Take it from Margarita Forés, who has done numerous weddings around the country and has taken her interpretations of Filipino cuisine to different parts of the world with Cibo di Marghi and Fiori di Marghi Floralscapes.
Once you're engaged
Put together a look book and meet with your caterer and florist. Ideally, this would be six to nine months in advance so that ideas stay fresh.
Four months before
Do a mock-up to fine-tune your design. Have a food tasting especially if you are trying the caterer's food for the first time.
Two weeks before
Have a general suppliers' meeting so that everyone involved is on the same page and synchronized.
Three days before
Give your caterer your final headcount, especially any change in the number of guests. Check the weather, especially for outdoor weddings.
The day before
Inform the caterer and coordinator of any major changes not discussed at earlier meetings. At this point, your caterer and coordinator should already take charge and remove as many of your worries as possible.
The wedding day
The bride and groom should no longer have anything to be anxious about. They should savor the tender moments with their families before the wedding, and enjoy the main event.
More tips from the famous wedding caterer and florist:
What are the essential components for a warm and memorable bridal dining setting?
A very personal expression of the feelings and sensibilities of both the bride and groom make for a memorable setting. Handwritten place cards, quirky or elegant place card holders, personalized menu cards, starched cotton or linen napkins, colored glasses, and other custom touches help to make the setting achieve less of a catered feel.
Should the setup and design be linked or coordinated with the food that is served?
Definitely, there should be a connection. I always ask couples to include family specialties or heirloom dishes and ingredients on their menus. For example, an Italian-themed lamb station with baby lamb chops skewered with rosemary sprigs and pancetta, a jamon Bellota carving station, lechon frying and sisig stations when Cebu lechon is flown in, inasal grilling stations for a Negrense bride or groom, or even a chicharon station with all the sawsawan are a few of the custom-created food stations I have done.
This story originally appeared on Townandcountry.ph.
* Minor edits have been made by the Femalenetwork.com editors.
