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

TCO's Favorite Spring Flavors

Spring brings with it a rush of events-- between menu tastings for fall and winter brides, events for various Charlottesville area organizations and UVA, styled shoots, and, of course, real weddings, The Catering Outfit team is off and running! While we love the hearty tastes of winter menus, spring means a return to light and crisp flavors. Our favorite spring dishes right now are... 

Cocktail: Cucumber Mint Pimm's Cup

cucumber, pimm's no. 1, ginger beer, pelligrino limonata, mint leaves

Canapé: Ceviche Spoon

marinated scallops, shrimp, citrus, jalapeno, red onion, siracha sauce, tostada crumble

Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake! 

lavender lemon-scented angel food cake with rum-soaked macerated strawberries and a sweetened honduran cream

DELICIOUS! We cannot wait for more dishes like these... Happy Spring!

Wedding Menu Tasting with Evan & Mollie

Our Sunday night tasting with Shindig bride Mollie Crosby and groom Evan Burch went longer than usual, but was filled with the sounds of forks and laughter as the bride, groom, Meghan, and both sets of parents tried each and every option available to them. We started with the signature cocktails and moved our way down the menu through cocktail hour and the dinner options; our goal was to emulate the experience Mollie & Evan will have on their wedding day!

Serving seven people was a lot of fun and allowed for great conversation about the wedding day and getting to know which other local vendors from the Charlottesville wedding community they were working with. With the bride & groom meeting at UVA, it was great to know that they were coming back to get married in a town so near and dear to all of our hearts (especially with a vendor team chock-full of wahoo grads).

A sneak peek of the menu:

-There will be an extensive cocktail hour featuring a variety of hors d’oeuvres ranging from Southern Virginia ham biscuits & Cholula corn dogs to lamb & apricot keftedes (paying homage to the groom’s Greek heritage!)

-A stationed dinner to include local pork belly with a Georgia peach glaze (the bride is from Georgia), grits, and individual sweet potato casseroles. A bruised kale salad with pomegranate seeds and peaches lightens up the evening and a variety of other stations with different options will be available to the guests.

Evan & Mollie's big day is August 8^th, 2015, at our newest preferred venue, Castle Hill Cider! We'll be working alongside Meghan Streit of Shindig Weddings & Events and photographer Sarah Cramer.