Our Wedding

Lovely Tonight: Time to Eat!

Dinner time!

I was incredibly excited to see how the tasting stations for our reception turned out. My mom and I had spent a lot of time coming up with the menu! One of my favorite things about working with Carlouel was the fact that they were incredibly open to any and all suggestions I had. I mean, come on: when my mom and I mentioned how it would be so pretty if the fireplaces had mantles, they went ahead and constructed some for me! And when it came to the menu, the sky was the limit! We worked to create five different tasting stations for our guests to enjoy.

Each of our guests had a lovely salad in front of them to enjoy as they waited for their table to be released to the stations. It was a spring mix salad with craisins, walnuts, gorgonzola, and my mom’s recipe for honey lime vinegarette (yep – Carlouel was willing to make any recipe – even our own!). BM L managed to snap a picture of it:

For the tasting stations, we wanted an eclectic mix of food. Although I don’t have a photo of every station’s offerings, I was so happy with how they all turned out, and I think that there was a combination of food that would please any guest’s palate!

  • Seared Chilean Sea Bass, served with chimmichurri sauce and julienne vegetables
  • Petite Filet Mignon, served with creamed spinach and cheesy scalloped potatoes
  • Roasted herbed rack of lamb, served with tzatziki sauce, asparagus, and rosemary roasted potatoes
  • Mini taco salads served in homemade taco bowls, with fresh guacamole and salsa

*Pilster Photography*

And: last but not least…my favorite station of the evening:

  • Vegetable stir fry, with choice of pork, chicken, or shrimp

Carlouel was smart to put this station front and center: it was a lot of fun to see the wok in action!

*Pilster Photography*

Our tasting stations were up and running for an hour and a half of our reception, which worked out wonderfully! Our DJ played “dinner friendly” music for about 45 minutes or so, and then transitioned right into our dance music! I highly recommend the tasting station route for a reception. Our guests were able to come and go from the stations as they pleased; if they were still stuffed from all of the appetizers at cocktail hour, they were able to wait a little while before delving into their main course. Guests were free to return to the stations as many times as their little hearts desired; one of our groomsmen proudly informed us that he ate 6 of the filet mignons! Hey – whatever floats your boat! It also gave guests the opportunity to mingle between tables to chat it up with friends and family members!

*Pilster Photography*

The following are a few shots gathered up by our lovely guests:

Once everyone was satiated, the fun really got started!!! But first, Mr. Buttons and I had to sneak off to catch the sunset…

Previously…

Previously…

The girls got ready, then the guys got ready.

I became a bride, but our first look wasn’t what I’d hoped.

We took some photos alone and then with our bridal party.

Everyone hopped on the trolley and we took some family portraits before my cake arrived.

I gathered myself before the ceremony, our bridal party made their way down the aisle, and I followed afterward.

Our ceremony began with some readings and ended with a handfasting ceremony.

My ‘maids helped me adjust my bustle and we entered the cocktail hour.

We had fun in the photo booth then took some photos on the water.

We made our grand entrance, shared our first dance, and then danced with our parents.

Toasts were made.

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