What a great New Jersey wedding Ceremony!

Ahhhhhh, Champagne, it’s not just for breakfast anymore….at least not at this time of year or  at your wedding, but cost cutting tip #6 is all about the bubbles.  If you have your heart set on toasting your New Jersey Wedding (smooth, eh?) with a sparkler, there are many ways to do it without breaking the budget.  Unless your guests are extremely sophisticated and habitual afficianados, there are any number of  great choices that will graciously fill their flutes (at about 3 ounces each, or 8 glasses per bottle), and tickle their noses.  And wonderful brands can be had for between 10-20.00 per bottle.

Prosecco is an Italian bubbly, (although much to the dismay of the Italians, it is also made in other places), with a light and delicate flavor. It is very much the darling of the press now, and has a semi sweet flavor that will please almost anyone.  Spanish sparkling wines like Frexinet and Cordo Negro, both in the 10-13.00 range, work too, as do some of the American brands like Gloria Ferrer.

Another stylish and budget conscious way to serve a sparkling toast is to create a signature drink with a less expensive wine enhanced with a splash of something colorful and tasty like Campari,  Cassis, or Pom pomegranate juice, which will not only add flavor but color too. Add a little lime zest twist and you’re styling, saving, and toasting!

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And to all a goodnight!  Light the menorah candles, put the leaping lords to bed, and cook the partridge WITH the pears (nice combo, really, with an amusing little Merlot….). Have a wonderful, restful, wedding ceremony planning-free holiday!  HO HO HO!!!!

Topic, that is.  Because I’m reading a book I love so much that I need to tell you about it; actually, it’s not REALLY off topic, because it IS a cookbook (sorta) so you could theoretically register for it, buy it as a present or just buy it for yourself.  It’s called “Eat Me” by the legendary, um, chef? cook? restaurateur?  philosopher?  I don’t even know what to call him except funny, inspired and talented.  Kenny’s restaurant, appropriately named “Shopsins” has been a downtown (NY)  institution for almost 40 years. That being said, calling it a restaurant no more describes it than “jewelry store” describes Tiffany’s. 

I don’t want to ruin the discovery for you, but suffice it to say that in this wonderful book, laced with Shopsin’s musings on life, food, and the kitchen dance, you’ll find such gems as Mac and Cheese Pancakes, Blisters on my Sisters, Turkey Clouds and many variations on Kenny’s own sliders.

It’s a total treat, as is his movie, “I like killing flies”.  Be warned; he’s frank, he’s rude, he swears a lot  but he’s so much fun. Go buy it today; but don’t go to the restaurant unless you have four people or less and want to each have an entree. That’s the rules.

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if  I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”  Thoreau

And we all came to the woods, the beautiful woods surrounding Flat Rock Brook Nature Center, a hidden treasure in Englewood, NJ, to celebrate the wedding of Selena and Geovanna last September. And what an intimate and lush setting it was! The wedding ceremony held against a backdrop of trees and lake, complete with a frog chorus! As we walked to the dock, the site of the ceremony,  the brides and their friends picked up wishing rocks to hold during the ceremony, filling those stones with their hopes and dreams for the couple.

Now, they are a totally  modern couple, and when I asked them to say their vows to each other, they passed their pink Blackberry back and forth, reading from their notes!  What a cool juxtoposition between the rustic setting and modern technology! 

After I pronounced them married, we all threw our stones into the lake (trying to avoid the well-wishing frogs) and sent our wishes to the heavens. It was a truly intimate and meaningful moment.

Cost cutting idea number 5! You don’t have to have an unlimited, premium bar at your New Jersey Wedding. Depending on the venue, it may actually seem a little wierd. If you’re having a barbeque, loads of local beers and sodas piled into a canoe is going to work. But even if your event is a little more formal, a creative approach to stocking your bar is a great way to save a little on dollars, but not skimp at all on style.

You could choose to do wines and beers from your region, your state, a place that is dear to you, the countries that you’ve been to or the ones you’re going to visit on your honeymoon. You could even choose to do a theme based on names; choose wines that all have dogs on the label. (That would be a natural along with a dog bowl on the bar, replacing the tip cup with a place to gather donations for a local shelter).

You could also do wine, beer, and a signature drink or two. Maybe something concocted from your favorites, a drink that matches your decor or the season (think Cosmos and Margueritas for Christmas!), or maybe just your favorite drink. Quirky glasses, like Mason jars or tall glass bud vases make this even more fun. One of my incredibly cool NJ wedding clients (smooth, eh?) served multicolored, fruit liqueur flavored shots in test tubes, all nestled in a beautiful glass bowl full of colored sand.

Bottom line? You can tailor your bar to fit your style and budget, and no one will be the wiser!

Let them eat cake! But there are definately ways to save on it. You might choose to have a smaller size not too small; anything under 50 servings is going to look like a glorified birthday cake…..) and sheet cakes for the rest of the servings (maybe you’ll even buy them at the local grocery store…) Maybe you’ll do a cupcake tower (which may or may NOT save money) with a tiny wedding cake for two on the top of the stack. wedding cake

Or maybe you’ll be as cool as my client Theresa, who ordered an 8″ decorated cake for each table. She placed them on rented silver cake stands, surrounded by petals and ivy leaves, and accented with silver cake cutters she bought at garage sales and thrift stores. The beautiful little cakes took the place of expensive floral arrangements,and by having a “designated cake cutter”, the tables all got to interact a little bit more. What a brilliant idea! Theresa had four different designs, and four flavors, and the guests were encouraged to trade!

Cost cutting idea #3. Do you really need to have 6 bridesmaids, 6 groomsmen, a best man, a maid of honor, two flower girls, a ring bearer and a fairy godmother? Probably not. There are so many ways to include the people you love without having them be formal members of the bridal party.
A small bridal party is a wonderful thing. It will get stress off your plate. You will not have to wrangle 15 people on your wedding day. I highly recommend it, both as an invisible cost cutting tactic and as a great way to make your day. Those people that you love might just be thrilled too!

Instead, ask them to participate in other ways; contributing a reading is one way. Holding the cords for a Celtic handfasting ceremony is another. Lighting candles, or contributing to a sand ceremony would work too.

Having a small bridal party is another “invisible” choice of style that will cut your dollars, your stress, and your time. All good!

Filet Mignon? Again?

Cost cutting strategy #2. Think about a different day or a different time. Saturday night dinner? Yep, happens all the time.Sunday brunch in the a beautiful tent in the backyard? Great idea! Sunset cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
on a Thursday at the museum? Another great idea! Lots of wonderful bonuses happen when you start to think outside the Saturday night box. Your venue will probably be less expensive. Your caterer will be delighted. Your Dj may charge less. Your flowers will be fresh. The expectation of what will unfold during the night will be jolted so you can do some unconventional (translated, less expensive) things. Some of the guests that might not have been able to attend because of conflicts can now attend! It’s all good!