After figuring out logistics like chair rentals and linens, the big question is, what about the food? Since the last thing a harried bride and groom want to be doing is poaching salmon on the eve of their nuptials, it makes sense to bring in a professional to coordinate the menu, or at least enlist the help of creative and willing friends to make the feast happen.
"Whether you're getting married in a hotel ballroom or your back yard, decide on what your focus is," advised Mark Kingsdorf, owner of Philly's Queen of Hearts Wedding Consultants. "If a 'great party' is the focus, your needs will be different than if 'amazing food and wine' is the focus. And fewer courses means more time to party."
For Heather and Chuck Frishmuth, planning their own outdoor wedding at their home in Charlestown, Chester County, was a must. The pair had eloped when they were 19 and never had a reception. For their 10th anniversary last July Fourth, they threw a backyard bash for 100 people.
"We pretty much did everything on our own - except for the food," said Heather Frishmuth. For that, the pair consulted caterer Merrill Simon-Johnston, owner of West Chester's Delightful Desserts & Culinary Creations, who just happened to live in the neighborhood.
While Frishmuth enlisted friends to arrange flowers, stitch exotic tablecloths, move furniture outside to create a sultry lounge vibe and even make the wedding cake, she looked to Simon-Johnston to coordinate the food.
"We didn't want the party to kill our bank," said Heather Frishmuth, a sales rep for fair trade chocolate company Theo Chocolate. A sloping yard made a sit-down dinner a challenge, so they opted for high cocktail tables and a dessert-only reception.
