News

• Chateau News

  24th April 2012

  Our Annual Bridal Fair is on Sunday 27th May 2012 between 10am & 4pm.  There will be lots of exhibitors – from cars and photographers to florists and make-up.  Entry is free and there is no need to register.  We look forward to seeing you there!

  BIG NEWS !!!  Chateau Wyuna was the only Victorian venue to make the Top 5 in the 2011 National Designer of Dreams Awards for ‘best reception centre’ recently announced by the Australian Bridal Industry Academy.  We also made the Top 3 in the ‘best ceremony venue’ category.  We’re proud of what we do, and it’s a credit to our staff to be recognised in this way.

  We are also running our traditional Christmas Day Luncheon again!  Click here for details.

  We’re now on Facebook!  Our aim is to use it as another way to share information, respond to questions and display photos of real weddings.  We will also use it as a way to promote new articles posted to the Blog on our website.  We hope you find it of interest.  Click here to visit Chateau Wyuna on Facebook.

  Our decision to include placecards and personalised menus has been extremely well received.  Brides are appreciating the chance to have us do what can be a stressful and time consuming task that usually has to be done in the days immediately before the wedding when the guest list is finalised.  It’s one less thing they need to worry about!

• Special Offers

  23rd April 2012

  PLACECARDS & PERSONALISED MENUS

  We now offer to do your placecards and personalised menus – if you would like!  There are several alternative designs for you to choose from.  The offer is intended to help you with what can often be a stressful and time consuming task that usually needs to be done in the days immediately before your wedding when your guest list is confirmed.

  OFF-PEAK SEASON (May, June, July & August)

  Evening receptions include an additional ½ hour for FREE at the end of the evening AND either a Professional DJ or Premium Beverage Upgrade.

  SHOULDER SEASON (January, February, April, September & December)

  Evening receptions also include an additional ½ hour for FREE at the end of the evening AND either our unique Lollie Buffet or sumptuous Dessert Buffet.

  These specials are available for all packages except the Earle Cocktail and Chateau Deluxe Packages, and only apply to bookings made on or after 20 October2011.

• Is it OK for some of the wedding cake to be fake?

  20th April 2012

  Absolutely – in fact it is quite common.  With the advent of several television shows showcasing decorative cake making, peoples’ expectations for the visual impact of cakes is increasing.  Having some of your cake as fake (ie. polystyrene) is a good way to save money on the cake itself and spend more on the decorative aspect.  If you are concerned you will run short of cake you can arrange for some ‘slab’ cakes to be delivered separately to the venue and cut up for guests.  Guests will not know the cake they are given was not part of the display cake.

• How should you leave your reception?

  Farewelling the bride and groom at the end of the reception is the culmination of the celebration.  At Australian weddings the traditional way to leave the reception is straight after a farewell circle.  This is where the guests form a circle and the bride and groom farewell each person individually.  This is a nice touch, but can take a long time if you have a large number of guests – time you could otherwise spend on the dance floor!  An alternative is to have your Master of Ceremonies organise your guests to make an archway which the bride and groom then walk through.  This is quicker than the farewell circle, but not by a lot as it can take some time for your guests to be organised into the archway.  The quickest way to depart is to have everyone say three cheers immediately after a last dance.  This maximises dancing time, but can be a bit abrupt.  In this case the bride and groom should have the opportunity to farewell the people closest to them separately after they have left the other guests.  So there are lots of options!

• How can you save money on your reception?

  20th March 2012

  Venue costs are a significant part of any wedding budget, usually because food and drinks are being provided to all of your guests for a significant amount of time.  The equivalent cost at a restaurant or using external caterers would also be substantial.  Nevertheless, there are ways you can spend prudently.  Here are some ideas.

  Use your wedding cake as dessert.  It can still be served individually, but the cost charged by the venue should be less.  Just make sure you supply a large enough cake to ensure everyone receives an adequate portion.

  Pay for drinks on consumption.  If you do not believe your guests are likely to drink much alcohol you should arrange with your venue to remove the costs of alcohol from the package and reduce the price accordingly, but then provide a tab so alcohol can still be made available and paid on consumption.  Non-alcoholic drinks should still be provided, including tea and coffee.

  Only provide two courses.  Most people only eat a main course and dessert every day of the week for their evening meal.  Removing an entree or soup course should save some money without risking your guests going home hungry.

  These options will not be suitable for everyone, but may prompt some thinking.

• Should you organise a winter wedding differently?

  Winter weddings can be magical, with cooler weather, lush green gardens and softer light for photographs.  However, there are some special considerations.  For instance, when selecting your menu remember that as a general rule the colder the weather the more people eat but the less they drink.  You should bring your ceremony time forward compared with the warmer months to ensure you have sufficient light for photos, particularly if it is an overcast day.  The weather will also be cooler and potentially wet, so brining some umbrellas is usually a good idea.  Most importantly, you need to ensure your venue has a wet weather alternative to every part of your day.  Where will your garden ceremony be held indoors if it is raining?  Where will you be able to have photographs taken?  Where will your guests go?  All practical considerations to help ensure your winter wedding runs smoothly.

• We cant dance – does it matter?

  Don’t worry!  The bridal dance is typically done straight after the cutting of the cake.  It usually marks the end of formalities and the start of party time.  Years ago the dance would traditionally have been a waltz.  Nowadays the type and standard of dance varies enormously.  What’s important is the moment the new married couple share their first dance together – not the standard of their dancing, despite television shows raising some peoples’ expectations!  Some people will take dancing lessons, while some will organise choreographed routines – sometimes involving their entire bridal party.  The best suggestion is not to try and do something that doesn’t come naturally.

• Who should make a speech?

  10th February 2012

  Speeches and toasts are a traditional part of the reception which symbolise the bond of friendship between all those present.  They will vary in accordance with the size and degree of formality of the occasion.  The main things to remember when giving a really good speech are to keep it short, try and make it light-hearted and amusing, speak naturally, do not say anything unflattering and keep it succinct.  The traditional order of speeches is as follows.

  Toast to the Bride and Groom – normally completed by a father or close relative to the bride and groom.  Guests should be asked to stand for the toast and the bride and groom remain seated.

  Response by the Groom – the groom would respond to the toast on behalf of his wife and also propose a toast to the bridesmaids.  The bridesmaids should remain seated during this toast.

  Bestman – the bestman responds to the toast on behalf of the bridesmaids and then proposes a toast to the parents of the bride and groom.  He can also mention some anecdotal stories of his relationship with the groom.

  Anyone else – but we suggest this be organised in advance.  Providing an ‘open mic’ opportunity is very risky in that it may take up a lot of time that you could better use for dancing and socialising.

• Bonbonieres – should I bother?

  Bonbonieres are traditionally gifts the bride and groom give the guests as a thanks for celebrating their wedding.  Years ago the traditional gifts were a small organza style bag of sugar coated almonds or chocolates.  Nowadays a quick search of the internet reveals numerous options – from chocolates with the bride’s and groom’s names on them to personalised candy, picture frames, stubby holders and little boxes with lollies or chocolates.  However, you should not be obliged to provide such gifts.  It is truly optional.  You might like to provide them as a personal touch, or save the money and put it towards another part of your wedding.  Ultimately it’s up to you!

• When should I ask guests to arrive at my ceremony?

  The right time!  It is very important that as a bride you aim to arrive as close to the correct start time as possible.  The reason for this is that even if you arrive 15 minutes late (viewed by some as the tradition!) it takes 15 minutes away from the time you have to take photographs or even time from your reception.  Remember also that once your wedding car arrives it can often take up to 15 minutes to get you and your bridal party out of the car, give the photographer ample opportunity to take photos and get you ready to walk up the aisle.  Fortunately nowadays guests are fairly punctual.  In fact in our experience many are arriving particularly early.  In the unlikely event that a bride arrives before many of the guests the simple suggestion is to wait – either at the venue or literally in a nearby side street.  The only exception we suggest is when your ceremony is on a Friday.  Since many guests will probably be coming from work or rushing from home (in Friday afternoon traffic!), we suggest the time you put on your invitation is 15 minutes earlier than the real time the bride intends to arrive.  This gives guests a bit more time and they will simply think the bride is 15 minutes ‘traditionally late’.