We Are Obsessing Over The “Private” Wedding Party Reception Table
No matter how fancy, if you are serving 100+ people at your wedding reception it will be about as cozy as your grade school cafeteria. You know what I mean, between all the people trying to talk at once and the numerous tables, making you wedding party feel special can be tricky. Adding a head table can be the solution but if you would rather not be on display the whole night this next wedding has a genius work around that we seriously cannot get enough of.
Keep scrolling to find out what we mean and to learn about all the fabulous details that Erin and Nick incorporated into their big day! Oh and don't forget to stop by the full gallery, Davy Whitener filled it to the brim with lovely photos.
wedding party style
I found my gown at One Fine Day Bridal Boutique in Jacksonville, FL. Olivia, my consultant, welcomed my mom and I into the shop and together we compiled the perfect look! My gown itself was a silk fit and flare by Heidi Elnora while my three-quarter length lace bolero and lace trimmed veil, both by Jaclyn Jordan, added a touch of traditional and timeless formality. We finished the look with a silk sash to tie the pieces together. The bridesmaids wore floor length Alfred Sung dupioni gowns in navy. Nick wore his Air Force Mess Dress, as did his groomsmen and friends who are also commissioned. His groomsmen wore classic black Vera Wang tuxes from Mens Wearhouse.
Wedding Whoops
What could go wrong? Click here to find out Erin's wedding whoops
reception welcome and cocktail hour
Our guests enjoyed cocktail hour in the garden where Steve Balesteri Band played an acoustic set of our favorite classic songs. We were sure to offer our favorite local spirits (and our favorite Kentucky bourbons of course!), craft beers and wine during cocktail hour and throughout the night. The bar and welcome signage was displayed on vintage brass mirrors with vinyl lettering by Ten 23 Designs. Our guest book table featured framed photos of all our family's weddings, and featured a photography book of Buffalo's history for guests to sign with their well wishes.
Celebrating your venue & Vendors
Venue and vendor selection is an artform... find out how Erin and Nick made these big wedding decisions!
The Venue
After our traditional Catholic Mass ceremony, we joined our guests at The Twentieth Century Club of Buffalo, a women's club built in 1894. So much of Buffalo is filled with classic architecture and Victorian style–we wanted to make sure to show out of town guests the beauty of The Queen City! In fact, we highlighted the architecture of both the church and the club on our wedding invitation suite, designed by Heather O'Brien Design. We commissioned watercolor renderings by Iana Zaalishvili, and had them sent all the way from Georgia (the country!). The original paintings hang in our newlywed home today!
The Photography
It was so important to us that our wedding run smoothly and stress free. In order to achieve this, we were sure to invite trusted, talented and friendly vendors up to Buffalo to join us for our big day. Our photographer, Davy, delighted not only the two of us, but our wide array of personalities in the bridal party, family and friend group. Everyone kept telling us how sweet our photography team was! They were all even more excited when we shared our beautiful pictures with them all. It's been rumored one of our friends might even be using a photo from our wedding as their family Christmas card! His talent is unmatched and his personality meshes so well with our own. It was an easy choice to ask Davy to photograph our day!
Private Wedding Party Dinning
Adair designed a gorgeous "Anthro-Americana" event with touches of brass, burgundy and navy. We utilized the club's crested navy chargers at every seat, and brought in the most gorgeous wine colored velvet linens from La Tavola for our focal tables. Our estate table, nestled in the logia area lined with gorgeous lead windows overlooking the garden was the perfect place to share a meal with our bridal party. We joked that none of us wanted to have all eyes on us as we ate, and Adair took that to heart and created what felt like a private dinner party within our event!
Let's Eat
More whimsical arrangements, both low and tall, centered the tables. We also brought in classic mahogany chivari chairs from Tesoro Event Rentals since we didn't love the club's original seating. It really transformed the room! For dinner we dined on filet paired with crab stuffed prawns, accompanied by roasted potatoes and asparagus (Nick's favorite!). Our cake, a three tier confection, featured a nod to our new Ohio home with a chocolate and peanut butter buckeye layer and a more traditional white cake and raspberry layer for variety. Jen from Blessings Bakery not only made our gorgeous cake from scratch using organic ingredients, but she even grew the berries herself on her family's farmland. She's incredible!
Let's Eat Later
Since Nick and I were really wanting to give our guests the full Buffalo experience, we knew we needed to have two late night foods–Nick Charlap's ice cream (a Hamburg summertime favorite) and Anchor Bar Chicken Wings (a Buffalo staple). Our guests loved the late night bars so much we still hear about them six months later!
Save The Last Dance
We LOVE a last dance wedding tradition, not sure what that is? Check it out here!
We danced the night away in what can only be remembered as the best night of our lives! As guests gathered outside for our send off, Nick and I shared a last dance to Ella Fitzgerald's "I've Got a Crush On You" in the ballroom alone. It was the sweetest way to end the celebration, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry like a baby–tears of joy of course!
A Parting Gift
We sent our guests home with beautiful little boxes full of Nick's mom's famous caramels. Packaged in tiny ivory boxes with a velvet ribbon and brass wax seal, they were everything we'd hope they be. Thankfully two boxes awaited us in the car on our drive to Hotel Henry!
- Assistant photographer: Justin DeMutiis
- Band: Steve Balesteri
- Cakes & Catering: Blessings Bakery
- Event Planning & Design: Adair Currie
- Flowers: Fern Croft
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Salonagogo
- Officiants: Rev. Arthur Matulke
- Photographers: Davy Whitener
- Rentals: Tesoro Event Rentals
- Stationery Designer: Heather O'Brien Design
- Venues: St. Peter & Paul Roman Catholic Church