BRIDAL GUIDE asked me to come up with a elegant wedding idea for fifty guests at a budget of $5,000:  It’s strictly ballroom these days thanks to the Hollywood’s current culture craze. So it’s time to celebrate in Tinseltown style and have your first wedding dance under the stars.  Here’s how you can pull it off brilliantly…

VENUE: Ballroom Dance Studio

THEME: Dancing Under The Stars

GRAND ENTRANCE: Red Carpet & Stanchions (Rentals) Guests will walk the red carpet and enter through Dance Studio Entrance.

COLOR THEME: Ruby Red, Dark Teal, Silver, & White

ROSE CONSTELLATION (STARS): The star effect is created using LED Floralytes tucked into roses hung with clear fishing line. 100 to 150 rose lights can be hung by pinning in the acoustic tiles or, pinned into fabric or hung from clear netting.

Rose Constellation Photo By: Soo Photography.com

MUSIC: Typically Dance Studios have a sound system in place, so you can load up your MP3 player with hours of the perfect dance music.  Go to www.abc.com to the Dancing with the Stars on the ABC website for a list of the music played each week and make your music play list from this.

ENTERTAINMENT: Hire a ballroom dance couple for an hour at the reception to teach a few steps and to entertain your guests.

ADDITIONAL DECOR: Give your dance-shy guests a place to hang out and drape a few tall cocktail tables with Teal Linen and create vase luminaries to give the glowing star effect by wrapping star punched craft paper around straight, clear, candle-filled glass vases. Tuck a few votives and rich red rose heads around the base of the luminaries so your centerpieces will have a touch of elegance.  Add additional chairs around the studio when your guests feel like sitting one out.

FAVORS: If the dance studio has a ballet bar, hang custom CD’s with your favorite dance tunes. They’ll reflect the light for a Disco Ball effect and let them double as the wedding favors. An alternative idea is to send your parched guests home with a bottle of spring water with a custom star-themed label from Beaucoup Fine Favors or Silver Star Bath Beads from Loop Creations, so they can kick of their dancing shoes and relax their tired feet.

MENU: For this party budget, the caterer can provide the 5 additional passed hors d’oeuvres, various cigar cookies, and the service to include the Caviar Station Attendant.

- DIY American Caviar Tasting Station -

You don’t have to spend a fortune to enjoy this ocean treasure. The American Caviars such as Hackleback Sturgeon, Paddlefish, and Flavored Whitefish Roe are very affordable, decadent and can be creatively displayed and served with traditional accoutrements to include lemon slices, crème fraiche, and toast points. With gourmet infused flavors such as Truffle, Ginger, and Beet-Saffron from San Francisco’s Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Company, this station is sure to impress your guests!

To make it even more special, ask the caterer to provide a station attendant (This person can also manage portion control.)

The tasting station should be set up using a 6ft. table with a shimmery Teal Tablecloth such as Wildflower Linen’s Iridescent Teal Taffeta.

Use Tall Clear Glass Vases partially filled with rock salt or recycled glass chips. Rock salt can be found very inexpensively at any local hardware store.  Recycled glass chips can be purchased online from American Specialty Glass.

Photo By: Soo Photography.com

Nestle in tall, extended branches and hang silver star ornaments among the branches to add sparkle. The caviar can be displayed and served using two–part martini glasses that often double as caviar servers.

- Passed Hors d’oeuvres Menu Ideas -

Mini ‘Cobb’ with Watercress, Shaved Point Reyes Blue Cheese,
Crisped Pancetta, & Early Girl Tomato Vinaigrette Drizzle
Served in Tiny Butter Lettuce Cups and Garnished with Quail Egg

Dungeness Crab & Asparagus Tartlets “Au Gratin”
with Red Torpedo Onion Marmalade

Sambuca Marinated Breast of Chicken
Wrapped in Hobbs Rustica Prosciutto on Crostinis with Scallion Pesto

Medallions of Porcini & Garlic Marinated Beef Tenderloin
with “ Merlot-Morel Jus” on Rosemary Ciabatta Rounds

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms, Toasted Pine Nuts and Banyuls Glace,
on Herbed-Asiago Brioche Bread Pudding

- A Sweet Stogie Ending -

Ending with Cigars is a luxury experience.  A perfect end to an elegant evening, without the smoke, would be passing “stogie” sweets: a myriad of handmade Butter Tuille, Florentine, and Meringue cigar-shaped cookies, elegantly displayed in cigar boxes.

Additional ideas include, replacing the inside box label with a custom design, or you can even individually wrap the cookies with custom cigar labels.  Empty cigar boxes can be found for a bargain price or free at your local smoke shop.  The cookies can be purchased at your local bakery or the caterer might have a pastry chef available.  You might even find something acceptable at a gourmet grocery store. – LM