CUB FOODS

A budget doesn’t have to stop you from having your dream wedding

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER

Prices for everything are on the rise these days. Planning your wedding is no different. You may have to make a few tweaks to afford it all, but you can still have your dream wedding.

If you are trying to keep the budget in balance and still plan a beautiful and tasteful wedding, rehearsal dinner or other gathering, Cub Foods can help.

Plan to meet with the managers at Cub Foods and let them know the size of your guest list. They will work with you to create possibilities for your menu that won’t break the bank but will still impress your guests. And it doesn’t stop at the food.

The cake decorators from the Cub Foods bakery can create a full-sized sheet cake that is professionally and elegantly decorated that will serve nearly 100.

A walk through the vibrant floral department at Cub Foods and you will already be envisioning the centerpieces for the tables, your wedding bouquet and more for the bridal party and boutonnieres for the men.

From the flowers to the wedding cake, to the food for your reception, Cub Foods can be your one stop to get it all done. Let Cub Foods help you to have the affordable, yet beautiful, wedding you’ve always dreamed of.

Big Cakes... small cakes... Cup Cakes...

JUST A CALL AWAY!

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

(Everything but the Wedding)

BY SHEILA HELMBERGER

Your wedding is the culmination of months, even years, of planning. So, it can be more than a little fun when the weeks leading up to your wedding include events that others will plan to celebrate you. While some of the events have changed and evolved during the years, they are still special parts of the weeks leading up to your wedding.

The Wedding Shower

This is the day to let your friends and family “shower” you with well wishes. You may have more than one shower if your own family, future in-laws or friends host separate gatherings. Female friends and relatives of the bride once attended the wedding shower. Today’s showers can include both members of the wedding couple and include everyone.

The budget for the shower is up to the host(s). There will be decorations to purchase, invitations to send, either through the mail or online, a light menu to plan, and then, there are those famous shower games to organize.

Any venue that can accommodate the size of the guest list will be suitable for the shower. Whether it’s held in a private home or yard, a rental space or other gathering area, you’ll need space for all your guests, tables for the food, the dessert and the gifts.

While the mention of a shower game can create a line for the restroom, they can double as a great ice breaker and often lead to plenty of laughs.

Bachelor and Bachelorette Party

The guest list for the bachelor or bachelorette party will probably look a little bit different than the one for the shower.

While the event used to be one night, today the parties often include entire weekends and sometimes travel to popular vacation spots. The party sometimes includes activities the group can do together such as a weekend playing golf or skiing, time in a spa, a tour of local breweries or wineries, or a night on the town with a designated driver. Party guests sometimes gift the wedding couple playful or intimate gifts to add to the fun.

Other ideas for the party include doing a group activity together. Hire a chef to teach the group how to cook a signature dish or host a craft night where guests can create oneof-a-kind gifts to keep or give to the wedding couple.

Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal dinner, or groom’s dinner, follows the practice for the wedding ceremony the night before your wedding. This is another place that allows the couple to add an individualized touch. Whether the dinner is an informal cook-out, or a more formal sit-down dinner at your favorite restaurant, it includes the wedding party and both sides of the family who attended the rehearsal and their guests. While this event is a bit more low-key, plan to wrap up the night a little early as the big day is just around the corner.

Wedding Party Gifts

The people in your wedding party are important to you. They’ve been here every step of the way. Say thank you to each with a gift that serves as a special keepsake.

From candles to jewelry or monogrammed glassware, your attendants will treasure a gift they know you chose just for them.

If you’re not sure what to give, it can be fun to choose something practical for them to use either before or during the wedding, such as jewelry or cuff links, a monogrammed make-up bag or toiletry bag or a comfortable set of loungewear. Make sure to include age-appropriate gifts for younger members of the wedding party.