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.

 

 

Celebrate fall at Finley Creek Vineyards

Fall barn celebrations, Halloween parties and wedding receptions are a blast! Especially when they are held at a place that’s easy to get to, and includes the mouth-watering sustainable food from an award-winning caterer.

Naturally, we’re talking about Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering at Finely Creek Vineyards, north on 421 (Michigan Road), in Zionsville.

Holding an event at our Finley Creek rustic barn can be as casual and charming as you want. Or lavish and over-the-top, with electric lights, swag curtains, and our crystal chandeliers to set the tone.

This month, we are looking forward to two crisp fall weddings, complete with fall foliage, gold and silver sprayed pumpkins, silver candleabras, and plenty of lovingly prepared Indiana pork and fresh-picked apple dishes. Even the wedding cake will be fall themed – carrot cake!

We’re also looking forward to some traditional Halloween-themed fun, as we turn our barn into a spookier version of its usual self. We will help set up an apple-bobbing area, and serve home-made caramel apple ice cream as well as Jacquie’s Indiana caramel topped apple pie. Definitely a crowd pleaser! Bales of hay and arrangements of quirky ghost white pumpkins and bumpy green gourds surrounded by corn stalks and fall foliage will set the tone.

If it’s mild, the fun will be outside as well as inside, especially with our fire pits and hay bales for extra seating. But if the temperature dips, our guests are covered, literally! We just head into the barn without missing a beat.

Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering keeps any party happy, as her made-from-scratch, locally sourced food lives up to its reputation. Fall favorites include Jacquie’s pulled pork sliders, maple bacon topped pumpkin flan, and corn soufflé – all organically grown and sustainably sourced from nearby Indiana farms – from appetizers to desserts.

When Finley Creek in the Zionsville countryside gets all dressed up for a fall party or reception, you and your guests are in for a treat! We hope you will come join us and see what we mean!

~ The Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering team

Exclusive caterers for Finley Creek Vineyards

 

Finley Creek hosts a country wedding

The Thompson wedding last weekend was the quintessential beautiful outdoor wedding.

The ceremony was held at 4:30, so the heat of the day was not a problem. The simple and elegant celebration was followed by a cocktail hour from 5 to 6pm, a great way to toast to the couple and the day, and for guests to mingle.

This was followed by dinner indoors in the fabulous Finley Creek barn – a lovely rustic place to enjoy a relaxed and delicious dinner before the real celebrating began.

Here’s what Jacquie’s Gourmet Catering served the happy couple and their guests:

Hors d' Oeuvres display board packed with three rich layers of Pesto Torte with Goat Cheese, Cream Cheese, Sundried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil Pesto and Pine Nuts along with a selection of crackers.

Served hors d’oeuvres:

Dinner followed from 6:30 to 7:15, and was all about Jacquie’s Southern Barbeque – which – according to those at attending was “absolutely to die for!”

To accompany this crowd-pleaser, we also served:

And for those with special diets, Stuffed Portobella Mushroom with Fresh 3 Spinach and Pine Nuts or Eggplant parmesan. There was even a special dish for the children in attendance: Chicken Fingers, Carrot Sticks, and a Fruit Cup.

After such a bountiful dinner, what better to do than have some fun outside along with a beverage of your choice, and dance to music favorites of the wedding party with some live music!

The celebrating was followed by a lovely evening send-off which included colorful biodegradable balloons as the bride and groom made their departure.

Everything was carefully planned, and the weather cooperated beautifully, right down to the gorgeous sunset!

Your next event can be just as sensational at Finley Creek Vineyards, where our lush, fall grounds and shabby chic party barn are ready and waiting for you.

 

 

 

New trends in wedding reception décor

Wedding receptions are the part of the wedding everyone looks forward to! You mingle with lots of new people, especially friends and family of the wedding party, eat yummy food, and have a great time celebrating the newly wedded couple.

At Finley Creek Vineyards, we enjoy all the celebrating, too. We also take note of some of the great decorating ideas we see inside and outside our beautifully chic barn facility.

Here are some of the new trends we are beginning to see at Finley Creek:

At Finley Creek Vineyards, we are happy to help you plan and decorate as much or as little as you want. Let us know your theme and colors and we can go to town – or just tell us what you need to rent. Either way, our lovely grounds and updated party barn are ready and waiting for your next event or reception.