Is it really all about the food?

Food is important on your special day, if it is great, it is a big plus, if it is bad you are doomed. The main reason it is so important is to keep your guests interested in everything else that is happening. When people get over hungry, they get cranky, fidgety, anxious and UN-interested. Knowing this, the timing of the food is actually more important than the food itself. Thus the timing of your Wedding sets the tone for the whole event, and the whole day for that matter. If your Wedding starts at 11am, people will already be starting to get hungry, and they still will have to wait to re-energize until 1 or 2pm by the time the ceremony is over, then they move to the reception site, wait for your photographer to finish with pictures, and various other things that need to happen before the food in on their plate in front of them.

You should try to time your Ceremony shortly after a normal meal time, but not so close to a meal time that guests miss the previous meal before the event. Also you must make sure that once you set the timing, you stick to it. I MC’d a reception a while back on a hot summer day and the Wedding was late, the pictures took forever and the meal was served over an hour late. This is not a good thing, prime rib doesn’t wait well and neither do the guests. This is something that can happen even with the best planning.

As a Bride, it is hard to understand how overwhelming your special day can be. There is a lot going on at any moment. Professionals in the business have conditioned themselves for these things, but the main actors in your special day come in with little or no training. Your folks, your bridal party, the Groom and groomsmen, transportation, water heaters keeping up with 10 showers. It is easy for the schedule to snowball with minor delays one right after another, none huge derailments, but combined - disastrous.

Make sure you leave extra time in your schedule the morning before. You need a bit of time to relax and allow for minor things that just happen. One thing that you do need to do, even if you never do it on other days, is stick to the timing that you have set.

Back to the food- what you have is not nearly as important as if it is served on time. The best Chefs will stick to the schedule that you have given them. Their food deserves to be served at its best, and its best is on time. Even EggSalad sandwiches suck when they get crusty on top, and then there is the whole mayo bacteria thing! Cooking Lobster for 100 people is not easy, serving any meal for 250 people is all about timing.

One other thing about the food, for me, as a professional- I do not eat at your function. I eat well before and after. Maybe I will drink a protein shake during or something and I drink plenty of water. As an MC and DJ, one of the most important times for me to be paying attention to what is happening and about to happen, is during dinner. I am out and about, talking with the Bride, visiting tables, getting requests, making sure that the next event is prepared. For me, food makes me tired, and I need my energy to be on 10 throughout your event. High Energy is contagious, and at the very least keeps your guests interested in what is happening. I know a lot of professionals that thrive on what you are going to feed them… I do not, as a matter of fact, I tell my Brides to make sure not to count me as a meal that they have to pay for, I don’t eat it anyway.

So what time should your event be? There are a lot of things to take in to consideration. When can guests most easily arrive? When can you be ready? What temperature will it be? How late can your Venue allow loud music? How long will the flowers stay perky? Are you having appetizers, then dinner?

I am currently working with a Bride who is going to have food ongoing throughout the entire event, no sit down meal. No worries about guests getting too hungry, or the food being ruined. Let’s face it, it is really not all about the food, it is about the events of the most special day of your life. If you plan a bit, there will be no distractions and everyone will be energized and excited about all of the special traditions that you will be creating on your special Wedding day!

So, really, it is not all about the Food, it is about your Wedding, joining with your partner in life. Plan ahead, stick to a schedule, and hire the right professionals that will make things follow those important timing issues, so you can go through your day just getting married and partying with your friends and family.

Need help creating the right timing and atmosphere? Call me… my first planning consultation is without any obligation. Let’s find out if my services are a match for creating that special event!
Ed McCurdy MC/DJ  VJEd

“Why just listen to music, when you can watch it?”

I can create instantaneous slide show of your wedding pics on my multiple screens in time for dinner!
207-944-8559
BangorDJVJEd.com