will come to a complete dead end. When you place an advertisement in any popular leading national daily only make sure that you also mention all the details about the type of party that you are hosting, and also the list of items that you want to have in the party.
- 3. Discuss and Settle the Price Quote – When you choose a professional and experienced caterer, you need to discuss the price quote for the services offered by a caterer. If you find that the price of the caterer is too high and it is not matching your budget, look for another one. Your strategy should be good catering service at reasonable prices.
- 4. Compare the Services Online – Choose the catering service after you have compared the prices with that of the other service provider. This would give you brief idea about the price quote and also you will get good bargains. Keep in mind that you do not make any decision in haste. Take your time when choosing the catering service.
These are some of the essential points that will help you in choosing the right and professional catering service.
To know more about Catering In Philadelphia visit http://www.cateringbymarios.com
Guidelines to choosing a best catering service for events
Friday, September 10th, 2010Food makes or breaks any event. Be it a corporate conference or an informal wedding ceremony or an outdoor picnic. No occasion can be complete without good party catering from a trusted caterer in town. With a little research it is not too difficult to find Philadelphia” href=”http://www.cateringbymarios.com”>caterers in Philadelphia as there are several around which would fit your bill for any budget, event size and type.
If you follow our step-by-step guideline on how to choose the right caterer then a good one is just a block away:
Event type: This is the first question to ask – is it a corporate seminar or conference? Or is it a wedding or cocktail party catering? Does the occasion demand an elaborate outdoor setting which could be the case for weddings and holiday parties or is it a small indoor affair? The number of guests too would differ accordingly.
Budget & Menu: After the event type the budget is the next most crucial step. The pricing will also depend on the number of items in the menu. Again, if it is a classic sit-down dinner you will have an elaborate menu planned with fancy cutlery and party trays to go with it. This would scale up the costs. If it is a standard corporate catering menu it is open to negotiation. You should be clear on the planned menu and the theme of the event in question. It is better to find out whether there are any hidden or extra charges for catering services. Like, are the taxes inclusive or exclusive and is there a way to bring the costs down.
Coordination: After you take a decision on which caterer to hire the next important step will be to chart out a plan for coordination and execution. This will involve the real task of coordinating with the caterer, giving him the details of the event. Make sure there is no confusion about date, time and place. This will help in eliminating any misunderstandings at the last minute. To prevent shortage of food or extra leftovers you need to confirm the total number of invitees at least a week or 3 days in advance. Statistics dictate trends towards a 75% attendance out of the total number of invited guests.
Also, an ideal caterer would take in account food preferences or trends in concept cuisines prevailing in Philadelphia at present. The wind is titled toward vegan and diet stuff, so ensure that the caterer is capable of meeting the popular and specific needs of the invitees.
Staff: Verify whether the catering company offers wait-staff or serves. You can request staff to serve the guests at an additional cost.
Wastage of food: Many caterers are strict about not leaving the prepared food leftovers to you. In such a case, you can request and show your tie-up with organisations which take care of the leftovers and provides it to the needy. This would serve a philanthropic purpose as well and play up to your advantage if it is a corporate event.
Lastly, you should verify their previous track records and testimonies. It is also advisable to go for a food tasting session to one of the events catered to by your chosen one.
To know more about Catering Philadelphia visit Catering By Marios
Find a Wedding Catering Service at affordable prices
Friday, August 13th, 2010Planning a wedding is a mammoth but a very exciting task. The highlight of the ceremony is the party catering. Though, wedding catering can get very expensive it can be scaled down to your budget by keeping a few steps in mind.
Firstly, you need to find a caterer who will function within your budget. The food should also blend with the wedding theme, décor and scale of the ceremony. There are many good full service caterers available in and around Philadelphia. The wedding could have an outdoor theme which would call for a picnic catering or it may be a destination wedding demanding holiday caterers.
With some negotiation and smart menu planning you can easily get your desirable wedding caterer to deliver in your chosen budget. The thumb rule is wise selection of menu items which will make all the difference to the price strategy. Like for example, choose items keeping seasonal fruits and vegetables in mind so as to bring the cost down per item. This way the caterer does not need to use expensive canned ingredients which are not available in a particular season.
The way a meal is served can also make a huge hole in your pocket. A classic sit down dinner has many more elaborate menu items as compared to other arrangements like food stations. A food station is a popular concept serving a particular type of world cuisine. These could be limited in number and they serve full meals which are quite filling. Like, a pasta station is a must-have by all caterers in Philadelphia.
You may cut your catering bill by requesting a simple set up for the food stations and sitting tables. By using a single color for tablecloths, usually white, will cut down on hiring expensive upholstery. Also, no need to order for expensive dinner services and party trays, the caterer can use the standard cutlery available.
Even the time of the post wedding reception can make a difference. If you’re planning your wedding reception for 7 pm, your guests will be expecting a dinner set up. You can consider a morning reception, brunch, or an afternoon cocktail reception. This would make it a smaller affair in terms of an elaborate menu and require less food.
If the catering contract allows, buy your own liquor and ask a friend to be the bartender. Generally, they are stringent only for a certain amount of liquor which you have to purchase from the wedding caterers and the rest can be brought by you. Limiting the guest alcohol choices to wine and beer will bring down cost further.
The wedding cake can become an elaborate affair and good things don’t come cheap. Choosing one flavor instead of several and decorating it with fresh flowers will cut back costs. Instead of a fancy designer three – tier cake you can go for a sophisticated but smaller cake for the cutting and have a general cake laid out on the table for consumption by guests.
So it is as simple as this to get wedding catering of your choice in your preferred budget.
The Knot Best of Weddings for Philadelphia
Monday, April 5th, 2010Catering by Mario’s has been keeping busy this winter with weddings, corporate events, & holiday parties. We have also launched a newly designed website which is a one-stop shop for all of our services: off-premise catering, event planning & management, as well as our wedding & banquet venue, Richmond Hall. Check us out at www.cateringbymarios.com.
As the weather gets warmer, you may be starting to plan celebrations such as graduation parties and summer picnics. Check out the menus below for some party ideas. Mention this email and receive a 10% discount if you book a buffet or picnic package before 4/15/2010.
We also have great news to annouce: Richmond Hall has been selected as a 2010 winner in The Knot Best of Weddings for Philadelphia reception sites. We wanted to take a moment to thank all of our wonderful brides who took the time to comment to The Knot on their experience at Richmond Hall. It’s great to know we have lived up to your expectations on one of the most important days of your life. Thanks again!!!
Sincerely,
Mario & John Incollingo
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