Holiday Weddings – Good or Bad?

Are holiday weddings good or bad? Think you had the greatest idea ever by planning your wedding on a holiday/holiday weekend? Consider these pros and cons before signing on the dotted line.

Pros:
– Out-of-state family and friends may already be in town.
– Family and friends can enjoy an extra day of relaxation after the wedding.
– Your venue may already be decorated accordingly, thus saving you money!
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– This is a perfect way to gather friends and family that you don’t get to see too often.

Cons:
– Some people already have plans for the holidays.
– Holiday season, particularly in December, can already be costly. A wedding will only add to that!
– Venues and vendors may charge more to work during a holiday.
– Mother Nature can have different plans for your wedding day. Snow can be a real downfall during the winter, and the heat and humidity can be brutal during the summer months in Connecticut.

If you do decide to have your wedding during a holiday weekend, be considerate of your guests.
– Send out save-the-dates as soon as you book the date to give your guests plenty of time to plan and save money.

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– Find a hotel near your venue and block off a bunch of rooms at a discounted rate. Include this information in your save-the-date or your wedding website so they know this option is available to them.
– It would be nice to include a hotel “welcome” basket for your guests that include things to do in the area, light snacks, and maybe even a few toiletries that they may have forgotten. Include a handwritten note that expresses your gratitude for them being there for your wedding day.

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No matter when you plan your wedding date, enjoy the process! It’s such a special time in your life that goes by so quickly. The most important people will make sure they are present no matter what the date is.

7 Reasons to Choose Spice Catering

With the wedding market full of caterers from all over the state, one is presented, and oftentimes overwhelmed, with the decision of who to hire. So let me give you a few reasons to choose us!

  1. We only cater one wedding a day. Many caterers book multiple weddings per day. With us, your wedding day is our one and ONLY focus that day. I know it sounds cliche, but it really does make a difference. YOU will get our best chef, YOU will get our best staff, and YOU will get all of our attention. We don’t like to sacrifice quality for quantity.“There aren’t enough words to describe how amazing Spice Catering was. Dan was absolutely wonderful. When we first met with him to talk, I knew right away we were going to have a great experience. He was extremely professional, he was easy to talk to, down to earth, and most important of all, he really cared about our needs and wants.”

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    Photo by Heidi Hanson Photography


  2. Quality over quantity. Because we don’t like to sacrifice quality over quantity, our food is prepared with the freshest ingredients. We even use local farm fresh ingredients when we can. One of our favorites are the various mushrooms that we get from Chatfield Hollow Farm in Killingworth.“The food was spectacular and all of our guests raved about it. Dan was even able to incorporate food from the farm where we had our ceremony and reception, which grows its own mushrooms and other vegetables.”
  3. mushroomsIt’s a personal thing. We build relationships with our clients. You are not just another event to us. We take the time to learn about your likes, dislikes, food favorites, allergies and favorite homemade recipes.“They have been such a integral part of my life for the last year. They truly felt like and treated us like family!”
  4. Experience is priceless. Owner Dan Biagioni and Executive Chef, Jonathan Leff, have a combined experience of 40 years in the catering, restaurant and food preparation industry. While many other caterers can claim experience, the passion that Jonathan has for creating interesting and delicious food is evident in every meal.
  5. Presentation. Spice Catering has always been proud of it’s presentation style. With every event we cater, we strive to create not only attractive food presentation, but interesting displays that work with the theme of the event.

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    Photo by Heidi Hansen Photography
  6. We have our own Event Planner. We have our own in-house Wedding and Event Planner that can help with all aspects of your special event, from booking vendors, creating a timeline, setting up decor, and working with your vendors to make the day run smoothly.
    “Carisa the wedding Coordinator is awesome too. She helped me towards the end. She tied up all the loose ends. Set my wedding timeline and was my go to person for all my freak out moments. She also set up my tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces and other things for the day. “

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    Photo by Mike Ross Photography
  7. We have our liquor license. When you hire Spice Catering, you don’t have to hire a separate bartending service. We have our liquor license and can customize your bar just like we can your menu.

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    Photo by Wonderland Photography

 

Angela & Brian’s Wedding

Angela and Brian got married on probably the hottest day of the year this past August. When we arrived to start setting up, we thought for sure we would melt. Hazy, hot and humid doesn’t even begin to describe it. But the moment things started coming together, we forgot all about it (kind of).

Dan met the couple in late 2015, and they began to plan their menu, tent and rentals, linens, etc. Dan mentioned that since the wedding was going to take place in a backyard type of setting, they might want to consider talking to Carisa about day of coordination. Carisa met with them and immediately put Angela at ease about everything that needed to be setup that day (tables, chairs, linens, decor, flowers, ceremony logistics, etc.).

Carisa and her assistant arrived nice and early to begin on setting up. There were lots of fun details that made this wedding so great!

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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Jordan Biagioni

The ceremony was unique and beautiful, and took place on a lake near the groom’s family’s house. The bride was driven down to the site by a friends vintage car, which was awesome!

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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography

Photo by Wonderland Photography

Their cocktail hour consisted of a fun popcorn bar, tomato, hand whipped ricotta and fresh basil bruschetta, and chicken and vegetable skewers. The buffet included Southern style slow cooked pulled pork with house made coleslaw, “Nana’s” potato salad, herb-crusted flank steak, “adult” mac and cheese, honey and sour cream corn bread, slow cooked baked beans, a grilled summer vegetable platter, and a summer field green salad.

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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Jordan Biagioni
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Photo by Jordan Biagioni

 

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Photo by Jordan Biagioni
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography
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Photo by Wonderland Photography

Vendor Team:
Spice Catering Group – catering and day-of wedding coordination
Wonderland Photography – photography
Stylish Blooms – flowers
Sweet Maria’s Bakery – cake
Team Cares DJ/Jeremy Fedorchick – DJ

Our First Ever Pop Up Wedding

We were asked by Heidi of Always & Forever Weddings to participate in a “Pop Up Wedding” in June. We had no idea what this was, but we are always open to try new things, so we jumped on board!

The premise was that 3 couples would have their intimate wedding ceremony at different times of the day at the Lyman Homestead. They would go somewhere else for a little while, then they all gathered back at the Homestead with their families for a dessert and cocktail party, which is where we came in.

The menu consisted of:
Assorted Petite Fors
Mini Fruit Tarts
House Made Chocolate Truffles
Mini French Macarons
A Dessert Station of Glazed, Apple Cider and Chocolate Donut Holes Flambéed with Spiced Rum and Liquors, Served with Raspberry Jam and Vanilla Mascarpone
Freshly Brewed Coffees and Teas

We also had a cash bar and staff to pass champagne. It was a fun time for all! Thank you to Heidi Hansen Photography for the photos from the event!
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Samantha & Jay’s DIY Backyard Wedding

Samantha and Jay planned their June backyard wedding in Farmington, CT all the way from Arizona! Samantha contacted Dan over a year ago, and thus, the planning began. There were a lot of emails back and forth, but in the end, everything turned out wonderfully.

As the wedding day became closer, Samantha realized it might be a good idea to hire our day of coordinator to do the setup, coordinate the ceremony, and help with the timing and logistics of the day. As you can see from the photos below by C&W Productions Wedding Photos + Film, everything looked perfect.  I will let the photos speak for themselves.

View More: http://marietonyphotography.pass.us/samjaywedding
Awesome “naked” cake by Silver City Cakes.
View More: http://marietonyphotography.pass.us/samjaywedding
Awesome “naked” cake by Silver City Cakes.

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6 Things To Ask Yourself Before Booking Your Wedding Venue

You just got engaged – CONGRATULATIONS! Once all the important people have been informed (your 2,000 + friends on Facebook and Instagram via a ring pic, #ISaidYes), now it’s time to plan this thing.Buonocore-339

First thing’s first. Choosing the perfect venue.

There are so many Pinterest-worthy wedding venues in Connecticut, it’s hard to choose. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to get started:CoreyEricWED-329
1. How many guests do we want to invite? Some venues have a minimum guest count on certain peak days and dates, particularly banquet facilities with their own catering, because you are paying per person. Other venues who do not offer on-site catering just charge a flat rate for the rental of the venue. Either way, you will want to have an approximate guest count when you start researching venues because some will only allow or fit a certain amount of people.

2. What time of year do we want to get married? Some venues are perfect for the summer (think beaches), but you wouldn’t want to look at one of these venues if you will be planning your wedding for winter. Some of these venues aren’t even open for operation during the winter months. Get your time of year sorted out first, then start the search.heller0602
3. Do we want to have our ceremony and reception at the same location? While the venue you chose for your reception is perfect, does it offer a space to have your ceremony? Or, alternatively, does the site you want to have your ceremony work logistically in relation to the reception venue?

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4. What is our theme? The venue will really set the stage for your wedding. Have you always dreamed of a rustic wedding? Then start looking at the local farms and barns. Want to get married seaside and barefoot in the sand? Connecticut is filled with beach venues. Elegant and sophisticated more your style? There are plenty of formal wedding venues out there as well. The key is once you choose a venue, play into the scenery and colors, but add your own special touches.

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5. Does the venue have a “plan b” in case of inclement weather? You may have dreamt of getting married outside, but Mother Nature sometimes likes to throw a wrench in our outdoor plans. Make sure your venue has a backup location…”just in case”.

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6. What is our budget?
If you choose a reception hall as your venue, there usually isn’t a separate rental charge. They work the cost into the per person package. If you choose a venue that needs everything brought in (tables, chairs, catering, linens, plates, etc.), then you will have the rental fee PLUS those other costs. And don’t forget about staff costs. Make sure you have the budget for all of this before signing on the dotted line.

It may seem so overwhelming right now, but once that first big item is crossed off the “to do” list, you will feel so much better.

As always, we are happy to sit down with you if you are still unsure of the direction you want to go in with your wedding venue.

Click here for our preferred venues. It may help in getting you started!

Happy planning!

A Mid Summers Night Themed Wedding

Heidi and her mom, Jan, were referred to us last year, and contacted Dan to inquire about Heidi & Tommy’s June 25, 2016 wedding. Of course, we were happy to oblige. They began to tell us their plans: it was going to be a backyard wedding at the house Heidi grew up in. Now, we’ve catered backyard weddings before, but this property was much bigger than what one would consider a “backyard”. It was acres and acres of land, with a pond, gazebo, a bridge and extensive landscaping. The theme of the wedding was a Mid Summer’s Night. Perfect location for such a theme.

We started the evening with a cocktail hour, consisting of both passed and stationed hors d’oeuvres. Stuffed mushrooms with sausage, bread crumbs, cheese, miniature vegetable spring rolls with duck sauce, BBQ pulled pork sliders, just to name a few.

Dinner began with a fresh kale salad with pear tomatoes, diced watermelon, feta cheese and our house made balsamic vinaigrette. The entrees were plated choices of our Tuscan Chicken with artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, white wine and fresh herbs, Filet Mignon with mushrooms and a red wine demi,  and Pecan Crusted Salmon with a pomegranate glaze.

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We wish we could take credit for the insanely beautiful way this tent was decorated. But we can’t. The bride’s mother spent the 4 days leading up to the wedding decorating it just so. Isn’t it gorgeous?

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Jan also spent what I can only assume as countless hours baking and decorating these adorable cupcakes.

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All images courtesy of Heather Prescott Photography. Thank you, Heather!

Have You Considered the Lyman Farm for Your Event?

In 2016, the Lyman Family celebrates 275 years of farming the land in Middlefield, CT. Recognized as the 12th oldest family-run business in the US, Lyman Orchards is a wonderful destination to bring the whole family…AND to host a party!

There are 3 venues you can choose:

The Homestead
imageThis is the perfect space for an intimate wedding or bridal shower. They even host corporate events during the week. The piano room can serve as your main dining room, while a buffet, photo booth, or various other elements can be setup in any of the beautiful rooms in the lower level of the house.

The Apple Nine Golf Center
Clubhouse-over-Short-Game-AreaThis is a nice, fun venue with a covered pavilion right on the Apple Nine. This patio seats up to 72 guests on a flagstone terrace with a vaulted ceiling.

 

 

 


The Tent at the Apple Barrel
This is a relaxeWinterfest_tent2d venue with picnic tables and lawn games. Perfect for family reunions, BBQ’s, casual weddings, corporate events and other laid back affairs. You can even host an after-wedding reception here.

 

For a tour of any of the venues, contact Tracy at 860-349-6029 or trobinson@lymanorchards.com.

For menu information, contact Carisa at 860-316-2759 x102 or carisal@spicecateringgroup.com.

4 Things to Consider When Hiring an Off Premise Caterer

So you booked that farm (backyard, mansion, vineyard, etc.) venue for your wedding – CONGRATULATIONS! Now all you need to do is hire a caterer to come in with some food. Should be easy enough. You want something really laid back and fun. How much can it really cost? We’ll do a BBQ! That will save us some money!

Or will it….???

If this is your first time planning an event on such a large scale, there may be some costs that you are not considering. My job as a wedding and event planner is to guide and educate you on the things that are needed to create a flawless event, and to make sure that there are no surprises. So, here are 4 things to consider when hiring an off premise caterer:

FoodBy daphneanddean.com
Our first and foremost priority is delicious food! We can create just about any menu you can imagine. We try not to fall into that “package” type of catering because we truly believe that each couple is unique, and their wedding menu should reflect that. But…have you ever bought dinner for 100+ people? Probably not. Just think about what you and your fiancee spend when you go out to a nice restaurant for dinner. Now multiply that by 100.

 

RentalsBy daphneanddean.com
That big open field with the farm style tables, specialty linens, and lighted tent that you are envisioning sounds beautiful – and it WILL be! Just know that each and every table, linen and light, along with plates, glassware, forks, knives, salt & pepper shakers, etc. will now need to be brought to your wedding.

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Congratulations on being non-traditional! If you are showing an interest in Spice Catering, that means you have NOT chosen a traditional banquet facility for your wedding and now need food. That also means that the venue you have chosen most likely does NOT come equipped with staff. Lucky for you, we have many experienced catering professionals on our team! But as much as they love their job, they don’t do it for free. Be sure to factor in staff costs to your wedding budget.

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You might be that DIY bride who can’t wait to make all her own centerpieces and cupcakes. That’s awesome! How fun! Grab your ‘maids and get to craftin’. But there comes a time to sit back and just be the bride. Even if that time is a month before the wedding. Let our experienced wedding coordinator take all that you have planned and flawlessly implement it on the big day. Trust me, you don’t want to be worrying about how you are going to decorate and setup for your reception while you are getting your hair and makeup done. So just sit back, and enjoy the day that you have so meticulously planned, but let someone else make it happen for you.

What is an Action Station?

One of the latest trends in weddings and events is having an action station at dinner. Casual and fun has been the theme, as opposed to stuffy and formal. We have been receiving many more requests for stations than a plated sit down meal. So…what exactly is an action station?

An action station is any meal station that needs some sort of action (cooking, mixing, adding toppings, etc.). A carving station is an extremely popular one. A chef attends the station and cuts pieces of meat to the guests’ liking. It can also be a bit more involved, such as a pasta station. The chef would have different kinds of pastas already made, with different sauces available. To make it even more custom, there could also be different types of meats, vegetables, and cheeses. The guest would tell the chef what kind of pasta, sauce and other ingredients he or she would like included, and each plate would be made to order.

Although it is usually chef or staff attended, an action station can also be self-serve by the guest. For example, an Asian Noodle bar would include the noodles already made, as well as various toppings from which the guest can choose. The guest would first get a scoop of noodles, and then top them with whatever they like. It could be chives, bok choy, snap peas, red peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, mini corn on the cobs, even chicken or shrimp. Serve in cute take-out style containers with bamboo chopsticks to bring the experience even further!

There is really no limit to an action station besides your imagination. It could be customized to a certain type of food, like seafood, or a certain kind of cuisine, and even dessert. The possibilities are endless, but here are some ideas to inspire you!

Sushi station
Taco bar
Rice bar
Ice cream sundae bar
Omelette station
Coffee, tea and hot chocolate station
Salad bar
Pizza station

Nothing is off limits when it comes to customizing your wedding day. Take some of these ideas and expand on them, or come up with your own! Either way, we are happy to create it for you!

Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.