Asheville Catering Life

Category: Weddings

“Love is all you need!” Fast forward your planning pace and remember 2020 as your year to celebrate.

Posted on 5.7.20 under Weddings

Couples on Your Marks

Restrictions are about to be lifted. Soon we will be free to gather safely again. You have had time to dream. As we take our first steps out of quarantine, make the most of this first phase of life re-opening, speed up the planning process and get down to celebrating the beginning of the rest of your life. You are moving quickly but you do not have to give up on one-of-a-kind details. Have you found your dress? Well stocked bridal shops like David’s Bridal and bridal boutiques like Asheville’s Meadowbrooke Bridal will be among the phase 1 opening vendors and be able to take appointments. Choose a dress from off the rack and then personalize your look with one of Brooke’s unique hand-crafted veils- see photo above!

Vendors are Set

All manner of wedding vendors have also spent their downtime dreaming and refining safety and hospitality details for post-COVID gatherings. They are set and ready to celebrate you and your loved one. Next step – phone one vendor that can cover more than one of your needs. Celine and Company is both your beautiful vintage downtown venue and your award-winning custom caterer. Move forward quickly – tap into a network of vendors that will work efficiently together and save time without sacrificing quality. By beginning with the right vendor you are immediately connected to their network of vendors. This means less time needed for research and fewer worries about the fluidity of your wedding day. With Asheville’s extensive network of qualified professionals, availability doesn’t have to be an obstacle. A Bride’s DJ knows how to play music to match every emotion of your big day. BobbyMarks Designs bring the flowers and the aesthetics worthy of your vision. Sarah Whitmeyer Photography has been photographing weddings since 2005. Her advice is to find the photographer whose work speaks to you, has been in business at least 5 years and is focused primarily on weddings. Vendors worth hiring in every aspect of your wedding should give the same advice. Remember experienced, connected, highly rated vendors can work quickly without forgoing the magic that your big day deserves.

Your Community Has Trained For This

In these past few months even the most reluctant among us have gotten more comfortable with technology. Grandparents have gone from the occasional heart emoji to Friday night dinners via Zoom. Final step -use the network that you have built. In just a few hours you can reach out to friends and family, let them know your waiting is over and delegate some of the special details that will make your day unique. Your best friend is ready with the toast that will both make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes. Your mom has been ready for this forever and was born in high gear. Put her in charge of gathering special family photos and finding that something borrowed and something blue. Your best person has perfected your favorite cocktail and can send a photo recipe directly to your caterer. Most businesses have grown their online offerings and renting and purchasing what you still need has never been easier. Invite your friends with the beautiful invitation you’ve always envisioned -sent digitally. Technology and your loved ones are great assets. They are the network that makes planning efficient and personal.

Go!

Planning your wedding more like a sprint and less like a marathon means no time for jitters or stress and just enough time to get it right and celebrate. We have all become familiar with the downsides of waiting. Now is the time to revel in your ability to be bold and spontaneous, a privilege we have all been missing! There is a specific beautiful energy to a day well planned but not overly ordered. Your special day will be seamless but unscheduled enough to leave room for magic. An August 2020 bride was quoted in a recent New York Times article about how you spent your last days before the pandemic, “Thinking about wedding planning now, in the grand scheme of things, is still special but not a priority anymore. I’m most looking forward to getting our families all together again, safe, healthy, in one room again.” You know you have found your One. You know your loved ones want nothing more than to celebrate you. Shorten the course and deepen the joy. Why wait another moment when you are ready to celebrate your most important moment now?! You have precious hours and all the professionals, loved ones, and tools at your disposal. Go ahead, run with it.

Wedding Planning in Uncertain Times

Posted on 4.3.20 under Weddings

Planning Your Wedding in Uncertain Times

You may be one of many people planning your wedding in these uncertain and epic COVID-19 times. Clients, wedding vendors and guests are finding themselves saddened by postponements and a bit lost as to how to move forward. Please remember, there is still much good news. First and most importantly, celebrating love has rarely felt more important! Second, experienced and enthusiastic vendors here in our Asheville community, and elsewhere, are more eager than ever to get back to planning the day of your dreams. And next, your family and loved ones cannot wait to have something beautiful to celebrate and there is time available to plan and fine tune the details of your big day.

A World- Wide Pandemic and Shifting Priorities

Yes, a world- wide pandemic has a way of shifting priorities. Take the time you have now to solidify your wedding vision. Are you dreaming of something simpler or more intimate than originally planned? Would you like to add a significant way to honor your relatives? Is there a signature cocktail that now speaks to you a little louder? No need to change everything, and maybe not anything, but keep dreaming of that perfect day and find joy in firming up details.

Maybe You’ve Waited Long Enough

Maybe it is not the details that fill your head, but the timeline. You are ready to be married! Email your vendors now and let them know you are ready to go as soon as guidelines recommend it is safe to gather and celebrate. Pick vendors that can fulfill more than one of your needs. Here at Celine and Company we can include the venue, outstanding catering, innovative bar options and onsite day of planning. Only pick vendors who are well established. They will have connections in their community and be willing and able to help you fulfill all your needs quickly with reliable and proven vendors. They know an amazing DJ they have worked with 1000’s of times. They know a wedding planner who is also a florist. They are well- versed on the inventory of the rental facility. Well established vendors have planned hundreds of weddings and have the ratings to prove they know how to make your day special, even, especially, on short notice.

Community Matters More Than Ever

Getting married is a proclamation to the world. You are saying that you believe in connection. You believe in being forever connected to your love and partner. You have invited witnesses who believe in you and form the community from which you will both draw from and add to. You are making a stand for the power of love, optimism, beauty and laughter. You are planning your wedding in uncertain times but we are here with 25 years of experience, enthusiasm and connections to facilitate your vision and celebrate your joy.

DIY Weddings at Celine & Company

Posted on 1.21.20 under Weddings

DIY Wedding Venue in Asheville

When you are planning a DIY wedding, the last thing you need to worry about is whether you have enough cake forks for 200 guests or if Aunt Mable will be cold if it rains. DIY weddings are a big endeavor. So, do not make yours harder than it has to be. Celine & Company’s “On Broadway” event space is one of the few in the entire Asheville area that welcomes weddings conducted without a wedding planner. This is largely due to our extensive experience in the wedding industry. We not only have kitchen staff and bartenders who can help you design a crowd-pleasing wedding menu that pairs nicely with your wedding cocktails, but we also have all your bases covered. This includes nearby hotels, experienced staff, an event coordinator and decor accessories. As it might be difficult to do DIY every wedding detail, know that we are prepared with recommendations for DJs, cake bakers , and floral design companies.

Think Twice About Hiring A Friend

When you are planning your wedding on your own, it is very important that you feel comfortable giving direct instructions and honest answers about what you want and don’t want. If friends or family offer help, consider smaller roles that allow them to participate in the planning without getting too involved. Furthermore, you want your friends and relatives to be able to enjoy the festivities without obligations. Leave the obligations to professionals. At Celine & Company, we have over 25 years of experience and expect clients to tell us exactly what they need from our team. It is not only our business, it is our pleasure to fulfill client requests.

Eliminate the Time Crunch

Celine & Company’s “On Broadway” event space in downtown Asheville easily accommodates DIY weddings. We are insured and handicap accessible. Our venue is fully staffed with servers, bartenders, and an event host who will help your guests navigate our event space as they arrive. We also have tables, chairs, linens, silverware, plates, cups, glasses, and anything else your guests need to sit, eat, and drink. Perhaps, most importantly, we can open the venue to you and your vendors as early as 10:00 am the day of your wedding. Now you have all the time you need to set up your DIY decor exactly as you envision it.

Come to Celine & Company first for your DIY wedding in Asheville. Our team is here to bring your plans to life.

Wedding Specialty Cocktails

Posted on 1.2.20 under Weddings

Wedding Specialty Cocktails Do’s and Don‘ts

Personalizing your bar menu to include signature cocktails adds a fun flair to your wedding bar. It is also a creative way for your guests to get to know you two as a couple. However, as longtime wedding bartenders and caterers, Celine & Company knows firsthand that couples can make unappealing choices for their guests. There are, afterall, do’s and don’ts when it comes to pairing food and drinks. When you book with our downtown Asheville event space “On Broadway,” you can consult with our team to be sure your wedding bar specialty cocktails will not only be crowd-pleasing, but will also pair well with the food you choose to serve.

Pair Your Drinks With Your Food Menu

For instance, if you want to serve a creamy linguine dish as an entree, your specialty cocktail should probably not be citrus-based, such as a whiskey sour or mojito. Throw a couple hours of dancing on top of the cream and sour mix, and you have a recipe for disaster. Perhaps a whiskey old fashioned instead? Or, discard the whiskey altogether and pair more appropriately with a drink known as the Champagne Cocktail. It is traditionally made with champagne, bitters, brandy, sugar and a cherry for garnish, and is divinely suited for a white meat, fish, or pasta dish.

Perhaps that pairing suggestion is entirely too formal and you really, reeeally have your heart set on a mojito as your wedding’s signature cocktail. Celine & Company kitchen can create the perfect island-inspired menu catered to your favorite summery bar beverages. For instance, ask about our semi-famous, crowd-pleasing, very delicious [drum roll please] tostones and ceviche appetizer. With a mojito to wash it down, you cannot go wrong with this pairing.

Hire Caterers and Bartenders Who Can Help You

Regardless of which wedding specialty cocktails you choose, make sure you give them creative titles! That’s the fun part, right? Celine & Company staff members are an array of highly experienced, professional bartenders, kitchen staff, and servers. Our experience lends us the ability to help you find the perfect food and beverage menu for your biggest night. Contact us today to receive all the benefits of hiring an Asheville catering company with over 25 years of experience in a competitive industry. We look forward to hearing how we can help make your night memorable—and delectable!

Tips to Make Your Sweetheart Table Stand Out

Posted on 12.20.19 under Weddings

sweetheart table that stands out with Celine and Company Catering

At Celine & Company’s “On Broadway” reception hall, the celebrated couple at the event should sit at a sweetheart table that stands out. Celine & Company in Asheville, NC has compiled our favorite recommendations to make your sweetheart table stand out. We have over 25 years of experience helping couples make sure their night is fabulous in every way. Let us help make your sweetheart table beautifully decorated and the center of attention all night long.

Creative Newlywed Signs

Make sure your newlywed seating sign is different from the rest of the table seating cards. You want to let everyone know your table is for the newly-est wedded. At Celine & Company, we recommend getting creative with your signs by opting for elaborate and colored letters, glitter, LED lights, and anything else that will help make the sign pop out. Additionally, our downtown event space offers candle holders, votives, and plentiful in-house accessories that could be the final touch to bring it all together.

Royal Seats For the Married Couple

At Celine & Company, we believe the newlywed couple are royalty for a day, and where do kings and queens sit but in thrones? That is why we highly recommend fancy signs that hang on the back of lavishly decorated chairs. The signs could say “Bride” and “Groom” or “Just Married” if the generic gender denotations are not a fit. This way you make a clear and cute statement as to where you- the guests of honor sit!

Linens That Pop

Make your sweetheart table pop by decorating it with linens and flowers that are bolder colors than the general color theme for the wedding. You can do this by using complementary colors. For instance, if your wedding is white and yellow theme, use lavender and purple accents on your sweetheart table. Alternatively, you can incorporate bolder, brighter, or deeper shades on the sweetheart table. For instance, if your winter wedding has a lot of dark reds, rich brown, and holly green, the sweetheart table could incorporate bright red, peachy pink, and mint green. Celine & Company’s “On Broadway” event space in downtown Asheville has a wide assortment of linens in different materials and colors. Additionally, our glassware, accessories and decor make up a curated vintage-urban collection and can accommodate any wedding color theme.

Designing a Bold Centerpiece

Once you enter the reception hall, you will want to sit at a table that honors the special day. This is where the centerpiece comes in. It’s your opportunity to design a mini-monument for your sweetheart table. At Celine & Company, we recommend letting your creativity fly. Whether you need tall candlestick holders, flower vases, or anything else to help make the centerpiece a magnificent work of art, we have you covered.

Many wedding venues in Asheville require the marrying couple to have a wedding planner. At Celine & Company, however, this is not required. We stand out by having both the experience and accommodations to either work with a planner or help make your DIY wedding an organized and successful event. From fancy sweetheart table to specialty cocktails to a plated dinner for 200+ guests, we have everything you need. For your 2020 wedding, let us show you why we are at the forefront of a competitive industry for over 25 years.

Previous Post: “Unique Winter Wedding Trends in 2020”

Next Post Coming Soon: “Best Him & Her Wedding Cocktail Specials”

Unique Wedding Ideas for 2020

Posted on 12.3.19 under Weddings

Unique Weddings in 2020

Traditional weddings are beautiful and always an honorable choice. However, as millenials and younger generations start getting married, creative and unique wedding ideas are taking over. In fact, it seems the wedding trend for 2020 is to be as unique as possible. Whether you are choosing an unconventional color palette, bohemian decor, a winter wedding, or a highly stylized food and drink pairing menu, Celine & Company Catering in Asheville is on board with the changes! The following is a small compilation of our favorite unique wedding ideas emerging for 2020.

Magic and Mystical Themed Weddings

Mysticism is alluring and has a special—well, you know—mystique. For your wedding in Asheville (where you cannot throw a sage bundle without hitting a self-proclaimed mystic), we highly recommend a magical theme for a wedding. Asheville will provide everything you need, including rose quartz, palo santo, sage bundles, tarot cards—heck, hire a tarot card reader or aura photobooth for your wedding! You’ll find it here. Additionally, the surrounding vista is perfect for a magical wedding. The Smoky Mountains west of Asheville and the Blue Ridge Mountains that surround our town are known for their misty, spiritual presence … especially in winter!

Winter Weddings

Winter in Asheville is mild. Of course, we get some 20 degree days but, for the most part, the weather is on the chilly side of pleasant. More applicably for wedding trends is the color palette in winter. Picture a backdrop of rolling blue hills in mist preceded by rich brown and rust-colored forests. The palette of a winter wedding scene is not only unique, it is picturesque. Furthermore, since winter weddings are held indoors, creative liberties can be taken that would be otherwise impossible for outdoors. Imagine the decor of your winter wedding dripping in elegant, luxurious candlelight, roses, holly, fur shawls, and fairy lights over the dance floor. Alternatively, the mystical vibe described above could also pair very well with a wedding date in winter. Winter weddings are trending because the ambiance is cozy with more attention given to the details such as decor, food, and drinks.

Unique Wedding Menus and Cocktail Hour Appetizers

As caterers in the wedding industry, Celine & Company has become increasingly aware of the need for alternative menu items to accommodate various diets. Couples getting married in 2020 are going for a menu that has vegan and vegetarian options, as well as keto and gluten free. Brides and grooms are even putting special attention towards the cocktail hour. Some couples are creating pairing stations set up for guests to sample an appetizer with a perfectly paired drink.

Regardless of your ideas for the perfect wedding day in Asheville, Celine & Company can accommodate. Our downtown event space “On Broadway” is an eye-catching room in a historic building. Its vintage-urban decor, wood floors, and chandelier lighting are the perfect backdrop for a wide variety of creative liberties. In winter, the floor-to-ceiling windows that face Biltmore Ave fog up beautifully to create a truly romantic vibe that can be mystical, elegant, formal, or … all three! Celine & Company’s “On Broadway” event space is the venue to make your wedding day dreams a reality.

Winter Wedding Trends

Posted on 11.15.19 under Weddings

urban winter wedding Asheville Celine and Company

Urban Winter Wedding Trends Are In!

At Celine & Company, we never wish summer away. But if cold days always looked like a winter wedding in Asheville, we might reconsider. Sometimes the winter wedding color palette is traditional. Other times it is urban or creative. Regardless of the colors you choose, Celine & Company’s “On Broadway” is the perfect vintage-urban venue to host a moody winter wedding in downtown Asheville.

Cut Costs and the Hassle With a Winter Wedding in Asheville

Urban winter wedding trends are in because they are hip, beautiful, and more convenient than you would think. One of the best parts about indoor winter weddings in Asheville is that you do not need to travel far to get from hotel-to-ceremony-to-venue and back to hotel for the afterparty. In fact, Celine & Company’s “On Broadway” is in the heart of downtown and has multiple hotels within walking distance.

Our downtown venue is short walk (maximum: 500 ft.) from the AC Hotel, The Windsor Hotel, and the Renaissance. Imagine not having to bus your entire wedding reception to the hotel because it’s a stone’s throw away. Imagine not having to pack up your bridal sweet—panty hose, cell phones, half-drank champagne flutes, lipsticks, bathrobes, blow dryers, et al—after three glasses of wine and two hours of dancing in stilettos. Why not? Because you are a genius and reserved the hotel’s luxury sweet for the entire weekend.

Winter Wedding Photos Will Take Your Breath Away

Picture this: the bride in a long sleeve lace and chiffon wedding dress, holding a bouquet of holly, pine cones, and white roses. Behind her, a beautiful entourage of bridesmaids donning fur shawls and strutting down Asheville city streets. How glamorous would those shots be?!

The urban backdrop to a winter wedding scene is not only unique, it is picturesque. Asheville is a notably beautiful town. With its architecture an eclectic mix of Romanesque Revival and Gothic Renaissance, Asheville city streets are a beautiful urban backdrops. Plus, the gentle wintertime of Southern Appalachia offers significantly less destructive weather than in summertime (that is, compare fluffy snowflakes to rain, mud, and lightning). Once indoors, the photographs change from furs and an urban setting to candlelight, roses, and dancing.

Candles, Chandeliers, and Regulated Heat—Cozy Indoor Receptions

It is no secret in the wedding industry that planning an indoor reception is infinitely easier than outdoor. Moreover, creative liberties can be taken that would be otherwise impossible for outdoors. Dripping candlesticks, low lighting, and cushiony couch seats complete a very cozy, very romantic wedding night. Add roses and holly with accents of mint green, rich brown, and deep red against our vintage urban venue. Watch jaws drop as your rosy cheeked guests arrive. With dry leaves blowing in the door and icicles forming on our floor-to-ceiling windows, winter weddings get everyone feeling all sorts of warm and fuzzy inside. Located in the heart of the historic district of downtown Asheville, schedule a visit to see our beautiful brick-walled and wood floor venue space. With our low hanging chandeliers and custom vintage decor, a winter wedding at Celine & Company makes for a picture perfect night.