“Let’s sit over here,” she said, leading them to a long folding table with several chairs. “We’ll pick out linens, then talk about the menu.”

She showed them the options for tablecloths and napkins.

“With the poinsettias and the centerpieces, we’ll be heavy on red already,” Paisley said. “So I would suggest we steer clear of those. We can go with classic white, or various shades of green.” She pointed to a black napkin. “Black is elegant, but I’m not sure it’s the tone you want to set so close to Christmas.”

“Not black,” Leigh said. “I like the white, but I’m afraid it will be too plain.”

“Do you have table runners?” Reggie asked.

Paisley brightened. “We do. In all these colors.”

Reggie folded the green napkin into thirds, then placed it over a white napkin. “What about this? You go with white and add a table runner. With silver chargers under the place settings, it will give a little color but not overwhelm the table.”

“I love it,” Leigh said. “Oh, Paisley, show Reggie the centerpieces.”

Paisley pulled a picture from her folder. Reggie studied the arrangement with three thick red candles surrounded by greenery and decorated with small red ornaments.

“We offer a house centerpiece over the holidays,” Paisley explained. “We buy these in bulk and then have them available for all the events scheduled.”

“Your father and I only have to pay a small percentage of the cost,” Leigh added. “I think they’re lovely.”

“They are.” Reggie smiled at her friend. “That’s a great idea.”

“Thank you.” Paisley grinned. “I thought of it myself and everything.”

They finalized the linens and discussed how the table would be set, then moved on to menus.

Paisley opened the large binder. “Dinners for our weddings are a pre-set menu, but you can choose from multiple options of three courses. The cost includes plated service and the tip, so what you see is your out-the-door price. We can also provide appetizers, either as stations set up around the room or served on trays.”

She took out several pages and spread them on the table. “The different prices of the meals reflect the number of options and what the options are. A chicken breast is less than a steak. Three options for an entrée cost more than just two. Oh, and a vegetarian entrée is always included in the price, so even a two-option selection will give you a vegetarian entrée at no additional charge.”

Reggie was glad she was sitting. The dinner prices started at eighty dollars a person. Eighty!

“What about the cake?” she asked, grateful she didn’t sound too breathless as she spoke.

“I’ve already ordered that,” Leigh said as she looked through the various menus. “I like this one.”

Reggie glanced over her shoulder and nearly shrieked when she saw the hundred and forty dollar per person price.