Mollie + Evan-Part One

the rehearsal

mollie & evan's special weekend was surely one of the most colorfully inventive weddings the catering outfit has ever seen. with a fashion designer & an architect at the helm, there was no doubt from any vendor as to the amount of creative pops of color we were all going to see...and it all started with the rehearsal dinner! a weekend this big definitely requires two blog posts to capture all of the beautiful details...

evan's mom, joan, took planning into her own hands for this lush rehearsal dinner full of colors foreshadowing fall. grey skies throughout the day added some weather worries, but with the evening came beautiful, cool weather and picture-esque views of UVA's famous lawn.

with southern blooms on floral-duty, the center pieces with eggplants, grapes, radishes, and tomatoes absolutely brought the colonnade club's garden to life. beneath the twinkling bistro lights, the elongated farm tables from festive fare gave a rustic, but elegant flair to where the guests of honor and close family & friends would be seated.

passed hors d'oeuvres included some classic favorites and some new, greek-inspired dishes to pay homage to the new family mollie was joining! these included some pine nut, currant & rice dolmades and lamb keftedes. if you know walter, you know how excited he was to add an authentic spin.

the dinner menu offered another unique opportunity to highlight the greek side of evan's family with dishes such as orange & leek loukaniko and a vegetarian pastitsio, with delicious mixed mushroom duxelles & bechamel. and the best part? the suckling pig. cooked for 10 hours in a cajun microwave to get the crispiest & tastiest outer layer for guests to dig into.

(no roasted pig is complete without an apple!)

after a variety of toasts that brought guests many tears & fits of laughter, guests enjoyed a slideshow and dessert display full of tarts, pies, puddings, brownies (oh my!), and personalized cookies reflecting the activities mollie & evan are known for.

with outstanding photos taken & a good time spent with friends and family, friday night was definitely a beautiful & fantastic start to the weekend...cheers to you, Joan, for your beautiful planning!

(and a special cheers to sarah cramer shields, who has the best job of all...capturing these stunning photos!)

(look out for the wedding edition post next week!)

Happy Wedding Week Mollie & Evan!

It's here! We are so excited for this weekend's wedding. Mollie & Evan have been truly a delight to work with throughout their engagement; we had the most epic menu tasting back in March (see all the goodness here!) and after a bit of tinkering and experimenting, their menu is ready to go for their Castle Hill shindig on Saturday! 

These letterpressed menus by Atlanta-based artist Ashley Buzzy are out-of-this-world gorgeous! We are so excited to see the entire wedding-- we are always blown away by the styling skills of Shindig's event planner Meghan! 

Follow along with all the fun on Instagram! We'll be sure to share lots of sneak peeks and behind-the-scenes posts!

Charlottesville Wine & Country Magazine's Wedding of the Year!

The gorgeous new publication Charlottesville Wine & Country Weddings has named Ellen & Chris' Castle Hill Cider celebration the "Wedding of the Year" and we couldn't be more thrilled! Ellen & Chris were a delight to collaborate with and we had the best time working alongside their event planner Shindig, photographer Adam Barnes, floral designer Southern Blooms, Festive Fare, Blue Ridge A/V and Lighting, and more! 

One of our favorite details? The "Wow" factor that was the reception styling. The beautiful barn at Castle Hill was transformed into the most elegant and luxurious space... it was an honor to be part of this day!

For more of this fabulous wedding, pick up your copy of Charlottesville Wine & Country Weddings at area retailers or online here!

Save the Date: The Shebeen's Makindu Children's Fundraiser!

The Catering Outfit's sister company, The Shebeen Pub & Braai, is hosting a fundraiser Thursday, June 25th, to benefit the Makindu Children's Foundation-- and you're invited!

The Makindu Children's Program is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Oregon that supports the Makindu Children's Centre in eastern Kenya. The center is a resource for children suffering from AIDS and other forms of destitution by providing them with nutrition and medical support as well as education from the primary level up through high school and vocational studies! 

The Shebeen is raising funds for Makindu as well as fundraising for owner Walter's Proper Walk in fall 2016. The Proper Walk is the largest fundraiser for the Makindu Children's Program-- every two years, teams of walkers and camels trek upwards of 150 miles in Kenya to raise money for the Center. We are so excited to support Walter in this adventure! 

The June 25th fundraiser starts at 6pm with a cocktail hour on the Shebeen's verandah, followed by a stationed dinner at 7pm, and a performance by Mighty Joshua on the patio starting at 9pm. Tickets for the entire event are $75 a person (if you'd like to just attend the Mighty Joshua performance, tickets will be sold separately at the door for $15). 

For more information about Walter's Proper Walk and to donate directly, click here! And to RSVP to the event on Facebook, head here!

Summer Grilling Inspiration

It's that time of the year-- time to fire up the grill! Memorial Day weekend kicked off the start of cookout season: think icy cold brews, long days at the pool, favorite friends, dining under the stars, and, of course, smoldering coals and fresh cuts of meats. Pull out your go-to marinade recipes, stock up on charcoal, and celebrate the season with one of our favorite cooking methods!

We're ALWAYS ready to grill out-- here are some of our most inspiring moments o'grilling at TCO events!

photos by Jen Fariello and Adam Barnes Fine Art Photography

Happy Summer!

-TCO

The Cville Sipper

Earlier this month, we teamed up with some of our favorite Charlottesville wedding creatives to put together a unique styled shoot in the middle of the Downtown Mall. We put together a menu that that highlighted elegant spring flavors and the edginess of downtown Charlottesville... but the real star of the show was our cocktail The Cville Sipper. 

This drink is sweet, super summery, and absolutely delicious-- try it at your next soiree! 

recipe:

1.5oz grey goose

1oz fresh lavender

3oz house sour mix

dash of simple syrup

garnish with fresh lavender blossoms & a lemon slice

Happy Friday!

TCO

A Styled Shoot BTS

The Catering Outfit teamed up with a fantastic cast of characters earlier this week to style a unique photoshoot on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall. The inspiration for the tablescape was the Mall itself, with the beautiful bricks and the natural beauty of the trees juxtaposed with the hustle and bustle of the Mall's many establishments. The team envisioned a City Hall bride feasting with her wedding guests under the stars!

After the shoot wrapped, we made use of the edible props and invited some of our friends for dinner! It was the perfect ending to a creatively fulfilling day.

Stay tuned for more details about the menu we created and photos from Robert Radifera-- but for now, enjoy these behind-the-scenes sneak peeks! 

Big thanks to the team involved: 

Shindig

If So Inklined

Southern Blooms

Festive Fare

Robert Radifera Photography