Spring & summer wedding reception ideas

At Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering, we love to plan spring and summer wedding receptions. The world is in bloom, warm and in love… such a lavish and bountiful time to get married!

There are also so many, many different ideas and themes to choose from when you are planning a wedding reception in the warm months. We enjoy working with the bride and groom to create the right feel, theme and the vibe for the event – and the ideal food and drink, too.

Here are Jacquie’s spring and summer wedding reception tips on how to bring the lovely color and warmth of the season into your big day:

• ·      Have your wedding outside under our gazebo at Finley Creek Vineyards. There will be plenty of flowers all around in our lovely spring and summer gardens. Bonus: You won’t need as many bouquets and flower arrangements. Nature will provide quite a few on its own.
• ·      Take your color cues from nature with bright reds, brilliant pinks, and vivid lavender, purples, greens and yellows. Don’t limit your color choices to the wedding tuxes and gowns. Extend the colors to invitations, lighting, bridal bouquets, table centerpieces, and especially, food and drinks!
• ·      Foods can be bold or subtle, outrageously spicy or refined. Maybe a little of both. If you want formal, we can go with the classics like standing rib roast, brisket or lamb chops. Or make things bright and off-beat with easy to eat sliders or Szechuan pork barbeque. We can do whatever you want.

·      The biggest dinner trend we're seeing right now? Interactive stations. Couples are moving away from a sit-down multiple- course dinner where the food is served by wait staff. Instead, we’re seeing couples add longer cocktail hours and include multiple self-serve food stations. Not only can this be less expensive, but it encourages interaction among your guests. Some station and small plate foods we like? Sliders, chili bars, beef brisket sandwiches, pork tenderloins, mini grilled cheese sandwiches, and steak/chicken/veggie fajitas bars.

• ·      Get creative and fun with what you wear. Have the bridal group slip into sequined tennis shoes under their gowns -- and high tops under their tuxes.
• ·      Evenings get still be cool in early spring. Add heaters along the path to the reception facility. You could also drape comfy blankets over the back of chairs or have a fire pit for later in the evening.
• ·      Dessert bars? Everyone’s favorite. Merengues are colorful and yummy. Individual sized cheesecakes, tiramisu, even ice cream cones… be as fun as you want. 
• ·      Bring the outdoors, in with brilliant spring flowers in centerpieces. Lots of greenery keeps things grounded and fresh. Consider plants in flower pots as giveaways.
• ·      How about a specialty coffee bar to go with your wedding cake? Have serve-yourself specialty liquor toppings, fresh whipped cream, and lovely fresh peppermint sprigs as garnishes.
• ·      Wedding signature cocktails are fun. Name “his” and “hers” drinks… or after your best man, or your college mascot, or your dog’s nickname. Have fun with it. Your guests will love it.

No matter what you choose for your spring/summer wedding reception, let’s meet soon to get things booked and the ideas started early.

Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering can bring your wedding ideas to life in all kinds of ways, keeping foods fresh and organic, sustainably and locally raised, and always… delicious.