For those of us Doing Crawfish Boil Receptions

We are having a crawfish boil for our reception and for those that don't eat crawfish we are having steamed/boiled shrimp. Some of our appetizers will be smoky cheese balls (which can be prepared ahead of time) bacon dip w/carrots/celery... finger sandwiches.

With my invitations I plan on putting that it is a crawfish boil - but our wedding is going to be small and most people invited know but I don't want anyone to be caught off guard by wearing something that they may not want to smell like crawfish.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your reply. It was very helpful. I'm keeping the attire to simple non dressy clothes, eventhough I plan to wear a wedding gown and then change into my 1st Wedding Dress (it's an informal Sun Dress that I don't care if it smells like Crawfish). I will also inform them that if they don't want the smell of crawfish to bring a change of clothes. I know for a fact that I want to do something maybe with veggies and dip and then maybe chips and different kinds of dip and freshly made salsa or guacamole, but I wasn't sure if those really went with crawfish boils. I know for our reply cards we're going to put # for Crawfish Boil & # for BBQ that way the Vegetarians/kids/and non-crawfish eaters feel like they're going to have to eat before they come or after b/c there's nothing they will like or enjoy. Are you putting directions on how to crack open the crawfish? I think it's a good idea just so we don't have anyone coming to us with "how do we open the crawfish?"

If you want to keep with the cajun theme then I would suggest serving Boudin and mini meatpies (you can also get crawfish pies but not my personal favorite) Don's out of Lafayette, LA makes some really good boudin and it is best grilled in my opinion. http://www.cajungrocer.com/dons-specialty-meats-pork-boudin-p-1620.html This is one of my favorite lil treats!

Also the Natchitoches Meatpie company makes some really good mini meatpies. I am not sure if they will ship them to you but it is worth calling them. http://www.coushatta.la.phonepagesinc.com/Food%20And%20Kindred%20Products/

When is your reception? You could always order a king cake from haydels out of New Orleans http://www.haydelbakery.com/ My personal favorite is the cream cheese filled. I

love the boiled shrimp idea too! We put broccoli and mushrooms in our boils sometimes also. As far as kids and vegetarians, I can't really help you there. Kids around here grow up eating all that.

Thanks for your ideas ladies. Adding Broccoli could work. My hubby doesn't like mushrooms so we're axing those from the menu, except if we do grilled portobellos for the vegetarians. I love the idea of the king cakes, however our reception is in June. I could always see if the bakery that where I'm hoping we will have our Vow Renewal at of The Louisiana Castle which includes our cake and groomscake in the price can do something like that for us eventhough it is in June. I can't wait to finally try one. My in-laws are taking my son there in a few weeks for Mardi Gras and bringing home a King Cake, Muffelatas, and Pettite Fours from Gambinos (which is where they bring back all the goodies from and we had when I was out there last Dec. The Rumball is to Die for). We were thinking of having our Venue at Mulate's or Michaul's in the French Quarter as well and making everything Walking Distance. Have you ever been to either one?

I have been to Mulates in New Orleans with the last time a year ago today actually and after a night of Mardi Gras it was the best food!!! It is a laid back atmosphere and really nice if they have live music going. There are better places to get that type of food but those places are usually hole in the wall type places not really good venues for a wedding so Mulates might be a good decision. I love the idea of everything in walking/cheap cab fare distance! As far as the king cakes, I know some bakeries should be able to make them out of season. We have ordered them for work at other times of the year.

For ours, we will have the potatoes, corn, mushrooms, etc...I was at a crawfish boil for the super bowl where they actually boiled chicken-breasts in the crawfish water! It was amazing!!! Tasted better than the crawfish. We may through some in with ours. Ours is super-informal, though so we can get away with whatever we want.

We are also going to do hamburgers and hotdogs for the kiddos and anyone who doesn't like crawfish.

For 'appetizers' you could also think about boudin-balls...

I liked the post about mini-meatpies!!! I may actually try to order some of those! You can also find recipes for mini-king cakes and make them yourself!

I love the idea of the boiled chicken. I might suggest that instead of bbqed chicken to my husband and have that with the potatos and corn for an option for the non-crawfish eaters. I am also doing burgers, either veggie burgers or grilled portobello mushrooms for Vegetarians, and Hot Dogs, that way there is something for everyone even the few kids we're having. I think trying to make everything within walking distance or a cheap cab-fare distance will help us not need to provide transportation for everyone, including the few elderly that will be there. I'm trying to also plan it near a bar since I don't want an open bar and my hubby does so that we can have an after party at one of the bars in the French Quarter also within walking distance and NOBODY IS DRINKING AND DRIVING! I know Louisiana and you can drink and drive there, which I would feel so guilty if someone got into an accident after especially if my son was in the car with one of them. I'm almost thinking Crawfish Boil will

Be our Rehearsal Dinner. I've gone back to the one location I really love in Franklinton called the Louisiana Castle and so much is included in their price even adding the ceremony is all under $10,000 (more around $7,000) for a beautiful location, where food, non-alcoholic drinks, DJ for both Ceremony and Reception and lets you play your own music from CDs you make, Decor (except for Guest Tables which isn't a big deal), Bride & Groom Cakes, Ceremony Area Florals, Buffet Table Florals, a Guest Book (as their gift), The location looks like a beautiful castle for a fraction of the price of Disney and that count is for 125 people each additional guest is only $29 a head (which isn't bad and includes ceremony and meal). The only other things we would have to find for that location would be a Photographer, a florist to buy a few flowers to put in vases I'm decorating myself with ribbon for the guest tables and hair and makeup. It's an unbeatable price for something elegant.

That is a great price for the castle. I don't know anyone that has gotten married there but I see them advertising all the time around here. I am having a destination also and I am going to order my flowers online (that I've used before) and try to get some cheap vases either at Michael's or get someone I know to order them wholesale and do it myself, with help from family friends. Wish I could help you with hair, makeup, and photography but I don't know of anyone off hand.

They have someone on their list through the Louisiana Castle that they recommend for hair and make up and she does them both, so I wouldn't have to find 2 separate people to do it. I plan to buy vases either from Michaels or the Dollar Store. To have a "Fairy Tale Cinderella Theme Wedding" at Disney for 125 people would cost us a Boat Load, and even for a couple being on a budget and throwing together a Vow Renewal with something "Fairytale" theme for that price you can't beat it. As I look at the pictures of it especially I would love having a picture of us walking down the steps of the Castle together, but some memorable picture ops which they have a Throne Room so we can sit in thrones for a pose, but I've always loved where Cinderella loses her glass slipper and having my husband get the slipper and try to catch up to me to bring back the slipper, and I am planning on wearing clear "Cinderella Slippers" under my dress and take one off for that type of picture.

Maybe buy the "Glass Slippers" ahead of time and wear my Origional Wedding Dress when we go to take a tour of The Louisiana Castle and Bring my Good Camera that doesn't put the ugly time and date stamp and see if someone there can take that shot for us to use for Save the Dates and for our Welcome Bags. My husband is my Fairytale come true. Would it be too weird doing the Crawfish Boil as a Rehearsal Dinner and going with the Louisiana Castle? That way he gets his Crawfish Boil, and I still get my Cinderella Wedding in a Castle Setting which won't require much else out of pocket. They even provide the Ceremony Pew and Staging Flowers, if we all think of how much out of pocket we pay for everything including our cakes, if it's included in the price and it's a great price, why not go for it. The only other thing they include in the cost but I won't let bother me is they do include white chair covers with silver sashes. Silver is not one of our colors and our rings are yellow gold.

Do you think Silver would clash with us going all pastel, our Bridesmaids are going to wear a Cinderella Blue, Maid& Matron of Honor wearing Baby Pink, MOB/BM wearing Lilac, the Best Men wearing a light pastel Green, and the Groomsmen wearing Cinderella Blue as well, and we'll be wearing white (my dress will hopefully have goldish tones in it). I don't think they allow bubbles, rice, butterfly releases, seeds, however they do have flower petals come flying down as we come down the stairs. Would it be too weird even for guys to give them a Star shaped Wand with Ribbons on it to wave, even guys? I don't want to distruct any property with bubbles if they don't allow them, but do want something fun especially as we leave in a convertible just the 2 of us which we're renting and can get a picture of us waving bye to everyone. Would it also look too tacky on magnet paper making something to put on the car (I know rental car companies are strict and will let you use magnets which won't ruin

Paint job) saying Just Renewed Our Vows and on the other side of the car putting one that says Happily Ever After? We didn't get to decorate the car the first time around and those won't take any effort to get off the car.

Another photo op that would be perfect for that venue that I would personally love in my photo album would be instead of a bouquet toss or garter belt toss bring a chair in the center of the dance floor and handing before hand one of my cinderella slippers to my husband and have him get down on one knee like Prince Charming Does and put the Slipper on my foot. I love the idea of fans instead of bridal bouquets for the Bridesmaids and that way they get to keep them and put a flower on them and their names, and us have our Tiara(Crown for him) and sceptors to make it really fairytale like? I've found some nice ones that are a lot less than bridal bouquets and would make a better keepsake than a bouquet of flowers. What does anyone think of those?

I think if you have a themed wedding it is nice to have little thoughtful touches of the theme all around. I think your photos will turn out really and capture the Cinderella theme you are going for. The way I see the wedding is it is yours and your husbands day so do what makes you happy and what you want. Yours will stand out in people's mind because it won't be the usual dull traditional wedding. I went to a Disney wedding a few years back and one thing I remember is all the little touches. You can totally recreate that and not spend the $$$$$$ that a Disney wedding costs.

I hate being the debative type. We were trying to go with Cinderella Theme anywhere, but I think as I'm looking at the whole picture of doing a Cinderella Themed Crawfish Boil, the two kind of clash. If we go with the Crawfish Boil as a Rehearsal Dinner and theme the night as Mardi Gras which takes place in New Orleans and go for The Louisiana Castle and still do something Elegant and Fairytale like it feels more like a happy medium with everything at the Ceremony and Reception being Cinderella and nothing feeling too akward. I told my hubby as much as I would love a Wedding at Disney, it's just too far out of our budget, and the Louisiana Castle is extremely reasonably priced for all that it offers. I think all of those few posed pictures would bring back the happiest of memories for us, besides the little touches, given we don't have a single picture from our true wedding day.