Cate & Trevor Tie the Knot

Many months of planning and we couldn't have ordered a nicer day for Cate Edwards & Trevor Upham, who tied the knot last Saturday and celebrated their nuptuals at the Edwards home in Chapel Hill.

Barbara Clark of An Elegant Affair, top notch wedding and special event planner, approached me about this event in January of this year, and it has been a real challenge to keep all the details under wraps.  Barbara assembled a very creative team of vendors to execute the vision for this rustic yet elegant affair, the inspiration for which took seed from late Elizabeth Edward's and Cate's carefully chosen photographs and clippings.  Barbara zeroed in on the highlights and pulled together all the resources to make it happen, and it was a real honor and pleasure to have a hand in the process.

Among the talented team of professionals; the Watered Garden Florist, Get Lit Special Event Lighting, Party Reflections, Alexia's Bridals, Walters & Walters Photography, Sweet Memories Bakery, Heart Stone Films, and of course, Catering Works! 

Cate desired a Southern influenced menu, but also wanted to appeal to Trevor's side of the family, hailing from California and dubbed "foodies".  After a private tasting in July, and several emails and phone calls, we were able to arrive at just the right selections to accentuate the flavors of our state, and also incorporate some eclectic variety to satisfy more globally influenced taste buds.

Picture perfect weather created the backdrop for a fabulous event!  The guests were invited for cocktails on the lawn, and greeted by our servers passing flutes of Montmartre Pink Champagne and lively music provided by a  Blue Grass band.  We featured 2 action stations during the 2 hour long cocktail portion of  the event.  The Gourmet Soup Shooter station featured: Truffled White Bean Soup with Gruyere Cheese bite, Pumpkin Bisque with Chanterelle Mushroom and Carrot & Cashew Soup with Tamari Glazed Shrimp.  The soup shooters were presented in adorable white demitasse cups (Party Reflections), and serviced from the client's own viking grill/range built into the back porch.  A second interactive station featured a collection of Southern Crostinis: Buttermilk biscuits with country ham, our homemade tomato ginger jam and pickled okra, Cornbread Crostinis with fig compote and mint chantilly cream, and Pork Tenderloin crostinis with collard spread and red pepper coulis.  These delightful canapes are assembled interactively, in view of the guests, then presented on plate glass risers set above our stainless countertop.  We accented the station with small steel containers with fresh wheat grass, and blue hydrangeas, it was a very clean modern look.  A wrought iron box style chandelier hung in the center of the client's porch, and this provided much inspiration for other decor throughout the event.  Dave Watson of Get Lit created small replicas of the chandelier and hung them from shepherd's hooks in the backyard, and then larger grander style chandeliers which were suspended from the tent.  Steve Terrace also incorporated the iron work in his breathtaking floral centerpieces.

The cocktail area included 2 full bars and cocktail tables with chivari barstools, along with the client's own patio furnishings.  The colors were good old Carolina Blue, Navy blue and burlap accents (this look in particular from Cate's original file she compiled with Mom).  The tables were dressed with light blue base cloths and burlap overlays that were cinched to create a lovely swag style appearance.  Catering Works provided small iron lanterns and hydrangeas with bear grass loops for the cocktail tables.

The children enjoyed their own hors d'ouevres table which featured chicken tenders, mini griddled cheese sandwiches, pigs in a blanket, fresh fruit with raspberry dip, and hand made fairy-tale inspired paper cones filled with snack mix.

Cocktailing continues with several other passed hors d'ouevres: Lamb Sliders with Harissa Aioli and Mint, Edible Amusette Spoons with Boursin & Lump Crabmeat, Pimento Cheese Tea Sandwiches (a "must have" and Edwards family favorite!), Mini Beef Short Rib pies topped with Blue Cheese infused Mashed Potatoes and Corn Crusted Oysters with Poblano Remoulade Blini's.  What would a cocktail hour be without a Signature Drink?  Aptly named "The Lawn Party", we created a fresh Cucumber infusion with Yuzu Juice (Japanese citrus) and Agave Nectar then mixed it with Hendrick's Gin, Pama Pomegranate Liqueur and St. Germaine.  The libation was served in a martini glass, floated with thinly sliced cucumbers and garnished with fresh dendrobium orchid and dusted with edible 23k gold flake, it was as beautiful to look at as to sip, and the crowd raved!

Cate created escort card boards covered with burlap and blue gingham fabric, another fun and rustic element.  The guest name cards were differentiated with different colored chair graphic stamps and then tacked up to the boards almost resembling small luggage tags - very cute!  She also provided adorable navy blue flip flops, that were artfully arranged in antique baskets and tins, and displayed at the entrance of the tent.

The tent was amazing (Party Reflections), and included clear side walls and lovely draping that softened the ceiling and the side posts.  I cannot even begin to describe the lighting, it was simply magical (Dave Watson, Get Lit), the attention to detail was impeccable, as the light perfectly highlighted the myriad details of the scene, from the flowers to the dancefloor, to the stage and even the bars were washed in lovely amber tones.  The fresh floral centerpieces were breathtaking (Steve Terrace at the Watered Garden really outdid himself!).  They incorporated soft creams, ivory, touches of peach and coral, and some deep red accents, and alternated in style.  Ivory pillar candles were elevated in wrought iron stands and lots of votives added even more romance to an already gorgeous setting.  The table linens were chcolate taffetta pintuck and tables were set with Ivory hemstitch napkins and a full set of sparkling crystal (Party Reflections). 

Dinner service began with the first course of Bibb Lettuce salad with blue cheese crumbles, roasted butternut squash, sauteed sweet vidalia onions, roasted pecans and a warm bacon brown sugar vinaigrette dressing.  Entree selections followed, and guests chose either Beef Tenderloin Filet with Fried Green Tomato and Pimento Cheese (another must have and very popular choice at the head table), Roasted Airline Chicken stuffed with Chevre, Rosemary and Wild Mushrooms or Pan Fried Catfish with Butterbean Succotash.  Each plate was accompanied by Rainbow Swiss Chard and Baby Beets with smokey onion Marmalade and our signature Chipotle Orange Sweet Potato Gratin baked in individual ramekins.  Wines offered with dinner were The Show Cabernet Sauvignon, Jargon Pinot Noir, Stoneburn Sauvignon Blanc and Kenwood Yulupu Chardonnay and plenty more of the Montmartre Pink Champagne was also featured at dinner time.

Cate and Trevor had their first dance just after dinner, and engaged the crowd with their incredible poise and style while kicking up their heels to the tune "Wagon Wheel".  The band was phenomenal!  They played hits that spanned several decades and kept the crowd happy and moving throughout the evening.

The cake came from Sweet Memories bakery, and was a delicious and beautiful work of art!  It featured a hazelnut tier, a chocolate with chocolate mousse filling and what Southern wedding wouldn't be complete without Red Velvet cake with cream cheese filling.  The cake was enrobed in fondant that took a draped effect resembling Cate's lovely wedding dress.

A late night snack of chicken biscuits and fries passed in vintage polka dot paper cones occurred later in the evening.  The happy couple, family and friends enjoyed themselves as they danced under the stars into the evening.  All in all, a perfect day for a terrific couple. 

Barbara Clark did an amazing job to pull all the talent together and make it happen, and we look forward to collaborating on the next big event with her again soon!