You guys, I am
so excited for today's post! Ever since Stephen and I returned from our honeymoon in Italy, I've been
dying to share some details about our wedding back in August. Some of you have seen the wedding pictures I shared on social media, but I waited until today to post pictures of the
food.
Stephen and I love brunch -- it's our favorite meal and something we look forward to every Sunday. That's why, when it came down to planning our wedding reception, it made perfect sense to plan a
brunch reception. Especially since our wedding ceremony was scheduled for late morning.
To create a more
comfortable and laid-back atmosphere, we kept the decor
simple, using
bold colors to accent the gorgeous wooden features of our reception venue.
White tablecloths and
purple napkins brightened up the space without overwhelming it, and our
luscious centerpieces of yellow Gerbera daisies gave the room a happy vibe.
Perfect for the joyous occasion.
Now, we all know that
the littlest details often contribute the most to an event. Keeping that in mind, we used
coffee beans to simulate dirt in our floral arrangements! The flowers were placed in 4x4 cylinder glass vases, which were then placed in 6x6 cylinder vases. Then the space between the two vases was filled with coffee beans. Genius, right? I mean, nothing screams "brunch" more than coffee, right?
Except maybe bacon.
Speaking of bacon, my bridesmaids and I were given a little treat prior to the ceremony. When we arrived back to our rooms after our appointment at the salon for hair and makeup, I received an email from Nikki, our catering manager:
Hi there! Hope you are well. Wanted to know if you needed anything. Prosecco, bacon? I am reachable in the servery, but if you can't get me, call the kitchen. They will find me.
I responded with an enthusiastic yes(!), and, a few minutes later, a very lovely man came by to deliver a tray of freshly cooked bacon and three bottles of Prosecco.
Nikki is my hero. Despite the bounty, we were good and limited ourselves to just one bottle. I still had to make it down the aisle, after all!
In keeping with the
brunch theme, we skipped the traditional open bar and arranged to have a
Bloody Mary Bar set up for our guests. Mix-ins included:
- Beef Jerky
- Celery
- Garlic-Stuffed Olives
- Peperoncini
- Pickled Green Beans
- Radishes
This went over
really well. As did the
Bellini and Mimosa Bar. We could have gotten carried away with the Bellini options, but we limited the selection to just two flavors --
strawberry and peach.
Oh, and contrary to popular belief, I am
not double-fisting Bellinis in the picture above.
One of those glasses has water in it! Since we were serving unlimited brunch cocktails, I had to make sure I stayed hydrated. *wink*
While the wedding party was busy taking pictures, our guests enjoyed a selection of light hors d'oeuvres meant to hold them over until the brunch service had opened.
- Ahi Tuna Sashimi Tataki with Mini Mirin Rice Cakes, served with Wasabi Drizzle and Pickled Ginger
- Beef Tenderloin Crostini
- Filo-Wrapped Asparagus with Pesto
- Fresh Fruit Skewers with Yogurt Dip (not pictured)
- Mini Pretzel Bites with Mustard (not pictured, a tribute to Stephen's Philadelphia roots)
- Prosciutto-Wrapped Melon
- Vegetable Spring Roll Shooters with Duck Sauce
To make sure we didn't miss out on the goodies while we were being supermodels, Nikki sent a team of servers down to the chapel with trays of food and open bottles of Prosecco so we could snack in between shots.
Did I mention that Nikki is my hero?
(Yes,
present tense. She's still my hero even though the wedding was over a month ago.)
But, the
real star of the show, not including the actual
marriage ceremony, of course, was the brunch spread itself. Seriously, we had enough food to feed an army.
On the breakfast side of things, we had a
Belgian Waffle Bar, in addition to
Texas French Toast. Toppings included:
- 100% Real Maple Syrup
- Flavored Whipped Butters
- Fresh Fruit (Bananas, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cherries, Peaches, and Strawberries)
- Fresh Whipped Cream
- Vanilla Ice Cream
Yes, ice cream. Amazing, right?
And take a look at that first picture in the above set of three. Can you see the Tater Tots and House-Made Scrapple? Totally amazing.
We also had an
Omelette Bar with freshly sliced breads with butter and jelly for those people who prefer eggs in the morning (myself included). Possible mix-ins and toppings included:
- American Cheese
- Avocado
- Bacon (duh)
- Bell Peppers
- Black Beans
- Broccoli
- Cheddar
- Chorizo
- Gruyere
- Ham
- Monterey Jack
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Salsa
- Sour Cream
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
Understanding that some people don't want anything mixed into their eggs, we had
Scrambled Eggs on the buffet, as well as
Canadian Bacon,
Traditional Bacon, and
Sausage Links.
I bet, at this point, you're full after just reading about what we served at our wedding reception. But you know what? There's more!
Lunch offerings included:
- Beef Tenderloin Salad with Mesclun Greens, Grape Tomatoes, Red Onions, Crumbled Gorgonzola, Walnuts, and Red Wine Vinaigrette (not pictured)
- Grilled Vegetable Sandwiches (not pictured)
- Short Rib Sliders with Sauteed Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, and Fontina Cheese
- Tortellini Salad with Spinach, Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Basil (not pictured)
- Turkey Club Sandwiches
- Warm Goat Cheese Salad with Field Greens, Pecans, Peaches, and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Of all that food, I think Stephen and I ate approximately 10 bites total. That's 10 bites between the two of us. What they say is true -- talking to people during the reception takes precedence over eating. Nikki even tried to help us along by preparing plates for us so we didn't even have to leave our table, but we failed in the eating department.
We hear the food was excellent.
If Stephen and I had to do it all over again, then we would have asked Nikki to box up a little bit of everything for us to eat
after the reception. Had we done that, we would have been able to have one of those
Short Rib Sliders, a dish I requested specifically since it's a tribute to my favorite sandwich at
Bouchon Bakery.
To the future brides and grooms reading this:
Have someone box food up for you to eat later. You'll want the food after things have settled down and you have time to think straight again.
After brunch had ended and the speeches were given, it was time for some dancing. And, more importantly, time for the cutting of our wedding cake. The cake, a
golden layer cake with a mixed berry filling and buttercream icing, was simple, just
two tiers decorated with a
purple ribbon denoting the layers and
an assortment of purple and yellow flowers. (If you haven't figured it out yet, our colors were purple and yellow.)
You may be wondering how we managed to have enough cake to preserve the top tier, to cut into, and to serve to 100+ guests. Our secret?
We ordered a sheet cake and had the kitchen staff slice that in the back to serve to our guests. Far more economical than ordering a cake with three or four tiers.
As it turned out, we weren't just celebrating a wedding on
August 18, 2012. We were also celebrating
my niece's 8th birthday. To surprise Emily, we brought in
mini birthday cakes and had one just for her with a candle to blow out. All of our guests joined us in singing "Happy Birthday", and then the birthday girl helped us give the other children in attendance a cake of their own. More fun for them than plain, ol' wedding cake.
Each child also received a special goody bag full of small toys and treats to keep them entertained during the reception. The goody bags were my stepmother's idea and were
hugely successful. Just one more "little detail" that made our wedding day unforgettable.
To close, I wanted to share just a few more photos from The Big Day. A
tremendous thank-you to
Brian Samuels Photography for helping us capture the special moments throughout the day. All of the photos you see here are courtesy of Brian.
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