Tag: 1918 Cellars events

What to Include in Your Invitations

Written by Karrie Mueller on September 15, 2021. Posted in Blog, Wedding Tips & Trends. No Comments on What to Include in Your Invitations

Let’s talk about invitations. There are so many reasons to get excited about them. You get to pick out some custom stationery, share a favorite photo from your engagement shoot, and ultimately, it means you’re wedding is approaching. And SOON.

Before we get into invitations, let’s talk about save the dates. Save the dates are important specifically just for that reason: saving the date. When guests receive a save the date, it gets your wedding on their radar and lets them know to keep an eye out for the invite. A Facebook post announcing your engagement doesn’t cut it; your guests need to know when you’re tying the knot so that they can block off any necessary time for work or travel.

Save the dates should be sent out about six months before your wedding. If you’re envisioning a Northern Michigan wedding as a destination wedding, consider sending save the dates as early as eight to ten months out. That allows your guests plenty of notice and gives them time to make plans surrounding the big day. It’s also helpful to include the city you’re getting married in, so that guests can prepare themselves, however, they need, on travel or if they need to take time off for work. Include accommodation information on your save the dates. Many hotels release room blockings90 days out, so by the time invites go out, those room blockings may not be held anymore. You could even list your wedding website on there so that guests can check in on any updates on the big day.

When it comes to invitations, this is where the details really come into play. Invitations are to be sent out about six to eight weeks out from the wedding, hopefully with RSVP turnaround within the next four weeks. Rather than just giving a city and a date, there are a number of things to include.

Accommodations

It’s important to layout accommodation options for the area you’re getting married in. A lot of the time, you’re going to have guests traveling from out of the area who are going to need a place to stay. List where you’ve blocked rooms, local hotels, or bed and breakfasts. Check out accommodation options we offer in the Charlevoix area here and note that blockings are usually offered in neighboring cities like Petoskey or Traverse City.

Schedule

Outside of listing the time of your wedding alone, it may be beneficial to lay out how the weekend will go. This applies to those couples who plan on having welcome drinks or a post-wedding brunch. Think of it as mini-invitations to each event of the weekend.

You’ll also want to include the location of your wedding, something along the lines of:

Ceremony at 3:00 in the Queen’s Courtyard at Castle Farms

Cocktail Hour and Reception to Follow

How to RSVP

Whatever the plans are for your wedding, always be sure to include an RSVP option. Be specific about how you’d like guests to RSVP, either by mail or online, and give a clear deadline. RSVPs are essential to the final details of your day. For fun, creative ways to have your guests RSVP, click here.

Website

Regardless of what you include in your invitation, you should have all your wedding week(end) details compiled on your website. You can create a tab for a schedule of events, an RSVP option, your registry, a dress code, accommodations, and even your personal back-story of how you met. Your website is completely customizable to what you want it to be, as long as it includes those key points to your wedding.

Have fun with your stationery and website! Consider cute matching color schemes and creative ways to share your engagement photos with the world.

Wedding Etiquette You May Not Know

Written by Karrie Mueller on August 18, 2021. Posted in Blog, Wedding Tips & Trends. No Comments on Wedding Etiquette You May Not Know

There’s a lot that goes into a wedding. (Understatement of the century, we know.) With that said, there are a few things that may not have crossed your mind when planning your big day.

Determining Your Stylist’s Selection

When it comes to getting your hair and makeup done, make sure you confirm your stylist’s selection at your hair and makeup trials, or at least before your wedding day. Make sure your chosen stylist or salon is fully equipped with what they need to bring your vision to life. If you’re looking to add in some extensions to your hair to pull off some effortless, beachy curls, make sure your stylist knows how to work with those. If you’re hoping to pull off a natural, no-makeup-makeup look, make sure you communicate that to them. On the other hand, if you’re wanting full coverage, big lashes, and a statement lip, make sure your stylist is prepared. Some brides are very particular about how they want to look on their wedding day, as they should be. It’s their day!

Having a Vendor Table

Something we’ve repeatedly seen over the years is when couples forget to account for seating for their vendors. You may have covered their dinner, but where will they eat it? Be sure to check contracts with vendors like your photographer, DJ, or band. They may require a meal, and sometimes even a table. Along with that, they may be bringing an assistant and require two meals. Maybe they have dietary restrictions. All of that should be determined when booking and signing a contract. Our Venue Coordinators are pros when it comes to creating your sketch for your reception space, and they have no problem throwing in a vendor table for those who may need a spot to eat.

Updating Vendors on Timeline Changes

It’s always best to keep all your vendors in the loop as plans come together or change. Adding an extra hour to your reception? Providing a midnight snack? Cutting your cake right when you enter your reception? Tell your vendors. Your DJ/band, bartenders, caterers, and potentially, your décor companies, all need to know what is happening when so that they can plan accordingly. One of the easiest ways to do this is to provide each vendor with a detailed timeline for your event prior to the day of. This allows for vendors, including your Venue Coordinator, to catch any issues that may arise prior to your wedding day. Us event professionals are taught to expect the unexpected but throwing a wrench in the plan is never a good idea.

Being Transparent with Your Guests

Guests come to weddings expecting the works: ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. That part is simple. However, if you’re cocktail hour doesn’t include light appetizers, maybe include that somewhere with your invitation. Hungry guests=angry guests. Some guests may not expect an outdoor ceremony and cocktail hour and might want to apply a little SPF beforehand. After all, they are coming to celebrate you! Treat them well and make sure they’re content on your big day.

Your wedding is about the two of you have the best day of your lives. You’ve worked hard as a couple to get to that point. Ultimately, keep in mind that your vendors are working as a team to make sure you two have the wedding day of your dreams. Your guests love you and want to see you as happy as can be. If you follow this wedding etiquette, everyone and everything will run smoothly the day of your wedding!

Fun Ways to Ask for an RSVP

Written by Karrie Mueller on July 20, 2021. Posted in Blog, Wedding Tips & Trends. No Comments on Fun Ways to Ask for an RSVP

Oh, RSVPs. How tedious, yet completely necessary you are. Not only do you need them in order to confirm a guest count, but they’re helpful when developing a seating chart and potentially blocking hotel rooms.

Invitations are meant to be sent eight weeks before the wedding. When you send your invitations, be sure to give specific instructions on how to RSVP. Can it be done through your website? Does it need to be returned via mail? Will it include a choice of a meal? With that being said, be sure to include a clear deadline, and include postage for RSVPs that need to be mailed back. There’s nothing more inconvenient than late RSVPs, especially right when you thought you had your final guest count set.

Whether you’re accepting RSVPs via mail or online, here are some creative ways for your guests to respond!

Funny Multiple-Choice Responses

Let your guests have a little bit of fun when replying to your RSVP. Consider some snarky multiple-choice responses for your guests to choose from. For example:

Will be attending because…

_____ Open bar? How could I say no?

_____ Can’t miss some classic Smith family dancing.

_____ I heard Grandma will be there, and she’s a gem!

Other:

Will not be attending because…

_____ Can’t miss the Lions game!

_____ Spending some time with the not-as-fun side of the family.

_____ Love disgusts me and I’m lame!

Other:

Don’t forget to leave a blank space so that guests can leave funny or serious responses of their own!

Respond with a Piece of Fabric

If you’re looking for a unique, yet sentimental way for guests to respond to your RSVP, have them send their response with a piece of fabric. This fabric can be used to be made into a quilt to keep in your home throughout your marriage, or even a unique piece of art!

Respond with a Recipe

Much like the fabric, have guests respond with a recipe to fill a cookbook for your new life as newlyweds. Have an empty recipe card for guests to have the option to fill with their favorite recipes they like to cook with their spouse or entertain guests with.

Fill in a Song Request

This one is a classic. Make your DJ’s job easy by providing a list of song requests that are sure to get every guest on the dance floor at least once! No one likes a wedding where they can’t recognize a single song. Make sure everyone’s taste is heard at the reception and ask for a song they’d like to hear at your wedding!

Create a Mad Lib

If you’re looking for some corny responses regarding your RSVP, consider creating your own Mad Lib. Try something like this out:

I, (name) ___________, am (adjective) ___________ to (Accept/Decline) ___________ the invitation to your wedding. I’m so (adjective) ___________ for you two and can’t wait to see what the future (verb) ___________.

Have fun with it and share your favorite responses on your wedding website!

These fun, creative ways to get your guests to RSVP may lead them to be more inclined to respond on time. They can have fun with their response, while you enjoy whatever kinds of responses you receive and get your final headcounts to your vendors on time!

Getting Your Guests To and From the Castle

Written by Karrie Mueller on May 27, 2021. Posted in Blog, Wedding Tips & Trends. No Comments on Getting Your Guests To and From the Castle

Getting your guests from point A to point B…not always the first thing you think about when wedding planning. However, when the wedding day comes and your wedding party, or worse, you, are being bombarded with messages on what entrance to come in, where to park, how they’re going to get home, you’ll be glad you did!

There are countless benefits to offering transportation for your guests. Ultimately, it’ll offer them a sigh of relief, knowing that they can come to a huge wedding venue, like the Castle, and not have to worry about finding your ceremony space or even what gate to come in.

Transportation comes in many shapes and sizes. Most often, for guests, we see shuttles in the form of buses or charters. Mackinac Shuttle has proven to be clean, safe, and reliable. Trolleys are also a fun way to get your guests to and from the Castle. Northern Michigan Trolley is one that is known to be timely, unique, and familiar with the Castle grounds.

If you’re looking to start the party before the ceremony or keep it going at the end of the night, you may be in the market for a party bus from Midnight Madness Bus, or even consider splurging on a limo for the wedding party.

No matter what form of transportation you choose, doing so will always assure your guests that they will have a safe way to get back to the designated hotel at the end of the night. In the case that you don’t want to provide transportation for your guests, Castle Farms does allow for guests to leave their cars on-site overnight. Check with your assigned Venue Coordinator to find out the timeframe for next-day pickup once you approach your day and our business hours are set. When a guest is heading back for that third cocktail, they can do so with no worry of how they’re going to get behind the wheel at the end of the night.

Having a Dress Code for Your Wedding Guests

Written by Karrie Mueller on March 3, 2021. Posted in Blog, Wedding Tips & Trends. No Comments on Having a Dress Code for Your Wedding Guests

If you’re envisioning aesthetically pleasing guest photos, something to bring your guests together, or just a fun detail to make your big day unique, think about going with a dress code. Dress codes can be a fun way to unify your guests. Depending on how strict you are, you can picture your guests as additional décor to tie in with your wedding theme. We’ve compiled a few fun ideas and tips for you to consider when it comes to dress code.

Letting Your Guests Know

Parties have themed attire all the time, so remind your guests that this is an opportunity to have fun and contribute to the overall vision of the big day. Lay it all out on your wedding website or in a separate note with your invitations along with accommodations and other details, giving them plenty of notice to plan their outfits.

We want you to help bring our wedding vision to life! Please join our wedding party in wearing blue the day of the wedding.

We’ve waited five years for this day, and we want to make a statement! Please wear white.

Our day will be perfect, and we want you to look the part! Please wear black tie attire.

Black Tie v. Cocktail Attire

You may know how you want your guests to dress, but how do you label it? Cocktail attire is typical wedding attire. Men usually wear suits, or even khakis with a sport coat. Anything that’s not just a polo or button down with jeans. For women, expect semi-formal dresses or jumpsuits. If you really want your guests to up the ante, black tie may be the dress code for you. For men, expect to see dark suits and tuxedos. For women, black tie events typically warrant floor-length, formal gowns. Guest attire really sets the tone for the evening and distinguishing between black tie and cocktail attire may help to do so.

Selecting Your Wedding Colors

Developing your color palette is usually one of the first things you do while wedding planning. It sets the scene for décor, style, and yes, dress code! If you’re having trouble with this step, start with the time of year you’re getting married. If it’s in the middle of winter, you’re probably going to want to steer clear of bright yellows or aquas. On the other hand, if you’re having a summer wedding, maybe don’t lean into the deep burgundies or purples. Use flowers for inspiration too. Your florist will know what kind of floral design will look best for a certain time of year, and it will be much easier to pick a dress that complements a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Timeless Color Palettes

Black is a great go-to option if you want your guests looking uniform. Plus, you can bet that a majority of your guests already have something that they can wear. In all-black attire, your guests will look sharp, while wearing a universally flattering shade.

If you’re thinking spring, picture how fun it would be to have a room full of people in bright, happy attire that resembles the season. Flower girls in lavender or mint…guys with yellow ties…how cute!

Couples who get married in the fall often do so because they’ve fallen in love with the colors. If that’s you and your fiancé, tell your guests to mimic those deep, warm tones in their attire. Think of how cool it would be to bring the beauty of the outside in, seeing guests in chocolate brown, dark purple, scarlet, or burnt orange.

If you’ve been trying to come up with a way to honor a passed loved one on your special day, consider having your guests dress in a color that signifies that person. What a great profound, yet unspoken way to make that person’s presence felt on your big day.

Dress codes are certainly not for everyone, but it may be the one missing piece of the puzzle for some. If you’ve been looking to elevate the atmosphere of your wedding, a coordinated dress code may be on the horizon for your big day!

Say ‘Hello’ or ‘Goodbye’ to Guests with a Gift Bag

Written by Karrie Mueller on February 16, 2021. Posted in Blog, Wedding Tips & Trends. No Comments on Say ‘Hello’ or ‘Goodbye’ to Guests with a Gift Bag

If you are looking for something personalized and thoughtful to send home with your guests after your big day, consider a gift bag. Whether that be a welcome bag to have waiting at your hotel or a gift bag chock-full of goodies for the end of the night, gift bags are the way to go! Gift bags are a great alternative to traditional favors, or just a way to have your wedding weekend start off on the right foot for each of your guests.

There are countless perks to offering gift bags in lieu of favors. Not to mention, having something personalized for each of your guests will make them feel that much more special on your wedding day. Having one for each guest offers a chance for customization. As far as the contents of the bag, they can be as personalized, budget-friendly, or extravagant as you would like them to be.

Here are some things you will want to include:

Goodies from Local Businesses

If you are proud of the place you are getting married in, take Northern Michigan for example, you will want to highlight some of the local businesses that make that place unique. There is no end to those cute small shops that line the streets of Charlevoix, or the unique trinkets you can find in Petoskey’s Gaslight District, such as a Petoskey stone that can only be found Up North. These fun gift bags could include a small candle or soap from Lavender Hill Farm, some Murdick’s Fudge, or some locally sourced snacks from Cherry Republic. No guest will have a problem with having something to snack or sip on after your wedding.

Something Seasonal

No matter the time of year, there is always a fun seasonal element you could incorporate into these gift bags. If your wedding is in the fall, then toss in a fresh donut from a local bakery. Winter wedding guests will likely need a warm-up, have a hot chocolate packet tied to a shooter of Bailey’s with a piece of twine or ribbon. Springtime wedding gift bags could include some seeds, and summer weddings could include some custom sunglasses with your date on them or fit your wedding’s palette.

A Hangover Cure

If you think your crowd is going to keep the wine flowing and the drinks coming, it may be in your best interest to provide a little something that will save them the next morning. A small water bottle, maybe even with a customized label, and some ibuprofen has proven to be a life saver for some. Items like these will show you are thinking about and care for your guests, even when the wedding is all said and done.

A List of Things to Do

Depending on when you get married, your guests may be making the most of their stay in your location. If you are doing a Northern Michigan wedding, there is no end to beaches, breweries, shops, hikes, and activities you could recommend. Consider creating a personalized pamphlet listing a great brunch spot for the next morning, or a pit-stop for the drive home. Check out our blog for some ideas of things guests could do during your Northern Michigan wedding week or weekend!

Something to Keep Your Guests Safe

If you are planning on having the big day in the near future, it’s always a good idea to provide guests with something that will show that their safety is in your best interest. Throw in a mask or two, paired with some hand sanitizer, or maybe even some disinfecting wipes.

Whether you are welcoming guests to a new town or sending them off with spirits high, make your gift bags something that can remind them of your big day once it’s over. Even just a little something to remind them of the beautiful place where you said “I do” will leave a lasting impression on your guests.