Backyard BBQ Fun

Here in Oklahoma we've been having some record-breaking high-temps, but don't let that deter you from entertaining some friends with good food and drink. Throwing a BBQ is easy and fun, and if you're in the middle stages of wedding planning, it'll help you to relax and enjoy some down time with your fiancé and friends.

Food and drink calculator:
For the food you'll want to get about 1 1/2 servings of the main dish per person (burger, hot dog, sandwich). You'll also want 1 1/2 cups of each side dish per person (salad, coleslaw, beans).
For every 25 people you'll need to have 2 big platters of pre-cut fruits and veggies plus a few bowls of chips for extra munchies.

For the drinks you'll need 1 1/2 drinks per hour per guest (if the math is getting too crazy, you can always just round up to 2 drinks--always assume people will drink more).
For every 25 people you'll want 2 gallons of water/lemonade/iced tea/soda in addition to the alcohol. If you're not serving alcohol then you'll want to do 4 gallons.

Now it's time to set the scene:
It seems like mosquitoes have deemed Oklahoma their breeding ground, but they can be defeated. The week before the party get rid of any standing water in the garden and gutters (shouldn't be hard since this summer we've hardly had any rain). Plug some fans in the day of the party. If you're serving the food on your deck set up two or three fans around the perimeter and even a small one near the food. You can also set up tiki torches that repel bugs and have some bug wipes on hand (be sure they're the kind that don't smell) for guests.

If your deck doesn't have a lot of lighting already then you'll need to add some so guests aren't left in the dark. Put strands of light on the deck, the fence, and in the trees. You can also put tealights on the tables and around the deck.

We've mentioned Oklahoma's crazy summer heat a few times, but what happens if guests complain? Have some handheld fans on hand (in a nearby basket) for guests to grab if things get too intense. You can also buy some cheap washcloths, roll them up and secure with a rubber band, and throw them into a cooler full of ice water. When a guest needs to cool down after tossing the frisbie with Fido they can grab one and put it on the back of their neck or on their wrists.

Ah, now for the music. If you're using speakers have them spread out and at a lower level (no one wants music blasting right at ear level). If you have a boom box or an iPod dock turn it toward the house, make it a little louder, and sound will carry better. As for the type(s) of music think about who you're entertaining. If you all like the same genre then you know exactly who to play, but if you have an eclectic mix of people then sticking with the classics is a safe and smart bet. Who doesn't like a little Rolling Stones, Beatles, Michael Jackson, or Stevie Wonder?

So get to planning, drink plenty of water, and show your guests a good time!

Take a sip

Alcohol is the obvious drink of choice at wedding receptions, but how about trying something different like a soda bar or a lemonade station? These can be done on a budget and can be set up as self-serve stations so no one has to be hired to oversee it.

1. Soda bar
Buy a bunch of soda either in your wedding colors (grape and orange?) or do a multitude like in this picture. If you have more money to spend you can get personalized bottles and once the drink is gone guests can take them home as their favors. Find some cute striped straws (online you can buy in bulk and save money), and there you go!
Soda Bar

2. Custom lemonade station
Perfect for an outside summer wedding, you can use either pink or regular lemonade (or both!) then have either bottles of flavors or fresh fruit (or both!) to add to the drinks. Even better is serving them in canning jars with, again, striped straws. Super cute and super refreshing!
Lemonade Stand

3. Coffee bar
Now, this can be done a few different ways, depending on your budget. There are companies that provide a coffee bar with custom drinks (you pick how many you want on the menu), and a barista makes them on site. To do it yourself have coffee brewed and in urns then have add-ins available: cinnamon sticks, chocolate shavings, vanilla, honey, whipped cream, flavored creamers, and anything else you can think of. If you want to get really overzealous you can buy an espresso/latte machine and have milk and coffee beans out for guests to make their own lattes. Then you'll have the machine to take home and use!
Coffee Bar

4. Tea bar
Have hot water available and several options of tea flavors out. You can have spices, honey, sugar, and creamer out also for guests who want to experiment and need to sweeten their tea.
Tea Bar

As always, have fun and create something that reflects your style and your wedding's theme.

Inspiration

Inspiration can come from many places. A trip you took to Hawaii as a kid may have left you loving coconuts and hibiscus and wanting to incorporate those into your reception. A piece of fabric at Hobby Lobby or your grandmother's china pattern. Anything and everything can be inspiration. One of our couples this month met at a Starbucks, though neither of them are big coffee fans, and that inspired many things incorporated into their reception.

Since meeting at Starbucks had left both of them changed forever, Bill planned a surprise proposal for Tosha at the same Starbucks. Starbucks gave him special permission to lead Tosha to their special table with a trail of rose petals. As she sat in the chair where she had sat on their first meeting he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Another customer in the shop caught the whole thing on video! For the reception they wanted coffee beans in all the vases, at the base of the flowers and encompassing pillar candles. The groom's cake was even a giant Starbucks cup!

Let your life inspire you.

Slideshow or Slide-snooze?

A timeless trend for wedding receptions is the slideshow presentation. Family and friends love reminiscing over old family photos and good times had on vacations. This also allows your guests to view your journey from singlehood to meeting your mate. Start with baby pictures then work up to the time you two met and took pictures together. You can even add some of your engagement photos and bridal portraits, if you choose. Most venues have some way of playing your DVD (though it may cost extra). At The Hamilton Event Center we have a BluRay DVD player (don't worry, it plays regular DVD's too) that is hooked up to our 2 flat scren TV's so your guests can easily see the pictures. We can also hook the TV's up to your laptop.

Steps for making a slideshow:

• Download photos from camera onto computer
• Import photos into PowerPoint or Keynote
• Save and burn to disc

Easy peasy, right? Sure, but what if you could make your slideshow even cooler with just as much effort as it took to make that boring, same-old same-old slideshow? Don't resort to using the "slide in from right" and "checkboard fade out" options. Animoto features some really cool options to make your slideshow cutting edge without giving your viewers whiplash.

You first choose the style of slideshow you want (their free site has lots of options to match your style, but you can always upgrade to their paid site for even more options and features). Then you're going to choose which images from your computer you want in the slideshow. Next it's going to ask you to choose some background music for your slideshow. Lots of different genres and options here as well. The only catch is your slideshow needs to be as long as your song; if it isn't then some of your pictures may not show up in the final product. (Read further to find out how you can work your way around this.) Now you can preview your slideshow, have it emailed to yourself, and also share on Facebook, Twitter, etc.

A fun twist to any slideshow (made in PowerPoint or Animoto) is to make slides featuring trivia about you and your groom. If you have a picture of the two of you on a date eating ice cream tell the guests your favorite flavors on the next slide. If he's afraid of roller coasters, let us know! Your guests will enjoy learning new things about you guys. (You can save the trivia slides as pictures and upload them to Animoto as such.)

Back to looping those songs...this may take some Googling and calling your tech-savvy friends, but if you have a Mac you can use Garage Band to merge two songs together or to make the same song play twice.

Don't make this too hard so it becomes you spend hours stressing over! If you have a friend who is really good with computers and technology ask if they wouldn't mind helping out in this area. Don't be afraid to delegate!