Do you find yourself in the same boat as some of these brides, and maybe you aren’t sure where to start with self-catering? Before diving into the main course, check out these eight tasty and easy-to-prep side dishes that will help pull your reception together.

1. Bread Rolls

A true staple to a hearty meal, bread rolls serve well in any setting from casual to fine dining. Plus, guests often look forward to a bread roll before or during a meal. You can easily make them a few days before your wedding. They’ll stay fresh if you store them in a refrigerator.

If you’d prefer a different look, you could opt to bake or purchase loaves of bread from a local bakery and slice them shortly ahead of time. If aiming for a fine dining experience, look for rosemary or olive oil bread options.

2. Brown Rice

Brown rice makes a nice side dish since it pairs well with almost any meal. If you assume some of your guests might prefer white rice, you could opt to have both options — this pre-planning might appeal to kids especially.

You can add flavor to a large batch of rice with ingredients like Parmesan cheese and lemon juice. Rice works well for any budget, and you can prepare large batches of it ahead of time. Consider other options such as jasmine or wild rice, for a little extra flair.

3. Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

Potatoes can please any crowd, making them an obvious option when planning out side dishes. Scalloped potatoes make for an easy to prepare side dish, and you can easily find boxed recipes. A few boxed scallop side dishes would easily feed a smaller-scaled wedding, and you can easily prepare them the morning of your wedding. Alternatively, don’t be afraid to freeze scalloped potatoes if your schedule is maxed the morning of your big day.

4. White Cheddar Mac and Cheese

For the children and children-at-heart, mac and cheese likely hold a spot in many of your guest’s hearts. Don’t be shy when prepping this side dish, as it’ll likely see seconds and thirds before it runs out. With many different homemade recipes to choose from, consider what works best for your wedding. White cheddar adds a nice flavor to the standard mac and cheese, while the addition of lobster meat can create a more elegant option guests will surely be impressed by.

With this side dish, aim to appease the appetite of the kids in attendance, but wow your guests with the presentation of it alongside the rest of the meal.

5. Fresh Fruit Salad

It’s likely you or your guests might have specific dietary needs, so planning for this in advance will help ease any worries on the day of. A fresh fruit salad typically makes for a safe side dish, and you can prepare it the day before without losing any freshness.

When considering allergies though, you might want to create a card with a list of fruit in it for safe measure. To stick within budget, choose varying seasonal fruits in your area or compare local grocers and markets for upcoming promotions.

6. Steamed Veggies

Like fruit salad, steamed veggies help add color and nutrition to any guest’s plate. Consider which veggie color combinations work with the main course or pick out your favorites. This is an easy way to guarantee a veggie of choice for everyone since you throw varying ones together.

You can either mix them together in one bowl or steam them separately. With a burner under each container, if you’re hosting a buffet reception, they’ll stay fresh and tasty.

7. House Salad

A house salad offers something for anyone. Consider adding a salad to the meal, especially if planning a buffet meal. With a little lettuce prep, some veggies and toppings, but a few dressing options, guests can mix and match depending on their tastes.

If you’re not planning a buffet, create a standard house salad with basics such as romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, onions, croutons, and tomatoes. Have a vinaigrette-based dressing, and maybe a creamy dressing, ready to serve alongside it.

8. Roasted Potatoes

Consider adding in home cooked roasted potatoes for a simple yet delicious side option. Easy to prep, you simply need to cube regular sized potatoes, or slice them into smaller sizes. Mix the slices with olive oil and preferred spices, then bake them.

These potatoes last in the fridge and warm up quickly. They also pair well with most main dishes and dress up a plate compared to the standard baked potato.

Time to Get Cooking!

Whatever side dishes you decide to whip up, don’t feel pressured to turn them into a five-star dining experience. Primarily focus on making the foods you and your guests will enjoy, and ones that complement the vibe of your wedding.

The post Tasteful Side Dishes for a Self-Catered Wedding appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Gorgeous Vintage Silver Cake Stand

We absolutely adore this style of cake stand, specifically because it works well for most cakes. As you can see, it accentuates the beauty of the cake rather than taking away from it. This is perfect for simple and elaborate cakes, and will look amazing with both.

Simple Vintage Cake Stand

If you’re going for a vintage or rustic themed wedding, a simple vintage stand can be absolutely perfect. This one works very well for this simple and rustic cake, but a very elaborate cake would also look amazing. Because the stand is so simple, it will not take away from an elaborate cake, but also pairs well with simple ones.

Amazing Crystal Cake Stand

It doesn’t get much more elegant than these glittering crystals at the base of a wedding cake. This is unbelievably gorgeous and perfect for a very simple or traditional white wedding cake. Because it’s so glitzy, it probably wouldn’t work as well with a more elaborate, intricate cake. Sticking with a simple cake and a more elaborate stand or vice versa is best.

Simple Square Cake Stand

What we love most about this very simple, square, footed cake stand is that it acts as the perfect “frame” for the cake. It’s very simple, so an elaborate cake works very well on this one. It also has the added benefit that it’s square, which will look perfect with a square cake but is also quite beautiful with a round cake because it adds interest and contrast.

Beaded Crystal Cake Stand

This is another of those absolutely breathtaking cake stands. I mean, can you take your eyes away from that beauty? The best cake for this one? A simple cake, with few embellishments. Opt for a white or solid-color cake with a few flower blossoms or some simple piping and you’ll have the perfect pair.

Which one of these wedding cake stands is your favorite? Tell us about it in the comments below!

The post Elegant Cake Stands – The Beauty Shouldn’t Stop at the Fondant appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

1. Figs Prosciutto

Figs Prosciutto makes a delicious hors d’oeuvre for an elegant wedding. If you want to make them yourself, there are a variety of recipes you can go with. We love the simple method of stuffing the figs with goat cheese, wrapping them in prosciutto, roasting them and then adding a dab of honey to each. The combination of sweet figs, creamy goat cheese and smoked prosciutto is a palette pleaser for sure, and these go very well with white wine.

2. Glazed Salmon

The perfect fish entree to delight your guests is glazed salmon, and it’s perfect when served with fresh steamed vegetables or a variety of rice dishes. Salmon is such a versatile dish as well, so you can opt for a tangy glaze of honey and Dijon mustard, a sweeter glaze made of citrus fruit or a spicy glaze with an Asian flair.

3. Spicy Shrimp Cucumber Appetizer

For a cold hors d’oeuvre that packs a serious punch, go for the spicy shrimp cucumber appetizer. To make this one, combine 8 ounces of softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of Tabasco sauce, a dash of salt and pepper, and a teaspoon of paprika. Refrigerate the mixture for about 15 minutes while slicing fresh cucumbers into ½ inch rounds. Use a small melon-baller to scoop the mixture and place it on top of the cucumbers. Sauté fresh shrimp in butter and season with garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Add a small amount of very finely chopped red onion to the top of the cream cheese mixture and then press one shrimp onto each cucumber. Garnish with a fresh sprig of dill.

4. Duchess Potatoes

This delicious potato appetizer features very simple ingredients (mashed potatoes, butter, nutmeg and cream) but goes over very well with any crowd. If you’re planning to create these yourself, you can spice them up a bit by adding a variety of toppings, from bacon crumbles to goat cheese.

These are all fantastic options to add to your elegant wedding menu. Have you tried any of these? If so, what did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

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Bouquets

Cakes

Details

Outfits

Shoes

The post Shoes, Bouquets, Cakes, Dresses – Best of February Roundup appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Check out these Valentine’s Day gingerbread cookies from Cookmunk Cookies. They are absolutely gorgeous and the piping is flawless!

These stenciled lavender heart cookies are just beautiful. We love the polished, elegant look and the beauty of the muted lavender color. These are from Annie’s Custom Cookies.

We just love the simplicity and beauty of these “XO” cookies from Sweet Melissa’s Cookies. We especially love how one of the cookies is smooth and the other has white sprinkles for texture!

These heart cookies from Cookie Connection are simply to die for! We love how the different cookies match and how they’re available in virtually every color of the rainbow – making it easy to have cookies in your wedding colors!

These cookies are absolutely adorable – made with beautiful pink and white icing. We especially love the tattoo-style font!

We adore these Martha Stewart rhubarb sandwich cookies. They don’t have all the pretty piping, but they’re just as beautiful and elegant.

We’re in love with these Kate Spade inspired cookies from De Coeur Bake Shop!

Which of these are your favorite Valentine’s Day wedding cookies? What’s your favorite type of cookie in general? Let us know in the comments!

The post Gorgeous Valentine’s Day Wedding Cookies appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Bouquet

We’ve got a variety of lovely bouquets in store for you. From striking colors to very subtle ones, take your pick.

Cakes

This month, our featured cakes are either topped with cute little Mr. & Mrs. or adorned with beautiful flowers. Take that for contrast!

Details & Decors

Sign says: Please fill in one of the cards provided. Tell us what anniversary we should open it on the front of the envelope, and then seal with a sticker so that we’re not tempted to sneak a peek early!

Outfits

Even if it’s the groom who does not have the striking red vest, he still stands out from the lot!

Mismatched jewel toned bridesmaid dresses anyone?

Shoes

It’s a month filled with neutral colored elegant high heels but look out for our last one, very feisty and fiery!

The post November Favorites – Flowers, Shoes, Outfits, and Decor appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

The wedding gowns were provided by Clara Couture Bridal. One model was wearing a stunning designer mermaid gown, with an asymmetrical sweetheart neckline, and ruffled skirt; the other gown is from the new 2015 Pronovias collection, which showcases a beautiful low-cut semi-sheer back, with mother of pearl gemstone embroidery. The soft pink and the black sequins evening gowns were used create a contrast between the soft destination look, and the modern glamour style.

Vendors

Photographer:  L’Estelle Photography
Makeup Artist:  ACmakeup
Dress Store:  Clara Couture Bridal
Event Planner:  D’Love Affair Weddings & Events
Cake Designer:  Kitty Wong PastryShop
Floral Designer:  LeeJames Vintage Petals
Shoes:  Lords Shoes
Makeup Artist:  Tina Wu Make-Up Artist
Other Location:  Whytecliff Park
Invitation Designer:  Made In Print

The post Styled Shoot – Savagely Sweet appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

Bouquet

Cakes

Details

Nothing screams more elegant than a ballroom floor flashing your initials.

This kind of table setting will make you want to Instagram your dinner even if the food isn’t served yet.

If you have a destination wedding and your guests would be coming from all over the country, have them show their state pride by making them stick flags on this map. This will make you more grateful and loved that your friends and family took the time to travel all the way from where they live to celebrate your special day with you.

Aside from well wishes, why not ask for helpful ideas too? You may never know what treasure you can dig up from your guests. Bottles read: Date ideas, advices, and prediction for our future.

Wedding Dress

Shoes

The post October Favorites appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

 Glitter Wedding Table Numbers

This is a super easy way to add glitter to your wedding. Simply coat numbers in glue and dip in glitter for sparkly wedding table numbers.

Glittery Bridesmaids Dresses

Bedeck your bridesmaids in beautiful glittery dresses that sparkle in the lights. There are so many beautiful sparkling dresses that will look fantastic at any wedding.

Glittery Wedding Cakes

Glitter isn’t just limited to the things you can look at, but you can “glitterize” the things you eat as well. There are many beautiful glittery wedding cake designs that you can choose from to ensure that your cake is a sparkly success.

The Invitations

You can start your wedding out on the right (gleaming) foot by sending out sparkling wedding invitations.

Glittery Centerpieces

Add some sparkle to your tables with glittering centerpieces like these. They will sparkle in the lights beautifully and add some glamour to your tables.

These are just a few great ideas for adding glitter to your wedding!

The post 8 Ways to Add Glitter to Your Wedding appeared first on Elegant Wedding.

1. Simple Orange Peony Cake

This beautiful cake is a round three-tier, ivory cake but it really pops with orange lines around the base of each tier and gorgeous orange peonies.

2. Ivory and Orange Elaborate Cake

This cake is truly stunning; it’s a 5-tier round cake with beautiful ivory and pale orange designs. The ivory and white blossoms really contrast with the rest of the cake, creating a beautiful effect.

3. Orange Cake and Cupcakes

This is a really clever cake; there are two tiers in ivory with orange embellishments, and the bottom two tiers of “cake” are cupcakes! This makes it easy to serve to guests, but you still have cake for the bride and groom to cut.

4. Ivory Cake with Orange Roses

This playful ivory cake is a three-tier cake featuring colorful ribbons and red bows. The top is covered with beautiful orange rose blossoms. It’s whimsical and very charming.

5. Gray Cake with Orange Flowers

Gray and orange go extremely well together, as seen by this stunning three-tier round and square cake. It features white borders around the base of each tier and beautiful orange blossoms.

6. Ivory Cake with Whimsical Flowers

This beautiful cake has a crafty, boho feel. With handmade flowers that look a lot like the popular fabric flowers that have been around the social networking sites as of late, this cake is whimsical and pretty. It combines orange with yellow and red for a fiery look.

7. Orange Ombre Wedding Cake

This beautifully decorated cake features orange ombre piping, which is the only embellishment. This gives a very simple but also sophisticated look to the cake. It’s perfect for any season!

Hopefully these gorgeous cakes have given you a little inspiration and will help you as you choose your own wedding cake.

The post 7 Beautiful Wedding Cakes Featuring the Color Orange appeared first on Elegant Wedding.