The Favors

In one of my first posts I wrote about Breezy Hill Orchard. AC and I have gone there many falls to pick apples. We couldn't think of anything better to send our guests home with. When I called up, Elizabeth Ryan (the owner), she said the pears and plums were sublime too. So, we decided on a local fruit medley with a canvas tote as send-offs. The favors were all wrapped up the burlap sacks, so Sarah (our photographer) didn't get a picture of one of the totes. I took one tonight- we used the design on the back of our Save the Date. We attached mini Moo cards to each burlap bag. The cards had pictures of AC, Molly, and me with a message "Andy and Christina love you" on the back.

CAKE!

Our cake was vanilla cake with a layer of dulce de leche and a buttercream frosting (our blades of grass started to melt it was so buttery!). Many of our guests went back for seconds. The cakemakers at Lulu's (Jay and Victor) were great!

For the cake topper... I found two horse models (an "Arabian" stallion and mare) that were marked with the year AC and I were born. I put a little white paper posey by the ear of the mare to give it a little bit of "bride".

Dinner- The Food, The Centerpieces

The food was heavenly. We really didn't know much about wine, but the Blue Hill sommelier did a wonderful job. We learned a lot about the food we served when we were designing the menu. The staff at Blue Hill was amazing.

I made the animal table markers and many of the vessels (ceramic). We had Jenna Hein, who addressed our invitations, write the names on our place cards.

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Purslane, Tomato sorbet, Summer Fruits, and Homemade Yogurt

paired with Condes de Albarei 'Albarino' Rias Baixas, Spain 2007

Wild Striped Bass with a Pistou of Late Summer Vegetables

paired with E.Dampt 'Chevelier d'Eon' Burgundy, Burgundy 2006

Loin of Lamb with a Stew of Carrots and Bonzai Bok Choy

Peter Dipoli 'Fihl' Merlot Alto Adige, Italy 2002

Stone Barns Cheese Plate

Old world/New World

All pics taken by Sarah Sloboda and the farm animal table markers and bowls were made by me (see Craven Home).

From Farm to Table

Browsing through the recent issue of edible Brooklyn, I saw an ad for Sweet Pea Nourishment. Their specialty is linking your event with local farms to supply the food- THEY DO THE LEGWORK! and will design a menu, etc. Their sample menus look delish!

You no longer have to settle for a menu that is sourced from all edges of the globe to feed your guests- you can keep it fresh (Farm Fresh!) and local. Sweet Pea Nourishment works within the Northeast and is based in in Philadelphia. Founder, Liz Solms, is from NYC originally.
pic from www.sweetpeanourishment.com

Cake in Your Mouth, Not in Your Face

We have AMAZING Baker's Men (Jay and Victor) at Lulu's Bakery in Scarsdale, NY.
Not only do they try their hardest to use organic ingredients and support local sustainable agriculture- their cakes are true works of art and are absolutely heavenly. We clicked with them right away and they did not shy away from our non-traditional wedding cake visions. In my quest to create our farm-chic confection, these two cakes were the ones that charmed me the most.
above: from the Winter 2008 issue ofInStyle Weddings. below: Wendy Kromer's Magical Forest Cake kit inspired by Martha Stewart's Magical Forest Cake.

Ici

We had dinner in our neighborhood at Ici last night. They do an excellent job of using fresh and local food- I am LOVING this trend take hold. We met up a couple of friends who are getting married in less than a month on May 3rd- hearing their plans, it sounds like it will be a ton of fun.

Ici has a STUNNING private dining room upstairs. It would be a fabulous place to host a rehearsal dinner or host your reception for a small wedding.

The Weather Outside is Delightful!

I know it is spring, but thinking so much about the middle of September makes me think of how similar this weather is to Fall (minus the anticipation of being able to shed all coats). AC and I try to go apple picking every Fall. Our favorite place to pick is Breezy Hill Orchard (first discovered with my friend Anna). The owner of this fabulous place, that makes the best cider- hands down AND allows my dog to run around like a mad-woman, is Elizabeth Ryan. She was more than happy to arrange for a few green varieties to be a part of our favors in September. Green apples, Green (the eco kind) favors.