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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1987-02-25, Page 34Page 34 Showcase '87 ¢,s3 3aY'a^Sra� r r # y>r.<;: i. .. . . ,;: >I 3v.,.+ ..: ..f. 'Sffhi��Y t�.:���Nn•Y ���he,•1" � Y. � Rr. y. fi4 ... ? !L:R 4 1•'S„`•2Y.4: ' .6AvF '#4io.;ear . , ose By Mary Malone Freelance writer If you think that Christmas is an occa- Sion cluttered with expensive social -ex- pectations, just wait until you try to organize a wedding. As soon as the word is out that you're planning to get married you will find yourself deluged with unsolicited sugges- tions about "how to do it right." Even if you are planning a small affair, you'll notice that all the little touches recom- mended to get your wedding up to com- munity standards have a way of adding up to more than you expected to spend. It takes both planning and perseverance to prevent "Here Comes - The Bride"•from turning into"Here Come The Bills." Here then, based on 20/20 hindsight, is a guide to organizing a pleasant but affordable wedding for 25 guests or less. The first thing to determine is just how small your wedding is going to be. You must come up with a definite guest list. Who gets priority — relatives or friends, and more specifically, the friends of the couple or of their parents? • Paring down the guest list is the hard " part, so it's best to.get it done quickly. Some people are bound to Misunderstand. and take offence at being left out. Look on it as an unusual opportunity to find out .. who your real friends are. Because plans tend to expand to fill the time available to change them, it is recommended that you minimize, -the period between•the announcement of your engagement and the date of .the • ut dertig ft ceremony. One month is time enough. You will find that gives friends and relatives ample opportunity tooffer a .surpr-ising-stream of suggestions for little extras you hadn't considered. These suggestions are usually based on what other people couldn't afford to do at their own weddings, so listen respectful- ly, nod thoughtfully, and then go ahead and do as you planned in the first place. When people notice later that you didn't act on their ideas, they will assume graciously that in all the excitement, you simply forgot. Since even sna11 weddings are likely to involve the same basic elements of 'food, flowers, pictures, music and clothes, here's an indication of what's available in London. A word of caution: before you begin making inquiries with local retailers, you should learn the lingp. Do not offend- the sensibilities of people in the wedding business by talking about "being on a budget" or "keeping costs down.' You must not profane The Holy State with ad- jectives like "small" or (heaven forbid) "cheap." The code words are "personal" and "intimate:" These terms are accep- table and everyone knows what they. mean. If you re planning a reception in your own or someone else's home, you can choose from a wide range of catering ser- vices. Costs per guest can range from $4 to $6 for hors d'oeuvres, through $8 to $15 for a buffet meal (the most popular choice for at-home receptions), on up to $10 to $30 for sit-down dinner with full >:_��lii,'kL���!L�t.£�Sg4�'.Y:F.�IAx.a.fn'.+Gi�:�.'✓�i .+af%�Yr.>�,4.M.'T� (.'. u v S ��Yi k;aK F�r,s,{{CC,iX .r �yy�+n 1 B ' ` ,.. ',,,O* ran v AkV4 �f,', +;, Y. .s< ..... �• . , .5;...... for 0 n {f �7tti m i, service. The price depends on the menu (smoked salmon costs more than spiced meat balls), and naturally does notin- clude liquor. Wally orthe rnajoi-caterers-will-not_-- -handle orders for fewer than 50 people, but listed in the Yellow Pages are lots of other services which specialize in -smaller parties. Another alternative is to hire so- meone wtio caters out of his own home on a part-time basis. These people don't advertise, for tax reasons, so you'll have to find them through personal recommen- dations.,Their costs are usually on a par with the professional caterers (at least $150 for 20 people), and they may not be able to supply all the matching glasses, cutlery and tableware you'll want, which will mean that you'll have to spend more time and money renting these yourself (add another $45). If you want a more formal setting, most of the better restaurants in town will be pleased to arrange a fixed-price meal in the same range as a caterer of- fers, or allow your guests to order "a la carte," according to your 'instructions. The advantage of holding the reception at a restaurant is that it gets around the thorny problem of who will clean up • afterwards. On the other hand, you'll run up a much higher liquor bill. With at -home -receptions, you can get away with a few bottles of champagne and ample bowls of wine punch i allocate • $300 for 20 guests). Wedding cakes to serve 25 people can be ordered from $11 to $70; we enjoyed a superb chocolate wedding cake from Say • t Cheese tor $35. Most average sized wedding budgets now include from $450 to $600 for flowers. You may only want a couple of bouquets, iie esansl, , centrepiece,_but aft __ being confronted with a two-page list of special arrangements of everything from grandmothers' corsages to pew markers for the church, don't expect to get away for much less than $100. Expect to spend at least $50 per musi- cian to perform during the ceremony or at the reception. Recorded music on cassette tapes is the cheapest alternative, but somebody will have to be appointed to reload the tape player when the tape runs out every 45 minutes. Reel-to-reel tapes require less attention, and play up to 90 minutes per side. Photography can be a major expense at big-productionweddings. Most people now spend between $550 and $800 on the standard professional package —.four- location coverage and a choice of satin or velvet albums for the couple and both sets of parents. If you're going to ask the family shut- terbug to "shoot" your wedding, provide him or her with at least two rolls of pre- paid film, ($28) and see that the designated photographer's creative im- .. pulses are not impeded by other respon sibilities such as minding his own or, anyone else's small children. Include the • possibility of long term photographic ex- penses in your budget. You will probably end up providing,copies.of choice wed- ding snaps to friends and relatives, Turn to page 35 THE RIGHT TOUCH Fresh or Salk Flower Bouquets to Harmonize Your Colors ® Custom Made Beaded and Floral Headpieces • Church Flowers Arrangements, Candelabra, Wicker and Standard Arrangements and Pew Ties We• Deliver Evening and Weekend Appointments' Available Prices ;to 'Fit Any B.odget` lower JiL°'!by Jean Free Delivery. 28 M▪ AIN ST. S. SEAFORTH in Seaforth --- —p H • from pa especially the cerei And fin The Dres I ,rurripn on their g some mo and seco hazards. Few re women's typical w fragile to and alter plies to s After had her h tically 01 delightful Divine D clothing expert m mother, t fettle. 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