The Wedding Planner:
Planning Your Wedding Reception

Are you planning a wedding reception at a hotel? If so, you've got questions. You're in luck: Michelle Wilcox, Catering Manager at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina in Tampa, Florida, has got answers. Read our interview with Michelle for her tips on receptions for destination brides. Click here for an interview with Michelle about Tampa weddings.)

For destination brides, are receptions increasingly popular?

The majority of our brides are here because of some tie to Tampa either past or present. The destination experience is for the family and guests. As guests arrive, they receive a welcome gift from the wedding couple with a letter and weekend agenda. Guests arrive on Thursday or Friday and enjoy the local sites. The wedding couples often plan Friday activities like Golf for the Men or Spa Days for the ladies. We help arrange group transportation to the ceremony rehearsal followed by dinner. After the rehearsal dinner, they often plan a social meeting place in a local hot spot to catch up with other friends and family in town. Hospitality rooms are also another option.

Saturday is filled with poolside relaxing or local shopping for the guests or wedding preparations for the immediate family and wedding party. We often encourage a lunch or breakfast delivered to the Bride suite as she and her bridal party get ready. Arranged transportation takes the guests to some of our historic beautiful churches. We also offer full ceremony coordination here on property.

The celebration begins as we congratulate the bride & groom as they arrive with Champagne at the front door. We have a team of professionals looking after all the details of their day. We even ensure we know the bride & groom’s drink of choice and food favorites to make sure we take care of them all evening. Our Reputation is to offer upscale elegance with a beautiful location and exceptionally friendly and helpful staff.

The festivities continue to the morning after. We offer private breakfast buffets in both of our restaurants to allow the guests to savor the previous nights memories or say good byes.

We offer the complete weekend destination celebration!

What trends are you seeing in terms of receptions and especially themed receptions?

I typically find most brides staying more traditional with the wedding plans. I have seen the trend swing back to upscale elegant formal weddings. The best things I have seen them add are items that show off the bride & groom’s unique personalities or relationships.

One of the best examples was a wonderful couple of mixed backgrounds. She was Indian and he was a Catholic American. They had an Indian unity symbol designed representing their union and include signs important to both. They used their unity symbol thorough out the wedding. They explained its importance and significance by the guest sign-in table, then repeated it on napkins, the cake decorations, and other subtle ways including the thank you stationary

Other examples would be adding photos of the couple and generations of wedding photos of parents and grandparents.

More and more I have couples who want to show off their heritage with Greek Wedding Traditions. Latin and Asian touches are also common, as is anything from Belly Dancers for an Egyptian Couple or a Dad who dressed up as a Geisha to perform Japanese dances at his daughters wedding.

Additional trends: There are some definite trends this year over the past two years. The trend is back to elegant upscale large formal weddings. Budgets have expanded this year. The trend is "Grand Decorating". The ballroom is transformed into wedding wonderland with things like personalized Gobo lights, colored Up-lighting, foliage added around the room, cloth or lighted swags from the ceiling and doors, grand entrances created by florists, formal backdrops for the head tables and entertainment. All decorating details are covered including gorgeous flower arrangements, elegant table linens and chair coverings and charger base plates. The highlighted centerpiece of the room is a large Feasting table which includes the whole bridal party and their significant others.

Big dance bands are common again, along with white glove service and four- or five-course gourmet meals.

Wedding couples want the food and drink to be just as much of a focal point as the entertainment.

Another additions we have been selling are Flambé Dessert stations. They love to see the chef’s come out to the middle of the dance floor and entertain the guests with a Cooking Show. Brides not only love classic like bananas foster and cherries jubilee but have been choosing peach flambé on cinnamon ice cream and apple & cinnamon over French vanilla bean ice cream served in Martini Glasses and garnished with crumbled topping.

How can a bride best work with food and beverage to plan the reception of her dreams?

We have worked hard to create standard wedding packages offering items popular for our wedding guests and showing off our culinary flair. We also have tiered our packages to fit a variety of budgets. So, if a bride chooses to select from our standard options she is already set up for success.

But to answer your questions…To help her create her dream wedding… the first recommended step is to give your planner three or more expectations. What does she like? What style of service does she want, plated or buffet? What variety of food does she like or dislike? How many courses would she like? And the most important question, what is her food and beverage budget? Answers to these questions allow us to spread our wings and offer options. I also love to get our Executive Chef involved. He is a fantastic source of creative ideas. The chef and I either discuss ideas to present or set up a personal meeting with the wedding couple to discuss their expectations directly.

We confirm the bride’s choices during a food tasting. This allows our service staff and culinary team to show off before the big event. It gives us quality time with the couple to ensure every detail of their event is covered.

As their planner, I am always willing to suggest options I have seen that have been well received by other guests. If I don’t have the answers, I am able and willing to invite fellow team members to a meeting to help support and create her dream. It is also part of my job to read about the latest trends in magazines and speak to other wedding professionals both within Marriott and in the community.

Are there any trends related to bar service you are seeing? (a themed drink with the couple's name, etc.)

Yes, the trends have been upscale bars, adding elevated Brands such as Grey Goose, Johnny Walker Black Label and Flavored liquors are a must.

Adding Martini Bars are a huge hit. They feature not just the standard cosmopolitans, green apple, and Dirty Martinis but new favorites like Chocolate, Key Lime and Gasparilla Groves.

Of course, we love to add an Ice Luge to any bar as a fun option for guests. They can select their favorite drink and have it chilled instantly as it is poured through the luge.

Brides love tropical drinks. Our bartenders have competed among themselves to create signature drinks. The wedding guests all get excited telling each other about the Howie Wowie or the Pink Mahalo.

I have had several brides request a personalize drink for the reception. The most recommended option is Champagne cocktail passed butler style as the guests arrive. Depending of the bride’s favorites we add things like Kir Royale to champagne and garnish with fresh raspberries or peach nectar and garnish with a lime twist.

To plan a Marriott wedding, call the Marriott of your choice and ask to consult with the hotel's wedding event planner. For more information on Marriott Hotels, Resorts, and Suites, call 1-800-228-9290 or see www.marriott.com.

Photo courtesy Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel and Marina