Couples are choosing to be more eco-friendly during their wedding than ever before. With Branches Green Cuisine any couple can be assured that their wedding menu will be filled with locally grown foods as well as using compostable or biodegradable products. This Jersey Shore catering hall also donates products to food banks and other worthwhile causes. Guests will  be showered in LED lighting, with the help of the KOPA group, instead of less eco-friendly options.

Source: Certified Organic Skins

Planning a wedding is a time of excitement and nervousness. More than ever, advance-thinking couples are planning green, organic weddings, or eco-friendly ceremonies. By utilizing services and products that are environmentally friendly, couples may surely create memories which they feel really good about. Planning a wedding that includes pesticide-free flowers in season, organic cotton, hemp and silk, and a menu of locally, fresh food is not only beautiful, but it is a money well spent. There are many ways that a couple can have an organic wedding. The following tips include more organic details into your own celebration.

Invitations

There are some fashionable and environmentally responsible choices for wedding invitations. Look for stationery that are created from fashionably recycled paper or organic cotton. Rather than toxic inks, prefer a safer soy-based inks to print all the information. This can be a good start for your wedding!

Gowns

To make your wedding ensemble more organic, choose bridal gown designers who create dresses from organic cotton, hemp, or fair-trade silk. If none of these gowns attract you, consider re-cutting your mother’s wedding gown to wear for your special day.

Reception Hall

To enjoy a more eco-friendly reception, you may be dreaming of an outdoor wedding on a botanical garden, beach, or even organic farm. Before you plan for any event at a certain natural location, make sure that the impact of having a large number of people at the park or beach will not create a negative effect on the environment.

Flowers

Your wedding decorations can also go organic. To further reduce your carbon footprint, buy locally produced flowers whenever possible. Not only will the flowers have traveled a couple of miles, you will also be helping a local farmer. With your organic flowers instead of using regular petroleum-based candles, you can use soy candles with non-toxic wicks. Thus, creating a reception that is more romantic and environment-friendly as well.

Rings/Jewelry

They are beautiful, they are traditional! But the controversies over gold mining and conflict diamonds make these choices unacceptable. However, there are alternatives. If you choose to buy diamonds, they can be bought from Canada, where they are conflict-free and traced to the source. Gold mining is also very unfriendly to the environment; even small scale mining requires some extraction techniques which are harmful to the workers and environment.

Look for jewelries that have been handmade with cleaner precious materials, suchlike Swarovski crystals in lieu of diamonds.

Food

The first step is to choose a caterer with specialization in sourcing organic and locally grown produce, poultry, etc. Did you know that you can also prefer organic wine or even organic spirits, like vodka? They are the best accompaniment to an organic dinner.

Also think of fair-trade delicacies, like chocolates and after-dinner coffee. You can serve a cup of organic fair-trade coffee with local organic cream for post-meal liquors that will be as environmentally friendly as it is delicious. For your guests who choose to sip a cup of tea, offer some certified organic fair-trade herbal teas.

Entertainment

A chamber music or pianist for the reception may use the least amount of electricity. For small gatherings, you could hire a big band orchestra or a DJ could play pre-recorded music.

Finish off your wedding with some organic favors for your guests. Anything that is edible maybe an excellent choice for favors, so think about things such as organic cookies or organic chocolate in bags or boxes made from recycled materials. You can also prefer favors like packets of organic seeds or lovely room spray made from organic lavender. There are as many wonderful possibilities for organic favors. Once you set your mind, you will realize that it is actually quite easy to plan an organic and earth-friendly wedding.

For the full article click here.

The Asbury Park Press is running their annual Readers Choice Contest. Branches Catering has received an award for the past 6 years in a row! Keep the tradition going and vote for Branches as Best Banquet Facility AND Best Caterer (off-site catering) for 2011!

It only takes a minute to vote. All you have to do is click here by July 31st and fill out the form. Remember to vote two times for Branches Catering under the categories Banquet/Reception Facilities and Caterer.

Thank you in advance for your support and we look forward to serving you in the future!

Branches Catering
123 Monmouth Road (Rt. 71N)
West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Toll Free (877) 316-1753
www.BranchesCatering.com

It can be difficult to know exactly what to do for wedding party gifts. Each couple has to sit down and decide what gift would be best for all of their friends and family that are in their wedding. This process can seem daunting but this Central Jersey catering hall has found a list of ideas that can get any couple’s mind working on the best gifts for their wedding party.

Source: Merci New York

Wedding season is upon us and if your wedding is just around the corner, in addition to taking care of all the final details, it’s also your turn to do some gift giving. We field a lot of questions from couples about what to do for wedding party gifts, including, When should I get and give the gifts? How much should I spend? And, What’s an appropriate gift? So for this month’s post, I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on gifting for your bridesmaids and groomsmen.

When to buy and give bridesmaid gifts?

I would plan on buying the gifts at least a month before your wedding. You want to make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to find great gifts and are not stressing about yet another detail as your wedding date nears.

Regarding when to give the gifts, I like the idea of giving wedding party gifts at the rehearsal dinner, where you’re already celebrating and thanking your family and close friends. If you’re not having a rehearsal dinner or are more low-key, you can just do it when you have some alone time with each member of your party.

How Much Should I Spend?

It’s the thought that counts {really}. A carefully chosen wedding party gift reflects your gratitude for all of their support and is also a special memento of your relationship. At the same time, weddings are a not insignificant financial undertaking. So you will, naturally, have to keep your budget in mind while also considering the time and expense the members of your wedding party have taken on as well {think, travel, registry gift, dress/tux, hair/makeup, etc., etc.}. While I’m loathe to suggest that there’s a hard and fast rule, a budget of $50 to $200 per person should be within everyone’s reach. I would generally suggest spending about the same amount on each member of the party, but the maid of honor/best man usually receive a more generous gift since they invest more of their time.

What should I give?

This is the fun part. As with every other part of your wedding and, indeed, any gift giving, the first rule of thumb is to be thoughtful and creative when choosing gifts for your wedding party. If your bridal party is anything like mine, a mix of eclectic personalities and different relationships, you’ll want to put some time into thinking about imaginative and individualized gifts.

You can give each person a different gift or a variation on a theme but do take each individual’s personality into account. You can also choose gifts that match the look, feel or style of your event, but make sure that they’re things that they’ll love to have/use/wear long after the wedding.

For the full list of ideas click here.

As the summer continues to heat up it can be tough to keep your cool when thinking about summer wedding ideas. Summer is a beautiful time of year to tie the knot and with simple wedding tips this Jersey Shore catering hall can help prepare you for your big day. Check out this blog post from Volumeone.org which details five simple tips to help make your New Jersey wedding memorable.

by Alyssa Schulte

It’s that time again. Summer means weddings, and if you’re in the midst of planning one, we’ve got some helpful hints for you. And they’re (relatively) inexpensive, too!

Tip #1: Go outside, man. Summer days are long, warm, and inviting. Weddings in gardens, parks, or even beaches—if you don’t mind a little sand—are ideal places for couples to say, “I do.”  (The days can also be hot, humid, and rainy, but you just have to take your chances.)

Outdoor tree aisle?

Tip #2: Choose a lighter meal. Fish can be great for the main course, plenty of fresh fruit and/or veggies, or even a barbecue if you’re celebrating outdoors. Don’t forget plenty of ice and cold beverages. And the cake! Lighter frostings and fruit fillings are perfect for summer.

Tip #3: Dress for the weather. If you’re a blushing bride and you want to remain that way (i.e. not a sweating bridezilla), sleeveless dresses are ideal, preferably in a lighter fabric. If you’re the hunky groom, keep it light and classic. And stay away from the heavy black blazer.

Tip #4: Treat your guests with wedding favors they can use. For example, on a hot summer day, lovely fans or paper parasols are unique and appreciated.

Tip #5: Be creative and make your wedding uniquely you. (A tip for all seasons, I suppose.)

For the full article: click here