When you are planning your cocktail hour you should think about various ideas to enhance that 45 minute period while you are taking pictures with your husband. If you are planning a destination wedding why not have local entertainment and offer a rum tasting station.

These are all simple ideas that will have your guests appreciating your chosen wedding destination even more.

Photos by http://portfolio.shiprapanosian.com/

If you're working on wedding reception seating (or have seen people working on their seating charts!) you know it's a somewhat stressful situation. Once you figure out the puzzle of assigned seats — if that's the kind of reception you're hosting — it's time to figure out escort cards. We put together a helpful, three-point decoder to writing, arranging and assigning escort cards to all of your guests. Read on!

How do escort, place and table cards differ? Do I need them all?
If you're having designated seating, you'll need them all. An escort card, typically situated on a table near the entrance to your reception room, lists a guest's table number. It's often tucked into a miniature envelope with the guest's name written on the outside (right). A place card is put at his specific seat; write the guest's name on both sides of the card so everyone knows who their tablemates are. A table card is the piece of paper that identifies the table, usually with a number. Alternatively, you could name the tables after your favorite vacation spots, flowers, love songs or other things meaningful to you.

What's the best way to arrange the escort cards?
If you're doing assigned tables at your reception, you'll need to have escort cards (sometimes called "seating cards"), which direct a guest to his or her assigned dining table. Usually, they are printed or calligraphed with the guest's first and last name (titles such as "Mr." and "Mrs." are optional) and the table number. All of the cards are then displayed on a special table near the reception entrance, where the guest can easily access it. For guests' ease, the cards should then be arranged in alphabetical order by last name. Traditionally, you would write one escort card per couple (married or unmarried), one card for someone with a guest, and one card for families. Here are some examples of how these cards should be addressed:

For a married couple (formal):
Mr. and Mrs. John Stevens

For a married couple (less formal): 
John and Jane Stevens

For an unmarried couple, alphabetize the guests according to their last name:
Elizabeth Harris and Thomas Smith

For someone with a guest:
Andrew Chan and Guest

For a family: 
The Craft Family

I'm about to write out the place cards. Does each unmarried guest get his own? Does the same rule apply to table cards?
First, let's get the types of cards straight. Place cards mark each seat at the bride's and parents' tables, but are optional elsewhere, except at very formal weddings. If you want to designate each seat, every guest will need his own place card, whether he's single or not. Table cards (also called escort cards) direct people to their tables; solo guests should all get their own, but a couple can share one.


Taken from http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2014/07/wedding-escort-card-ideas-questions-answers.html

http://www.norsehillestate.com/

 We had the pleasure of doing a wedding here at the start of the year, and it really was a hidden gem. You would never have known this area even existed unless you are a natural born traveller...our bride and groom sure were!

Norse Hill Villa is tucked up in the cool green hills of Portland with stunning views over the ocean and surrounding mountains. The sounds of the many species of birds permeate the air and the smell of all the local flowers are in full bloom. It is a calm, tranquil location that is far from the beaten track, but in a safe secure area.

The guests in attendance at the wedding were certainly enamored with the location, and more importantly the island on a whole. It was our plan to bring the food, drink and culture of the island to the venue so everyone could get a sample of what Jamaica had on offer. Needless to say, they had a wonderful time sampling local rums, tasting local desserts and trying some of the fabulous food we are known for.

It was truly a magnificent opportunity to venture to a new location and add another idyllic setting to our list as an option for all our future brides. But even more exciting, Norse Hill Estate asked us to be their preferred wedding planner. 

So dear readers, if you plan on having your wedding for an intimate group of family and friends, then why not check out Norse Hill Estate.

Enjoy x