Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Nashville catering company, Chef's Market, invited engaged couples to their open house and tasting event to give brides an opportunity to chat with them in a more intimate, conversation-conducive setting than a bridal show. It was a great event that allowed couples to see Chef's Market's creativity, when it comes to food presentation and displays, and to taste just how delicious their food can be.
If you're not hungry now, you probably will be by the end of today's feature!
Chef's Market doesn't have a set style of cuisine and offers customizable menus to suit your event's style and vision. "We listen to the bride and groom and give them what they want for their wedding," explained Genna Dufault, Chef's Market's marketing assistant, "We're not boxed into any specific category."
Instead, Chef's Market showcased a variety of food options, designed to keep your guest entertained, fed and wowed, from popular to really unique options. There were smaller appetizers, short plates, and a dessert section.
Menu
Chips & Queso
Fruit & Cheese Platter with Gourmet Crackers & Sweet Fruit Dip
Corn & Avocado Salad on an Edible Spoon
Lobster & Tarragon Salad on an Endive
Tuna & Mango Tartar in an Edible Green Tea Cone
BLT Bites with Tomato Caviar
Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls with Southern Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce
Mini Sweet Potato Biscuits with Citrus BBQ Duck & Blackberry Ketchup
Short Plate Station
Absolut Citron Dill Gravlax with Lebanese Tabouli, Pumpernickel Toast Points & Roasted Garlic Aioli
Espresso Herb Seared Beef Tenderloin Medallions On a Rosemary Parmesan Crouton with Wild Mushroom Ragu & Red Onion Marmalade
ABG Notes: Edible spoons are fun and easy to handle. Your guests then won't have to worry about disposal or having to hold on to something.
ABG Notes: Another convenient appetizer or hors d'oeuvre option.
For dessert and treats, there was a 3-flavor, popcorn bar. Guests looking for slightly more decadent sweets could choose from banana pudding, chocolate mousse dessert shots, and mini cupcakes with flavors like hummingbird, strawberries and cream, and chocolate Elvis. At the end of the night, couples left with gift bags that included more yummy dessert.
If you're trying to find a caterer who will be able to meet your tastes and needs, do give Chef's Market a call to find out more of what they offer. Visit their website for examples of menus and their blog for catering tips and ideas.
Rentals - Liberty Party Rental; Specialty Lighting - Nashville Event Lighting
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Cakes & Food, Inspiration & Trends
0 comments »
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
As a bride, when you consider your seemingly endless “to do” list, a mellow, back porch wedding vibe appears nearly impossible. But Celeste Morris, owner of catering service, Mrs. J’s Baking and Catering, will prove you wrong in a second, especially when gushing over her family style food option! Sprinkled by vintage, Southern charm, my conversation with Celeste sparkled as she happily explained the beautiful ways that family style food creates a family style environment!
.jpg)
.jpg)
Can you tell me about the family style dining option for a wedding?
Family style encompasses several things. Instead of wedding guests lining up at a buffet, they’re given tableside service, and rather than individual entrees, meals are brought out in bowls or platters, which guests pass amongst themselves. The ultimate goal and typical response from the family option is that people come to know each other, talking and laughing in a more intimate ambiance. The vibe that’s produced is similar to a feeling you might get at a holiday gathering or family reunion as everyone is brought together in a laid back environment.
What do you offer for those who select the family style option?
We can just about make any entrée or side family style. When it’s time for the meal, everyone sits at tables where salads are already arranged and prepared as the first course alongside baskets of rolls. As the meal gets started, 1-2 foods are brought out on platters to be passed around amongst the guests, who are always welcome to request seconds!
What type of couple/wedding style is the family option great for?
The family style option doesn’t fit with a super upscale, fine dining experience. Most couples are aiming toward a vintage or southern style wedding. While there’s always china and silver, the environment is still laid back compared to other atmospheres. Oftentimes, country or farm tables are incorporated into the reception style, perfect for venues such as Front Porch Farms, where we’ve done weddings outdoors, polished with porch swings and pavilions. The family style works for the couples that want to offer a casual, good feeling experience for their guests—almost a breath of fresh air from their day-to-day lives while providing them a chance to get to know the other guests who love the couple as much as they do.
We know that you love focusing on how food brings people together for an event. Can you tell us how the family option brings a special focus on food compared to the other options?
The family style option provides a more intimate experience than other options that might be slightly more awkward. Everything feels approachable—the people beside you, the people at other tables, everyone is sharing food, so you’re naturally breaking the ice with your neighbors, which adds even more love to the wedding air. With a buffet, there’s sort of a drudgery in getting in line, especially for the people toward the end, but with the family style, this isn’t a concern in the least, because there’s no delay. Everyone is served food at same time by an individual server for each table.
Is the family style option more expensive than others?
There are two things to consider when thinking about the family style and cost. First, you must think about how many entrees and how many sides you’re looking to have, because everything needs a platter or bowl. You can always rent bowls and platters for the catering services to use, and this isn’t usually too pricey. The second thing is, depending on how many tables your guests fill, you might need a couple of additional servers than you would under other options. All in all, going family style is very doable with little cost difference, and undeniably worth every penny!
Where noted, photos by Jonathon Campbell Photography
share
Posted by Betsy-Intern |
Filed under: Cakes & Food
0 comments »
Monday, April 30, 2012
At our recent Smart Bride Bootcamp session, Vicki Nelson (owner and cake designer of Signature Cakes By Vicki) gave our attendees a thorough run-down of what ordering custom wedding cakes entails. Brides commented that it was really informative so we thought we'd share it with you.
Photo by Meishach Moore Photographers
Factors Involved In Custom Wedding Cakes by Vicki Nelson, Signature Cakes by Vicki
There are many factors concerning and affecting the price of a wedding cake. Below are the things that affect price:
-
Number of servings is the base for any cake price: The number of tiers doesn’t tell the baker how many people you want to serve.
-
The type of covering: buttercream, fondant, ganache, cream cheese icing, etc.
-
Type of designs on the cake: piping, moldings, cutwork, damask, quilting, embossing, etc.
-
Sugarpaste or gumpaste embellishments: handmade flowers, ribbons, sashes, bows, draping pearls, shoes, butterflies, dragonflies, custom panel work, etc.
-
Color and finish: colored fondant, colored gumpaste, paint work on the cake or embellishments, metallics, edible glitter, etc.
Many brides come to me and say, “I want a simple and elegant cake.” Simple and elegant means different things to different people. It does not mean “plain and cheap.” Now, if it means sophisticated and minimal or modern and simple lines, then simple and elegant is exactly what they want. However if they are really trying to say that their budget requires the cheapest price that they can get, then they probably need to go to a grocery store.
ABG Notes: Simple, elegant but not boring. Definitely not a grocery-store cake!
Sometimes a bakery will have a really low “base price” but if you add any custom art at all, the price goes up significantly. For example: on “Black Friday” many retail stores sell products at a drastically reduced price to get the customer in the store, hoping that they can upsell them to a more expensive product. It’s called a LOSS LEADER. Ask the baker what their PRICE RANGE is. You may find that a baker with a higher base price, may have much more value for a custom cake. What a bride should really want is the most value for her budget. If you buy the cheapest cake available and it doesn’t taste good and no one eats its, it wasn’t a very good value. Here are some examples of different types of cakes and different ways they may be priced.
Cake Example 1 is a plain cake, Cake Example 2 is a “simple and elegant cake,” and Cake 3 is a very detailed, custom designed cake. All three cakes serve the same amount of people.
Plain cake
Example 1: Plain Cake (above)
Serves 150 people
3 or 4 tier round, square or hexagon (all one shape)
Buttercream icing
Buttercream dots or scrolls
Buttercream boarder around tiers
Fresh flowers by your florist
1 flavor of cake
Simple and elegant
Example 2: Simple and Elegant
Serves 150 people
4 tier round, square or hexagon
Ivory or white fondant
Royal icing piping
Gumpaste ribbon at base of tiers
Impression or cutwork on 2 tiers
Monogram
3 flavors of cake
Topper or fresh flowers by florist
Custom designed, detailed cakes
Example 3: Detailed, Custom Designed
Serves 150 people
4 or 5 tier choice of shapes (can be mixed)
Ivory or white fondant
Royal icing piped/molded
Lace like brides dress on tiers
Gumpaste ribbon around the
Base of each tier any color
Embossed, impression, or quilted
Colored details of choice
Sugar roses, orchids, and calla lilies on top of the cake
Swagging or ribbons
Monogram
3 to 4 flavors of cake
Do your research to find out what is realistic. TV show wedding cakes and groom’s cakes are elaborate and costly. So if you want an over the top, detailed cake with sugar flowers and lots of embellishments, or a sculpted one of a kind groom’s cake, find out what cake artists in the area are capable of making that type of cake. Check independent reviews and pictures to be sure that the cake designer is up to the task.
Vicki Notes: Groom's cakes start as little as $100 for a very basic butter cream cake and go up from there. Elaborate, sculpted, 3D cakes can cost over a thousand dollars and up. Don't forget, TV is magic! Reality is not.
Just because someone’s starting range is inexpensive doesn’t mean that they will be consistently the best price. Don’t compare a Kroger wedding cake that is a plain white cake with “buttercream” icing, little dots, and silk flowers on it with a wedding cake that is custom designed with fondant lace, ribbons, and sugar flowers on it. Compare apples to apples. Look for VALUE for your investment!,
After you have done your research, below are questions you might ask a cake designer in approaching how to spend your cake budget:
-
My budget for my wedding cake is $(insert your price) for a 125 person cake. Can you work with my budget? What type of cake can I expect to be able to afford?
-
I have $(insert your price) for a cake for 125. I really want a fondant cake with sugar roses and calla lilies. Can you work with my budget?
-
What is your price range for sculpted groom’s cakes?
Thank you so much for sharing this information with us Vicki. For more great cakes from Vicki be sure to check out Signature Cakes By Vicki's website. Contact Vicki for your custom wedding cake design and be sure to tell her you found her on Ashley's Bride Guide!
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Advice & Planning, Cakes & Food
0 comments »
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
I'm a picky eater; everyone knows that. Unfortunately, it's not something that I can easily hide. So, when I sample cakes, foods from local wedding caterers and cake artist, I usually apologize from the onset for my picky palette. There are a few caterers around the city that have won over my palette, and Beyond Details is one of them!
A few weeks ago, I was invited for a one-on-one tasting at Beyond Details Catering and Floral Design, which is located in Edgehille Village next to StudioWed. The office is super chic, but don't let the looks fool ya, there is real cooking going on behind the scenes. This is a company that does food and design very well. (Don't believe me - check out their website gallery.) Brandy and Jacob brought me plate after plate of delicious meals and my picky palette was surprised each and every time. I felt like Dr. Seuss' Green Eggs and Ham, as I tried and liked carrot souflle and casseroles that I would have never tried before.
This weekend, they are hosting another tasting for couples and wedding planners. If you have not yet hired your wedding caterer, I would highly recommend that you contact them TODAY to reserve a spot on their tasting schedule for this weekend or work with Brandy to schedule a tasting for a later date. You will thank me!
Here are some photos of their wonderfully catered and designed events.
Can't attend the tasting this weekend? Call Brandy at 615.480.8417 to schedule a time that works best for you. (All photos courtesy of the Beyond Details website.)
share
Posted by Ashley of Ashley's Bride Guide |
Filed under: Cakes & Food, Details, Design & Florals
0 comments »
Monday, April 16, 2012
Chef's Market and Catering has always been a favorite of mine just from personal experiences with the company - they not only produce great, custom menus for their customers but they are also able to decorate the food tables according to the theme of the wedding. Recently they provided a dessert table with a selection of sweet treats that would make Willy Wonka jealous. The table decor and set-up complemented the couple's gorgeous wedding that took place at the Country Music Hall of Fame. We reached out to Genna of Chef's Market who walked us through what inspired the look and decor of this fantastic dessert buffet and how the Chef's Market team brought it to life according to the couple and planner's vision.
All Photos: SB Childs Photography
What was the inspiration behind the dessert table you created at the Country Music Hall of Fame?
Genna: The bride and groom wanted their wedding to feel very upscale and elegant with a rustic/country influence and their venue (the Country Music Hall of Fame) was the perfect place to pull that off. Their wedding planner, Angela Proffitt, asked us to provide the vintage style table used for the dessert display and with the ‘vintage chic’ look in mind, we did the rest ourselves!
How did you incorporate the bride and groom’s vision into the design as well as the dessert selection?
For the display, we used old windows, lots of earthy textures and vintage styled items like serving trays, milk bottles, and of course the table, to give it a shabby chic feel. We created a moss tiered ‘wedding cake’ to hold the pie pops and used apples under glass, not only for color but also for that rustic influence they wanted.
With it being a fall wedding, the bride and groom wanted to incorporate the season into the dessert selection, so we did lots of apple related desserts (Apple Pie Pops, Baby Lady Apples dipped in Caramel & Chocolate, etc). We also made cupcakes of their choice (Red Velvet, Hummingbird) and had an assortment of their favorite cookies for guests to grab on the go.
What other kinds of desserts can you make?
We try not to limit ourselves when it comes to creating desserts. We love experimenting with recipes and trying new things to make sure our client’s menus are as personalized as possible. Our most popular desserts tend to be cupcakes, truffles, cookies, and dessert shots, but we’ve also done things like mini tiramisu, individual pies, fruit tarts, and more.
What makes a Chef’s Market dessert table stand out?
We have a true passion for creating great food and beautiful presentation. Whether it’s a buffet, plated dinner or a dessert display, we put a lot of energy into making sure it will wow our clients and their guests! We really listen to brides and grooms to make sure we understand their vision for their wedding reception in order to incorporate that same look into any of the food displays we put together.
What a beautiful spread to match a beautiful wedding. Thank you to Chef's Market and SB Childs Photography for sharing the details from the wedding. For more of what Chef's Market can do for your special event or wedding, check them out online at ChefsMarket.com.
share
Posted by Tabitha |
Filed under: Cakes & Food, Inspiration & Trends, Luxury Nashville Wedding Finds
1 comment »
