Michigan Wedding Blog

Hi there, it’s Peggy, popping in again. I went grocery shopping last night, which naturally got me thinking about food, and then I started thinking about the food we’re serving at Kelly and James’ wedding at Castle Farms on June 30^th. So, I thought maybe you’d be interested in hearing about the caterers we’re working with and how we chose the menu items. If you read my blog about chocolate amaretto cake, you know how much I love to cook. But a birthday cake is one thing. Cooking for my daughter’s wedding? No, thank you! Time to call in the professionals. Which is exactly what we did and how we ended up with two of the most experienced and sought-after caterers in Northern Michigan for Kelly and James’ dinner reception and Day-After-The-Wedding brunch.

Lucky for us, Castle Farms has a wonderful Preferred Service Providers List. I know bridal couples find it a big help in searching for vendors. While visiting The Castle’s Gift Shop, they often mention to me that they have a ‘tasting’ appointment scheduled for later that day. At “tasting” sessions, restaurants provide different foods to sample from the catering menu. But Kelly and James opted out of any tasting sessions. Here’s their story.

We needed two caterers for Kelly and James’ wedding: one for the dinner reception and another for the Day-After-Wedding brunch. Choosing the caterer for the reception was easy. The business has an excellent reputation, we dine there often, they catered Kelly’s high school graduation party, plus the owners are good friends. Luckily, they were available on June 30^th. We immediately booked the date. It wasn’t difficult choosing the caterer for the Day-After-Wedding Brunch, either. We know the owner well, and this business is often on-site at The Castle handling events. Their food is delicious, and we knew our out-of-town guests would appreciate being able to relax and enjoy the casual Day-After-Wedding brunch they’ll provide.

Both our caterers are listed on The Castle’s list of Preferred Service Providers. They’ve been great to work with, and they’ve offered wonderful suggestions about how to deal with vegans on the guest list, plus gluten free meals. The Preferred Service Providers at Castle Farms are all hand-picked. Not only do they provide high quality performance and exceed expectations, but they’re also experienced in working at Castle Farms. The reception rooms at The Castle do have kitchens with catering areas, but there are no cooking facilities. All cooking is done outside (either in catering trailers or at the restaurant, and then delivered in warming ovens) so as not to damage the historic stonework of The Castle. That’s one reason that The Castle’s Preferred Service Provider List is so important—especially when it comes to catering. Our preferred caterers are familiar with our facility and have the necessary equipment.

Wedding guests at Kelly and James’ Knights’ Castle dinner reception will be treated to appetizers and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a delicious plated dinner featuring pork tenderloin and beef, potatoes, green beans and fresh garden salad. The following morning, we’re planning a buffet style brunch in The Queen’s Tavern from 10 am–12 noon featuring lots of yummy breakfast items. After brunch, depending on our out-of-town guests’ schedules, we may even offer a guided tour of Castle Farms. I’ve seen it done before with other bridal parties who host a Day-After-Wedding brunch followed by a guided tour. Guests are always thrilled since it gives them an opportunity to see the entire Castle beyond the rooms where the ceremony and reception took place, plus learn its rich history. And for me, as Mother-of-The-Bride and someone who has the privilege of working at Castle Farms as Gift Shop and Tour Director, I’m delighted we’re able to provide our out-of-town visitors with wonderful memories of this beautiful Castle. It’s the perfect happily-ever-after ending for Kelly and James’ wedding guests!

Hi there! It’s me, Peggy, popping in again. If you’ve been following my posts, you know that the big day for Kelly and James’ wedding here at Castle Farms is quickly approaching. I’m trying my best to work with Kelly to make sure all the details are taken care of well in advance of June 30^th so we can relax and enjoy the festivities!

One of the things I love about my job here at Castle Farms (I’m the Castle’s Gift Shop and Tour Director) is witnessing the excitement on wedding days. It’s so much fun watching as boxes of colorful decorations arrive, the florist delivers gorgeous bouquets, and finally… the topping glory of it all (besides the bride, naturally)… the wedding cake!

Photo by Darrell Christie Photography.

Pudding Cupcakes. Photo from AverageBetty.com.

Amaretto Cake. Photo from BonAppetit.com.

Now, you have to understand that chocolate amaretto cake is somewhat of a family tradition that I started long ago. I bake that particular kind of cake for all our family birthdays. Yes, it’s expensive and time-consuming, but everyone in our family agrees it’s absolutely delicious. Both Kelly and her brother Kevin always insist on chocolate amaretto cakes for their birthdays. Once I didn’t make it for Kelly and she was so disappointed. Believe me, I learned my lesson! One year, after Kelly already had graduated from college and moved to Seattle, I flew out to visit her for Mother’s Day. Her birthday was still some months away, but since I knew we couldn’t be there to celebrate with her, I thought it would be nice if I baked Kelly her favorite cake. She loved it! So naturally, when it came time to making a decision about the wedding cake, the discussion about pudding cupcakes vs. a traditional wedding cake was a “sweet dilemma”.

In the end, Kelly and James decided to compromise. Together they came up with the perfect solution: James will have his pudding cupcakes, and Kelly is getting her chocolate amaretto cake. They’re working with one of the cake designers featured on The Castle’s Preferred Service Providers list… a bubbly happy lady who is here at The Castle for numerous weddings and who specializes in (believe it or not!) pudding cupcakes as well as (you guessed it!) chocolate amaretto cakes! I’m so happy at the way everything turned out. Compromise is a wonderful way to start—and sustain—a successful marriage. By compromising about the wedding cake, Kelly and James are off to a delicious start on their happily-ever-after.

Hi there! Peggy popping in again with some exciting news: Kelly said YES to the dress!

If you’ve been following my posts, you know that my daughter Kelly and her fabulous fiancé James are planning a Castle Farms wedding on June 30^th. Since Kelly lives far away on the west coast while I’m in Charlevoix and work at Castle Farms, much of the planning for their destination wedding has happily fallen on my shoulders. And even though the wedding is taking place here in Kelly’s hometown, I must admit I’ve been feeling a little sad and left out. You see, Kelly is my only daughter. From the time she was a little girl, I’ve looked forward to helping her choose a wedding gown. But with Kelly in Seattle and me in Michigan, a mother/daughter shopping excursion wasn’t easy to arrange. What’s a Mother-Of-The-Bride to do?

Kelly started off alone on her quest for the dress by visiting a few bridal shops in Seattle. We chatted frequently on the phone. She knew from the start that she wanted something simple, with not a lot of beading or lace. Kelly is a modern young woman with a great sense of style who knows what she likes… but she wasn’t finding it. The more she shopped, the more frustrated she sounded whenever we talked on the phone, and the worse I felt. You know how mothers are… when your daughter needs you, you want to help! Luckily, since we’d all been invited to a family wedding in San Francisco, we made plans to spend part of a day exploring bridal boutiques. My husband Dennis and I flew out to California, and Kelly flew down from Seattle. When the three of us met up, off we all went (including my sisters! How fun! A true family affair!) in search of the perfect wedding gown.

Turns out, finding it wasn’t so easy. I had a vision of Kelly in an elegant long gown. Our daughter, however, had her eye out for something simple and stylish, like a classy cocktail-length dress. Kelly had made arrangements for us to visit two bridal salons while in San Francisco. The first, which sold only samples, literally had thousands of dresses to choose from, all arranged by style. Kelly tried on numerous dresses: some short (her choice), some long. I’m sure she tired of us oohing and aahing every time she donned yet another long sweeping gown, but it was hard to resist since we all thought Kelly looked so beautiful! Finally she tried on a dress with a detachable skirt which would allow her to walk down the aisle on her father’s arm in a long gown that trailed behind her so elegant and chic; the dress then could be converted for the reception into a shorter version so she’d easily be able to dance the night away without the cumbersome weight and length to deal with. Kelly tried on both styles. The dress was swingy, it was fun, but most of all, it was pure-Kelly. We kept the other appointment at the second bridal salon and Kelly tried on a number of dresses, but her heart kept returning to that one special dress she’d seen. Dennis and I confirmed what she already knew: the first dress in the first store offered the best of both worlds. We quickly offered to buy it. Still, Kelly thought it was ridiculous to spend so much money on a dress she would only wear one day in her life. She left San Francisco without a dress.

Once Kelly was back in Seattle, she visited a few more bridal shops just to be sure (what bride doesn’t do that?). That’s when she realized she’d already found the dress of her heart. So, Kelly, smart young woman that she is, went online and discovered the exact identical dress on sale at a much more reasonable price than in the San Francisco store. Later that week when she phoned, Dennis and I could hear the excitement in our daughter’s voice. She’d debated over whether to order the dress in satin or chiffon, but ultimately Kelly decided that satin was more elegant and definitely more bridal. The dress was ordered and arrived in Seattle with no mishaps. She also ordered her shoes online (which she loves, by the way!). She’s been wearing them around the house to make sure they’re comfortable for her wedding day. Meanwhile, Dennis and I had an opportunity to see the dress when we visited Seattle at Christmas. I don’t want to give away too many of the details as her fiancé James might be reading this blog and we want him surprised on the big day. So, let me end by putting it this way: when Kelly finally said YES to the dress, Dennis and I were just as thrilled to say YES to her dress, too!