We were beyond pleased with the setup of our wedding. Classic and the Aquarium did an amazing job preparing our cocktail hour and reception, from the table settings to the food, it was fantastic! I owe a huge thank you to the amazing Kelly Girard, as well as the wonderful Larry Frank, who picked up the pieces after the Account Executive I had been working with up and quit the company in the middle of my wedding planning. They worked with me through so many obstacles, and really created the most perfect wedding day for my new husband and I.

Our cocktail hour was complete with a delicious spread of yummy cheeses (Chris and i love cheese!) and an abundance of gourmet crackers to go with it. There was also lots of fruits and veggies with a few different dips to dunk everything into. It was the perfect amount of snacks to get the party started in preparation for the reception. Oh, and of course, cocktail hour isn’t cocktail hour without cocktails! Classic had the open bar set up in the beautiful Knott Harbor Room as well.

Now, on to the reception food. It was nothing other than perfect.

Both the meat-eaters and vegetarians were served a salad of Mesclun Greens with Balsamic Vinaigrette, with roasted red and yellow peppers, feta cheese, and toasted walnuts. The salad was my favorite, i loved loved loved the toasted walnuts with the feta!

The meat entree was amazing! Our guests couldn’t stop raving about it. It was Grilled Chicken Breast marinated in white wine, olive oil, fresh thyme, cracked black pepper, and garlic. That was teamed with Peppercorn and Bread Crumb Encrusted Tenderloin rubbed with infused olive oil. The entree was accompanied by Fresh Matchstick Vegetables; yellow squash, zucchini, red and yellow peppers, and asparagus, along wih Oven Roasted Potatoes tossed in herbs and olive oil. I was very pleased with the quality and taste of everything. I had to keep reminding myself to eat, but with all that was happening, I didn’t have much. I especially loved the potatoes. Chris enjoyed the clever placement of a large crouton under the steak, so that the juices from the meat didn’t run all over the plate.

The main course for the vegetarians was a Mushroom Strudel made with individual porcini mushrooms and boursin. It was served with Beet Risotto; fresh roasted beets and creamy rice risotto prepared wih mushroom au jus. The veggie entree also came with Bok Choy. I didn’t hear from many vegetarians about their food, but it sounds yummy to me!

The servers and staff at Classic Catering did a stellar job with catering our wedding, we were so pleased with how it all turned out. I can’t say enough about how many compliments I have gotten from friends and family about how great the food and drink were, and how wonderful the staff was. I especially appreciated the fast service from the bartenders, they always knew what I wanted when I walked up and had it ready for me, and i’m sure it had nothing to do with the fact that I had a neon white dress on!

Here I am with Larry Frank, Partner and VP of Classic, checking things out before guests arrive.

The Classic Catering People can be found on Facebook and Twitter, if you’re looking for a caterer, go check them out!

The wedding related appointments have been pouring in and taking up most of my free time lately. This weekend my mom and I are meeting with two florists and a wedding photographer. I am excited to see the flowers at the florist’s, that will be something new!

My goal in the next two weeks is to finally narrow down my choices and book a photographer. I have three I am choosing from now, all at varying degrees of talent and price points. I have met with two so far and have scheduled a consultation with the other photographer for this weekend so that I can make a decision soon. After that I am determined to scope out hotels and reserve blocks of rooms.

Last week I found out that not only is there an ORIOLES GAME that weekend but it’s FELLS POINT FUN FEST as well! AHHH it is going to be interesting but I’m sure it will work out. The only thing I can do is plan around it So I am going to put up all the pertinent info as soon as humanly possible so that guests can plan and book their accomodations soon.

Here are some pictures of their set-up:

I thought I liked the white wood folding chairs the best, but now that i’ve seen the black ones and the way they fade into the background, I can’t decide!

The company made sure we were comfortable, with lunch, dinner, a snack, outdoor space heaters, games, a DJ, water, coffee, hot chocolate, sweet tea, an ice cream social, bathroom access, the list goes on. Around 9pm we got to hang out in the restaurant while we listened to Dan Cathy, President of Chick-fil-A gave a question and answer session, along with an awkward 15 minute prayer that made me very uncomfortable.

We actually didn’t realize that we needed to be there as early as we were. But my mom drove by around 10am to check out the situation, and said there were already 20 tents set up! So I called my friend Kristina and we got our stuff together and headed out. The first contestant was there around 12am the night before, waiting in her car, because you weren’t allowed to wait on the property until 24 hours in advance (6am) Eventually a group came to wait in line that brought a generator, a projector and screen for entertainment. I watched part of Entrapment in the Chick-fil-A parking lot.

A good time was had by all, from families with young children, college students, engineers from the physics lab across the street, and the unemployed, like me! At 6am we gathered in line to claim our prize! I packed up my stuff and headed to my rents place nearby to get some sleep since I had none in the parking lot.

]]> http://www.chrisandpammy.com/blog/pammy/2008/12/04/first-100-chick-fil-a-grand-opening-contest/feed/ 1 http://www.chrisandpammy.com/blog/pammy/2008/11/21/the-pros/ http://www.chrisandpammy.com/blog/pammy/2008/11/21/the-pros/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:18:09 +0000 eighty5original http://www.chrisandpammy.com/blog/pammy/?p=281 I just wanted to write an update on the showcase I went to on Tuesday night for the Pros. In a word, it was okay. I wasn’t really blown away. I don’t think they’re really my style, but it would be a good choice for someone that is on a budget for sure! I guess i’ll have to keep looking…

Here is a terrible picture of the DJs giving a demonstration of their “dance moves.” Imagine YMCA playing in the background.

I’m finally finished editing the photos from our e-pic session with our friends Russell and Kristina! Thanks soo much guys, they turned out really well… even though I had to cut and paste Chris’s face from different photos in a few (he thinks it’s funny to make dumb faces) But actually he did really well. Thanks babe, I know how much you hate getting your picture taken.

We started the photo shoot at Centennial Park where we walked around looking for some nice spots to take photos. Chris and I go on walks there when the weather’s nice. Afterward we drove over to Main Street Ellicott City to take some more shots walking around the historic district. This is another spot that we frequent, since we live so close. They have the coolest little shops and restaurants there. We had a fun time.

Let me know what you think… i’m gonna need help deciding which ones to use in the save-the-dates!

I have asked a good friend of mine if he would take some engagement photos of Chris and I. Thanks Russell!! We have been engaged for two years now, but I think I might want to use them for Save-the-dates and to display at our wedding reception. Plus, they’re just nice to have.

So the shoot is scheduled for Sunday, November 9th, which gives me less than two weeks to decide on a spot. Hopefully it won’t be as cold and windy as today!

I really like the urban shots with brightly painted concrete, fire escapes, bricks, but then I also love the fall foliage at different parks in the area. I am in love with the red bridge at Centennial Park..

Here are my ideas for locations and some photos i’ve found of them:

• Tide Point, Baltimore
• Centennial Park, Columbia
• Federal Hill, Baltimore
• Historic Ellicott City
• Main Street Annapolis
• Georgetown, DC

If you have any other ideas that you think we might like, send them my way!

The event is November 18th, I’ll write about it afterward.

The National Aquarium (source: rocket9.net)

I have been MIA on here for a bit I know! I had some things going on that were keeping me busy. One being planning my trip to LA to see one of my best friends next week!

Anyway, I am soooo excited to announce that my wedding ceremony and reception will officially be at The National Aquarium in Baltimore next October!! I can’t express how excited I am. I did a ton of research and went through a bit of a snag along the way but now it’s set! This was mine and Chris’s #1 choice so we are ecstatic.

I had thought that the catering company (the aquarium works with them exclusively) was going to be too expensive, and then once I started talking with them, it didn’t go very well. It’s a bit of a long story, and I wrote about my troubles in a previous post. Anyway the Vice President of the company contacted me, and assured me of their services and was super helpful. It all worked out pretty well, and we were able to work something out.

Here are some images of the space:

Ceremony and Reception area (source: Aquarium)

Underwater Dolphin viewing area (source: Anja Lendvay)

Chairs set up for ceremony (source: Anja Lendvay)

Aquarium Cafe for cocktail hour is a possibility (source: my cell phone camera)