Finley Creek Vineyards springs a lovely wedding reception

Mary Ann Harrison and Jared Owen tapped early Spring on the shoulder ...and asked it to reserve a sunny Saturday in mid-March for her wedding reception at Finley Creek Vineyards.

The pre-Spring weather cooperated, and the event space was perfect for the kind of relaxed late afternoon reception the couple had in mind.

The Harrison-Owen reception began at 4:00 PM by welcoming family and friends to Finley Creek's rustic splendor. With an open bar and generous appetizers inside the beautifully decorated Finley Creek barn, guests dipped into sumptuous appetizers:

Three Layer Pesto Torte with crackers, butler-served Mushrooms Stuffed with Spinach and Parmesan Cheese, and an assortment of Mini Quiches.

After everyone had a chance to mingle, a spring buffet dinner was served:

House Salad with Mixed Greens, Cucumbers, Shredded Carrots, Tomatoes and Bacon Bits, topped with Jacquie’s own Champagne vinaigrette
Chef Carved Roast Beef with Horseradish Cream
Chef Carved Pork Loin with Apricot Glaze Garlic Scalloped Potatoes
Assorted Roasted Indiana-grown Vegetables with Olive Oil, Lemon and Fresh Marjoram

There were a few children in attendance, and they were not forgotten. Easy to eat Chicken Fingers, Carrot Sticks, and Fruit Cups were quickly gobbled down.

After a lovely dinner, the bar was re-opened and the celebrating went on into the night as any fun reception should (hello dancing and music in the wide open rustic-chic barn!) The group paused to cut the cake (by Classic Cakes of Carmel) and toast to the new couple. Then back to dancing and a fantastic selection of desserts!

Congratulations to Mary Anne and Jared, and the Harrison-Owen families!

10 tips on what to know before you set your spring/summer event

It’s tempting to consider choosing an event location you love and then, wrap the menu around all your favorite foods. But – party planning experts say when you truly consider your guests’ preferences over your own, your event will be more successful.

At Finley Creek Vineyards, we have a list of questions we ask event planners, family planners and brides as we begin to plan each event.

Here’s what to consider from the event experts at Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering, the owner/managers of Finley Creek:

Is your group more casual or more formal? Family or corporate?
How far would attendees be comfortable traveling from home or office?
Is your event going to be outside or inside – or both?
What is your budget?
How important is the vibe (upscale, folksy, urban contemporary, trendy, barn chic, etc.)?
What type of food would appeal to most you are inviting? Consider vegetarian and child-friendly options.
Is this going to be a seated formal meal, or serve-yourself with lots of options?
Do you want an open bar, beer and/or wine, or “special occasion” drinks?

Some of these are more obvious, but others are questions you may not have considered yet. It’s important to gain some perspective on your guests so they will feel comfortable at your event. Once you have established the main-frame objectives, you can begin to move on to the fun – impressing your guests.

The most memorable events at Finley Creek all did the following:

The event location was right for the crowd. Venue size is key – not too big or too crowded.
Had a contingency plan in case it rains.
Set up bar and food table traffic flow in advance. Nobody wants to stand waiting for a drink for 15 minutes.
Arranged for convenient and adequate parking.
Set a theme – from color to food choices to décor.
Added a few unexpected touches to delight guests get talked about.
Never run out of food. This is a cardinal rule at Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering.
Made sure food was delicious, looked fantastic, and was served at the ideal temperature.

At Finley Creek, Jacquie's Gourmet Catering strives to iron out as many details as possible ahead of time. It’s never too early to start planning your next event! Let's talk.

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 trendwe'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… 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 to get things booked and begin getting a feel for your ideas 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.

Innovatemap’s colorful, food-forward holiday party

Innovatemap, is a Broadripple based product services company helping companies of all sizes dream, design and scale digital products and services.

So, when it came to throwing a holiday party, Innovatemap knew exactly what they wanted. Their team insisted the party be lively, colorful and food forward, with emphasis on big taste and a low carbon footprint. No surprise, they hired Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering (farm-to-table, sustainable, organic, locally sourced foods) and set the evening at Finley Creek Vineyards.

The vibe was easy upscale and festive. Guests arrived for an evening of holiday celebration beginning with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from 6 to 7, followed by dinner, then a reception from 8 through 11 PM.

Hors d’oeuvres included:

Three Layer Pesto Torte with Goat Cheese, Cream Cheese, Sundried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil Pesto and Pine Nuts with Crackers.

Bourbon Chicken Skewers Mini Cuban Sandwiches were also offered. Naturally there was a vegan option, Morbier Grilled Cheese with Tomato Jam Mushrooms Stuffed with Parmesan.

A seated dinner followed with a choice of:

Barbeque Beef Boneless Short Ribs with Molasses Bourbon Sauce
Cedar Planked Salmon
Bow Tie Pasta with Arugula, Goat Cheese

Rounding out the meal, was:

Mixed Organic Field Greens with Pecans, Cranberries, Goat Cheese and Champagne Dressing
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Wood Grilled Vegetables with Herb de Provence and Balsamic

No holiday celebration would be complete without ending on a sweet note. Jacquie’s team prepared an irresistable dessert station filled with everyone’s favorites:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Creme Brule
Cheesecakes
Smores in a Ball Jar

There’s nothing like a perfectly hosted, beautifully prepared and presented holiday party, which is exactly what the folks at Innovatemap received this holiday season. Team Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering and Finley Creek Vineyards delivered!