You don’t want your guests standing in line for a piece of meat they could pick up off a tray. Eliminate the use of carving stations and introduce something newer to your guests; a taco bar with fish, chicken, or beans will have them going back for seconds.

One h’ors d’oeuvre you will find at almost every wedding, shrimp cocktail. While it has long been a staple at receptions, it’s time for a new style. Try serving shrimp ceviche in a clear glass to your guests. It is perfect for the summer, and they will welcome the spin on shrimp.

While everyone loves chicken, it doesn’t have to be so familiar. Try something different such as chicken kabobs instead of serving chicken Marsala.  Those guests who don’t want to get there hands dirty can use their forks; otherwise it can be eaten straight off the skewer. You can also play with different colored vegetables that go with the theme of your wedding.

If you are having a late reception, it might be tempting to serve something a little on the greasier side, like mini pizzas, or mini hot dogs and hamburgers. Give everyone a surprise by having a breakfast burrito bar. They won’t expect it, and it’s the perfect late night snack.

A common vision at wedding receptions: chocolate fountains. While chocolate and strawberries is a great pair, the chocolate can start to look a little old after it’s been out for a while, and can be very messy when it gets on clothing. For a more sophisticated treat, try Bananas Foster. If you’d like it to be a bit more fun, offer a cotton candy machine to your guests.

The Rose Cube is a simple yet elegant design that will add a beautiful touch to your wedding. You can pick any color rose to match your theme, and find vases of varying height. All you need are some stones (or marbles), water, vases, and most importantly, the roses! If you think you might need some help, ask your local florist to give you a few pro tips to make this arrangement perfect for your wedding day!

One arrangement that always leaves people talking is the Fruit cube arrangement. Perfect for a spring day, or outdoor evening reception. The secret to making the lime slices lay flat against the glass, is to put a smaller vase inside the larger one. This forces the limes to stay in place, while allowing the flowers to be in water. You can alternate between limes and lemons, or even oranges depending on your color scheme.

Then there is the classic French Wink. You can use any flowers you like, in any combination. They are sweet and you can use as big a vase or as small a vase as you want. You can also fill the vase with stones, or lights, or even wrap tropical leaves around the stems to make it a more finished look. These arrangements will leave your guests speechless!

If you have a friend who is doing your flowers, or a local designer, sit down and talk to them about what style of arrangements you like best. There are so many to choose from, these are just a few of our favorites!

Friday Evenings, Saturday Daytime or Sunday Weddings

Plated or Buffett $75.00 per person

Includes:

Cocktail hour with hors d’ oeuvres*

Four hours open bar*

Dinner with champagne toast

and

A complimentary suite for the evening

(Friday Evenings After 6:00pm. Saturday Events Must End by 4:30 pm)

*To include Cocktail Hour

Contact events@dukesandwindsor.com to learn more!

Visit our website to see our facilities!

1. If you like the idea of having a traditional Saturday wedding, take a look at off peak months. January-March will offer great discounts on Saturdays.
2. Consider having a Friday or Sunday wedding. Dukes and Windsor offers a deep
   discount on off prime days. Now I know what you are thinking …”what about my
   guests that have to travel”. Well, why not look at a holiday weekend, Labor Day,
   Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and the Friday after Thanksgiving are all great options.
3. Instead of a traditional plated dinner think about having a cocktail or station style
   reception. This will cut down your food costs but still offer a great party atmosphere. This
   kind of reception allows for a more social and relaxed feel. If you have a younger crowd
   that is not concerned with old school formalities this option is great.
4. Cut back on centerpieces. Flowers can be a huge drain on your budget. Dukes and
   Windsor offers three different centerpiece options, complimentary. These centerpieces
   can be used alone or you and a florist can use them as a base and add to them.

These are just a few of the endless options that you can use to cut cost but still have the wedding you have been dreaming of since you were a little girl.

Contact me at tiffanyhightower@dukesandwindsor.com to hear more.

The Windsor Room at Embassy Suites Hotel Old Town Alexandria is busy hosting an exciting array of events this season — in recent weeks we have hosted two Italian weddings! Both of our Italian brides chose linens that gave the Windsor room an extra pop of color and elegance.

For one of our brides, we added a traditional Italian cookie display to complement a beautiful wedding cake. For the other, we mixed a great signature Cherry Blossom drink for the special event that made her guests rave. These are the personal touches we add to make your special day memorial for you and your guests.

Soon we host a wedding of two filmmakers who will use their skill and expertise of all things audio visual to make their day exactly what they want. For their first dance – a video of the Beattles’ classic Ed Sullivan performance will play in the background on one of our giant  10ft screens.

We also have a bride and groom that wanted to have a more casual buffet reception. The couple wanted guests to be able to sit where and with whomever they wanted, so they nixed the traditional seating chart and plated dinner for open seating and a buffet.

No matter the style or theme of your wedding, we remember to make it unique to you and your partner – so that you and your guests will have great memories of your special day!

Come tour the Windsor Room and we’ll treat you to lunch!

We’re here to make your event planning as easy as possible.

Please be our guest, and let us show you our fabulous facilities.

Sign up to tour the Windsor Room and lunch is on us!

We’d love to see them!

Post a few of your best photos on the Windsor Room’s Flickr page.

It’s as simple as:

1. Upload your photos to Flickr.
2. Share in the Windsor Room photo pool.

Email - pdsembassy@aol.com
Phone – (703) 838-9602
Mail – Premier Dining Services, LLC
Embassy Suites Alexandria Old Town
1755 Duke Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314

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