Staying on the cutting edge of the industry can be a hard to place to reside.  At all times one must be ahead of all others in style, design, trends, etc.  This is our constant goal.  We want our clients to feel as though they are always the “Jones’”, that they are the first to have the newest hors d’oeuvre, the latest linen, or in this case the newest trend in food display.

We are proud to announce the most recent addition to our collection, the Blossom Cup.  Within this little cup are so many possibilities for fun and intriguing ways to display a wide array of dishes.  The “Blossom” has a stem by which the cup is held, making it easy to carry around during a cocktail party and comes in a stand made especially for the cups unique design.

The cups were debuted at an event in Philadelphia last week and were very well received.  Guests mentioned they “liked seeing something new” and that display was “very classy.”  The events menu included a selection of four items served in the Blossom cup.  Lump crab meat on greens with roasted red peppers, Italian antipasto, a mixed fruit cup and asparagus salad were chosen as great savory items to be enjoyed during an afternoon cocktail reception.

Guests also enjoyed a fondue station with beef, chicken, shrimp and mushroom with their option of both Swiss dipping sauce and spicy queso dip. Dessert was also served from our client favorite, the clear wall with mini cups containing apple pie with vanilla ice cream, pumpkin pie with vanilla ice cream, chocolate mousse with raspberry sorbet and key lime mousse with graham cracker crumbs and whipped cream.

Hors d’oeuvre passed during the event included beef carpaccio rolls, mini cheese boards and tandoori shrimp on a lotus chip with mango salsa.  So for your next event, consider the Blossom cup to wow your guests, or ask about many of our other great non-traditional displays!

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Choosing the style or theme of your event can be a daunting task.  There are endless combinations of colors, motifs, shapes, layouts and themes to choose from.  Linens, tables, glassware, flatware, china, flowers, you name it the decisions are endless.  So how do you nail down the perfect look.  There are different schools of thought on this dilemma.  Some think you should pick one object that you really love and build around it to achieve your desired décor.  Others suggest choosing colors and finding things that will suit them.  However you choose to proceed there are few guidelines and tips to keep in mind to make the process a little easier.

• Talk with a professional-  This could be an number of people including your caterer, florist or even your interior decorator.  These folks are in business because they have an eye for what goes together and what’s got to go.  Bring them your ideas and work toether to create the look you’ve always dreamed of.
• Research styles and décor everywhere- You never know when you will find that right vase or perfect place card holder so always be on the lookout for ideas.  We often page though magazines looking at clothes, home décor or food pictures to get ideas for our new favorite décor trend.  This includes wedding magazines for those of you getting married because someone may have already done the hard work for you and will be able to tell you the best places to find exactly what you are looking for.
• Keep an open mind- We very often get stuck in the same style set because it is what we are comfortable with.  Don’t be afraid to try something new.  Test run it at a dinner party and see what people think; you just might surprise yourself with how impressed people are with you design.

In the end your guests will enjoy any look you choose.  Have fun with the planning and don’t stress over the little details.  It all comes together in the end no matter the path you took to get it together.

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This Saturday was the 3^rdannual Chester County Bridal Showcase.  Together with the Phoenixville Foundry we put on another fantastic show of all the latest in food, fun and fashion for your wedding.  This year we decided to go with a fire and ice theme which turned out to be a big hit. 

The fire station, on large farmhouse tables, had three large vases filled with red and orange bell peppers with a large flower arrangement by Sommerfield Designs on top.  The table also had many apothecary vases filled with different types of vibrantly colored peppers.  Food for this station included chipotle grilled shrimp skewer, srirachi and honey glazed diver sea scallop skewer and Korean beef bulgogi. 

The ice station consisted of a twenty four foot long table covered in silver shimmer linen.  On the table were iron trees with crystals and at either end were two tiered ice sculptures.  On the ice sculptures were this stations food options.  These included three types of ceviche: shrimp, conch and crab in a lemon, lime and orange shell.  Each sat on top of a shot glass rimmed with sugar or salt and filled with traditional, mango or pineapple margarita.  On plates was a delicious crying tiger salad. 

Brides, grooms and their families were able to sit down at the J. Scott Catering conference table to discuss their ideas for their wedding and how J. Scott could help make those ideas into reality.  Fresh squeezed lemonade was offered to clients as light refreshment during their conference.

The grooms who came were treated to a room all to themselves in the Schuylkill River Heritage Center.  There they enjoyed beer sampling, and a few snacks provided by J. Scott including mini grilled cheese and bacon slider, lump crab cake slider with old bay chips and mini chicken tacos.

We had a great time at the event, watching the fashion show, dressmaking contest and getting a chance to meet so many great brides.  Thanks to the Foundry for once again holding the showcase, and to all the vendors who came out and helped, for the third year, make this event a great success.

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Catering is one of the largest expenses on your wedding budget, and I am sure the one that brides wrestle with the most. As caterers, we try to add value to our wedding packages and build relationships that are important to us and our clients. We often work with brides and grooms for at least six months leading up to their big day, so a good relationship and trust are important factors. You want to select a caterer you can trust and then let them guide you. When it comes to budget, my advice is to be honest with the caterer you like in your gut and trust; shopping 10 different caterers is going to do nothing but confuse you in the long run and result in some restless nights of sleep.

When planning the reception, do not believe everything you read in wedding magazines. They are all trying to increase readership through interesting articles and novel ideas that may not always be realistic. For example, cocktail only receptions may seem like a good idea, but only lead to unhappy guests in my experience.

If your budget is coming up on the short end, here are a few proven solutions to please everyone and the check book.

1. Streamline everything — put out a good yet simple entrée with filling food. Tilapia, Airline Chicken Breast, and Top Round of Beef are all items that are simple, and cost-effective.
2. Cut the reception down to four hours, which will save on service time — the biggest cost hands down. Is a five-hour reception really that important to you?
3. Forget the favors. Make a tax deductable donation to your favorite charity if you must do something. One recent bride did just that and placed a note in the pocket of each napkin announcing a gift was made in the guests’ names (classy and smart).
4. A beer and wine only bar will save you good money. If you don’t think you can do without a hard drink, consider a single specialty drink that makes a statement, pleases guests and saves money.
5. Have a small token wedding cake for pictures and then feed everyone dessert from sheet cake. This will save costs and, frankly, not everyone eats cake. Don’t over do it on the desserts!

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