Saying ‘I do!’ With Grey and Navy Blue

If you plan on hosting an outdoor ceremony, you’ll want to have a backup plan too – just in case it rains. No one wants it to rain on their parade, but in the week leading up to the ceremony, it’s important to keep an eye on the sky and on the radar to monitor chances. Some might say that monitoring for rain is like inviting it, but if you need to make a rain call the day before, it give you and your setup team ample time to make arrangements for a new ceremony location.

Rain clouds couldn’t keep Amanda and Carl from saying ‘I do’ this past June. While they weren’t able to get married along the canal as they had planned, they were able to enjoy photos outside once the rain stopped. Instead, Amanda and Carl, surrounded by friends and family, enjoyed an intimate ceremony on Canal Overlook Bridge at the Indiana State Museum set to live music performed by a trio. Lucky for them, their ring security detail works rain or shine.

While the bridal party took the opportunity to enjoy the break in the rain outside for a few photos, their guests moved into cocktail hour. A selection of butler passed hors d’oeuvres made their rounds to guests while they sipped cocktails and greeted one another.

Hors d’oeuvres
Grilled balsamic marinated vegetable bruschetta
Shrimp cocktail shooter, Kahn’s signature cocktail sauce
Five spice beef short rib wonton with ginger hoisin dippin sauce
Micro cheese slider with house-made sesame seed bun and cornichon
Caribbean meatballs
Pan seared Maryland crab cakes with creole remoulade sauce

We’ve posted in the blog before a variety of ways to setup a head table, but have never before touched on a head table that includes children. We love how Amanda and Carl included their families at, instead of a head table, a bridal family table. Amanda and Carl, with their children, enjoyed a private table just for the five of them to enjoy their first meal married together.

Instead of a buffet or a seated dinner, Amanda and Carl opted for a stations reception. Similar to a buffet in terms of offering a variety of options in a self-serve manner, stations promote a more social and mobile style of reception. Instead of presenting all choices on one table, separate tables are set in a few locations so guests can float from one station to the next.

Salad Station
Fruit Display
Fresh cantaloupe, grapes, berries, pineapple, orange, kiwi, and strawberry grand marnier dip

Caesar Salad
Quartered hearts of romaine, grape tomatoes, basil garlic crostini, shaved parmesan, Caesar dressing

Caprese Salad
Heirloom tomato caprese, mozzarella, basil, balsamic and pesto

Assorted breads, French butter balls, sundried tomato basil butter

Craft Pizzas
Four cheese & pesto, oregano crust
Artisan pepperoni, oregano crust
Andouille sausage, shrimp, peppers, onions, oregano crust

Pasta
Tri-color tortellini, grilled herb chicken, pesto cream sauce
Beef lasagna with ricotta, fresh mozzarella, basil marinara

Wedding Cake
Vanilla cake, raspberry coulis, vanilla buttercream filling

The cake cut is one of those wedding events that can fit into one of two places during the reception – either right after grand introductions or right after dinner. Amanda and Carl opted to have their cake cut following toasts before they enjoyed their 1st dance. Sliced pieces were available for guests to take themselves from a table as they danced throughout the night.

In addition to wedding cake, every guest had a small favor at their seats of pink cotton candy to take with them (or snack on!) The sweet pink hue of their cotton candy was also an accent color in the bridal bouquets and center pieces, which matched well with their navy pin tuck linens and charcoal accent linens at the bars and food stations.

The evening’s timeline was relaxed beginning with their ceremony at 6:00pm, following by a cocktail hour immediately after at 6:30pm. The reception began at 8:00pm and instead of having very precise timing for every event, everything flowed naturally happening one after the other. Grand introductions were made to introduce the bride and groom, a welcome and blessing were given. Dinner service followed before the couple were toasted, the cake was cut and the first dance was had. Sticking with reception tradition, a bouquet toss and garter toss get guests out of their seats before everyone joined in with dancing.

As the sun set and the night came alive with music, café lights that were strung throughout O’Bannon Great Hall let off a warm glow and wonderful atmosphere settled in from the help of uplighting. Amanda and Carl had a custom gobo light projecting their names and wedding date onto one of the walls of the Great Hall which they danced under all night long.