Meagan's Rustic Tropical Reception

Recently, Meagan contacted me about her upcoming wedding reception:


Hey Lauren!  Your blog has become my daily procrastination tool so I figured it's time to write :)

I'm getting married in Jamaica in June and I'm having a "reception" at home on July 31.  The reception is actually going to be held at a community swimming pool, and we're doing a pig roast for the Caribbean feel.

I'm having trouble getting started with the planning for the event because it's pretty non-traditional -- it's not a "real" wedding reception in that we aren't have numbered tables, place settings, linen table cloths, etc., but I don't want it to just be a barbeque either.  The overall color scheme is green, pink, and orange. The other caveat is that the pool doesn't allow me to have any glass whatsoever. 

I have decided to go with cupcakes rather than a traditional cake... and we're doing a sundae bar as well. I'm not exactly sure how to display 200 cupcakes in a way that is both cute and appealing and fits with the theme... Basically, I guess I'm looking for ways to incorporate casual and rustic (ie - we aren't going to be putting table cloths over the picnic tables at the pool) with tropical/caribbean and summery... but without feeling too much like a BBQ. 

I'd be interested in your ideas on making beer kegs look a little nicer and a way to serve our signature drink, Jamaican Rum Punch (I don't want to go with a traditional punch bowl because I don't want the beverage sitting out and getting warm and I also don't want someone to have to keep replenishing it - I was thinking along the lines of trying to find a nicer version of the big Gatorade coolers that the football players used to use, if that makes sense)

Phew, I realized I just rambled on there and that this is a really tall order.  I really enjoy your style and your blog, so I thought I would ask for help!!  I am going to send some pictures over to you as well.

Thanks so much, Lauren!


Your reception sounds like so much fun, Meagan! Here's what I came up with:

For Centerpieces:
I came up with a bunch of different ideas. You could use different centerpieces on each table or just go with one. Since you can't have glass I found plastic vases. You could cover these with bamboo place mats or banana leaves to get the more tropical look.

Banana Leaf Bowl - Cheap Chic Decor
Tropical Leaf Bin - JAF Gifts
Plastic Vases - Hubert
Bamboo/Natural Placemats - Google

To disguise the keg:

I thought you could buy/rent a keg bucket and wrap bamboo fencing/screening around it. You can cut the fencing to your desired height. Or you could just wrap it directly around the keg if you aren't getting a bucket.

For the punch:
This is the cutest plastic beverage dispenser I could find online:
Polycarbonate Drink Dispenser - HomeWetBar.com

For a favor basket:
I thought a more tropical woven basket, maybe lined with palm leaves?
Favor Basket - Ten Thousand Villages
 
And maybe paper lanterns in the trees? 
They have battery operated ones if you can't have the candles/string lights:
Paper Lanterns - Paper Lantern Store


Hope that helps! Good luck with the wedding planning.