Part of Jewish culture is a love of food. Some say that Jews love their food more than their drink! The meal is something to look forward to at a Jewish wedding or barmitzvah, and an opportunity to sample tantalizing culinary delights. Throwing a party is like show business, and to become a good host, and ensure all runs smoothly, it is recommended to hand the job over to a dedicated team of professional kosher caterers.

These “full-service” catering companies specialize in organizing wedding and barmitzvah parties and nothing else. They design and customize your function and manage every meticulous detail of your party from inception through to fruition. With the help of a specialized team, you have the opportunity to relax and let them make your doo an exciting, memorable and successful one.

What does the term Kosher mean?
In their most “biblical” form, Jewish Dietary Laws state:
Pork, rabbit, eagle, owl, catfish, sturgeon, and any shellfish, insect or reptile are non-kosher.
Other species of meat and fowl must be slaughtered in a prescribed manner to be kosher.
Meat and dairy products may not be made or consumed together.

A kosher food that is processed or cooked together with a non-kosher food, or any derivative of a non-kosher food, becomes non-kosher. For example, food coloring derived from a shellfish and used in a cake makes the cake non-kosher.

While Jewish Dietary Laws originated in the Bible (Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 17), they have been codified and interpreted over the centuries by rabbinical authorities. Likewise, definitions of kosher have evolved in response to changes in the food industry, the Jewish People, and world culture.

The use of banquets has become a popular way of holding such large events as a wedding reception. When you are beginning to plan for the big day, one of the first items on the wedding plan is finding the right banquet hall for the reception. There are many questions you will have such as large a hall do you need? Once you have settled on the size, you will need to know what services the hall will provide to make your wedding day memorable and glitch-free.
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rMost banquet halls will have a wedding specialist on staff. Spend some time discussing your dreams and let the specialist guide you through the process. The wedding planner will help you determine the size of hall you need, and work out a menu. You will want to consider the size of dance floor, stage, and head table when deciding if the room will work for your affair.
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rA wedding coordinator at a banquet hall can recommend everything from flowers, limousine service, cakes, balloons, DJ, bands, photographers, videographers, invitations, matches, napkins, tux rentals and dresses.
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rPart of the planning at the hall will include choice of linens, chair covers, ceiling decorations, specialty lighting. The banquet hall will provide a podium and microphone. A color theme will be chosen and followed through to all your specified details. As well, the centerpieces and candelabra will be provided. Of course, catering is also part of the service offered at banquet halls. Many banquet hall service providers will offer a sampling to the bride and groom when they are making menu choices.
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rMost banquet halls will offer many options, from casual cocktails and finger foods to formal sit-down multi-course dinners. Some offer printed menu cards at each table. Hors d’oeuvres served during the reception line are an option offered by most halls. Champagne for the toasts can be included in wedding packages at many halls, as well as late-night coffee and tea service. Some offer hot towels after the meal.
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rThe banquet hall provides professional wait staff to ensure that the meal is served and cleared smoothly and with great care. The hall also provides china and silver so that the meal is presented most elegantly. The hall will provide coat check service, and bar set-up and attendants. They also provide ample parking to accommodate all your guests.
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rSome banquet halls have a wedding chapel on the premises. They will organize the music, flowers and seating in the chapel. Other halls provide a grand piano and experienced piano player to maintain an ambiance for your guests throughout the reception. Other banquet halls have a bridal suite attached which is a room with an ensuite bath in which the happy couple can rest, refresh, and find a few calm moments. Other banquet halls will provide airport shuttle service for out-of-town guests. Some banquet halls have gardens that provide beautiful backdrops for photos of the wedding party. Banquet halls attached to a hotel often offer rooms to the bride and groom, and wedding guests, at a discount.
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rThere are many choices of venue for your wedding. When considering which banquet hall to choose, keep in mind your own personal tastes, which space feels comfortable to you, which options offered are important, and how it all fits your wedding budget. Renting a banquet hall will make your joyous occasion even more wonderful.

Why Get a Wedding Planner?

For couples, the wedding is one of the most fantastic and
exciting events in their lives. It is the time when they
finally give the vow to love each other for better or
poorer, in sickness and in health, well, you get the idea.

But on the other hand, planning the wedding can be a
stressful experience because there are a lot of things that
the couple needs to consider.

For one, there’s the date of the wedding. Unless they have
already decided on it, it is something that needs careful
consideration. Aside from that, other things like the
venue, number of guests and even the handing out the
invitations should also be taken into the equation.

Mind blowing isn’t it? Good thing there are wedding
planners. They are the ones who offer their services to
couples who simply want to focus on the ceremony and leave
everything to somebody else who can do the job.

But why get a wedding planner? It’s because they have the
right connections to turn the couple’s plans into a
reality. For one, they have connections with suppliers who
can give huge discounts which spells a lot of savings for
the couple.

But more than the connections, they also have the
experience to turn a dull wedding into a memorable one.
They already know what will and will not work so insights
from an experienced wedding planner would be very valuable.

So for couples who want a smooth sailing wedding, getting
wedding planner is indeed a must.

Wedding Invitations

Wedding invitations are the ones sent out by couples to
their guests that gives the guests important things about
the wedding.

First of all, the style of the invitation usually gives a
clue about the wedding’s motif. If it’s green and gold, for
example, it would be safe to say that those should be the
type of colors worn by the wedding sponsors.

The place and time of the wedding can also be found inside
the invitation. If the place is unfamiliar, couples will
usually provide a map and the directions on how to get to
the venue.

Also, invitations serve to limit the number of guests and a
way for the couple to determine how many guests will
actually arrive. An RSVP is normally included in the
invitation so that guests can confirm their presence during
the celebration.

The printing of wedding invitations should be planned
several months in advance. At least two months should be
devoted for this one.

First of all, the printing of invitations may take at least
a month depending on the workload of the company who will
print it. Couples too, would still have to canvas for a
good company that provides a reasonable price and
turnaround time.

Aside from printing, couples will still have to send them
out to their guests. While there are some invitations that
they can send personally, there are those that need to be
mailed. So time is an important factor in having wedding
invitations. The large bulk of the wedding depends on the
humble invitation letter.

Tips on Buying an Engagement Ring

The engagement ring is given by a groom to-be to his future
wife as a symbol agreement of marriage between the two of
them. Its use dates back to the time of the ancient Romans
when men gave their future brides, not a fancy ring made of
expensive metal, but an iron hoop.

It’s a good thing that times have changed now and that
engagement rings already have a touch of class in them.

However, buying one can be a confusing task for the man,
especially if he has no idea about rings and even precious
metals and gemstones. Here’s a guide to help the clueless
men out there.

1. Take the girlfriend out shopping. While shopping for
other things, the man can try bringing his girlfriend
somewhere near rings are being sold. Pass by a shop and
pretend to look at them. More often than not, the woman
will give her opinion on what she thinks looks best among
those on display. This will give the man a hint on what to
buy.

2. While number 1 is lame, the man can also look into his
girlfriend’s sense of style. If she likes fancy dresses,
then the man should get a fancy ring that will surely,
well, tickle her fancy. Otherwise, a simple ring will do.

3. But if all else fails, it would be better for men to
bring their girlfriends along when buying the ring so men
can be sure what their women will like. However, they
should at least find creative ways of doing this rather
than simply saying, -Come on honey, let’s buy you an
engagement ring.-

Tips on Buying a Wedding Ring

The wedding ring is the ultimate symbol of the couple’s
union and their vow of being faithful to each other. It is
worn on the couple’s left ring finger because of an ancient
belief that it had a vein that led directly to the heart.

One of the first steps that a couple takes before their
wedding is buying a wedding ring for each of them. This is
an important step because they are choosing something that
will symbolize their union throughout the rest of their
lives.

Here are some tips on buying a wedding ring for couples who
are looking for one.

1. Unlike engagement rings, wedding rings do not need to
look fancy. Most wedding rings are simple bands with very
little design on the surface. Besides, grooms have already
broken the bank in buying the engagement ring, so he might
as well find rings that will fit not only his and his
future bride’s fingers, but also his now depleted budget.

2. Couples usually choose to engrave their names or a
simple statement inside their wedding bands. While most
jewellers offer this service for free or include this
already in the bill, the couple should check out first if
this is the case in their jewellery shop of choice.

3. The couple should also be aware of the average prices of
different precious metals so they can choose what will fit
their budget. This is to prevent couples from adjusting
their budget to the price rather than the other way around.

The World’s Different Wedding Customs and Traditions

While weddings are held in celebration of the union of the
couple, different cultures approach this ceremony
differently. Sure, there are some similarities there are
still subtle differences that set one culture from another.

Here are some ways different cultures celebrate their
weddings as well as some traditions that each culture
initiated.

1. Philippines

- typical weddings in the Philippines include customs such
as the bride disallowed from meeting the groom a day before
their wedding. Doing so means bad luck according to them.
Then there’s the belief that siblings cannot get married on
the same year because one of them will meet an accident if
they do.

2. Germany

- this is where the idea of having a best man is said to
have begun. In ancient Germany, some grooms kidnapped women
from other villages to make them their wives. A trusted
aide helps them do this and accompanies the groom during
the ceremony to fight off any relatives who interfere with
the ceremony.

3. China

- traditional Chinese weddings require the bride to change
three times during the ceremony! Then there’s the
requirement of colors gold and red when wrapping a gift.
They are said to symbolize wealth and happiness to the
couple.

4. Mexico

- during the reception, the couple’s guests form a
heart-shaped barrier around the couple. The newlyweds will
then do their first dance inside this heart.

5. Poland

- is where the tradition of pinning money on the newlyweds’
clothes while dancing began. It has since been practiced by
different cultures around the world.

Planning Your Wedding

Planning your own wedding can be a very rewarding and a
stressful experience all at the same time. Although you can
always acquire the services of a wedding planner, there’s
nothing more fantastic than the experience of taking a
hands-on approach on planning this event.

If you want to take a DIY approach to wedding planning,
below are some tips that can help you out.

1. Create a checklist

- having a checklist in handy helps you keep organized and
focused when planning your wedding. That way, you can track
whether you left out something or not and it also helps
prevent you from making unnecessary and unplanned expenses.

2. Prepare a list of contact details

- from your tailor to the venue, you should always have a
list of their contact details. Share it with your partner
so that the two of you can call the offices for follow-ups
before the day itself.

3. Make a list of your guests

- having this kind of list will help you estimate how many
guests you are planning to invite. This will also help in
determining how many guests you can actually invite
depending on your budget.

4. Come up with a budget

- from the clothes to the food, you should have a list of
your projected expenses for the wedding preparations. You
should also remember to add a buffer of several extra
dollars just in case unexpected expenses come up.

5. Prepare a program for your reception

- wedding receptions are boring if you only spend the time
eating. So make sure to come up with a program for your
reception. Make it something creative and something that
will be memorable not only for you but for your guests as
well.

Introduction to Weddings

The wedding is a ceremony that is celebrated anywhere in
the world. Different cultures have different ways of
performing this but all of them have the purpose of
formalizing a union between two individuals.

Originally, weddings were meant for a union between a man
and a woman only. However in recent years, there have been
parts of the world where same-sex marriages are allowed.

This still sparks controversy among the majority of the
population but this is something that has definitely
changed the way how people look at this ceremony.

As mentioned earlier, weddings are celebrated differently
by different cultures. While there are those who only
choose to have a simple ceremony, other cultures make a
banquet out of it. These large celebrations can last up to
several days.

Also, each culture has its way of performing the ceremony.
Sometimes, traditional ceremonies are combined with
religious practices that make for a truly unique wedding.
But things somehow change and there are newer practices
followed by couples in their wedding.

In past, the couple took a very active role of planning
their own wedding. Today, wedding planners make it
convenient for couples to plan their wedding by leaving
everything to the planner. All the couple has to do is
provide their budget and their vision for the wedding and
the wedding planner will do the rest.

However, no matter how uniquely different traditions hold
their weddings, what remains constant throughout the world
is that the couples are the stars in this ceremony.

Getting a Wedding Photographer

A wedding is never complete without a wedding photographer.
He is the one who captures the best moments of the wedding
through his lens. Without the photographer and his
pictures, there would be no way to look back at the
ceremony after a few years.

Of course, the couple’s friends and relatives can take
pictures of the event, but nothing beats shots taken by a
professional wedding photographer.

First of all, only photographers have the access to some of
the finest moments of a wedding. Sometimes this is done to
prevent people from crowding in one place to take pictures
during the ceremony.

Then there are also times when the relatives and friends
would rather watch the ceremony than snap pictures of the
couple.

But how do wedding photographers take fantastic pictures?
Good photographers always visualize their pictures even
before snapping them. That’s why it isn’t surprising to see
them going to the venue at least a day before the wedding.

By doing so, they will be able to anticipate what happens
during the wedding and be able to decide on the best angle
to take the pictures.

Aside from that, photographers also have a wide array of
equipment that will help them get the job done. Couples
don’t need to worry about dim shots or shots that are out
of focus because wedding photographers will always come in
prepared.

And since they already visualized their shots, the tools
that they will bring will be geared towards taking the best
pictures of the wedding.