How to plan a safe catered holiday event during COVID

With holidays just ahead, you can absolutely plan a safe corporate or private holiday event. We have been doing this very thing over the past several months at Finley Creek, and we know the rules.

We also know what works and what doesn’t. We want your guests to feel safe while following all applicable state and CDC guidelines.

The first order of business, say experts, is to make sure your guests feel safe enough to attend. Towards that end, here is our protocol:


Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering will:

Finley Creek will:

Of course, we know there really are no hard and fast answers, and serving alcohol to those enjoying a holiday party makes guest behavior slightly riskier. With that in mind, we recommend:

Even during a pandemic, some catering rules will always be paramount for us:       

The holidays are coming up fast. So if you have a holiday party in mind, there are still plenty of open dates in November, December and New Year’s Eve. We're ready to book your next event safely.

 

 

Outdoor venues like Finley Creek Vineyards are safer and greener for summer/fall events

As we carefully edge toward establishing a “new normal,” where does that leave you when you have a wedding reception, fundraiser, party, or corporate event to schedule?

One of the safer places to have any kind of event this summer and fall is outside. Social distancing is easier, the air is fresh and clean, and the outdoors provides some of Mother Nature’s freshest, greenest and glorious backdrops.

Finley Creek Vineyards in Zionsville is an idyllic place for weddings and all kinds of special occasions. Besides the rustic Wedding Barn, Finley Creek Vineyards has five expansive acres of tranquil gardens, majestic trees, flowering shrubs, wildflowers, and of course, a vineyard.

It also offers all the luxurious and modern features and style you’d expect from a first class venue. Inside, there is a huge fireplace, chandeliers, reclaimed wood tables, and large windows to let in as much natural light as possible.

Outside, you can go casual or upscale with a wedding arbor, gazebo, stone fireplace, and plenty of room for outdoor seating for ceremonies, receptions and events of all kinds.

And, because Finley Creek Vineyards is owned by Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering, you are going to please every guest with plentiful offerings of delicious, sustainably grown/humanely raised, Indiana farm-fresh foods -- from your first appetizer to your last bite of luscious dessert.

There’s a lot to like about Finley Creek Vineyards – especially as we plan ahead for healthy, socially conscientious events. Let’s talk about your next event and make it a delicious, safe and memorable time!

 

 

Finley Creek Vineyards celebrates its first year

Lots of fun summer festivities are happening at Finley Creek Vineyards, now celebrating our first year!

Fans of Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering are happy to host their wedding receptions, family reunions, corporate retreats, and holiday parties in a lovely, rustic setting just 20 minutes from Indy’s Northwest side in Zionsville.

As the private special event venue for Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering, the Finley Creek grounds are just as well appointed and lovely as you would expect for a facility we own.

The main interior Party Barn is definitely a ‘wow!’ The space is plenty large enough for up to 300, but with the lovely flower and vegetable gardens and large oak trees along the rolling countryside just outside the barn, groups are just as happy to enjoy the outside as they do our inside – especially this time of year.

The barn walls are covered with reclaimed rustic barn wood. Tall windows let in lots of natural light. And large wrought iron and crystal chandeliers hang from the rafters. The result is as the retro chic and first-class – oozing with warmth and charm.

Owner Jacquie Bols wants every meal cooked and prepared to perfection – right on site. The staff of Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering takes care to prepare sustainable and organic foods, some grown in our gardens, and all prepared in our state-of-the-art kitchen on premises.

Just outside the Finley Creek Barn are hand-hewn cedar and pine porch tables for casual dining outside. A little farther away is a much-used fire pit, plus pergola and patio surrounded by flowers, perfect for weddings.

And yes, as our name suggests, there is a working vineyard in progress. We planted last past year and hope to harvest our first grapes in a few more seasons. Stay tuned!

Outside or inside – or both –Finley Creek Vineyards is a stunning place for your next event. It’s not too soon to book fall and holiday events!

 

 

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:

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:

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.