by Vrej Sarkissian, CEO of L.A. Banquets Imagine getting married on the sandy shores of Puerto Vallarta...or beside Mexico City’s ornate Spanish style architecture...or next to the crystalline waters of Cancun. Sounds like the backdrop for a wedding out of a dream. But if you have 300 of your closest friends and family to consider, a destination wedding begins to sound like a nightmare. When cutting your guest list isn’t an option, bring the best parts of a Mexican destination wedding across the border. Setting a South of the Border Scene with Mexican Decor & Music From turquoise beaches to bustling markets in the big cities, Mexico bursts with vibrant color. String up multi-colored papel picado (seen above) — intricate papercut banners — to decorate your ceremony or reception venue. Crafty brides can try their hand at cutting their own and enlist their friends and family to help for a fun wedding shower activity. Extend the theme and use papel picado lattice designs to decorate invitations and wedding cakes. Good music will fuel your fiesta, so consider hiring a mariachi band. Their elaborate charro suits and the infectious music will get everyone up and dancing la vibora del mar — an energetic alternative to the traditional garter and bouquet toss. Dulce Eats, Sweet Mexican Desserts Weddings run on food, especially desserts. Mexican Wedding Cakes — the crumbly butter cookies with chopped nuts and dusted with powdered sugar — aren’t actually a staple in Mexican weddings (a misnomer if there ever was one). Known in Mexico as polvorones, these little cookies would still make a great addition to a pan dulce (that’s sweet breads) dessert station. A traditional Mexican wedding cake made with dried fruits and nuts and soaked in rum would serve well as a groom’s cake. And on the subject of sweets, don’t forget flan. Ceremony and Family: Mexican Wedding Traditions Familia and amigos come together in the most meaningful Mexican wedding traditions during the ceremony itself. Part godparents, part sponsors, padrinos and madrinas play roles similar to the best man and maid of honor, but have much deeper significance. They guide the couple during the engagement and wedding, not only providing advice, but purchasing items for the wedding and performing specific roles during the wedding ceremony. Couples can have several padrinos and madrinas, so choose from your family and friends to knit everyone closer together. During the Catholic wedding mass one of the padrinos or madrinas oversees the important arras ceremony. The groom gives 13 gold coins in an ornate box or tray (purchased by the padrino or madrina and blessed by the priest) to the bride as a pledge to provide for her and their future family. In a nod to more financial equality, the words exchanged during the arras ceremony indicate that the bride too will be providing for her family. Incorporating Mexican wedding traditions to your own nuptials will add just the right amount of color, culture, and heritage...and save the expense and headache of a destination wedding. At L.A. Banquets we recognize that whether familiar or not, at the core of Mexican weddings are warmth, family and tradition: values cherished and celebrated in all cultures and destinations. Photo By: timlewisnm, http://www.flickr.com/photos/gozalewis/4533466093/
The quinceanera is a traditional event in Mexican and Central American culture that is held to celebrate a girl’s 15th birthday. The celebration usually includes a large party with music and dancing as well as a sumptuous banquet, beverages and sweets. The celebration might begin with a church service and then move to a banquet hall or party facility where dining, dancing and socializing can begin. Planning You will want to begin planning your quinceanera six months to a year in advance. If you plan to have a church service prior to the celebration in a reception hall, it will be necessary to coordinate church availability with open slots at banquet halls for quinceaneras that you are interested in renting. While most quinceaneras take place on Saturdays, you will likely find that planning your event on a Friday will have many advantages. It will be easier to get the date that you want if you are willing to book the reception hall on a weekday. It will also be easier to coordinate your church service with the reception hall festivities. Cost Not only are reception halls more readily available when you book on a Friday, you will discover that the rates on Friday are less than those on a weekend day. In addition, you may save even more if you book your hall during the daytime as opposed to an evening reservation. Attendees usually can adjust their schedules easily enough to accommodate a Friday gathering. In addition, if you choose a Friday rather than Saturday, it can be the start of a relaxing, three-day weekend that offers even more opportunities for socializing with friends and family. Safety Safety is always a concern whenever you arrange a party, especially one that will be attended by teens. A daytime ceremony will provide a safer time frame for the young people who will attend than an evening slot. Those attending your afternoon events won’t be faced with driving home late at night when the party is over. In addition, if you choose to hire a shuttle to transport guests, daytime rates are usually less than what you’d pay on a weekend night. You will also want to determine whether or not alcohol will be served – that is a decision that the guest of honor’s parents or guardian should decide. Convenience It’s typically easier to book a Deejay on a Friday afternoon than any time during a weekend, so you will have the convenience of choosing from a number of different music providers who will undoubtedly be eager to work on a Friday afternoon. The same goes for photographers, if you choose to hire a professional to record the day’s events. Daylight photography looks infinitely better than nighttime photography and will result in dazzling photos of you and your friends and family dressed in the fine clothes you select. By planning ahead and carefully considering choices, you can arrange a quinceaneras that everyone will remember for a lifetime.
Anoush Catering’s CEO Vrej Sarkissian, Covers The Often Overlooked Details Many vendors come together to create an event that reflects your personal taste and style. Some of them are “behind the scenes,” such as the florist and interior decorator, while others interact directly with your guests. This face-to-face contact means that keeping these on-site vendors comfortable and happy is incredibly important to the success of your celebration. Why With most vendors any errors can be corrected easily. Table cloths can be swapped, and entree selection can be adjusted days or weeks in advance. However, the music that’s played and video and photographs that are captured happen only during your event, and therefore leave no room for error. Vendors who control these aspects play a central role in the impression your guests form, and the memories your event creates. A little extra effort taken to make them happy can have a huge impact in how happy your guests are. Who When it comes to your guests’ experience, the most important vendors are the ones who will be present at your event for most or all of its duration. This includes your videographer, photographer, and any band or DJ. These vendors are such key players that their energy and enthusiasm has the power to shape your entire event. A happier DJ or band will inspire more dancing, and a happier photographer and videographer will inspire more smiles and more animated facial expressions and physical gestures. Seating While it’s necessary for your on-site vendors to be on their feet a lot of the time to perform their duties, they do experience downtime. Set aside comfortable, private seating for this downtime so your key vendors can fully relax and recoup. They will be noticeably more energetic when they’re back on their feet as a result. Also provide a safe and secure area for on-site vendors to store personal belongings. Food Remember that your vendors are not immune to the effect of being grumpy due to hunger. As a host, you must ensure their bellies are satisfied, and food they eat that’s supposed to be warm food is actually warm. Accomplish both tasks by serving vendors before guests. This simple gesture demonstrates to your key vendors that you prioritize them, and they will respond by providing the most outstanding service possible. Anoush Founded in 1986, Anoush has a long history of ensuring first class service both to our hosts, and the vendors who serve them. By booking your event through Anoush, you can rest assured that your key on-site vendors will be pampered and taken care of. We recognize the massive impact of vendor satisfaction, and take care of this for you so your vendors take care of you. This is something we do automatically, every time, because we want your special event to be all it can be.
