{"id":34996,"date":"2014-08-21T12:26:36","date_gmt":"2014-08-21T02:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.easyweddings.com\/au\/articles\/creating-family-friendly-wedding\/"},"modified":"2021-11-10T03:24:36","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T16:24:36","slug":"creating-family-friendly-wedding","status":"publish","type":"au-article","link":"https:\/\/www.easyweddings.com.au\/articles\/creating-family-friendly-wedding\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating a truly family-friendly wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"

If weddings are a blank canvas sitting on an easel, then families are the splashes of colour that help bring them to life.<\/span><\/p>\n

At least that\u2019s the view of Georgiana Karam, executive director of Brisbane reception venue Heritage Park Entertainment Centre<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something very special about weddings,\u201d says Georgiana. \u201cI love how they bring two new families together, but also gives familiar faces the chance to catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s exactly the spirit that has fashioned new wedding traditions, such as encouraging people to pick a seat, not a side, for the ceremony.<\/p>\n

And it\u2019s also one of the reasons she encourages couples to fully embrace a family atmosphere in planning a reception.<\/p>\n

Here are some of Georgina’s top tips on how to do this.<\/p>\n

Cater for children<\/h2>\n

You can pretty much guarantee things won\u2019t go exactly accordingly to plan, but a wedding is all the sweeter for the inclusion of children. Think giggling flowergirls under a table or cousins engaged in an oh-so-cute dance-off.<\/p>\n

At the very least, it makes for wonderful photos.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it when couples invite children to a wedding; they\u2019re always so excited to be part of the fun,\u201d says Georgiana, who has a keen radar for little wants and needs.<\/p>\n

That said, if you are going to take the plunge and have them, it\u2019s important to think it through, as you can\u2019t just expect them to happily hang out with grown-ups all day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat you sometimes find with weddings is people don\u2019t want to invite children, for the sheer reason they will be running around, making a noise and making a mess,\u201d says Georgiana.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s often because they\u2019re bored or ever-excited. So one clever idea is to identify a space that\u2019s removed from the action and claim it as kid central, where they can be themselves without getting in the way.<\/p>\n

Just take Heritage Park\u2019s<\/a> colourful indoor playground facility, which has supervision available on a hire basis. \u201cIt\u2019s a perfect way for kids to amuse themselves, but it\u2019s also great for parents,\u201d Georgiana says. \u201cThey don\u2019t have to pay for babysitting, they can keep an eye on their children and a few touches such as story books mean they can relax and focus on their enjoyment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other ideas include giving children a job to do, say taking the guest book around for people to sign, and also making sure you have a separate menu to cater to their simpler tastebuds.<\/p>\n

Be entertaining with your entertainment<\/h2>\n

ABBA\u2019s Dancing Queen<\/i> seems like a must-play at any wedding. And there\u2019s a bunch of other songs that get a regular outing. Think Celebration<\/i> by Kool & The Gang and the Grease Megamix<\/i>. But it\u2019s no accident they feature so heavily; these songs retain their popularity because they cross the generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cDancing is such a great part of a celebration and it\u2019s nice when everyone has a turn on the dance floor,\u201d says Georgiana, whose fit-out of Heritage Park<\/a>\u00a0incorporated a state-of-the art sound system, big LED screens, a digital mirror ball, smoke machine and a DJ booth and box.<\/p>\n

The best way to achieve this blend is to mix and match your playlist, moving seamlessly from a kitsch \u201980s gem to a Frank Sinatra classic that draws your grandparents to the dance floor. That\u2019s not to say the current Top 40 or Triple J Hottest 100 shouldn\u2019t get a run, just that the more you mix it up with hits from across the decades, the more of your guests you\u2019ll encourage to take a break from their seats.<\/p>\n

Plan your menu thoughtfully<\/h2>\n

Food is one of the big-ticket items that can make or break a menu. And these days, it\u2019s all about creativity and flexibility, about finding a balance between more traditional tastes and something a little more adventurous.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always think a great wedding menu is one where everyone \u2013 no matter their age or tastes \u2013 goes home with a full and satisfied stomach,\u201d says Georgiana. But she acknowledges it can be a tricky balance to get right, which is why it\u2019s worth spending the time to do it properly. Options include buffets, grazing menus or shared platters on tables, and the choice often comes down to the diversity of your guests and the diversity or their tastes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of the reasons Georgiana encourages couples to have a meeting with her five-star chef Anthony Moore, who draws on cultural influences from around the world to produce everything from harissa-braised lamb shanks and atlantic salmon to Chicken Saltimbocca and Chinese barbecue pork fillet with crisp wontons.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very flexible when it comes to catering,\u201d she says. \u201cAnthony can work to any budget and any request, from set menus to tasting menus and beyond. He\u2019ll literally create you a menu from scratch.\u201d<\/p>\n

Create a family friendly ambiance<\/span><\/h2>\n

Ask couples about the most challenging part of planning the wedding, and chances are they\u2019ll nominate the seating plan. \u201cWho goes where is one of the hardest questions to answer,\u201d says Georgina, who can comfortably sit 80 people across a full complement of furniture, from chairs and chair covers to tables and table linen, and also caters for up to 150 people at a canap\u00e9 reception. There are a few considerations that can help make the planning easier.<\/p>\n

For starters, sit like with like. That means keeping families together \u2013 even the singles – to allow for familiarity and ease of conversation. Other good moves are to seat younger guests nearer to the DJ and dance floor, older guests away from the noise but still close enough to hear the speeches, and families in open areas such as Heritage Park’s<\/a>\u00a0outdoor pergola, where they can mingle and keep an eye on their kids.<\/p>\n

A spot near the food should also be viewed as a premium location, as should tables with a clear view of the bride and groom.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of the day a wedding is all about family, and we love to encourage that sense of celebration,\u201d says Georgina. \u201cAs we always say \u2013 bring your family along and we\u2019ll make them part of ours.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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