Blog
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Chateau News
13th February 2012
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’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!
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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.
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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!
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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’.
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Should I have a friend be Master of Ceremonies at my reception?
An MC is provided as part of your package at Chateau Wyuna. This is usually your wedding coordinator, who is trained and will perform the role professionally. This involves welcoming guests to the venue, introducing the bridal party and announcing the formalities (ie. speeches, cutting of the cake, welcoming them to the dance floor if they are performing a bridal dance, farewelling the bride and groom, etc.). You are welcome to provide your own MC, in which case they need to understand the significance of the role and the need to liase with the venue throughout the evening. It is the sort of role that can look easy when it is done well, but can be cringing when not done well. So the consideration is do you know a friend who will be reliable and competent when speaking at your reception, or should you go with the safe option of a professional? It’s your choice.
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Will my guests enjoy themselves responsibly?
10th January 2012
Hopefully your guests will celebrate your wedding and enjoy themselves. If you have any concerns that some may go too far and risk ruining the reception for others, talk with your venue. There are ways to restrict alcohol consumption by specific individuals, and to slow consumption by all guests. The venue may revert to only providing alcohol over the bar, revert to only providing light beer, not permitting shots of spirits, making all spirits unavailable, supplying people with a glass of water with every alcoholic drink, etc. Such actions are not intended to limit peoples’ enjoyment, but to help ensure they enjoy themselves responsibly. Plenty of water should be available, particularly since this is now a legal requirement of any venue that serves alcohol. If you have any concerns at all, you should discuss them with your venue.
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Weather – what can we do about it?
The unfortunate answer is not much. Melbourne is notorious for its highly variable weather. So all you can really do is ensure you have a wet weather fall back for every part of your day that involves being outside. Where will your guests congregate if it is raining when they arrive at your ceremony venue? Is the indoor ceremony venue suitable in size and appearance? Where will you have photos? It’s important to have fallbacks!
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Is a wishing well acceptable?
Wishing wells are becoming more popular, particularly as brides and grooms are increasingly living together before their wedding. This means they already have toasters, crockery, glassware and many of the other traditional wedding gifts. In this case a wishing well is a sensible alternative. However, some guests will feel unsure about how much to contribute. If they ever need a suggestion the cash value of a gift they would otherwise have purchased is usually appropriate. Older people may find this more difficult. Nevertheless, a wishing well can be a practical alternative.
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Special Offers
6th December 2011
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.
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What music do I need for my ceremony?
1st December 2011
Nowadays you have a lot of choice at your finger tips. iTunes has made it easy to access a wide range of music, and traditional wedding music is being used less and less.