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The Best Booze for your Wedding

Filed Under: Alcohol, Catering, Weddings

Evrim Icoz Photography

Evrim Icoz Photography

Alcohol is a key ingredient in most wedding receptions. How else are you supposed to handle Crazy Cousin Chad or your delightfully icy new In-Law, Cheryl. What to serve? How much?  Open bar? Cash bar? While your wedding bar does require a bit of planning and money, you can simplify your process with a few easy tips, all while making sure Cheryl is happy with her White Zin with TWO ice cubes.

Serving only beer and wine is a popular and cost effective option. You can offer guests a few choices while keeping it simple and under control. It’s less likely you will have to cut off Chad or ask guests to leave when you aren’t serving hard alcohol. This option is a great way to save some money on alcohol without the stigmas of a cash bar. If you’re hosting your wedding in the Pacific NW, finding microbrews in bottles or cans is easier than ever, and most catering companies provide a wide range of local microbrews and domestic best sellers. Same goes for wine; most caterers have fantastic local offerings for reds, whites and bubbly, and if they don’t have what you like, inquire about corkage charges and bring your own.

If you are wanting to have some fun with drinks, offering guests a full bar during the cocktail hour is a great way to go. Allowing your guests a full range in beverage choices for a 60 minute cocktail social will make both your guests and your wallet happy. Create a His & Her, Her & Her, or His & His signature cocktail for your guests. It helps create a joyful vibe that projects the personalities of the newlywed couple to your family and friends. Be mindful that your creations are something your guests actually want to drink, though. Let it be known, shots are NOT a good idea for a wedding. Chad and Cheryl will become best friends, and your life will be ruined. Simple drinks are quick to produce for the bartenders and even the most discerning guest should be able to enjoy. For great idea suggestions, check out one of our favorite sources, The Commissary.

If you are looking for budget friendly bar options consider cash bars, having kegs versus bottles of beer, providing table wine for your guests and limiting bar hours. If a cash bar is the way for you, be mindful that you will save money, but your guests will purchase their own drinks. Most guests don’t mind this option, but it’s best to inform them ahead of time so they can bring cash, in case they don’t want to use a credit card.  Keep in mind with a cash bar, the bartenders can spend more time handling money than making drinks. Kegs versus bottled beer limits the beer options for your guests, but there’s no recycling, no wasted glass, and often times purchasing a keg is less expensive, depending on your guest count. Again, check with your catering company and venue for details about corkage fees, handling fees and beverage policies.

Open bars are a crowd pleaser, because your guests can essentially get anything they want, within reason. I mean, a night involving Mezcal or Jager never ends well. With an open bar, be mindful of your budget, and decide what product you want to have as your mainplayers. We suggest a solid starting lineup of five spirits, along with a couple of unique additions: vodka, gin, tequila, whisky, scotch. Hopefully, you will know your audience well enough to know if they are going to be snooty towards a whisky, scotch, bourbon, barrel aged, or rye. If that’s the case, maybe offer a couple varieties of your brown spirits.  It goes without saying that mixers are going to be your friend, so provide a variety that will cater towards your demographic. Soda, tonic, gingerale and a variety of juices, along with beer, wine and non-alcoholic offerings will complete your fully-loaded bar.

We emphasize the non-alcoholic offerings because they are often overlooked. They are extremely cost effective, simple and necessary. Yes, if you provide alcohol at any function, you legally need to offer a non-alcoholic alternative at all times. Sparkling and still bottled water, coffee, tea, lemonade, juices, or even more creative options like agua fresca or a customized punch will keep your guests hydrated, social and safe. While we are in the business to provide an unforgettable wedding, we abide by all OLCC rules and regulations, and if necessary we will cut off Cousin Chad, and we will replace Cheryl’s White Zin with some La Croix. The most successful event is measured by ensuring all guests are safe so they can actually enjoy your event.

Rise & Shine: How to Throw a Solid Breakfast Party

Filed Under: Catering

Trying to gather the troops to meet up en-masse can be an extreme first world struggle, what with work, school, social, family and recreational activities taking a bulk of the time. But, sometimes you really just want to see your friends all together. When is a prime time to gather around and catch up? Friday? Oh, no sorry, Jimmy has football practice. What about Saturday afternoon? Oh, nope, Sydney has a recital and Mike has an offsite work thing. Sunday? Well, that’s a school night, for crying out loud—Okay…. Wait, How about a Sunday morning brunch? The kids can run around in the back yard and there will be boozy coffee and mimosas. Deal!

Honestly, the hardest part about planning a brunch is the scheduling. Now that you’ve sorted that out, you are good to go. You can take the reins and go Martha Stewart crazy on this brunch, or go the Real Housewives and take an Ambien and just melt into your day. Or make use of that Sunset Magazine subscription and just go DYI – BYOB and utilize your resources.

The Martha Stewart Continental Approach: This is the intricate, impressive, wow your friends method. You’ll have a gigantic spread of seasonal fruits, scones, muffins, artisanal veggie quiches, a lovely arugula salad perhaps, and a mimosa station, equipped with fresh pressed juices to add to your sparkling. Your key to success here will be in the details. You can really add drama and flair with creating a theme on the buffet: a color palette that incorporates the season, creating elevation with risers and unique vessels, fresh floral and greenery, and even custom handmade signs denoting the items. Ah, the Hamptons.

table top

The Real Housewives Approach: You Helped! I mean, you got all of the goods, and you can delegate somebody to set it up and cook it. This is when you trust your guests to tend to themselves. And, by no means is this being a poor host. This is being a laid back, carefree, accommodating host, where you would rather have your close friends cook their own omelets with the ingredients you brought, so they can customize it to their specific liking. This is having a bloody mary bar where you’ve got the vodka, the mixer, and a huge spread of veggies, garnishes, pickled accoutrements and your guests can build their own adventure. And, when in doubt, have your event catered. This takes all of the day-of hassle out of your hands, so you can actually engage with your guests, or take an 8 hour nap. Catering your event gives you the option for a pre-set breakfast, a buffet station, passed items, or action stations, where chefs can impress and cook items up to your guest’s desires.

The BYOB Approach: This is the simplest approach and also the most cost effective. If you do not know about specific food sensitivities or what people may want, just ask your guest to bring an item that they’d like to have served. It usually results in a smorgasbord-potluck style brunch that really captures the essence of you and your friends. Most of you likely lead busy and stressed lives, so take that Sunday morning and make it relaxing, carefree and real. Simple and delicious foods, flavorful drinks and close friends are a perfect recipe for creating that modern “International House of Coffee” moment amongst you and your ladies friends.

The Treasury Dynasty

Filed Under: News, Venues

TREASURY Dynasty Downtown Dynasty!

Treasury Ballroom’s Modern Facelift Accrues Interest.

While 1980’s elegance and flair may hold up in Dynasty, we are NOT in Denver, we are not in the oil industry, and sadly, we are not a Carrington. While embracing those amazing fads like shoulder pads and mile-high Aquanetted bangs, let’s not forget the breathtaking décor and color palettes. I’m talking about fake flowers, gigantic fountains and Liberace-esque faux gold coated anything. And mauve. MAUVE! I mean, taupe had its moment, but MAUVE, you guys. Talk about drama. And like sands through an hourglass, such drama was captured airtight in our vault in Portland’s well revered and iconic venue, The Treasury Ballroom. Until now.

Our Treasury Ballroom got a little nip/tuck, and a Teen Witch makeover, and now, we’re thrilled to present you with her updated beauty. Gone are the heavy, sagging drapes of velvet. No more is the dark mahogany accenting and Liberace-esque faux gold coated anything. Seriously, there was a LOT of gold. Also, saying farewell is the butter-cream yellow paint job and unfortunate fluorescent lighting. Sometimes saying goodbye is painful, but in this case, it was as rejuvenating and exhilarating as when Alexis and Krystle got in their first cat fight back in 1982.

We’ve modernized The Treasury, adding fresh, clean and simple notes. Minimal elements are juxtaposed against the historic venue to create an ambiance of bright chic elegance. The Italian marbling still lays exposed and pristine, paired with our vision of a dark navy blue, tabby grey and brilliant white palette. We knocked out a wall or two, updated the built in bar, tore out the old carpet, brightened up the ceiling, reconfigured an ergonomic floor plan, and polished up the hardware and vault. The neutral palette translates perfectly for any event theme and the customized space is ideal for weddings, receptions, meetings, conferences, holiday parties, networking events, or choreographed dance numbers. This star of yesteryear is ready for her comeback, and don’t worry, we kept the dramatic staircase intact should a cat-fight ensue.

palette 2.0

The Loft at 8th Ave.

Filed Under: News, Venues

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VT Group, the company behind two of Portland’s largest and most successful catering businesses, today announced it is fully operational at its new location at 2010 SE 8th Avenue in Portland. The freshly renovated 43,000-square-foot facility is home to Food in Bloom Catering, Vibrant Table Catering & Events, Vibrant Flowers and the administrative portion of f&b cafe. It features a beautifully decorated client reception area and tasting rooms, a state-of-the-art kitchen, a floral and décor design area and ample space to house and stage the equipment allowing Food in Bloom and Vibrant Table to produce the unique culinary experiences for which they are known. There are also several areas throughout the building slated for event space.

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a step away from blush & neutral

Filed Under: Brilliant Blooms, Soiree Spotlights

Real Weddings: A step away from blush & NEUTRAL

Jake & Ellen-657
Ellen & Jake got married April 2014 at Castaway. Ellen was a floral designer’s dream. We used every local, amazing garden rose, scabiosa, ranunculus, tillandsia, brunia, brezillia and jasmine vine. Gorgeous lanterns with spilling floral were scattered about the venue.

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