Planning a Commitment Ceremony

My girlfriend and I are planning on having our commitment ceremony within the next year or two (haven't set a date yet and trying to budget correctly first so we can see when it'll work out the best for us financially).

We'd ideally like an outdoor venue where we can have the ceremony and reception together. We'd also love for it to be as DYI as possible, our own food/drinks, decorations, iPod instead of DJ, etc. For food, we don't want to go as casual as a BBQ, but we would like it to be way more casual than a sit down dinner. Any food ideas or venue ideas in PA, NJ area that anyone can give us? Thank you so much for any help or advice.

By Clueless326 from Philadelphia, PA

Answers:

Planning a Commitment Ceremony

First of all congratulations on your upcoming commitment ceremony. I do not have any necessarily specific locations to suggest, but I do have some items you may want to consider when searching for your outdoor venue.

1. Look for sites that offer shelter in case of poor weather or that allow tents.
2. Ensure that food can be cooked on-site and there is water nearby. Otherwise you will need to rent washing stations.
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3. See if there are restrooms available or again they will need to be rented.

Larger state parks may be ideal and have great scenery. Other considerations are beach side sites, or public gardens. Or if you know someone with a large home on several acres this would work too.

As for a reception I would suggest going with a cocktail style with heavier hors devours served via buffet or themed table. You can also mix in some carving stations, or have a Mexican station, sweet table, etc. I would use hy-boy cocktail tables and then create lounge areas for people to sit down and rest.

I hope that gets your creative juices flowing. Good luck with your planning and if I can be of any other help just drop me a message. (06/05/2010)

By theflowerlady

Planning a Commitment Ceremony

Ridley Creek state park in Delaware County outside Philadelphia has a great indoor and outdoor sites at the mansion. If I remember correctly, no alcohol allowed outside only. And there's a question about what actual cooking can he done on site.

Moonlight Caterers out in the Brandywine area, at www.moonlightcatering.net has reasonable prices, out of this world food, even for vegetarians (one of the best hummus recipes I've ever tasted). All cooking is done right out of their van, fresh at the site.

Good luck with whatever choices you make! (06/05/2010)

By Nica