If these are the ones that you have to chose from then all I can do is to indicate my own personal choices and I've grown the majority of ones that you list. I'll just star the ones I think are best: Cherry: Green Grape *Black Cherry Italian Ice (read that this one isn't that great in the taste department) "Unusuals": Black Truffle Lemon Boy (read its a stinker) Razzleberry Carbon Red Lightning (not great ratings on this one) Green Zebra Heirloom: *Brandywine Amana Orange (not high in flavor?) Aunt Ruby's German Green (mixed reviews) *Kellogg's Breakfast (mixed reviews), much better than Amana Orange which it supercedes. Pineapple , Virginia Sweets is a better gold/red bicolor Georgia Streak , Virginia Sweets is a better bicolor and Georgia Streak is a very long season variety. Marvel Stripe , another bicolor *Aunt Gertie's Gold (very low production?), outstanding taste, and probably some got low production as can happen with any variety *Virginia Sweets *Golden Queen (USDA strain) (low production?), no, not low production, again, someone somewhere is always going to have low production *White Queen, the whitest of the whites and the most taste, but that isn't saying much; grow for a novelty Tangerine Great White (low production?) *Dr. Wycke's Yellow , it's Dr. Wyche's Yellow and quite good Mortgate Lifter Vintage Wine *Cherokee Purple Thank you all in advance!! CMK Carolyn

Well, you really can't issue an invitation in the name you will have if you don't have it yet. Also, "informal reception" is a little confusing. I think you mean to refer to clothes, or perhaps to no meal, but it sounds sort of like there is a formal one some other time. It certainly does not do the job of indicating that there is no meal. Some of the most formal wedding receptions have no meal, and some of the most casual ones do. What about something like this: Brock L and Alicia T will be married in a family ceremony on May 18th, 2007 Please join us for a reception Saturday, May 19th, 2007 3:00 pm Unitarian Universalist Church 123 Road, City, State If you like, at the bottom in tiny type or on a separate card: After May 18th, 2007 Brock and Alicia T-L at home address --> Make sure that the date of the reception is more prominent than the date of the wedding, so no one will be confused when they glance at it on the refrigerator later. Don't invite anyone by word of mouth or email. If you want to invite them, send them invitations. An invitation is not pressure either to attend or to send a gift. I would be confused if you just sort of let me know casually that it was okay if I came: "Does she really want me there, or is she just feeling like she should have invited me, or what?" I don't know how big your department is or how close you are with everyone, but you are not obligated to invite them all. People understand that you can't invite the whole world, and if they aren't close with you on a personal basis, they probably wouldn't want to come anyway (even the most fun wedding in the world is no fun if you don't know the people there -- take it from a clergy wife!) If the faculty members are really your friends, no reason not to invite them, but don't feel bad if they decline. It sounds like you are very excited, which is good, and want to include everyone you like. But eventually you have to put on the brakes! Have fun! By the way, what are you studying?

I really don't understand why any person would be "miffed" about anything as an invited guest! That just seems absurd. I am sure that my guests wouldn't have done some of the things that I did at my wedding, but I hope they didn't go around being upset about my choices! As a guest, I never think badly of the host(s). I am a guest, and I am just pleased to be invited. I am fully aware that people have different budgets, taste, and come from different regions. They may do something that I am not familiar with or do something I wouldn't do, but that doesn't make it wrong or something that I spend my time being upset about. As a guest it is my job to have a great time and be grateful to the hosts for inviting me. Oshkosh, this is your wedding - do what you want. I am sure that all of the people at your wedding will have a great time no matter what you decide to do. And, people who love and care about you will not judge you based on something as minor as a cash or open bar. BTW, I am also of the mind that open bars don't make people drink more - people who drink a lot will drink a lot regardless of if the drinks are free or not (hard alcohol was not served at my reception, but my SIL's BF was able to find plenty of hard liquor and get himself good and drunk). And, people who aren't drinkers aren't going to drink even if the alcohol is free. Adults should be able to monitor themselves - now as hosts we do have an obligation to the society at large to make sure that our guests don't harm anyone else (or themselves). So, that is tempered with making sure that guests don't drink and drive after our parties.

Sounds like fun! And doable. Like Linda i've done it as well...for more than 50. She spelled out the process and details...similar to my method. Do a trial run for fun with your daughter if possible. Decide what different toppings she would like to serve and make a listed plan. It is a great do-ahead party food. Pre-made dough from a pizza place or store bought. Maybe trial three and pre-bake, then freeze the day before. Prep your toppings ahead as well and have ready in containers. A trial run will let you see and calculate how much of everything you need. Heavy freezer zip-locks work well for ingredients as they flat-pack nicely in the fridge. I have a ton of the aluminum pizza pans but four should be fine. And i have four of the Ikea 20inch cutting boards...10 dollars. I use a big chef knife for cutting but i also have a couple good wheels so others can cut as i usually head the assembly line and oven. Pre-baking does give a head start....i only did a bit more than half as, as Linda pointed out, once the first 1/2 dozen are out, the production slows down a bit. Usually someone likes to get involved and wants to attempt to toss and form some crusts. (i did not have a ton of freezer space back then). I only bake two at a time...using the two middle positions for the racks....start the first on the lower middle 5min, move to the top to bubble, and add the second below, take out the first, move the bottom one up, while prepping the next.... Every oven is different, even set at 500...with heat escape and shifting, mine take 10-12min. I overdo the topping varieties as everyone here likes it. But i start with a couple simple ones, just sauce and cheese, then one with a meat, then the vegetarian, then get fancy and see how it goes. Some kids like it simple. I also make printed cardstock labels folded like a tent so the veg and the others are on the correct serving board. And I get a small pack of gluten-free tortillas and the big 12inch flour tortillas for the 'adult' thin crust i make. My cuisinart is small but has a side shoot attachment that goes right into a bowl on the side....it just has a grate and a slicer disc but that does me fine. Another quick easy snack...a popcorn bar. Made ahead with sides of a butter warmer and bowls of parm, a spicy mix, and a sweet cinnamon one, (yuck, but kids like it)...i have a stack of those folded popcorn boxes but have used brown paper sandwich bags with the top folded a bit...(that was a barn setting and we printed the wedding couples design on them). cute and cheap.