Beautifully prepared food alone can appeal to the senses of taste, smell, and sight - perhaps even touch, but decorations and ambiance can play a significant part in a successful event.
Ask yourself, “what is your vision?” what is your style?” Our wedding couple said: “We want our catered wedding reception to be in May. We have large families and lots of friends. We want to make everyone happy. We have a generous budget. Our style is a little formal, but not fussy. Our reception will be held on the grounds of a beautiful home”.
This is the design of a Springtime Wedding Reception in Laguna Beach, California. It was held at a private park in a gated community overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Springtime is about the earth’s renewal. The ambience of the day is about the smell of new grass, spring flowers blooming and a warm breeze in the air.
We started by decorating the hors d’oeuvre table with a “Crudité Garden”, that set the mood for the entire wedding.
Instructions for the Crudité Garden
· The color theme: green and white with a splash of color from flowers.
· Use a 60” square table with crisp white linen.
· Purchase enough flats of wheat grass from your local vegetable or health food store.
· Cut wheat grass to fit the table leaving 8” all around the edge for the plates, silverware and napkins.
· For a nice touch use square white plates, sterling silverware and crisp white folded napkins.
· Buy white paper parasols on line.
· Use pots for decoration, they can be metal, ceramic, clay, etc.
· Some vegetables need brief blanching, e.g. broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, carrots & squashes. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes then immediately put into ice water to stop the cooking process. Other veggies like mushrooms, radishes, tomatoes, etc. do not require cooking at all.
· Place the veggies in separate spots in the “garden”. Serve with spinach, water chestnut dip. Use whatever vegetables are in season, be creative.
Instructions for Designing the Reception Area
· For the sit down portion of the event use a combination of round and square tables.
· The food tables and the photo display tables will be square.
· Display the food using the same elements as the “Crudité Garden using 6’ or 8’ table, it depends on how many items you are serving.
· Decorate with umbrellas, flowers, wheat grass, etc.
· Use a 48” square table for desserts.
· Use crisp celadon (spring green) linens on 60” round tables with (8) white wood folding chairs at each table for guests to eat at.
· Put small umbrellas in the center of each table turned upside down and fill with spring flowers.
· Use wild flowers picked from an adjoining hillside. Simplicity is the best approach.
· Use a 48” square table with crisp white linen for a display of pictures of the engaged couple. Insert the pictures into an assortment of frames with crystals, gem colored stones, etc.
· Show a video of the bride and groom’s childhood and courtship on a wall in the family room.
· This will be fun for the guests and make them feel welcome.
· Use no party favors for this concept, but a good choice would be a beautifully decorated single cupcake in individual clear plastic boxes, placed at each table setting.
Bonnie Goldman is the Director of Catering for Chef Molly Culinary Artistry. She invites you to visit http://chefmolly.com/ to see more design and tablescape ideas for your next event. Chef Molly Culinary Artistry is a full service catering and event production company located in Southern California. Contact us at http://chefmolly.com/ to discuss your next event.
© Bonnie Goldman
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