Food and Design Decisions: How They Get Done!

Our spring open house at the new Brandthoover Hall in St. Pete, featured over 10 client-inspired guest tables for 2012-2013 that ranged from shabby chic to traditional elegance. Our talented team of event designers, Bradley Dempsey, Kent Billiter, and Ashley Allred Davis, tooks cues from their clients to create final design looks for their upcoming weddings.

Having your guest table look featured at one of our open houses, is one of the many benefits of being a client of Catering By Robert / Event Concepts . FL. Not only can you see our in-house decor items in action, you can also view custom upgrades, fresh florals, and bring your own embellishments to enhance the design. 


A special thank you to Carmen of Carmen's Flowers for supplying so many beautiful arrangements to enhance our joint client tables.

Ashley's June 5th clients, Laura and Nate, had many decisions to make regarding their chair options. So we set up two different chiavari chair colors, a white wood folding chair, and our regular included chair cover with colored tie for them to choose from. Our florist, Carmen of Carmen's Flowers did a sample arrangement of pink peonies and white roses to complete their look.

Another of Ashley's design clients, Carra, did brought her own centerpiece elements to put in our vases. But prior to her arrival, Ashley and Carmen offered another centerpiece option for her to consider. 

Ashley's and Carmen's third client, Chelsey and her mom, Sylvia, did a lot of rearranging of table elements that reflected their terra and water-themed wedding reception for this July. The pair came prepared with lots of natural moss terrarium features and switched out some different fresh floral looks Carmen is going to provide. It's a work in progress!!!

In between design viewings, guests were treated to some of our NEW hand-passed hors d'oeuvres options which ranged from Greek Tiropitas to shrimp Gazpacho shooters and smoked salmon pate "pops" all skillfully put together by our behind-the-scenes-staff.
  

Another food feature was a Parison Whipped Potato Station with individual portions in champagne glasses. Buffet linens provided by Connie Duglin Linens. In-house decor arranged by Bradley Dempsey.

We had a record-breaking number of black accented sample tables at this open house. These all started with our basic black floor length cloths and neutral chair covers and evolved into some individualized looks with touches of red, platinum, and three versions of popular damask designs in runners and center squares.

Above, Kent started with a simple black/white with a touch of red for Cassie and Mary's July outdoor celebration. They decided a completely different look after seeing some other options displayed on other guest tables. The tall cylinder was replaced with a simple black lantern and the damask square is now a black and white damask runner AND no more red.
Even chair tie styles are sometimes up in the air until seen at an open house. The couple will be doing a destination wedding for close family and friends in Italy and having a larger reception at a friend's house a week after they return.

Kent's November outdoor wedding at a private lakefront home, will feature yet another black and white combination with a smashing touch of red in our trio of cylinder vases filled with rose petals, water, clear crystals, and floating candles. Client, Taryn, chose a simple rolled napkin fold atop our silver chargers and the popular damask runner in the center. Also, at the open house, she chose a white chair cover with red tie. Later, after thinking about the final picture (above), she decided to change the ties to black. Every bride has the right to change her mind, right?

Carla and Ronni's July reception at the Bayanihan Arts Center also has a black and white and silver focus. They also will be utilizing our vase trio FIRST as aisle markers for their commitment ceremony and then transferred to awaiting guest tables during the social hour. Carla purchased a silver based damask fabric and made her own runners. They also placed their gift favor bags on the silver chargers to see how they would look.

Bradley's August bride, Lisa, also chose the damask runner look with a tiny bit of  red found in her fresh red rose arrangement created by Carmen. Her tastes call for a lot of bling with will be added to our tall glass cylinders inside and out with crystals. After seeing the red napkins, she decided on a flat fold black napkin on each silver charger.
Lisa also decided to alternate her guest tables with Carmen's piece and our trio of cylinders filled with water and red petals.     

One of food stations focused on our Greek make-your-own Gryo station with carved meat and the option for different pita toppings. We also offered our slow-roasted top round of beef.

Another station had Italian emphasis with a made-to-order Mediterranean small plate,
Penne Pesto past, and Chicken Marsala.

 

As with all open houses, we displayed all of our in-house guest table centerpieces so clients could see them utilized in a certain color scheme and theming.

A new platunum overlay from Kate Ryan Linens was on display at a mock sweetheart table. It was surrounded by our black wrought iron Chuppah and uplit white sail structure. We always love to offer the latest in new decor.

It was the last chance for out of town client, Robin, to view her final table design for her beach wedding the following weekend. Bradley and Carmen put together a simplified version of her coral, turquoise and fushia table features so she could give her final approval.

Kent's mid-2013 client, Marsha, was anxious to see her "over-the-top" guest table early in her planning. She had Kent create her custom garden look that include gold, fushia, ivory, and a touch of ice blue. She decided against the baby blue chair covers in favor of our in-house ones. Carmen designed a specialty centerpiece to compliment the design. All linens were ordered from BBJ Linen. Because Marsha will be spending a great deal of money on upgrading her guest tables, she wanted to make certain her fiance and family approved of it way in advance.

Finally, Bradley's royal blue and gold table for February bride Rachel, created a lot of interest in our optional gold flatware and the self-wrap gold satin chair covers. The blueberrytwist fabric was also ordered fromBBJ Linen and a simple, stunning baby's breath cluster in a clear glass vase was fashioned by Carmen for this table. After viewing her table, the bride decided there was too much gold for her taste and opted for in-house chair covers with a gold satin tie.

And what would our open houses be without our wonderful vendors. Here Jazzy Jewels
 Mobile Make-Up does a make over on our June client, Laura.




This fun-filled afternoon of serious event design and food tasting also included a full open bar with a featured specialty drink, more than 20 albums of our past events, many interactive opportunities with our service, culinary, and design staff.
As with all of our open houses, we cannot thank our participating vendors enough for all their contributions.


Carmen's Flowers
DeLite Entetainment
Decorating Elves
Laura McMurdock
PKS Rentals (all rental chairs)
A1 Foliage
Jazzy Jewels Mobile Make-Up and Hair Design
Beach Angels Notary Services
Sweet Tweets Cakery
BBJ Linens
Connie Duglin Linens
Kate Ryan Linens