Spring Bridal Show Inspiration

With spring right around the corner, we went in to designing our latest bridal show booth ready for something fresh, clean and fun. The Sunday show held at the beautiful ‘The Mill at Lebanon‘ was great and we were thrilled to give Nashville brides a glimpse at something different from anything we’ve ever done before.

Photo Courtesy: Johnny Miller

If you’re an avid pinterest fan like me and the rest of the staff at Chef’s Market, you may have seen this photo before.

Ombre has been so huge in everything from fashion to hair color and home decor that once we saw this picture, designing our booth around this concept felt like a no brainer!

We loved the simple elegance of an ombre palate in shades of pink and decided to keep the rest of the look very clean and organic so as not to take away from the color scheme.

Our designer, Ricky Carroll brought our vision to life and we had an absolute blast seeing it jump from pictures to reality!

We hope this look stays around awhile, it would work so perfectly for a super girly bridal shower/brunch or pink inspired reception. What do you think? Do you like the ombre look for weddings, bridal showers, etc? Leave us a comment and let us know!

Genna

A Wedding Venue with Serious Southern Charm: Hazel Path Mansion

Hazel Path Mansion is the kind of historic wedding venue that will have a bride checking off huge pieces of her ‘to do list’ in one fell swoop. Whether you’re planning on an outdoor tented celebration post ceremony or a small intimate cocktail reception, Hazel Path will bring old southern charm and modern convenience to your entire day!

Photograph Courtesy of Bob Dulaney & Hazel Path

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tour the house and grounds with Melody Wilkes of Grand Central Party Rental. Melody was beyond helpful and friendly showing me everything from top to bottom and giving me fun inside details, like the fact that the gorgeous chandeliers hanging in the foyer and front rooms are original to the house and were imported from Paris in the 1850′s. Amazing.

Photograph Courtesy of C. Scott Photography & Hazel Path

Hazel Path offers more than just beautiful lighting though . The outside grounds are perfect for a large tented reception for up to 200 guests and the house is situated far enough away from a main road that you won’t have to worry about any noise interrupting your ceremony. Smaller parties of up to 125 can be held inside the mansion itself and there’s also a full kitchen that will make whichever caterer you choose very happy!

A HUGE plus to choosing Hazel Path as your venue is your freedom to use whatever caterer you want for your big day. Brides & grooms are not required to choose from a pre-selected list of caterers, which means you can plan a day and a menu that will truly reflect your tastes as a couple.

Hazel Path Mansion is located in Hendersonville, just 30 minutes from Nashville, so any out of town guests will have the chance to enjoy both the vibrancy of downtown city life and the sweet charm of an elegant southern wedding.

Photograph Courtesy of C. Scott Photography & Hazel Path

Check out more stunning photos of Hazel Path here or go to their website to contact them about your upcoming wedding!

A BIG thanks to Melody for showing me around. Trust me, this is a beautiful venue brides & grooms won’t want to miss out on!

Genna

Food Ideas for your Giants VS. Patriots Super Bowl Party

Okay I admit being a caterer isn’t the manliest of professions.  Event planning, tablescaping, menu development, and recipe tweaking are not topics guys sit around discussing.  With one exception…the Super Bowl!  This is the one time of year when guys are into party planning.  So here are a few tips for you on food from a pro who knows.

* First of all, keep it simple.  Select menu items you can prepare ahead of time.  You want to be in the game and not in the kitchen.

*  Mobile food.  Remember: nobody wants to miss any of the game or  commercials so design the menu so your guests can move between the kitchen and the TV quickly. That means saying no to a “build your own sandwich” buffet, yes to grab-and-go wraps or mini burgers.

Wraps make perfect easy snacks for the super bowl

Cheeseburger, Crab Cake & BBQ Sliders are perfect for a Super Bowl party!

*  Unhealthy is best for the Superbowl, dude!   If you must, add some crudite and hummus as a healthy token gesture.

*  Forego the china and glassware.  Go disposable  all the way!

This year’s match is going to be an exciting one between the Giants and Patriots.  Boston and New York are incredible food towns. For the Patriots, why not serve mini lobster rolls,  Boston baked beans, or mini turkey rolls with cranberry aioli?  For the Giants, feature mini New York Style Hot Dogs or New York Strip Steak Sliders.

For fun, have a Clam Chowder Showdown:  Manhattan VS New England. Or try a Dessert Dual between Boston Cream Pie and New York Cheese Cake.

Individual crudite cups w/ ranch or hummus make healthy eating at Super Bowl parties much easier!

Other than the game, the food is what your guests will remember most.  With a little planning you won’t miss a play and your friends will be asking for an invite in 2013.

Jim

Chef’s Market Wedding Recap Taylor & Klay – May, 28th 2011

Last month we catered a ‘vintage chic’ wedding at the Factory at Franklin for one of the cutest couples ever! Taylor and Klay personalized every aspect of their day, from using the bride’s own heirloom silver for centerpieces to serving guests the groom’s favorite brownies for dessert, they made sure it was a celebration that everyone would remember and we felt so lucky to be apart of it. Of course, we’ve got a full menu and plenty of pretty pictures by the talented Dixie Pixel Photography for you to feast your eyes on below!

Southern Heirloom Salad Station
Complete with fresh potted herbs (Basil & Rosemary) for guests to “snip” and “season”, served with flatbreads and homemade cornbread croutons

Jack Daniels Braised Short Ribs

Gourmet Mac & Cheese Station

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roasted Al Dente Asparagus Bundles wrapped with a Red Pepper Ribbon

Calypso Roasted Pork Loin
Island marinated slow roasted pork loin presented with pineapple mango and tropical fruit salsa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chef’s homemade mini-rolls
Butter, Parmesan Herb and Sweet Chili Cornbread

Beverage Station

Sweet Tea,  Unsweet Tea,  Peach Rosemary Lemonade, Lavendar Water

We wish Taylor and Klay the best of luck and years of love, laughter and happiness!!

Genna

*All photos courtesy of Dixie Pixel Photography*

1920′s Themed Birthday Bash

This past Monday we catered a super fun 1920′s themed 40th birthday party for  Nashville songwriter Chris Wallin and had a blast creating a menu reminiscent of the Roaring ’20s, complete with old fashioned soda! The party was held at the Rutledge, the perfect setting for a Nashville ‘speakeasy’ and our staff even dressed in 1920′s style costumes – a great way to set the tone for a theme party! Of course, we’ve got the full menu and plenty of pictures below – great inspiration for any future flapper parties you may want to throw!

Our Awesome Staff - Ready to serve 'prohibited' food and beverages!

1920′s Themed Menu 

Action Station
Philly Cheese Steak
Grilled on site with Onions and Peppers

Our fun drink station!

Grilled Corn on The Cob

Waldorf Fruit Salad

Old Fashioned Bottled Soda

Setting up cute old fashioned 'street cart' style food stations!

We had so much fun working on this party! We used old fashioned wash tubs and carts for drinks and food along with crates, umbrellas and adorable chalkboard food and beverage signs created by Chris’ awesome wife Camille! Have you ever hosted a theme party? What kinds of decor did you use/did you DIY any of it?! We’d love to hear all about it so be sure and leave us a comment!

Genna

April Wedding Recap

Spring has definitely been off to great start this year, we’ve had so much fun working with all of our April brides and with wedding season starting to really get underway we thought it would be a great day to show some of our most recent wedding pictures! Below are a few photos we snapped up at recent weddings.

Here’s a delicious candy bar we set up for a wedding at Two Rivers Mansion! It’s hard not to love the old fashioned feel of the Apple Cart and the apothecary jars tied with pretty yellow ribbon. The perfect way to end such a ‘sweet’ day!

We LOVED this display for guests to place cards in at this couple’s wedding! The vintage feel of the suitcase and sign were perfect compliments to such a wonderful wedding! The super chic celebration took place at The Cannery – such a great Nashville venue!

We had a fantastic display of food at the Two Rivers Mansion wedding. We used plenty of glass and fresh  lemons to create a unique display that tied in with the couple’s yellow and gray color scheme!

Our Wild Rice Orzo makes for a delicious appetizer when placed in edible green tea or sesame cones and the daffodils make the display fun and visually interesting!

We used beautiful yellow and white linen, lemons, birdcages, glass and more to create a vintage, romantic and fresh  display for the food tables.

Here’s to more great weddings in coming months!

Genna

The Ruby – A New Nashville Event Venue

When it comes to event venues, Nashville is chalk full of beautiful places to party and this summer the city will add one more to the list! Jim and I recently had the opportunity to talk with Dan Cook, owner of the new event space The Ruby, and take a tour of what is sure to become one of Nashville’s most sought after venues. Let’s just say the word ‘wow’ doesn’t begin to cover it. Keep your date books open because this is one venue you’ll want to check out for your big day!

The Ruby

The Ruby is located just blocks away from Hillsboro Village, situated right next to Fannie Mae Dees Park and across the street from the Vanderbilt Campus. If the prime location doesn’t already have you reaching for your phone we’re sure that Cook’s modern design plans and blank canvas approach to the venue definitely will!

Housed in what used to be a Primitive Baptist Church and first built in 1945, The Ruby features beautiful wood beam ceilings, a brick exterior and original hardwood floors that were unearthed after pulling up decades old carpeting. Cook’s overhaul of the space includes the addition of a large side deck and front courtyard as well interior renovations and additions. The inside of the venue will be super spacious with plenty of natural light and huge doors that will open up to the front and side of the building, giving guests the ability to easily move around and mingle.

One thing brides will love about the soon to be finished venue?  The openness of the space will really give brides and planners a blank canvas to work from. Brides won’t have to worry about being hindered by any one particular style with this venue and although it leans towards modern, the space can easily be transformed to achieve any look you’d want to create.

So, now that we know the design is fantastic, what are the stats? The Ruby should fit approximately 245 for a seated ceremony, 180 for a cocktail reception and around 11o for a plated/seated dinner. If you’re worried about finding parking for your guests in the oftentimes crowded Hillsboro area don’t be. Cook has partnered with the schools next door to use their parking lots at night and there will also be a valet available. Oh, and if you’re wondering where the name came from, we’ve got that extra info too! The name for The Ruby originated after Cook’s architect deemed the place a ‘small jewel’, love that!

You can find more info on the venue by heading over to their website, right here. What do you think?  Are you excited for a new venue located in the heart of Hillsboro Village?

Genna

Friday Fun – Holiday Event Pics!

Friday seems like the perfect day to get caught up and post some amazing photos of one of our recent events!! If you’ve been following our facebook page this week, you may have seen the video we posted of one of our holiday parties at Rocketown this past December. Well today, you get to see the pics! We have Dove Wedding Photography to thank for all the gorgeous shots and of course, our fabulous Chef and catering team for the fantastic food and decor!

Chilled Shrimp Canapes in Citrus Bowls

A great picture of the main room

Gourmet Fruit & Cheese Display

Chef’s Market’s Suspended Buffet

Lounge area

Fruit & Cheese Display suspended in our buffet!

We love holiday parties and had an absolute blast putting this one together! This party was extra special for us, as we were in charge of everything from design, to decor and food. We want to thank all of the awesome vendors who helped us pull this event off – Nashville Event Lighting, Visual Elements, Liberty Party Rental, Nuage Designs, Special Events Plus, Empire Valet and Dove Wedding Photography!

Feel free to call or email us with any catering inquires or restaurant related questions! We can be reached at (615)851-2433 or catering@chefsmarket.com.

Happy Friday!

Genna

Rehearsal VS Reception: How to keep the Rehearsal Dinner from Trumping the Reception

Planning your wedding can feel like it’s all about the actual day of festivities, service/reception/photos etc etc, but there’s one small event that takes place approximately 12 hours before the big day that needs your attention too. The rehearsal dinner. Whether you’re letting your soon to be in laws take charge of this event or you’re putting in your own two cents, it pays to keep the rehearsal in line with the reception. You don’t want to feel like you’ve already attended the main event by the time you wake up on your wedding day do you? We didn’t think so. With that in mind, we put together a few key tips for you and your groom so that your rehearsal dinner is the teaser that will keep everyone on the edge of their seats!

A Fall Rehearsal Dinner Catered by Chef's Market!

Don’t overshadow the wedding reception: Sometimes people tend to go overboard before the ship’s even left the harbor, which is easy to do when it comes to weddings and getting married and all of that other exciting stuff.  So how do you keep from turning your rehearsal into a 3 ring circus? Allow your rehearsal to compliment the reception instead of competing against it.

Choose a different style of food service: While you don’t want the rehearsal to be too over the top in comparison to the reception, you also don’t want the two events to feel like copycat version of each other. Make the rehearsal stand out from the reception by choosing a different style of food service (one that fits with the feel of your entire wedding). If your reception is going to have an awesome buffet, think about doing something like family style dining for the rehearsal, which would work well with a smaller group.

Choose a menu that’s different from the reception menu: If you’re using the same caterer for both the rehearsal dinner and the reception this is huge.  You don’t want everyone who was at the rehearsal dinner to show up to the reception and feel like they’re eating leftovers. Also, creating two different menus lets you try food for the rehearsal that you didn’t choose for the reception.

Rehearsal dinners are traditionally more relaxed than receptions: Be sure to keep this in mind when planning! The rehearsal dinner is the perfect time to sit back and take a deep breath before the big day. Enjoy a casual dinner with your very closest family and friends, thank them for all of their support and hard work and let the wedding day excitement really start to build!

One last thing to  consider: Include out of town guests. The rehearsal dinner guest list used to be reserved to immediate family and the wedding party only, but it’s now more common for the bride and groom to include guests that have traveled long distances at the rehearsal. It’s not required, but it is a really nice gesture!

What’s your take on rehearsal  dinners? What was yours like/how are you planning yours? We would LOVE some feedback on this so be sure to post a comment!!

Genna

The Buffet Breakdown: 5 Simple Ways to Makeover Your Dinner Buffet Before the Big Day

If there’s one word that makes a bride to be cringe during the planning process it has to be “buffet”. As far as we’re concerned, buffets get a bad rap.  A few thousand weddings of poorly placed chafers and yawn inducing setups and they’re forever tainted. So if the word itself has you conjuring up visions of your mom and dad’s 1970’s potluck reception, we understand that it might make you hesitant in choosing this service style for your own wedding. However, with the right caterer and a few helpful hints, buffets can become works of art that will leave you and your guests more than satisfied. Read on for our 5 super simple tips to make your buffet stand out for all the right reasons!

• Create different levels on your buffet and use different textures in the design. Risers are your friend when it comes to putting your buffet together. Not only will they add height to your buffet and make the food more visually appealing, they will also give you more space to work with. When it comes to textures, think different linens and buffet accents. Fresh greenery like wheat grass and natural elements like flowers are always in style.

• Make sure your buffet looks symmetrical. You want your table to feel balanced, not like a seesaw (heavy on one side, light on the other). Spread the display out evenly and it will look much nicer.

• Incorporate your wedding décor into your buffet design. Use the same colors, flowers and props as other areas of your reception. This will make the buffet fit in seamlessly and the presentation will wow your guests.

• When in doubt go with glass and candles. Tea lights always bring a warm and welcoming ambiance to any setting and glass décor will nicely play off the candles lending a soft romantic feel to your buffet. If you’re stuck on what you want your buffet to look like this is a stress free design idea that is guaranteed to look amazing!

• Communicate with your caterer. Obviously, if you”re hiring a caterer creating an awesome buffet will be left in their hands but be sure that you’re both on the same page when it comes to design and presentation. If you want certain colors, props or flowers to be used in the design they’ll need to know that before the big day. A good caterer will ask for this information in advance, but in case they haven’t don’t be afraid to bring it up and nail down the details!

What are your thoughts on having buffets at weddings? Have you seen any buffet presentations that completely ‘wowed’ you or totally fell short of the mark? Leave us a comment, We’d love to hear from you!

Genna