For 2010, I am planning seven outdoor, tented wedding receptions! As couples are looking for more and more unique venues for their big day, many are turning to private homes, mansions or cabins on the lake, and farm venues to create exactly what they want from the ground up.
I am a huge fan of outdoor weddings - they are so much fun to personalize, and they allow for incredible flexibility with catering, layout, vendor selection and decor. Additionally, they often make it essential that a wedding planner be present to navigate all the details, weather plans, logistics and setup prior to and on the wedding day itself!
One of the fun and inexpensive ways to dress up your wedding tent is by using paper lanterns. Lit or unlit, these can add so much color, texture, and dimension to the tent - bringing the focus up rather than down (where patchy, uneven grass might be less than beautiful). Rental companies can provide these lanterns, or you can purchase them through sites like Luna Bazaar or the Paper Lantern Store.
On January 22nd, 2010 Sandals will be opening up it’s second property on the Bahamas! This resort, named Sandals Emerald Bay, is located on Great Exuma Island. Each room on the property is butler category and comes with an oceanfront view - you can’t get much better than that!
In addition to wedding planning, TwoFoot Creative is also a Sandals Certified Specialist. We can help you plan the honeymoon of your dreams at a Sandals, Beaches, Royal Plantation or Grand Pineapple resort - absolutely free of charge! You do not have to be a client of TwoFoot Creative to take advantage of this offer, so contact us today to start planning your dream honeymoon!
From the Sandals website: “Civilized pleasures go hand in hand with exotic adventures along a mile-long crescent shaped beach. Highlights include a par 72 Greg Norman designed golf course, a 16,000 sq. ft. spa, a deepwater marina and five superb restaurants. Sandals Emerald Bay is your own exotic private escape, so easy to get to… so close to home.”
“I am very proud to introduce to you my new collection of bridal gowns: BLISS by Monique Lhuillier. I developed these dresses with the intention of making the classically feminine yet modern style of my signature collection available to a broader group of women. Available frrom $2350 to $3500, BLISS by Monique Lhuillier will encompass the distinctive characteristics for which my signature collection is known: hand-tufting, delicate embellishment, fine laces, and beautiful fabrications in a more playful, fresh manner,” Monique Lhuillier.
How long has Katherines been around?
25 Years, since 1985
Why do you love this company?
I have always loved sharing food and wine with friends (new and old)… it traverses all boundaries, opens conversation, heals and nourishes, brings cultures and communities together and allows us to relax and enjoy ourselves.
Do you only provide off-site catering?
Yes, we are one of the largest off-site caterers in southeast Michigan, servicing both corporate and social events for a wide variety of clientele.
What would be an average price range per person for a lunch reception, dinner reception, and appetizer/dessert reception?
Prices are anywhere between $10-11 from our simply lunch menu which include an entree, a salad and dessert with all the disposables, to $25 per guest for a more elaborate buffet lunch with service staff and china.
Dinners are between $30 to $50 per person depending on whether is it a buffet dinner with three entree choices with sides and some passed hors d’oeuvre to an elegant served five course dinner.
As for an appetizer or dessert reception, prices can range from $12 per guest for a light bite or dessert and cheese reception to a more elaborate strolling dinner of heavy hors d’oeuvres and chef stations that can be $35-$40 per guests
Can your menus be customized?
Absolutely! Our menus are suggestions, some of our favorite dishes mixed with a few trendy items to make sure your event is one of a kind and the food is delicious. We’ve been known to create menus from scratch for our clients- offering eclectic expertise ranging from Polish cuisine to Middle Eastern, vegetarian and vegan options and much more.
Can you also provide bartending?
Of course! Our certified bartenders have years of experience in mixing the perfect cocktail and safely serving your guests.
How far can you travel for events?
We cater up to a 50 mile radius from Ann Arbor, although we have been known to do specialty events beyond that mark!
What are your favorite locations for wedding receptions?
I love the Michigan Theater, the beautiful architecture, the red carpet, the elegant stairway, a perfect place for the ceremony and cocktail hour, then for the dinner, you can have it right on the stage! We’ve catered dinners on the stage numerous times, it does have a special feeling for guests to be seated right on the stage of this historic theater, same place were celebrities have performed for the past 8o years!
Cobblestone Farms is another place where we’ve catered a lot of weddings, it is fun, casual and spacious. They have their own tables and chairs, so you don’t have to rent them, and you can fit up to 200 guest there, plus, it has the big outdoors for your ceremony and cocktail hour.
We’ve catered a lot of weddings at the metro parks, and they don’t have to be grill outs, we’ve had some pretty elegant events under a beautiful white tent in a park, with French window sides and even a dance floor.
Another fun wedding location is the Hands-on-museum in Ann Arbor, it’s an interactive place with amusing games for everyone. It is spacious and colorful there’s room for a dance floor, for a cocktail reception with high bar tables, and for a seated dinner.
What is your very favorite Katherine’s menu item?
Since I spent quite a few years as a vegetarian, I’m picky about non-meat options. Our chefs prepare some of the most delicious vegetarian and vegan options around. Savory dishes like our Asian Noodle Saute with an array of fresh, exotic vegetables, tofu and soba noodles tossed in a roasted garlic and ginger sauce. Or our Eggplant Zucchini Parmesan with creamy layers of cheese and homemade marinara sauce. Entrees satisfying enough to feed to even the heartiest of carnivores!
Can you provide kosher meals if requested?
No, we are not a certified kosher kitchen. But we do offer kosher friendly meals and accommodate numerous other dietary restrictions including gluten free, lactose free, diabetic, organic and a variety of allergies.
Do you specialize in any ethnic foods?
Oh yes. We live in a diverse community and embrace our different cultures and cuisine, from French to Italian, Middle Eastern to Polish, Scandinavian to South African, Irish to Thai and more. We live and breathe food here at Katherine’s and we are constantly learning new recipes, techniques and flavors.
How early should I book a caterer for my wedding?
We are happy to accommodate weddings in as little as a few months. Remember, though, that this is a very important day that requires time and we generally recommend one year to plan your wedding. Pace yourself and savor this wonderful, happy time.
Do you provide tastings?
Yes, we are pleased to provide you with the opportunity to sample select items from our menu. We know that this is the best way for you to really get a good “taste” for who we are and what we do.
Lindsay was married on August 22nd, and contacted CurlyArt to turn her gorgeous wedding bouquet into the above work of art. The painting was done on a 12×16 inch canvas, and includes roses, lisianthus and stock. A photo of the couple is pictured below - so you can see the bouquet before and after! Their photographer was Artisan Events out of Chicago.
Jackie and Adam were married a year ago today, on December 19th of 2008. Their photographer, Jennifer MacPherson of Amanda Williams Photography, took the above shot. Congratulations on your first year of marriage - I hope each year after this only gets better!
Allison and Matt were married at Heavenly Scent Herb Farm on September 6th of 2008. It was a gorgeous wedding, everything went perfectly throughout the day, and their photographer Ksenija Savic was phenomenal to work with. In the current issue of The Knot Michigan, their wedding is featured on 4 pages!
To see more photos and information from Allison and Matt’s wedding, you can visit my previous blog posts here and here. TwoFoot Creative provided Day-of Coordination services for this wedding.
Congratulations Allison & Matt, I am so excited to see your wedding in print!
Buy one Cupcake and get another Free at the Cupcake Station in Birmingham and Ann Arbor during the week of December 14th to the 20th. In addition, purchase $20 in Gift Certificates and get another $5 Gift Certificate for yourself or as a stocking stuffer!
Cupcake Station is a favorite of mine for weddings - they are made fresh the same day (I witnessed it myself on a busy home football Saturday!) and come in so many wonderfully delicious flavors. They work great in lieu of dessert, as favors, or as a late night snack!
The buy one, get one free offer is good for up to 6 free cupcakes per day during the week. If you are going in for a tasting for your wedding though - make sure to let them know! You will be able to sample some mini cupcakes for free!
Celia and Bobby were married on August 29th of this year. Celia chose to do a painting with her bouquet from CurlyArt for their home as well as one for her mother as a gift! I think they make phenomenal parent gifts at just $100 each with another order, it is just so much more unique than an engraved picture frame…
Celia’s painting (above) is 12×12 inches, while her mom’s painting (pictured first) is an 8×8. The flowers used include both Celia’s bouquet as well as one of her bridesmaids’, bringing in lilies, roses, stephanotis, orchids, and berry leaves to the mix.
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