Finding a Caterer

This afternoon we have our first catering tasting with Club Soda! I’m really excited about this because, let’s be honest, one of the most important parts of the reception and what most people tend to remember is the food! Club Soda is one of the preferred caterers of our reception site, Dupont Downs, basically meaning that they have worked together enough and had enough success that Dupont Downs is confident referring Club Soda to clients and likes to work with them.

 At first I was a little skeptical about looking at Club Soda. It definitely has nothing to do with the quality of the food – it’s amazing! We are working with more frugal budget, and I wasn’t sure how somewhere like Club Soda would fit in. They are known for their amazing food (and drinks) and I’ve always associated them with more fine-dining (and out of my price range) fare. I’ve only eaten at Club Soda a couple of times, but each time I’ve been blown away! From their Gouda dip, to their turkey sandwich, to their AMAZING desserts, there’s nothing that isn’t delicious. After poking around on their website I was actually really surprised to see how closely their catering options line up price-wise with a lot of other caterers around town, and in some cases is actually a little cheaper. I didn’t look at the pricing and immediately panic! (Little victories here with wedding planning.) They have the option of doing dinner buffet-style, plated, heavy Hors D’ oeuvres, and so on….

A few weeks ago my grandma took me there for lunch when she came to visit me at work and thankfully is a million times more assertive than I am. While we were touring around Dupont Downs and booking them for my and Joe’s reception, she also booked the venue for my family’s company Christmas party (go figure) and is looking at using Club Soda for catering as well. So, she asked to talk to the head of catering during our lunch and luckily he was around to chat us up. I’ve been stuck on the idea of having food stations at the reception of the “usual” reception kind of dinner. Actually, stuck is putting it mildly. I’m obsessed with it and it has been my mission to get everyone involved in planning this wedding on board with my food station dreams.  Luckily it seems that Club Soda is more than open to this idea and have done it in the past with other weddings. Score! We haven’t really decided what kind of food stations we want. We’ve thrown out ideas like a burger/slider bar, taco bar, mashed potato bar, Italian bar…but I just want everything so nothing has been decided. Hopefully after the tasting I’ll have a better idea of what we’re thinking and maybe even make a decision! 

It’s really simultaneously exciting and terrifying to be in this stage of planning. We’re about 6 1/2 months (SIX AND A HALF MONTHS) from the big day, so it’s GO time on just about everything! As the days widdle away I’m constantly thinking about everything we have left to do. Place our save the date and invitation order, decide on flowers, make sure all of the bridesmaids have their fitting for the dress, decide on suits/tuxes, book the DJ, etc… It’s a long list, but I know it will get done. Having a March wedding is nice because it’s the wedding “off season” so a lot of the big things like florists and caterers aren’t booking fast and we can be a little more leisurely with getting things off the to-do list. 

So, hopefully by the end of the day we can cross one more thing off of our list with catering!

We Have a Winner!

Last night we finally booked our reception venue! I've been waiting to be able to mark this off of the "to-do" list for quite some time, so to be able to know that one of the biggest things is taken care is a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders.

Joseph and I had looked at a handful of reception venues a couple of months after we got engaged. The only one I really, truly, fell in love with was the Women's Club, which was unfortunately sold earlier this year and will no longer be available for wedding receptions. I also really liked Baker Street Train Station, but I wasn't opposed to other venues. So, for the last few months I've kind of been in reception venue lala land. I knew I didn't want the standard reception hall. I wanted somewhere that had character and that acted as a part of the reception itself rather than just the building that the reception is held in. After going to a couple of bridal shows I started to really really love a place called Dupont Downs. It has this very natural, airy and sophisticated feeling to it. The building used to be a lifestyle store, greenhouse and cafe, which left a really neat layout.

After swooning over Dupont Downs' bridal show displays, website and photos from wedding photographers I had seen, I decided to make an appointment to go look at the venue in person. Fast forward to yesterday after work and my mom, grandma and I were meeting with the owner, Sharon, and my love for the space was solidified. We looked around for about an hour; checking out the space, talking about ideas, looking at her warehouse of decorations and discussing layouts. By the time our little tour was over I was more than ready to book our date. Unfortunately Joe could't go with us due to work, so I was worried about making a decision about such a huge part of our wedding day without him even seeing the venue in person. I called him and told him my thoughts and he gave me the go ahead to make the decision. So come March, Dupont Downs is where we will be having our wedding reception!

I wish there were better photos available online, or that had had taken better pictures while I was there, but they are in the process of updating new photos so these will do to give an idea of what the venue looks like.

The front end of the main area where they usually set up the head table. (It was being set up for an event this weekend.)

Risen areas in the main part where they put a lot of the tables.

The food area. There are 3 stainless steel surfaces for buffets and food stations.

The bridal suite! This is just a portion of the whole suite. It also includes a full shower, full kitchen and a changing room.

One of the many options available for utilizing the ceiling in the space.

A set-up they had for their Taste Of event with paper lantern hanging. 

I can't wait to work more with Sharon and start to talk about how we'll decorate, catering, etc... I can't believe that there are only 10 months until the wedding!

Making Plans

As of last night I have made my first official wedding related appointment! A couple of weeks ago when I went to the bridal show I ended up winning a free bridesmaid bouquet from one of the vendors, One of a Kind Events. I'm pretty excited about it considering I NEVER win anything! The owner, Linda, sent me a really nice email letting me know I had won the drawing and that I could schedule a no-pressure, free, consultation with her to talk about my vision for our wedding day.

One of a Kind Events is kind of a one stop shop for wedding planning and design. They do everything from ceremony bouquets, to reception decor, to total wedding planning. I was actually really impressed with their set-up at the bridal show. They had a variety of examples of bouquets and centerpieces that showcased all kinds of styles. On their website they have a feature that showcases "real weddings" they have done, which is really cool because you get to see, not only what One of a Kind Events offers, but how the decorations and such looks in a real setting. In just looking online I am impressed with the variety of different styles Linda and her team can cater to.

At first I was a little hesitant to schedule a consultation. I don't know a thing about flowers other than I think certain ones look pretty, and I know what Baby's Breath looks like. I'm also not 100% sure what I'm picturing as far as reception centerpieces and decor goes. But, since the consultation is free I decided to take the leap and schedule a time to meet. I think this will be a great chance to talk to a professional and see if she can take the crazy jumbled ideas in my head and imagine my vision as well. I plan on taking some examples of what I like with me to hopefully get some feedback and see if we can shape something together. Even if I don't necessarily end up going with One of a Kind Events, a consultation can't hurt, right? And if I do, then I will be officially, officially, be in the midst of wedding planning (and I get my free bouquet!).

This is really exciting to me even though it probably seems small to other people. Up until this point it has been printing, cutting, and gluing pictures into a binder and gathering all of the information my bridal brain can handle. Setting up this appointment is the first real step I've made toward actual planning. It's kind of like when you're going up that first hill on a roller coaster. You're anxious and you know that there is no turning back once you get to the top.

Next up is compiling a list of venues for the ceremony and reception! Hopefully we'll be making appointments to check some out soon. Once March rolls around I want to be able to make a decision on the venue. Joe and I looked at a few places during the summer, but haven't visited any since. Luckily from that we were able to knock a couple of places off of our list. I'm really excited to look at more places and look at them with both Joe and my mom. 13 months until the wedding means that full on wedding planning and decision making is just around the corner!

Wedding Inspiration: Food Stations

I've always thought that the idea of having food stations at a reception over the more traditional, and sometimes "blah" buffet or plated dinner was brilliant. They offer some variety, give guests something unexpected, and really they just look cool (at least Pinterest makes them look really cool!). At the bridal show over the weekend one of the vendors offered a mashed potato bar as a catering option, and I don't think my life will ever be the same. Perfect buttery mashed potatoes with endless topping options including: cheese, sour cream, spices, herbs, and BACON! Seriously, LIFE CHANGING!

So, now I've been changing the way I've been thinking about the catering for the wedding. How many times have people gone to a wedding reception and been met with the same basic dinner; salad, red meat/chicken, starch, vegetable, bread? And how many brides and grooms have sat down and looked at various catering menus and tried to decide between prime rib and rosemary chicken? Also, how boring does the sound?! (Not that none of that food is good, just go with me here for a second...) Not only would a bar/food station offer something a little unexpected, but it also seems to be a little more budget friendly in the long run.

I also think this idea could be real neat because people can make their food the way they like it. If someone doesn't like the particular entree or side you have chosen in a more traditional catering set-up they may not eat, but with food stations people can customize the food going into their mouths! Also, I am a lover of food and think it would be so fun to have my guests eating some of my and Joe's favorite foods over the standard menu.

I'm really loving the idea of something with pizza because it's my favorite food of all time, but that might not be as doable as it sounds in my head. Or what about a mashed potato bar with a mac and cheese station?! I could go on and on. Like I said, one little mashed potato bar try and I am hooked! And, I'm not completely ruling out traditional reception fare or hating on it by any means, I'm just really really really excited about this whole food station business.

1: Ann's Bridal Bargains
2 - 4: A Paper Proposal
5: LibbyJames

Wedding Inspiration: All That Glitters

It's no secret that I am rather fond of all things that sparkle. In fact, I have been known to go as far as to say that I want the theme of the wedding to be "drowning in tulle in glitter", and I'm really not exaggerating too much. I love glitter just as much as any 3 year old girl that is discovering the wonder of Disney Princess', and trust me, I have very big princessy aspirations for my big day. Don't be surprised if you see some fairy dust following me down the aisle.

 

 

1. Tumblr

2. Polkadots via Flickr

3. Save the Date via Glamour

4. Style Me Pretty

5. Alfred Angelo

6. Found via Pinterest

7. Style Me Pretty

8. Elizabeth Anne Designs

Wedding Inspiration: Real Wedding

One of my favorite things about wedding planning is looking at other people's weddings. There are so many different types of weddings and ideas out there! Even if a particular wedding isn't what I want as a whole, there are still things I can pick out that I may want to look back at and incorporate into my own wedding. I found this Florida wedding on Style Me Pretty. I love the blush and the look of the reception. So pretty!

All photos were taken by Divine Light Photography

The Search (For a Venue) Begins!

Last week we took our giant list of venues (15 to be exact) and started looking. The idea was and is to go through our list, rate the places we see, choose our top 5, and then take other people back to our top choices to look and make the big decision. So, thus far we are taking everything in and going in with open minds, and about zero clues as to what we're doing.

Joe made 4 appointments for last Thursday to look at: The Women's Club at the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, Bergstaff Place, Parkview Field, and Baker Street Train Station. While I was excited to do something beyond pinning ideas and cutting out pictures for my wedding binder, I was feeling pretty nervous, clueless, and overwhelmed going into the day. Joe on the other hand was prepared. He bought us both notebooks to take notes and had a list of very good questions to ask the people we were meeting. Sometimes his desire to be 100% involved in every aspect of this whole wedding thing makes me ask myself "Who are you again?!", but I love it!

Our first appointment was with a woman named Jill from Ceruti's at The Women's Club. We first kind of fell in love with the place after we went to a jazz festival at the Chamber of Commerce a couple of years ago. It has this old school parlor vibe and has lots of room for socializing. Jill was very nice and very thorough in explaining everything. She walked us through possible set-ups, what other couples have liked, her favorite parts of the venue, and all of the options Ceruti's offers. I was really just taking everything in. I love the historic feel to the space. There are 3-4 different rooms included which makes for lots of space to move around. The details are beautiful and there is a very classic essence to it.

The main ballroom at The Women's Club.

The next place we went was an old brewery turned reception venue called Bergstaff place. Our appointment there was also with Jill. Once again she did a great job explaining everything I could have been wondering. It's an old brick building with big windows and tons of space. I liked how it combined modern and vintage touches. Inside is completely modern with industrial like beams, carpeting, etc... But outside is all brick with large windows. Inside also has brick and photos of Fort Wayne from the 1800s and early 1900s.

Outside of Bergstaff Place.

After a lunch break we made our way to our third appointment at Parkview Field. Being very into sports, Joe was pretty excited about checking it out. I was a little more apprehensive, as I have never heard of anyone having a reception there. We met with Jen, who was also very nice and full of information. We went up to the second floor suite level which is completely open for wedding receptions. It had a great view of the baseball field and had a few options for different ways to set-up the room. Joe was most excited about the possibility of fireworks, as they are offered with their weeding packages. However, they are a little (aka WAY) out of our budget so I doubt anyone will be seeing those at our wedding.

Parkview Field.

Our final stop was Baker Street Train Station. I had attended a reception there just last year so I kind of had an idea what it could look like and what is offered. It's a beautiful place with lots of history and a very grand feel. All day in the back of my head I knew I would probably fall in love with it. It has a tall ceiling, wide open space, lots of "old school" touches, and beautiful detailing in the ceiling. I've seen and known of lots of people using it as their venue and the result being gorgeous, so my hopes were high. The guy we met with was very nice and gave us a nice big packet of information to read over.

Inside of Baker Street Train Station.

Honestly, I really liked different aspects of all 4 of them. Out of them all I think I liked Parkview Field the least with Baker Street and The Women's Club tied for my favorites. We still have a ton more to go see and a budget to set, but I think it was good to get the ball rolling and see what's out there. It was very overwhelming but I also really enjoyed it. We were lucky to meet with some very nice and helpful people who were completely understanding to our newly engaged and first time venue scouting status.

Even with being bombarded with information I can't wait to set up more appointments and work through our list. I'm really excited to do some more "official" wedding business!