WEDDING PLANNING & EVENT MANAGEMENT


July 03, 2007


Bridesmaids Luncheon

As a way to thank your bridesmaids for being there for you thru the wedding planning process, treat them to an informal lunch. They can dress up or down, depending on your taste. All you need are some simple decorations, pretty place settings, and a light menu to entertain the girls at home. If you need to get away from the house for a few hours and you have the money available, go out to a nice restaurant (lunch is usually less expensive than dinner).

This is also a great time for you to present your bridesmaids with gifts. Consider each girl's preferences. Practical gifts can be personalized. Or give them a gift certificate for a pampering session at a spa.

The luncheon should be scheduled a few weeks before your wedding. If the bridesmaids are coming from out of town, then schedule the lunch for the afternoon of the rehearsal dinner.

If your party is at home, stick to a buffet-style menu of things you can make yourself: cheese plate, tea sandwiches, fruit salad, and assorted sweets.

Set a beautiful table. Feel free to mix and match colors and textures. If you have already received dishes or china as a wedding gift, go ahead and use it. Centerpieces can be fun without being too expensive: basket of flowers, use a pitcher as a vase, cluster bud vases or scatter at each place setting, mix candles in with the flowers for more drama.

Make the luncheon as personal as possible. Prepare a toast: a few words of thanks or meaningful anecdote about each girl. Serve drinks you all love to order when you go out. If you are outdoorsy people, have a garden luncheon or a picnic in a park. If you all like to cook, have fun preparing the meal together.

Remember the goal is to have a great time with the girls in your wedding party. Focus on the good times ahead. And if all else fails, pay your wedding planner to make all the arrangements for the bridesmaids luncheon.