Been MIA-- food tasting, appetizer suggestions and the response cards. Advice please?

[goldenstar]

Gypsy,

Have you ever been to or heard of Palmdale Estates in Fremont? I went to a wedding there years ago and it was surprisingly quaint. The ceremony and dining areas are pretty intimate so it would not require large scale decor. I think they allow you to choose your own caterer which is great.

 

[Haven]

Gypsy--I''m so sorry you''re dealing with these issues. Blah! I hope they shape up and address your concerns soon.

As for the response cards, I know people don''t do the traditional formal responses very much nowadays, so our compromise was a response card that only read "The favour of a reply is requested before the fifteenth of June" along the top, and the rest is blank. We''ve received about 15 back so far (the invites went out one week ago) and the notes we''ve gotten are really lovely. I''m so glad we left the space to give people the opportunity to write a note. I decided I''m going to keep them all because they''re so sweet. Just something for you to think about.

Oh--and we have a lot of special dietary needs (kosher, vegetarian, etc.) and people are just adding lines about their needs into their responses.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 5/6/2008 7:28:27 PM
Author: Haven
Gypsy--I''m so sorry you''re dealing with these issues. Blah! I hope they shape up and address your concerns soon.

As for the response cards, I know people don''t do the traditional formal responses very much nowadays, so our compromise was a response card that only read ''The favour of a reply is requested before the fifteenth of June'' along the top, and the rest is blank. We''ve received about 15 back so far (the invites went out one week ago) and the notes we''ve gotten are really lovely. I''m so glad we left the space to give people the opportunity to write a note. I decided I''m going to keep them all because they''re so sweet. Just something for you to think about.

Oh--and we have a lot of special dietary needs (kosher, vegetarian, etc.) and people are just adding lines about their needs into their responses.

That''s a great idea... I was thinking I NEEDED the ___ of seats have been reserved in your honor line though because I''m worried about write ins. We aren''t inviting kids, and many of the people we are inviting have kids.

Have you had any write ins?

 

[Haven]

Date: 5/6/2008 7:42:39 PM
Author: Gypsy

Date: 5/6/2008 7:28:27 PM

Author: Haven

Gypsy--I''m so sorry you''re dealing with these issues. Blah! I hope they shape up and address your concerns soon.


As for the response cards, I know people don''t do the traditional formal responses very much nowadays, so our compromise was a response card that only read ''The favour of a reply is requested before the fifteenth of June'' along the top, and the rest is blank. We''ve received about 15 back so far (the invites went out one week ago) and the notes we''ve gotten are really lovely. I''m so glad we left the space to give people the opportunity to write a note. I decided I''m going to keep them all because they''re so sweet. Just something for you to think about.


Oh--and we have a lot of special dietary needs (kosher, vegetarian, etc.) and people are just adding lines about their needs into their responses.

That''s a great idea... I was thinking I NEEDED the ___ of seats have been reserved in your honor line though because I''m worried about write ins. We aren''t inviting kids, and many of the people we are inviting have kids.


Have you had any write ins?

No write-ins yet, but we''ve had two phone calls asking if people can bring children. One cousin asked if it was an "oversight" that his 19-year-old daughter''s name was not included on the inner envelope, and then told my mother that they would only come if she was invited. My mother said "Well, we will certainly miss you then." I love her. (The funny thing is that these cousins have a son who was married two years ago and my sisters and I were not invited to the wedding, only our parents, so I''m not sure why they are being so huffy about it, and only about one child. Odd.)

ANYWAY . . . the other call was my first cousin who seems to attract trouble at every turn. He has an estranged ex-wife and a two-year-old child, and he called to ask if his ex could come. (????) He said he thought it would be a great surprise for me. Well, it would certainly be a surprise. We never really knew the ex-wife, I''ve only met her a few times, and they''re all a bit off their rockers, so it wasn''t really surprising that he''d ask, just extremely odd. He''ll be attending with his child only.

I really love the response cards, I was so opposed to including anything because it''s just not the way we do things in my family, but the notes are lovely and FI insists his family and friends wouldn''t know how to respond if they weren''t there. (I asked him if he sends response cards when he calls them to see if they want to go to dinner, too, but he just rolled his eyes at me.)

Anyway, if people do write in extra guests we will simply have to call them and explain that they cannot add guests at their leisure.

 

[Harleigh]

Well, Gypsy, this just stinks! I wish I could be of more assistance for you, but I''m pretty much useless, I''m afraid.

Before I read you were thinking of switching venues, I was thinking of stuffed mushrooms...they are super easy and have a bit of bacon in them, and you just can''t go wrong with anything laced with bacon!

Your post did get me a little worried about my venue as the "chef-inspired" recipes will NOT be created by said chef while we are in Maui. Go figure...he will be down the road at the the old Sears Point Raceway...I think it''s the Infinium Raceway now?

Ah, but I digress...not only can I not TASTE my food ahead of time, I can''t even get the chef to confirm our dang menu! It is driving me crazy! I am so worried that the others at the resort will not make the correct meals, let alone meals that are up to the chef''s standards. I''ve heard mixed reviews about the food there, but since it''s where the wedding is, it just seemed easiest for everyone all around! Thanks for letting me vent!

As for the response cards, I know this is not very PC, but we DID individualize them with "Dear Aunt Netta and Uncle Jim, 2 seats have been reserved in your honor" and a blank space with "____ of 2 guests will attend wedding ceremony and reception in Maui" No one seemed offended and it seemed to work well for our purposes. I posted pictures of them a few months ago if you want to look them up.

Again, so sorry you''re having to deal with this...I hope you find somewhere more to your liking!

 

[Gypsy]

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