Catering Services For Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian, BBQ, Ethnic and Elegant Menus

Questions regarding catering services haunt the most adept in planning a wedding reception, special occasion or business event.  From casual buffets, to dining with elegant china, silver and crystal, there seems to be a multitude of decisions. Budget has a great deal to do with it and there are some important things to know about catering services.

Photos by DUphotography.com

1. Important to select a catering service that specializes in your preferred menu
2. Not every caterer understands gluten free, vegan but most understand vegetarian. When a buffet is served, it is very helpful to the guest to have dishes marked for vegan, sugar free or gluten free. Plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit works well.
3. The buffet is often more expensive than a plated and served dinner
4. Hors d oeuvres are almost as expensive as a full course meal
5. Beautiful presentation is extremely important to the taste of food. Colors, plating and a well decorated buffet table along with linens make it memorable.
6. Themes are great fun and food and presentation can carry out a theme very well.
7. Insist upon plates being cleared before the toasting or speeches begin.
8. Your head count is vital the last two weeks prior to the event so they may order the food. Last minute changes can cost you a bundle and left over food even more. You also need to designate where the leftovers should go.
9. Full service catering company can assist with reception coordination, serving staff, party rentals, linens, trained bartender services and often can get your alcohol at a discount. They often have contacts for lighting, audio and event design and many professional vendors are recommended.
10. A general catering service does not offer the extras, just the food prepared in your kitchen and a staff to serve it and clean up.
11. Food stations are fun, but expect more spills and additional staffing to assist with the serving. We often see a cocktail or margarita bar and dessert or candy stations, and must admit my favorite is the ice cream sundae station.
12. Kosher foods have strict kitchen rules and your search is for a kosher kitchen.
13. Review your contracts for time, food menu, what the caterer will provide and for what price – before you sign them. 50% down is requested at the time of booking.

Understand catering and staff tips range from 15% to 20% on fee before the taxes. You will find hundreds of qualified, licensed and insured caterers on WeddingLinks.com in the areas where you are completing your plans.

#weddingcaterers,  #koshercaterers,  #sonomacaterers,  #vegancaterers

Napa Wedding Venues & Wine Country Honeymoon Hotels

Named one of the top ten "most romantic regions" in the USA and the third most popular destination wedding area, the picturesque Napa wine country combines with Sonoma wine country to host world class, award-winning wineries, great towns to explore and wedding venues that take your breath away.

photo by DUphotography.com

There are hundreds of Napa wineries with beautiful tasting rooms and terraces for your wine tasting pleasure. You will find a variety of limousine wine tours with well informed drivers that are willing to help you discover the five major Napa regions and wines from many appellations, thousand-foot hillsides and endless vineyard views. Out of the hundres of wineries, wedding venues are a bit more difficult to find. The Napa or Sonoma wineries will happily do most business, fund raising and social events, but out of the hundreds of wineries... few will do weddings.

Napa is an hours drive North of San Francisco. You will enjoy visiting the historic vintners, Calistoga's quaint warm spring spas and the amazing shopping of St. Helena and Market V in Yountville. We are always inspired by the French Laundry's idea of dining elegantly and love the new Riverwalk Area of Napa City.  All this combines with the natural beauty seen as you move through the vineyards on the Napa Wine Train.

Sonoma is vast wine growning region and the origin of grape growing was the Buena Vista Winery. This part of the Carneros Valley has some of the finest vintners in the world. They include Gloria Ferrer Champagne Caves, Sebastiani and the new Jazzui winerys to mention a few. The Valley of The Moon enjoys Jack London State Park and his love for this moonstruck valley, now a famous wine growing and romantic honeymoon area.

The wine regions continue through Santa Rosa and west to the Russian River with famous Korbel and North to beautiful Healdsburg's Dry Creek Valley and Alexander Valley filled with major wineries and boutique style wineries. The views are awesome in these areas. After living here for forty years, the views still inspire this writer as I travel the roads. Summer greens move toward autumn golds and rusts with winters's promise of new mustard growth and the thrust of green leaves giving way to wild flowers sown in the endless rows of grapes.

Photo by WineCountryPhotoArt.com

The new e-book Bob and I wrote is a big help to those choosing to find vineyard view wedding sites and great wedding services. The "Romantic Destinations ~ Napa & Sonoma Wine Country" helps you easily discover the favorites. The photo enhanced book is available on Guide Gecko and Amazon by September 2012. It offers selected vendors and romantic honeymoon hotels, b&bs, vacation rentals, fine dining and fun things to do while visiting the wine country. Links are found on the global portal WeddingLinks.com where you find local and destination wedding and honeymoon resources.

It is easy to plan a destination wedding or elope to Sonoma Wine Country. California laws give you a license to be married the same day you arrive Monday-Friday by 12 noon. You will find romantic lodging, peaceful settings, glorious redwood trees, fun things to experience and a warm welcome to Northern California. Enjoy!

Honeymoon In The South Pacific

Tips on Honeymooning In The California Wine Country, Caribbean Islands or Belize Shores and The Tahiti & Pacific Islands.

                 

                                  Overwater bungalows or villas       View across the lagoon on Bora Bora

Wine Country honeymoons, romantic travel to Caribbean resorts and hotels, Tahiti overwater bungalows and the Belize reefs all share common concerns for their visitors. They all had some unique travel and safety tips for those desiring a "romantic honeymoon or getaway" while visiting their regions.  

If you have additional comments regarding this subject, please post it.

#1.  Understand they are located close to the equator and the sun will burn the skin easily.  Sun blocks do not stop sun burn, just screen the bad rays out.  One coordinator stated they have couples arrive one or two days in advance of their wedding ceremony and end up being so sun burned they do not want to wear the garments they brought for the wedding.

#2.  Side trips with unauthorized services without proper insurance and permits can turn into a problem for any visitor. Check with the hotel concierige or the visitors bureau before booking. Viator and Fare Buzz and Discovery on WeddingLinks.co  & HoneymoonLinks.co -  also offer well established tours and ticket services.

                                      We loved the colorful wedding on Moorea Island

#3.  Don't go alone. Especially night clubbing in strange cities. Make note o your taxi drivers phone number and car number.

#4.  Changing food habits and water habits can lead to digestive concerns. Many Caribbean resorts are all-inclusive or  have meal plans.  This can save you some money and food is expensive in Tahiti.

#5. Carry sun blocks, antibiotic ointments and band aids. Shoes can rub blisters when walking on strange turf.  Many hotels and honeymoon resorts carry some supplies and know the way to the emergency rooms in their area.

#6. When wine tasting in the various wine regions, understand 3 pours of wine have alcohol equal to a bottle of beer or a mixed drink. Best to have a dry driver. (one who does not drink)

Join Judith Rivers-Moore as a friend on Facebook.  She has recently written an e-book called "Romantic Destinations ~ Napa & Sonoma Wine Country". A fun read with vineyard view wedding locations, services and 8 days of gold medal wine tours, restaurants and wine country hotels.  The "Romantic Destinations for Hawaii, Tahiti and Fiji" will be out by December. Thousands of venues and services on WeddingLinks.com.

#weddingideas, #honeymoonlinks, #southpacifichoneymoon, #hawaiihoneymoon   

Northern California Cities Offer Popular Wedding Venues

Chico, California is a North Valley, California University community with a variety of beautiful wedding venues in Butte County cities. From the wooded forest areas of Paradise, you will enjoy open meadows, golf and community centers plus park areas for your wedding ceremony and wedding reception venues.

The Oroville Dam region offers vistas of the Oroville Lake from golf courses and community parks for your wedding celebrations and events. The Sacramento River flows nearby and wanders through lovely groves of walnuts, almonds and riverbank settings. The Bidwell Park and mansion are favorite wedding sites and the park is a noted sports center with the brewery offers an excellent wedding reception location.




There are a variety of excellent catering services and bridal shops in Chico to review and wedding dresses and designer bridal gowns. The jewelers in each of the Butte County cities offer beautiful engagement and wedding rings.

We found the historic hotel in downtown Chico provides a ballroom and several banquet rooms, elegant catering services to complete a destination wedding with well appointed rooms. The B&Bs in the areas and ranches serve the local brides and grooms with spectacular settings with views of rolling hills, forested properties and ragged buttes where lupines wildflowers grow in early spring.

The history is gold country with one of the largest nuggets found in Paradise and the nearby ghost town of Cherokee was so famous a president of the United States visited because of its importance.

Destination Wedding, Elopements & Honeymoon Planning

If it is in your plan to create a romantic destination wedding for just the two of you or a larger group meeting in one spot from all over the world, we have some special tips to assist you in creating your dream wedding. Be concerned with:

§         The legal marriage license factor when traveling to any city/country to be married.

§         You are encouraged to have a wedding planner at the destination or use a hotel with services provided.  It is too frantic arriving and not having qualified services and difficult to interview from afar.

§         Expectations in remote regions must be lowered and then be delighted when the venue and services surpass your dreams. 

§         Go where safety is highest and there are less threats for health and safety.

§         Give your group 12 months to 16 months to save up for the trip and make personal arrangements with time off from jobs.

§         Understand food is often more expensive in other countries. There are so many favorite destinations worldwide and we offer you several in the USA. You will find many exciting wedding and honeymoon venues in these areas on Weddinglinks.com.

1. Sonoma & Napa wine country weddings are the third most popular in the USA
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3. Hawaii, with Honolulu for honeymoons and Maui for weddings is tops.
4. Las Vegas wedding plans are popular for elopements and destination groups.
5. Galena, Illinois along the Ohio River is a very historic setting for weddings.
6. Disney World and Disneyland continue to be favorites for the princess brides.
7. San Diego beach weddings and resorts draw thousands to romance every year.
8. The Florida coastal cities of Miami, the Key West, Ft. Lauderdale and Palm Beach along with a 
9. Virginia Beach is fast becoming a top east coast wedding scene.
10. New Englander’s love Newport, Rohde Island and the New York City skyline.
11. San Antonio in Texas is the lover’s Venice of the southwest with its canal.
12. Those seeking a spiritual center love Shasta, Ca,  Santa Fe, NM and Sedona, Arizona and the great Smokey Mountains  in Gattlinburg.

Our suggestions for other countries consist of:

1. Tahiti or Fiji, they recently changed requirements on marriage and they are extraordinarily beautiful.
2. Cancun and Cabo, Mexico cater to romance in a big way with amazing resorts.
3. The Caribbean Islands have long drawn romance in the white sands of their shores. The leisure activities range from nightclubs to scuba diving.
4. Banff and Jasper in Alberta, Canada appear to be drawing the movie stars.
5. Belize and the resorts along the reefs on the eastern side welcome the adventurer.
6. Italy, whether Rome or Venice, Tuscany and Florence and the waters of Messina and Sardenia enhance any wedding celebration or honeymoon.
7. Paris continues its romantic call to couples and for the inquisitive or art lovers, you will immerse in unique restaurants and artist streets and the Louve’.
8. Hong Kong’s bustle, Dubai sky scraper hotels and the Indonesia islands are great choices for unique honeymoons. 
9. Many Australians and Zelander’s choose Tasmania and the South Pacific Islands.  
10. However you choose... enjoy looking up links on WeddingLinks.com

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Seven Economical Tips on Adding Glamour To Your Wedding Celebration

Photo by, DUphotography.com So often brides believe adding a touch of glamour to their wedding will increase their expenses.  There are many small touches and big ideas that present a high quality look to your wedding day without being a drag on your budget. If you have additional ideas, please share them here. 1.  Linens at the reception instead of paper table cloths and plastic.  . Party Rental companies offer floor length table cloths for a dollar or two more than the shorter cloths. This one decision can change an entire room.  You will find many church reception closets are open for brides to use when they are utilizing their site.  These are filled with nice linens, silver, punch bowls and  elegant serving pieces 2.  The ceiling of a large auditorium style room can be lowered to 8 or 9 feet with the use of a hulu hoop and long swags of parachuttee silk or cheap lightweight fabric (of white or theme color) swagged to the corners and sides of the room from the attachment to the strong hulu hoop that is attached to the ceiling.  This one feature brings romance and elegance into the room. 3. Large rooms with small weddings parties can be made glamorous by sectioning the room off with the entry as a separate greeting or cocktail or punch area.  Soft music, hor d eurves, greetings from parents or even a reception line can be introduced into this spot. The guest arrive there and later move into the room. Furniture and tall tables can be added from furniture rentals. Ways to section this off are with tall plants or trees from a nursery (rented). Screens and fabric curtains. Some locations have built in screens to divide their rooms.  You can place blown up photos of the couple on the screens/dividers and family history.  Run a video show of the couple's photos.  Adding a  photo booth for the guests to pop in and out of gives them a special welcome and a fun wedding favor.  You get the photos of who attended and they gain a strip of the same photos.  Some companies offer these with your names and wedding date on the final photo. 4.  Outdoor weddings.  If there are traffic sounds, rent a portable fountain as a sound inhibitor. A breeze or windy areas will create concerns, so bring a box of heavy/clean stones. These can decorated with the couple's name & wedding date to hold things down. You need five or six to a table. While rocks are not so glamorous, it is better than things blowing across the grass. Photo by DUphotography.com 5. The cake/dessert  table should be specially dressed if it is a focal point in the room.  This looks best with a full length skirted linen that corresponds with the cake decor, and set in front of a pretty backdrop.  By adding an elegant base to the cake, you increase the eye appeal.  Adding dry ice to a larger bowl or silver bowl the punch bowl sits in... adds glamour. 7.  We encourage those who choose to have favors at a wedding, do so with something that rings true to the theme or their personalities.  This way you do not feel you are wasting money.  We see couples give seeds, trees, plants that go home regarding the environment.  We see traditional (Jordan Almonds) for those following their ethnic trends. There are so many great favors on the market today.

Romantic Santa Barbara Weddings & Honeymoons

Santa Barbara, along the South Coast of California is a favorite wedding and honeymoon destination. The favorite regions include the Santa Ynez wine country for your wedding and honeymoon or a glamorous Santa Barbara beach wedding with state park or hotel venues at one of the honeymoon resort hotels. You will find it a relaxing smaller art-oriented community where the Hollywood stars come to hang out and enjoy romantic getaways.  The famous Ronal Regan Ranch sits above in the hillsides not far from a beautiful inland lake and pine-forested reservoir. The wines are world class and relish in the early morning fog that occasionally stays along the Pacific coast. 

Couples hosting a beautiful yacht wedding find the Santa Barbara Bay area a delight with sail boats dotting the harbor and romantic restaurants dotting the coast with excellent dining from note worthy chefs.  There are beach hotels and popular ocean side conference resorts with enjoyable shopping in most of the cities.  Montecito shopping can be pricey, yet we find around the university in Goleta just north of Santa Barbara a variety of price ranges for the students and creative clothing ideas. The county is varied and beautiful with the enjoyable Santa Maria being the larget city.  We found it has great wedding reception services and shopping for a wedding dress is made easy.  This area offers a more agricultural and space program oriented population with Vandenberg nearby. 

Photo by, Hughes-Photography.com

You will find a variety of lovely hotels and wedding venues in the Santa Barbara area on WeddingLinks.com.  Along with wedding reception services and fine dining, wineries and tourism for the region.

The bakeries in nearby Solvang are world-renowned with some of the most creative breads exciting wedding cakes and awesome pastry known to vacationing couples.  The Scandanevian atmosphere is a fun backdrop for honeymooners and intimate weddings.  The little town of Buellton is known for their split pea soup and offer several restaurants in the region.  People come for thousands of miles for a tasty bowl.

This is a popular Los Angeles getaway region. It is a refreshing drive from LA along the Pacific Coast to Carpinteria for camping areas and nice hotels. Known for their beautiful historic Santa Barbara Mission, the city enjoys great restaurants along with popular catering services and knowledgeable wedding reception services. We found the region is a popular conference area with many unique event sites in California. Make your reservations early, the coastal cities fill up fast. Honeymoon in California is memorable in Santa Barbara.