Re: Questions from Gail Re: Reception (fwd)

[http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert]

 > From: Noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2003 07:09:01 -0800 (PST)
 >
 > ---------- Forwarded message ----------
 > Date: Wed, 5 Nov 2003 22:33:36 -0800
 > From: Gail <http://www.cox.net/~g3>
 > To: noelle <http://dummy.us.eu.org/noelleg>
 > Subject: Questions from Gail Re: Reception
 > 
 > Dear Noelle and Robert,
 >     I spent most of the day working on caterers and invitations  re: your 
 >     reception and have the following questions (before you come over 
 >     Thanksgiving when we can work on more details).
 > 1) It's Don's feeling that we should send out an announcement of your marriage 
 > as soon as possible to everyone on both of your lists. Attached is a suggested 
 > draft of how it should read. Don isn't sure he likes the wording "at a brief 
 > civil ceremony".

Unextenuated? :-)

 > Can you suggest better wording? I feel something should be 
 > said to that effect, otherwise the recipient will feel hurt that they weren't 
 > invited to a normal large wedding ceremony. I went to Kinko's and picked out 
 > samples of 3 possible papers to print the announcement on. One is bordered 
 > with colored ribbon tied in a bow with knot and 2 champagne glasses, one on 
 > each side. If we use that, I was thinking of using the wording "they tied the 
 > knot" somehow in that announcement. The other 2 possible papers have a) 
 > colored border with small flowers intertwined with pink ribbon and on the top 
 > and bottom 2 gold wedding band rings interlocked (but you didn't exchange 
 > rings), b)pink paper with pale flowers in the background and a small picture 
 > of a bride and groom on top and on the bottom small pictures of bouquet of 
 > flowers, 2 champagne glasses tied with a ribbon, 2 wedding bells tied with a 
 > ribbon, a 3 tier wedding cake, and a diamond engagement ring and gold wedding 
 > band tied with a ribbon. From my descriptions, maybe you can go to a Kinko's 
 > there and look at them to help me pick out which you think would be the best 
 > in your situation. I think I favor the first one mentioned. Please let me know 
 > about this as soon as possible so I can get them printed up and mailed out 
 > long before Thanksgiving. I figure there would be about 54 to send out to 
 > couples or individuals.

The knot thing sounds fine.

 > 2) Attached is a suggested draft of the invitation

Why doesn't it have our apartment number?

 > which should go out early 
 > in Jan. after we return from our Antarctic trip. I feel it shouldn't go out 
 > before that or else people will lose it over the busy Holiday season. Attached 
 > also is a suggested draft of the RSVP card to be included in the invitation 
 > envelope that can be a plain postcard card stock with a postcard stamp on it 
 > for people to return to us. This worked well for Mom's surprise 90th Birthday 
 > family reunion party we're having in Wellesley on Dec. 6.  Also enclosed in 
 > the invitation envelope will be a small plain sheet of paper with the Hotel 
 > information for those coming from out of town which I counted about 26 couples 
 > or individuals. (Again Don seems to feel everyone should get an invitation. 
 > But it was good that you gave me the two lists because now I have a good idea 
 > about how many will actually come to give to the caterers for a cost quote.) 
 > Because your reception is on Valentines' Day, I picked out a paper from Kinko'
 > s with white background and bordered by small pink valentines hearts with a 
 > few flowers and a purple ribbon on each side. I didn't think it would be 
 > appropriate to have the invitations and announcements looking too formal, but 
 > rather more fun and casual. So again we would send out about 54 invitations.

Two mailings to the same people?  Isn't that a waste?

 > 3) Do you want a wedding cake for dessert at the reception or cheesecake or 
 > other dessert? I need to know this now in talking to the caterers for a quote. 
 > I saw the idea on one of the caterers web site which I think would be good for 
 > Valentines' Day of a dark chocolate heart shape cake like dessert with 
 > raspberries or strawberries for red color. I always prefer some kind of dairy 
 > to eat with my carbohydrate dessert such as vanilla ice cream or whipped 
 > cream.

A vegan cheesecake would be nice.

 > (I think it would be nice to use the Valentines' Day theme in 
 > decorating the clubhouse with red flowers on tables with white table linens, 
 > etc. While I think of it, it would be nice I think if you two wore to the 
 > reception your wedding outfits as they certainly looked very nice, maybe not 
 > the hat with veil unless you want to.)
 > 4) The caterers I contacted today who will send me quotes are: Astrid's Fine 
 > Catering (you can look on her website:www.destinationsantabarbara.com.

Potatoes and salad.  That's what I'll eat.

 > She 
 > wanted to know if you prefer French, Ca, Continental, or Thai cuisine. 
 > I felt the majority of guests would not be comfortable with Thai

What is G.W. Bush's favorite Thai dish??

 > so I said no 
 > to that, but said yes to the other three.), Rincon Catering, Harvest Catering, 
 > Elegant Events who caters the Symphony League Previews we attend and like very 
 > much, and Pampered Palate who has catered all our events at the clubhouse in 
 > the past (but I thought it would be nice to get a comparison). All of the 
 > caterers can include some vegan dishes, so no problem there,

Excellent!

 > all are available 
 > so far on that date, and have mobile facilities or can otherwise work around 
 > what is available at the clubhouse. We suggested to them to start at 6:30 PM 
 > with hors'deurves and drinks we'll provide located on tables that guests can 
 > help themselves (not more formal passing around trays to the guests) for a 
 > mingle cocktail time for guests to get to know each other maybe with name tags 
 > - what do you think? The dinner will be buffet style for guests to help 
 > themselves of salads, probably breads, vegan dish,

Grilled vegetables?

 > poultry dish, and seafood 
 > dish (Don thought no beef, pork, or lamb). Including us and you we estimated 
 > about 50-60 people total would attend. The caterers wanted to know what time 
 > the event would end. I didn't know. I think the clubhouse has a curfew of 
 > about 11 PM.

This sounds excellent.  I hate staying up too late.  I really hated Paul
and Noreen's reception because of that (besides all the other nonsense).

 > Did you want music to dance to after the dinner, or just 
 > background music during the dinner (which might make it hard for people to 
 > hear each other talk in a crowded room), or what? Or do you just want the hors'
 > deurves time and the dinner and that's it and everyone then adjourn?
 > 5) You have Marie-Therese and Louis Provost on both lists; which one do they 
 > belong on? You have Sue Reimers on the announcement list and Mark Reimers on 
 > the invitation list. Are they a couple where there should only be one entry on 
 > which list?

No -- different people.

 > Dr. Martin is dead, so we crossed him off the list. If you know 
 > Lisa Janco, did you want her invited also as she lives in the LA area? Don 
 > doesn't think he wants the Bartons invited nor an announcement sent as he hasn'
 > t kept up with them in years and they haven't let us know when their children 
 > got married. Robert mentioned in a separate email to me that he wanted to 
 > invite his brother, Chris, but I don't see him mentioned on either list.

That was a while ago.  I don't think it's worth sending him any mail.

 > I look forward to receiving your input on all this as soon as you have thought 
 > it out and can give it to me.
 > Love,
 > GailContent-Description: