Tonight we are blessed with beautiful weather and 2 wonderful wedding couples. Both groups this evening opted for intimate weddings and have done the subtle touches that I think are very reflective of their personal style.
Sabrina and Jeff are in the Visitor Center, their ceremony was at a church preceding the reception. There is a steel drum playing on the patio and I can hear it throughout the area, perfect for the weather this evening with the cool breeze. Their cake was a big thing for them this evening so they sent some pics to us and this is what we did - Sabrinas Cake More of an intimate group this evening so we have all of the tables on side of the room and the bar and some hi-tops on the other side for a lounge area - Sabrina Room Set-Up, Sabrina Bar Area. Sabrina also did something a little out of the box and got chargers in lieu of linens - she really liked the looks of crisp white!Chargers
Lisa and Jeff are being married at the pool followed by dinner at the Gallery. The reflecting pool is so beautiful right now with the astilbe, crapemyrtle, and the water plants all in full bloom Poolside Aisle, Poolside Path, Poolside Smooch
Lisa and Jeff wanted to follow the theme set for them in the Winterthur Garden with ferns on their programs Fern Programs- on their cake Fern Cake 1, Fern Cake 2- and on their seating tables Fern Tables, Fern Tables 2- I think it fits in perfect here! They also rented a tent at the Gallery so their friends and family could dance the night away outside with the breeze keeping them moving - Gallery Tent
Hi Everyone.
When Dottie and I started talking about what she was envisioning for her son’s rehearsal dinner in the Gallery at Winterthur she had a very clear vision - Fun and Lively (and I had to keep up with her level of lively!). I think she was more then pleased at the result.
88 friends and family members gathered last night to lavish love and spread the praise on Chad and Caroline and they also had a lot of fun at the party. Cocktail hour started on the East side of the Gallery on the slate terrace. Hi-top tables with perfect flowers and lime pillows on benches made everybody feel so welcome. If they didn’t, the passed mojitos sure did! Ballard Hi-Tops, Ballard Pillows, Ballard Cocktails
The group moved inside the gallery for dinner and I don’t know what was more impressive - the room set-up or the food. Ballard Dinner, Ballard Dinner 2, Ballard Desk, Cucumber Soup, Watermelon Salad, Hummus and Red PepperRaw oysters and clams were provided by the grooms family business - Ballard Seafood and Cherrystone Aqua Farms. Oysters, Clams
After the entree guests were treated to a champagne toast and the night was concluded with fun toasts, teary slides, and a feeling of anticipation for today’s festivities and wedding. We wish them all the best!
I will say I am not sure if Jacob and Kristin know there is a nasty thunderstorm outside right now as they look at one another - they have their priorities in the right order - each other!
Tonight was a tough start - a beautiful (if warm) day and plentiful sunshine. At 5:00pm I got a call from some friends and family just a few miles away that knew we had an outside wedding, warning me to get everybody inside safely and check out the radar (which was flashing with red warnings). At that time my banquet captain at the pool called and heard thunder. I called Joan so she could talk with the bride and we started to pack up the bar from the pool.
Making these decisions is almost as tough on Joan and I as it is on the bride to be and the people around her that are involved. We love the spaces we have and we want all of you to have the wedding you dream of here with us. When thunder and lighting start it is then a safety issue for the guests as well as my staff and a rain plan has to go into action. Ugh.
The Visitor Center always looks so cool in the rain, especially with those lanterns - Townsend VC from Outside, Townsend - Rain
On the high note - Kristin and Jacob look so happy and Kristin was simply elegant and glowing! And the flowers are so cool tonight. Theresa Florals did them (yes the same ones from the shower 2 weekends ago) and yes, I got pictures tonight. Townsend Flowers 1, Townsend Flowers 2, Townsend Flowers 3, Back of Bridal Chair
A small sprig of rosemary and some chocolate favors are special touches for the guests - Rosemary
My favorite thing tonight - look at the card holder - I think I want that for my mailbox at my house!!Card Holder
And the cake looks like it was made to be here at Winterthur - Townsend Cake
And the placecard table, not a table to be ignored - Placecards - Grass, Townsend Placecard Table
Joe from Tom Barrett DJ is here tonight and he is a lot of fun - we are working with him tomorrow night as well and can’t wait. Rachel and I will be checking in tomorrow night - we will “talk” to you then.
Kristin and Steve were married at St. Anthony’s this afternoon and are having their cocktail hour in the Gallery and dinner and dancing in the VC. We don’t get too many people that do this but it is a great way to show off Winterthur to all of your guests.
Kristin is surprising Steve with a cigar bar that has sentimental value on another front - her father, who has passed away, collected old cigar boxes so we have filled them with the cigars Kristin has provided as a treat to her new husband and the guests. Casey Cigars 1, Casey Cigars 2, Casey Cigars 3
There is a 40 x 60 tent on the patio tonight that Yukie and her team came in and added the wow factor to - check it out - Casey Tent 1, Casey Tent 2 And who does not love a sofa at the end of the night to kick back on; I guarantee you it will be packed all night! Casey Sofa 1, Casey Sofa 2
And since I have been remiss with the pics the past 2 weeks here are a few more for you Casey Flowers, Casey Room, Casey Cake
I will be posting again tomorrow night and I am crossing my fingers the rain moves in quickly this evening and out before the afternoon tomorrow evening!
This past Saturday we were supposed to have a wedding ceremony out by the Reflecting Pool. The incliment weather kept us from using the beautiful Pool. The rain plan was to use the Gallery Reception Area for ceremony and cocktail hour. This does not happen too often, but when it does it is best to be prepared. The Gallery is a beautiful place to hold events. There are some pictures below as to how the Gallery can be transformed into a ceremony site and then also used for cocktail hour. A suggestion might be to let your florist know about the back-up plan as well so they have some extra flowers to really dress up the room. We always a plan B in mind just in case, and we want it to be just as memorable for you whether it is rain or shine!!
Gallery Ceremony, Plan B
We had one of our first weddings on the season this past weekend and it turned out to be a perfect day. This was a smaller wedding of only 60 guests and they used the Galleries Reception Area for the Ceremony and the Reception.
We crossed our fingers all week for good weather, and our wishes came true. The ceremony took place on the back patio of the Gallery. With flowers starting to come up in the flower beds, it made for a beautiful backdrop. Cocktail hour and dinner and dancing took place inside. With the guest-list at 60 everything fit nicely in the room. The bar with cocktail tables were placed in the stair-hall that connected to the open exhibits that guests had the opportunity to wonder through.
Since we were unsure of the weather we decided to add in a coffee station with cordials to warm up the guests. Dinner and dancing took place and everyone seemed to have a wonderful time.
The Galleries Reception Area is a perfect place for a quaint wedding with still all the beauty surrounding it. Take a look at some pictures below to see what a wedding can look like in this area of the Estate!
Ceremony, Galleries Reception Area, Table Set, Wedding Cake
