I hope our guests are wearing stretchy pants...

Well, its official. Our wedding is going to be an eating extravaganza. Yep. An all night marathon of food. I hope our guests are preparing for this in advance...

Mommy Buttons and I had a final (hopefully) meeting with Carlouel last week. I swear, each time we leave from one of our venue meetings, my mom and I couldn't be in a better mood. Everything about our experience with Carlouel has been a dream. And the menu is no exception.

Remember our first tasting? Well, guess what...we...nixed...everything...
After ruminating about our first tasting's selections, Mommy and Daddy Buttons brainstormed with me on what we would love to have at the reception. We were searching for variety, fresh foods, and a lot of different flavor profiles. After collaborating with Chuck, we were able to come up with what I consider to be a pretty amazing menu.

Get ready to start drooling...now...

Appetizers: Our guests will step outside for our cocktail hour immediately following the ceremony. They will be able to enjoy the following:

• Crudite table set up with crackers, cheese, fruit, smoked fish spread, and artichoke dip
• Lobster stuffed baby portabella mushrooms
• Parmesan cups filled with grilled mixed vegetables
• Caprese salad kabobs: 6" skewers with buffalo mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, and basil marinated in balsamic

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• Open faced grouper sandwiches
• Poolside grill will be cooking kobe beef sliders to order

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After the cocktail hour, guests will move inside to their reception table. Salad will be served at their seat.

Salad: spring mix with carmelized pecans, gorgonzola, and craisins. The salad will be dressed with my mom's recipe for honey lime vinegarette

We will then open up the five tasting stations for dinner. Each station will serve a small plate of food (salad plate size), and guests will be able to take one plate, sit at their table, and come back for multiple tastings. The stations are as follows:

• Baby grilled rack of lamb with a light herb seasoning, served with tzatziki sauce, rosemary roasted red skin potatoes, and asparagus

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• Stir fry: choice of chicken, pork, or shrimp. Served with stir fry vegetables, sticky rice, and chopsticks
  

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• Chilean sea bass, served with julienne vegetables. Guests will have a choice of chimmichurri sauce or mango salsa
• 5oz petite filet mignon, served with a spinach souffle and au gratin potatoes
• Mixed veggies (black beans, corn, tomatoes, green pepper) and chicken, served in a homemade taco shell bowl, topped with cilantro, guacamole, cheese, and salsa
  

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About 45 minutes after dinner is complete, we will cut the cake. It will be served on a table with a coffee service and the following desserts:

• Mixed berry tarts
  

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• Mini key lime pies

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• Assorted cookies: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and white chocolate macadamia nut

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At this point, guests might think that the night is over and they can be wheeled out to their cars; most likely with their pant buttons unbuttoned to accomodate all of the food they just ate. But wait...there is one more detail to our menu for the evening...

A french fry bar!
I really liked the idea of having a "late night eating encounter," and so we added one on! We will be serving:

• Fresh made french fries in paper boats
• Condiments: ketchup, malt vinegar, season salt, nacho/melted cheese, bacon bits, green onions, jalapenos, and sour cream
  

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• Chocolate milk shake shooters!!!!

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When Chuck suggested the french fry bar, I think my brain went into wedding bliss overload. Whenever I have a night of drinking, I usually start craving greasy food: pizza, french fries...perhaps a pot of Kraft mac n cheese. To me, this will be the perfect ending to our evening; I hope our guests will enjoy the surprise (or, lack of surprise if any of them happen to be reading this)!

So...are you full just thinking about the amount of food that will be served at the Buttons' wedding??? I sure am!

What is your favorite item on your wedding menu? Are you adding any late night treats for your guests?

A preliminary tasting

When it comes to food, I guess you could say that I am a little bit picky. I am that annoying person who orders salads with dressing on the side and entrees without heavy sauce. I ask for my pizza to be cooked "well done," and I don't eat red meat. Yikes; I am a waiter/waitress' nightmare. So, when it came to menu selection for our wedding, I knew from the start that it might be somewhat of a challenge. On one hand, we want all of our guests to be happy with the food available at our reception. But, on the other hand, I don't want to offer items that didn't represent foods that Mr. Buttons and I would eat ourselves.

When we sat down with the manager at Carlouel (Chuck) to discuss our menu, we started off by determining the style in which we wanted the food served. Like some other Bees, we decided to go the tasting station route for our reception, as it would provide our guests with a variety of options. We will feature 5-6 tasting stations for our guests to choose from.

For our first tasting (yes, I said first...as in there will be another one...most likely because I'm crazy), we worked with Chuck to create what we thought would be a delicious set of stations. Carlouel does an awesome job with their tastings; both my parents and Mr. Buttons' parents were allowed to attend to help us ponder the menu.

First up: Appetizers

Apparently, I was so hungry and excited about the tasting that I forgot to take a photo. Whoops. We tried:

• Bruschetta
• Grilled Andouille sausage (which would be prepared outside in the cocktail hour area)
• Raspberry brie puffs
• Stuffed mushrooms (3 varieties: crab, sausage, and spinach)
• Grouper sliders

For the most part, all of the appetizers went over well! Bruschetta is familiar, but my mom wanted to explore the idea of something less carb-filled (perhaps something like a caprese salad turned into finger food form). The grilled sausage would probably be a big hit, as it would be grilled outside in front of the guests (most likely with some shrimp as well). We could take or leave the brie puffs and stuffed mushrooms (although tasty). The grouper sliders were hands down the favorite of the group, and it is kind of "the thing" around this area to have...so we know we are going to incorporate them in some way.

Next up: Entrees. Carlouel served our table a large entree portion of each, and we passed/shared to try everything.

We tried a few variations of lobster. This version featured julienne vegetables and spanish rice:

The next one was a grilled lobster tail served with sweet potato fries and green beans. Mr. Buttons pretty much ate everything off the plate...he barely let anyone else try it! What can I say, the man likes lobster! This was definitely the preferred dish of the two lobster ones.

"Steak and Cake:" beef tenderloin served with a crab cake, mashed potatoes, and julienne vegetables

A different variation of the "steak and cake," but with green beans/a different presentation. Overall, we weren't completely won over by either.

Chicken stuffed with spinach and sundried tomatoes. It was served with spanish rice and grilled vegetables. I liked the concept of the stuffed chicken, but I wasn't going ga-ga over it.

Chilean sea bass with chimichurri sauce, served with julienne vegetables. This was by far the best dish we had that evening. I mean, who doesn't love Chilean sea bass? It is magical...and it is my favorite. We were definitely set on serving this as a tasting station.

Another variation, this time with green beans and spanish rice:

Overall, our "preliminary" tasting at Carlouel went relatively well. We tasted some appetizers that we loved, as well as some entrees. From this point, we were able to determine what we absolutely must serve (like the Chilean sea bass), and what we wanted to nix (chicken, "steak and cake"). If you can deduce from this post, Mr. Buttons and I had some work to do on the menu! We have 5-6 stations to select, and after our preliminary tasting we only had one station that we were unanimously set on!

So, back to the drawing board we go...

Did you have a difficult time selecting your menu? What were your must have items? Did you sample something you DIDN'T like at a tasting?

Light it Up!

If you’re not already following along with the creation of my centerpieces…first I accumulated my vases, then I went through a trial run with the baby’s breath.

Next, I assembled a few samples!

In addition to my vase-purchasing frenzy, I also cleared TJ Maxx and Marshalls on any and all of these adorable little bird figurines. I now have a rather sizeable flock!

I wanted to create the ambiance/arrangement that we will have the evening of the wedding. Ideally, the lighting will be low and the reception tables will be illuminated with votives. Perhaps like this?

Aren’t the little birds adorable?

I plan to use one tall vase and one short vase in the arrangement. I’ll add a bird on one side, and the table number/letter on the other. Votives will be scattered around the table.

So…what do you think? Did you have an easy time turning your visions into reality for your reception tables?

Setting up the Gift Table

I want to make sure that we continue the whimsy of our décor on to the gift table! The one that Carlouel sets out is a very long rectangular table...and with so many OOT guests, I am not anticipating many gifts to be delivered in person on the wedding day. However, I really don't want the table to look empty, so I wanted to spice it up a little bit! I collected a few odds and ends, and I plan on arranging them in some way.

Here are a few of my trials thus far:

I found the "Love" sign at JoAnn Fabrics on sale for 40% off...$5! The blue pillar candle holder was also a JoAnn's steal...

The topiary was already sitting around my parents' house so I'm borrowing it (seriously people, go scour your houses and see if there are items you can use in decor!)...as well as the old books!

I ended up returning this particular birdcage (to be used for cards); I am going to continue looking for something a bit larger/more detailed, as I thought this one looked rather dinky, especially when it was surrounded by a bunch of other things. I also need to find some more vintage/old books. Any suggestions on where to find some?

Did you do something special/do you have something planned for your gift table?

DIY pinwheels…

Previously, I showed you my pinwheel inspiration, and my first attempts at the project. Today, the tutorial!

First, I searched high and low for the paper I wanted to use. Ideally, I would use scrapbook paper because of its thickness/sturdiness. At first, with 300+ pinwheels to make, purchasing scrapbook paper at 60 cents a sheet (or buying one sheet a week with a 40% off Michael’s coupon), seemed too costly AND time consuming. It seemed like I was on an endless search for paper, and originally found one solution in the least likely of places…THE DOLLAR STORE!

Yes, no lie! I was walking through the Dollar Tree to find something, and I walked by their gift wrap section. They had bins filled with wedding-related gift paper, and I started digging though the containers like a scavenger. What I came out with was…this!

It is ivory paper with a platinum/silver floral print. I purchased the roll and brought it home. When I set it next to our centerpiece vases, I was pleasantly surprised! It coordinates amazingly!

So, lets get started!

1.) I used a yard stick to measure out a 3 inch wide strip of paper.

2.) Next, I cut the strip to measure 12”x3,” which left a 6”x3” extra piece…which I cut down further to make two 6”x1” strips for a small pinwheel!

3.) For the larger pinwheel, I made ½” accordion pleats*. I was left with two accordion strips.

4.) At the end of one strip, I squeezed a small line of 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue (the fast drying stuff…although you could use tacky glue if you want…I like instant gratification though!), and then connected the two strips into one long one.

5.) Leave the strip to dry for a minute, and then connect the two exposed ends together. You will be left with a crinkly circle…it kind of reminds you of one of the coffee cup sleeves you get at Starbucks!

6.) When that dries, it is time to flip the paper into a pinwheel! I place my thumbs on the top of one end, and my other fingers on the other side, then twist my wrists so my thumbs come together. This part, at first, made me really nervous, but once you have the paper flipped, you are able to fix the edges/refold any pleats that you might have stretched out.

7.) Add a generous dot of glue to the center of the pinwheel to hold it together. Let dry.

8.) Finally, place a dot of glue on the back of a button, and set it in the center of the pinwheel. And…voila!

Now…I’m going to repeat this x300…

If you are looking to create some pinwheels of your own, this can be one of the most cost effective projects to dive into! The wrapping paper I purchased is 15 square feet, and according to my calculation, I will need 5 rolls, so I bought 6 to be safe...which came out to a grand total of $6.42 for all of the paper! In an ideal world (like I already said) I would use scrapbook paper because it is much sturdier, but I think that wrapping paper is a great alternative option! My grandmother has TONS of buttons at her house, and she sent me a box of them for the centers, so that aspect of my pinwheels is free! I purchased the glue at Michael's with a 40% off coupon for less than $3. I might need to purchase an additional bottle as I get farther into the project...but I'm not too worried about it at this point!

How are your DIY projects coming along?

*For my smaller pinwheels, I used ¼” accordion pleats. You might need to try out a few different widths before you find what you like!

Yes, I am certifiably insane…

A while back, I was browsing through the sea of wedding blogs on my reader, when I came across a rather inspirational series of photos on Style Me Pretty.

This table arrangement made me swoon…but of particular interest were the pretty paper pinwheels! How cute are these???

All images from Style Me Pretty.

I quickly wiped the drool off of my face, and began to think. This…is…do-able! I love the combination of whimsy and elegance the pinwheels create! After figuring out the logistics of creating them (sooo easy…a tutorial is forthcoming…I promise!), I decided to try out a few samples. It took a few to get the hang of it…haha!

I used some old scrapbook paper that was laying around the house (12”x12”), which I cut into 3” wide strips, and put in 1” accordion folds. 1” was CLEARLY too big…

After the first failed pinwheel, I decreased the accordion fold to ½” wide, and the result was much better! To finish the look, I added a button to the center…so cute!

After I made the larger pinwheel, I tried out a few smaller sizes as well, decreasing the pleats to ¼.” I thought they turned out well!

So…what am I going to do with these, you ask? First, the large pinwheels are going to be tied to the back of ½ of our reception chairs (every other one) in a similar fashion to what was pictured above. The medium sized pinwheels will become a part of the place settings/table decor. And, finally, the tiny ones will be used on our escort cards! According to my calculations, that means I have to make at least 300 pinwheels...gulp! I’m so excited about the final outcome…but am somewhat dreading the pain that my fingers are going to undergo during the folding process!

Next up, I’ll talk about my hunt for the perfect paper, search for hundreds of buttons, and provide you a tutorial on how to make your own pinwheels!

Did you stumble upon some DIY projects for your wedding somewhere on the Internet? What inspired you?

Vintage-y Vases

So, if you recall, I somewhat recently decided to make a switcheroo in regards to my reception flowers. Bye bye hydrangeas, hello baby’s breath!

Next up on the to-do list was to figure out what to display the beautiful poufs of baby’s breath in!

Mommy Buttons and I began by scouring JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, and the like. We saw a lot of the same thing; clear glass vases in different shapes/heights. It could work, but I wasn’t in love.

Then, we decided to try our luck elsewhere by visiting our all-time favorite stores; TJ Maxx and Marshalls. My mom mentioned that she had seen some pretty vintage-looking vases there previously. We walked down the aisles in anticipation…

And…boy was I glad we went there! There were shelves filled with vases in various shapes, sizes, and patterns galore! And they were a very reasonable price, ranging from $3.99 for the smaller pieces to $7.99 for the larger ones! We quickly gathered every single vase we could see into the shopping cart…and then proceeded to visit every TJ Maxx and Marshalls in the Tampa/Clearwater area to clean them out!

Here is our stash…I am just loving them!

I plan to combine at least one taller vase with a shorter one, and add some “extra” items on the table (such as bird figurines, vintage books, tea cups, etc)…I’ll show you some of my first trials shortly! And my favorite aspect of these vases is that we will DEFINITELY re-use them after the wedding! My mom is fond of them, and they match the décor in the house…and I know that I will want to keep a handful for Mr. Buttons and I to decorate our new home! Sure, there will most likely be some leftovers, but I am loving the fact that I don’t have to rent them for $15 a vase (since that is what we were previously quoted by a florist for similar containers…yikes!)!

Are you planning on DIY’ing your centerpieces? What did you do/are you planning to do with the containers after the day is done?