1. SPIKED APPLE CIDER: Am I the only gal who eagerly awaits when the grocery store starts selling jugs of apple cider? Didn’t think so. One of our favorite ways to incorporate Fall into your menu is through an adult bev. Consider serving warm apple cider, spiked with your favorite bourbon, and garnished with a cinnamon stick. It’s sure to keep your guests warm (in more ways than one!).

2. BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE SHOOTERS: Served hot or cold, these sweet + savory appetizers are perfect for cocktail hour. Serve them in a shot glass or a small cup

6. MAC N’ CHEESE: OK, Mac n’ Cheese isn’t necessarily Fall — but remember, carbs don’t count. Serve up an adult version of this favorite childhood dish by adding an adult approved meat: bacon. In fact, we recommend bacon in nearly every dish you serve at your wedding.

Now that we’ve entered into the month of May– we’re getting excited for all things Royal Wedding! We’ve been busy putting together ideas for the viewing party we’re hosting alongside our friends at The White Dress by the shore. As we prep for Price Harry and Meghan Markle’s spectacular wedding on May 19th, we want to encourage you to host your own Royal Wedding viewing party! Thankfully, we’ve taken the guess work out of what drinks to serve as you all gather ’round and watch the magic unfold. The GREAT Britain campaign which showcases the best that the UK has to offer has partnered with The Martini Club (Toronto, Canada) to create wonderful cocktails utilizing a variety of British gins. These drinks are perfect to toast a wedding couple on their special day!

Royal Wedding Viewing Party Cocktail Ideas

THE WINDSOR KNOT COCKTAIL

• 1 ½ oz Bloom gin
• ½ oz orange liqueur
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 oz white cranberry juice
• 3 cucumber slices
• 3 oz club soda
• Cucumber slice, for garnish

Fill a wine goblet with ice. Add gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice, cranberry juice and cucumber slices. Stir to mix. Top with club soda. Garnish with a cucumber slice.

WEDDING BELLE COCKTAIL

• 1 ½ oz Portobello Road gin
• ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 oz Whittard golden chamomile tea syrup (see recipe below)
• 2 to 3 oz Fever-Tree tonic water
• Mint sprig or 2 tsp silver dragees (edible cake decorating balls), for garnish

To a stemless wine glass filled with ice, add gin, lemon juice, chamomile tea syrup and tonic. Stir gently to mix. Garnish with a mint sprig or gently add dragees.

Chamomile Tea Syrup

Add 1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar and 4 chamomile tea bags to a resealable, heatproof container. Pour in 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water. Stir until sugar dissolves. Allow to cool, remove tea bags. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Makes 1 cup for 8 servings.

G & TEA COCKTAIL

• 1 ½ oz Sipsmith gin
• 1 tbsp Tiptree orange marmalade
• 1 oz Whittard Earl Grey tea, chilled
• Dash orange bitters
• Orange twist, for garnish

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add gin, orange marmalade, chilled Earl Grey tea and bitters. Shake and pour into a rocks glass filled with ice. Add more ice and garnish with orange twist.

Are you planning a Royal Wedding viewing party? We want to know! Leave us a comment and let us know what you’ve got planned. Looking for more signature drink inspiration?

Summer is just around the corner… and I know what you’re thinking: I need a new gin signature cocktail! We love when our clients have fun with the signature cocktails for their wedding. As their wedding planner, they’re always asking for our advice on what to serve as a signature drink. Let’s be honest: we never shy away from cocktail hour AND we feel its part of our job to research cocktails, we’re always up to do a little digging to find  the perfect gin signature cocktail for your wedding.

We came across this fabulous cocktail while getting lost on the Waiting for Martha blog. After a thorough taste test (and we mean thorough) this gin cocktail became one of our new favorites. Perfect for your summer-time Connecticut wedding, we styled this drink with some nautical flare.

Ginny Gin Gin Punch

recipe courtesy of Waiting on Martha

Crafting a wedding menu is one of the best parts about planning– especially if you’re a foodie! We’ve worked with a lot of couples on curating a unique and delicious menu for their Connecticut wedding. Most caterers will give you the opportunity to come in for a tasting. During the tasting, you’ll taste items you’ve selected for your wedding day menu to get your menu justright. It’s also an opportunity for the caterer to gauge your palette; what you like and dislike, and how you want everything from appetizers to desserts plated and displayed.

Photography via Martha Stewart Weddings. See Vanessa & Lauren’s wedding feature!

We love accompanying our wedding planning clients to their tastings. When your wedding planner attends, they ask the right questions. They also ensure you feel comfortable communicating your likes and dislikes! Regardless of whether your planner is joining you, here are 3 questions you should ask your caterer during your tasting:

3 Questions to Ask Your Wedding Caterer During Your Tasting

1. What items are in season during our wedding date? These ingredients are sure to only enhance your menu in areas that some other items may fail to do, as they don’t carry the proper flavor during certain seasons. We’ve all eaten a tomato in winter only to discover it doesn’t taste quite like a tomato in the summer and fall!

2. What are your suggestions for something new or unique that most people haven’t experienced at a wedding before? It’s easy to offer traditional hors d’ouevres and entrees, but with some creativity, you can dress these up to be something special. We suggest that you start with drawing inspiration from the food dishes you love most. Think back to some of the most amazing meals you’ve ever had– that salad in Florence (I’m speaking from personal experience!), or that amazing dessert at a quaint restaurant in Newport. Your caterer can take inspiration from the dishes that you love and infuse them into your menu.

3. What is local to where we will be getting married? Perhaps you’re getting married on the Connecticut shoreline and you would like to feature a raw bar for your guests. Maybe you’re hosting your event on a working farm in Madison, Connecticut and want feature fresh herbs and vegetables grown and picked right on site. Trust your chefs to work with the location they are familiar with and know well as that will enhance the success of your menu.

Interested in more wedding planning advice? Check out our archives!

We’ve touched upon food displays, but let’s dip into what you put on those displays. Not only should you have fun with the presentation, but also with what you’re serving as well! One way to do this is to marry your favorite spirit and guilty pleasure snack. What could better than a bourbon-spiked vanilla milkshake and fresh baked cookies on the side?

I took a little love from one of our favorites, Peter Callahan, and his creative genius of all things mini. Take inspiration from the timing of your event and the point at which you would like to feature these selections. For example, cocktail hour is the perfect time to offer a local ale with a mini pulled pork slider or hot dog. Late night is the best moment to share something sweet, like spiked hot chocolate and a munchkin, or?serve up a little something comforting, like mini pancakes and a sweet mimosa! It’s delicious, it’s cute, and very memorable!

XO

This morning I woke up to the unmistakable feeling of fall. The chilly air and the changing leaves get me thinking about how I love to celebrate the season. Fall is the perfect time to throw a party in your backyard. Invite friends and family over for comforting snacks, like mini sliders paired with fall beers. (I love any type of pumpkin ale!) Set out a stack of flannel blankets and light a bon fire for homemade S’mores. Anything apple flavored is another hallmark of the season, and I think these pie crust drink toppers are so pretty. They would be the perfect addition to a fall drink station. What’s more? The temps are dropping and mosquitos are finally at bay, so you can linger by the fire without getting eating alive!

1. via A Subtle Revelry 2. via Pendleton 3. via The Sweetest Occasion 4. via Praise Wedding 5 via Hostess with the Mostess

{Via: OH NO Rachio}

Let’s face it, food is fun and it is one of the most memorable aspects of your event. Brides are now looking for more ways to make the day reflective of their individual style and what guests eat is becoming one of the first places they look to do this. It is also an element that you are going to be including in your budget, so you should work with your caterer and confection designer to go a step above the expected. Build your menu as mini pieces of art-be creative! This can start with something as simple as the custom packaging of your treats down to the tray they are held on.

Custom Packaging:

Why not add a little extra flavor to your hors d’oeuvres and favors by wrapping up a late night snack in a personally stamped bag? Place a monogram from your invitation on a paper bag that hold hot cut French fries at the end of the evening. Go a step further and have a small bag stamped with the evening’s menu and sneak in a fresh baguette to go with dinner.

Pairing Your Favorites:

What’s not to love? Mini is a fun trend right now and guests would love a small bottle of your favorite libation to compliment a flavorful snack. Have a mini vanilla bourbon milkshake and cheeseburger slider to toast the night, or for a little more excitement, treat your attendants to a miniaturized Patron bottle and crisp fish taco. I’ll cheers to that!

Color Coordination:

Nothing warms my heart more than a display of French macaroons and cupcakes that compliment the party’s color scheme. Look to a food’s natural color for inspiration, but don’t be limited by this. Invite your guests to expect the unexpected! For a girls’ night, feature pink jello shots topped with gold sprinkles. It’s fun filled and glamorous!

Displays:

Cocktail hour can be neglected since it’s such a small portion of the reception. Still, you will be including fare for all to enjoy and this is an area to have fun. Start with something basic: you are going to have a bar at your event full of your favorite spirits, but instead of leaving your guests in a line, feature a tailgate for everyone to help themselves. This leaves room for your guests to interact and enjoy your venue.

Think of a way to display your selections that would spark some interest amongst your guests. A tray that passes through the crowd doesn’t give everyone enough time to enjoy the array, only the taste. Featuring shelving units that display your mini caprese salads, macaroni and cheese bites, and tomato soup shooters allows everyone to experience what night has to offer. It also leaves them talking about your event for months!

XOXO!

I think we’re all in agreement that food is one of the most important things at an event. And since we’re kicking off our new blog series all about parties, I thought sharing the top five snacks that we, quiet literally, drool over would be the best way to get started. I love these food suggestions because they are perfect for any occasion. While pancakes and doughnuts are fitting for a bridal brunch, I’d happily chow down on those sweet snacks at a cocktail engagement party. And I love taking a traditional dish, like shrimp and grits, and putting a new spin on it. The square-style bites are super easy to eat, which means guests won’t have to put their drinks down to enjoy one! The best thing about these food picks: You can whip them up on your own for a dinner party with friends, or ask your caterer to incorporate them into your wedding day menu. Now, who’s hungry?

1. via Peter Callahan 2. via Food & Wine 3. via A Thyme to Cook, image by Katie Stoops 4. via Climbing Grier Mountain 5. via Food & Wine