Travelin Joe Espresso Catering

At another wedding the big hit of the evening was an espresso catering cart that made the best mocha cappuccinos I had ever tasted. Guests thought the carmel lattes were amazing as well. I remember everyone dancing so much more than the usual wedding and then I realized that the quantity of caffeine that was being consumed was quite different than most weddings. I loved that they made yummy hot chocolates for the kiddos. We added a silver tray filled with Nona’s Biscotti and chocolate dipped strawberries to complete this special after dinner treat.

I have been a fan of slush machines for a long, long time. Renting a professional slush machine can allow you to make daiquiris, margaritas, bellinis, and so much more with or without alcohol. Slush machine rental companies have all the ingredients you’ll need to make a hit with your guests.

My all time favorite alcohol-free wedding was a 50’s themed wedding that had a full Soda Bar staffed with a costumed “Soda Jerk” that made amazing phosphate drinks as well as the most delicious chocolate malts and strawberry shakes.

For a fall wedding what could be better than serving hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks? For a Winter Wonderland wedding serve hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows (so much better than the store-bought!) And for a spring or summer wedding, large glass containers of lemonade, sun tea and citrus infused water is simply perfect.

For some yummy recipes check out:

Zero-proof Cocktails by Liz Scott

The Ultimate Liquor-Free Drink Guide by Sharon Tyler Herbst

The Mocktail Bar Guide by Frank Thomas and Karen Lancaster Brown

8 Great Non-alcoholic Cocktails by Sandy Kendall

What non-alcoholic drinks have added a special touch to your celebrations? Please share your recipes and pictures!

Walk into most any department in Wal-Mart and you can find something that may be useful for a bride and groom and generally speaking, you aren’t going to find it cheaper anywhere else. In their jewelry department you will find a few inexpensive engagement rings and wedding bands and a generous selection of accessories and gifts for an entire bridal party. Cubic Zirconia tennis bracelets, simple anklets, heart shaped and “Journey” necklaces with earrings to match, will accessorize bridesmaids well without emptying anyone’s piggy bank.

In the party section you will find several rows of typical wedding supplies for much lower prices than most specialty stores. A good assortment of Favor boxes at 50 for $12 can easily be filled with a sweet treat found in their candy department. Want the kiddies-at-heart to have bubbles? 100 Ring Bubble Wand Favors are only $15. For the computer savvy they have invitation kits at unbelievable prices and for the home bakers they have most anything you would need to make your own wedding cake or cupcake tower.

If you venture into departments not often thought of as wedding related, you will locate some great “finds” for a celebration. Do some price comparison and you may find that it is actually cheaper to buy whole sets of dinnerware than to rent them from a typical party rental company. On a recent visit to a Wal-Mart store, I found glass dinner plates for $1.50 each. The nice thing about purchasing instead of renting is you will have a large collection for all your future celebrations.

Decorating weddings with $5 vases, filling them with homegrown flowers and surrounding the vases with $1 votive candles can make for simple and inexpensive centerpieces. Purchasing a gazebo or an arbor in their garden department will allow you to reuse it in your own backyard after it has been the centerpiece of your ceremony. You can also get multi-use out of other special décor like lanterns, firepits or outdoor furniture that help create a very chic and contemporary styled wedding.

Right now, when the Christmas department is just being set up, it’s a great time to look at white lights to swag on your head and cake tables (underneath tulle or iridescent material). Or purchase Christmas ornaments and pile them in a crystal bowl for an easy centerpiece anytime of the year.

Don’t forget the personal health and hygiene departments to make “Wedding Day Emergency Kits.” Band-Aids, Tums, Aspirins, mouthwash, hairspray, deodorant, nail repair kits, Kleenex and smelling salts are just a few of the items key to a good emergency kit. Add energy bars, nuts and bottled water from the grocery section and stain removers from the laundry supplies and your kit will begin to look like a pro made it.

If your schedule is crazy and feet are sore, do some of your shopping on-line at www.walmart.com. By creatively thinking outside the box – you can come up with a Wal-Mart Wedding that won’t break the bank but can still be a very special celebration with all the trimmings!

Image by Emin Kuliyev, Emin Photography - www.em34.com

This is one time that it’s usually not hard to get the groom interested in the planning process. Most couples say planning their Honeymoon is one of the more enjoyable parts of their wedding planning and reminds them about Romance — something that is amazingly easy to forget when you are trying to figure out how you are going to handle the “Step-Mother from Hell” and the three Vegans attending your prime rib reception.

I am clearly not a travel expert but I do have a few thoughts about Honeymoons and honeymoon planning.

1) Do take one. For the rest of your life people will ask you where you went for your Honeymoon. It’s nice to have a great answer for this question. Now if the budget or time constraints don’t allow for a 6 week European Tour, spend one night at the most decadent hotel in your city, or ask a close friend with a nice home to “switch” with you for the weekend.

When Cindi and Bill got married, money was very VERY tight. So Cindi’s best friend, Nancy, gave them her beautiful home for their Honeymoon Weekend. Nancy filled her house with candles and a rose petal path leading to a sunken tub (that overlooked the Pacific Ocean) with a picnic basket filled with “romance food” and a fabulous bottle of Champagne. Nancy then spent the weekend at Cindi and Bill’s apartment and took care of their cat while Cindi and Bill had a relaxing and stress-free Honeymoon that eleven years later –still makes them smile.

2) Do your Homework. This could likely be the most expensive and memorable vacation you’ll ever take, so use all the resources that are available to you to plan this wonderful holiday. Search the internet, talk to many travel agents who specialize in the area that you are interested in, and ask your friends, relatives and business associates for their travel experiences. Don’t EVER EVER EVER rely on one resource, you’ll miss grand opportunities of information that way. And do learn “the rules” of traveling at your chosen destination. Do you need a passport?, a marriage certificate to verify your new name?, vaccinations?, do you know enough language to say “help!” in the country you will be honeymooning in? Do you know the currency exchange?, etc., etc. Please, oh please, do your homework!

3) Don’t travel far on the same day as your wedding. Way too many brides and grooms think it’s romantic being on an airplane on their wedding night. Believe me when I say, it’s not! A nice comfortable bed after one of the most intense days of your life will win over that “Mile High” fantasy EVERY TIME!!! My husband told me that my head didn’t hit my pillow before I started snoring on our wedding night. So let your fantasies stay in your dreams and get a good night sleep. There’s always the next morning to make dreams come true.

You may want to stay in town for the first few days of wedded bliss. Often you have out of town guests that have traveled thousands of miles to celebrate your marriage. If you whisk away to Jamaica on your wedding night, you lose the opportunity to visit with these treasured friends. My very favorite part of my son’s wedding celebration was the day after when Russell and Alix and all their close friends and relatives had brunch together. Most of us only got to have a few minutes with the newly married couple on their wedding day. The brunch gave Russell and Alix time with those that made the biggest effort to share in their celebration. We also got to “re-hash” every last detail of the wedding, which was for me almost as fun as the wedding itself! Actually, we all had so much fun at the day-after events, that it lasted for two more days. How often do you get everyone you love together in one place? Take advantage of this and soak in all this love and support. Honeymoons are just as much fun 2 days or 2 weeks after your wedding day.

4) Give your mate Honeymoon surprises. Present your new mate with: love notes packed in their suitcase or left on their pillow along with a rose or a chocolate kiss; Honeymoon “Coupons” offering breakfast in bed, a massage, or other creative “services” that only you know how much they’ll love; and a letter that tells them in your own words what your marriage hopes and dreams are.

Continue with #4 throughout your marriage and your Honeymoon just may last a lifetime.

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EBs: Now it’s your turn to share your Heavenly Honeymoon Memories or your Honeymoon Horror Stories. Your experience and advice could be very valuable to future newlyweds!