Hawkily Ever After: Let's Eat!

Remember how I grabbed some bread ends at the hotel prior to the reception because I was so starving? Well needless to say, sitting down to dinner was such a welcome treat. It was the first time I was able to sit back after the hectic schedule of the day and the first time I was able to get a good look at the reception hall. I could not have been more pleased.

Bucking tradition, Mr. Hawk and I chose to sit with our families at the head table, and I'm so glad we made that decision. It's not that I don't love my bridesmaids and groomsmen, but with my family traveling from California, I was so thankful to have those extra moments with my parents.

I vividly remember the conversations I had with Momma Hawk about the day, and our wedding party was able to mingle with their other friends. Plus I actually had the opportunity to eat.

Have you given though to your head table set up? Will it be family or your wedding party? Are you planning on a having sweetheart table?

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography, Catering by The Catering Company

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey

We rehearse and welcome our guestsThe girls get prettyI share my bridal detailsMr. Hawk becomes a groomOur first lookWe take photos at Crim Dell BridgeWe explore campus for more photographyThe groomsmen ham it upThe bridal party channels their inner modelThe entire wedding party regroupsMy last moments as a MissWelcome to our wedding ceremonyThe bridal party processionMiss Hawk's walk down the aisle We're married!

We were surrounded by love during our impromptu receiving line

We take our family formals

All our reception details

I scarf bread ends while our guests enjoy cocktail hour
We make our grand entrances
Mr. Hawk and I have our first dance

Daddy Hawk and I dance

Mr. Hawk's mother-son moment

Hawkily Ever After: Bread Ends and Cocktails

After finishing up the photography, Mr. H and I hopped into our chariot friend's Tahoe.

Although we had originally planned on arranging group transfer from the ceremony to the reception, time and money got away from us. Instead we regrouped at the hotel and carpooled with the wedding party. Glamorous? Notsomuch, but it worked out just fine!

While I took a moment to breath at the hotel (and shoved a Cheese Shop bread end or two in my mouth to keep from passing out), our guests were enjoying cocktail hour.

On the menu? Bruschetta, international and domestic cheeses with assorted crackers, fresh fruit, and vegetables with a variety of sauces.

The wait staff also passed jumbo shrimp cocktail, pinwheels of boursin cheese, asparagus and roasted red pepper, along with Mr. Hawk's barbecue sliders.

Although we arrived at the reception before the cocktail hour was over, we chose to relax in the entryway for a few minutes before our Grand Entrances. Thankfully, our caterer stashed some hors d'ourves for us, so we were able to sample everything. I must admit, I think Mr. Hawk was right about the sliders. They were delicious!

Will you having a cocktail hour? 

All photos by Valerie Demo Photography

Miss a Hawk recap? Don't fret! Catch up here:

We review our planning journey
We rehearse and welcome our guests
The girls get pretty
I share my bridal details
Mr. Hawk becomes a groom
Our first look
We take photos at Crim Dell Bridge
We explore campus for more photography
The groomsmen ham it up
The bridal party channels their inner model
The entire wedding party regroups
My last moments as a Miss
Welcome to our wedding ceremony
The bridal party procession
Miss Hawk's walk down the aisle 
We're married!

We were surrounded by love during our impromptu receiving line

We take our family formals

All our reception details

Clothing our Tables

When Mr. Hawk and I met with Laura of Williamsburg Catering Company a few months back, she was offering a special that included use of their linens for no additional charge if we signed by the end of the month. At our initial meeting after discussing the basics of our menu, Laura showed us some of the linen options so we could get an idea of what they offered. Her first suggestion was to begin with our color palette. She showed us their aqua and yellow table cloths. The look was fine and her samples did match the colors perfectly, but I quickly realized that I didn't want to be so literal with our colors.

Imagine something like this stacked:

Image via Factory Direct Party

Image via ebay

Nixed!

When she walked away to grab some more linens, I spied the perfect tablecloth folded in the corner left out from a previous meeting. Oatmeal in color and heavier in fabric, it wasn't something I had seen before, but I knew I loved it. It wasn't quite as thick as burlap, but it had texture to it. It felt vintage, rustic enough without being out of place for our venue. Here is it on display at the Open House Mr. Hawk and I attended last weekend. It even works in this ballroom setting!

Personal Photo

I was very excited to have found the first major element to our table decor (besides the antique mason jars, of course!) It was a great starting point. Now because I wanted to add more visual interest and play with texture, I decided that I needed to add a runner of some sort, but more that to come!

How did you decide on your linens?

Tasting - Take Two

Recently we ventured back on over to Williamsburg for our actual tasting/open house with the caterer. (I say actual because of my bridal scatterbrain induced date mix-up the previous weekend.) This was our first opportunity to try some of the tasting offerings from our caterer. Every quarter, the Catering Co. typically holds Open House tastings along with a couple of other local vendors to showcase their work. Since it was being held at William and Mary's Alumni House, I knew that it was going to be a nice event, but I wasn't prepared for what we walked into. The entire main floor was pretty much set up for a reception. There was an extensive appetizer display with fresh fruits, cheese and dips, a lemonade bar, and several food stations all styled. Additionally there were several set tables all featuring individual themes with complementary floral arrangements and unique china settings. There was even a bar set up to try cocktails, wine, and beer. (If you can't tell, I was quite impressed!)

It was great to sample the food and I was all over that lemonade, but what really got me was seeing the actual settings in person and witnessing the styled tables and food stations. It was amazing and truly a testament to how well the caterer and florist work together to create a cohesive, unified look. (We hadn't even spoken to the florist at that point and I was already on her bandwagon!)

I don't know if Mr. Hawk was quite as enthused as I, but I definitely believe that the Open House was worth another trip to Williamsburg. (Honestly it would have been even if only for the food, but all the inspiration put it over the edge for me.)

Did you ever find inspiration from an unexpected source?

All photos personal

Bridal Scatterbrain

Oh boy, y'all. I really messed up this time! A few weeks back Mr. Hawk and I had a busy wedding-filled weekend planned. I went bridesmaids dress shopping that Saturday and had a tasting scheduled for Sunday with our caterer and a flower consultation afterward... Or so I thought...

Mr. Hawk and I got up and went to church. From there we left straight for Williamsburg. An hour drive down the road and we were there. Being short on time, I suggested that we the sandwiches we grabbed while walking to our next destination. (No time to sit an relax!) When we arrived at the open house, the building seemed pretty dead. Since it was extraordinarily quiet, Mr. Hawk suggested I double-check my email invite. I had been reading the invite details on the car ride, so it was still open on my phone. We were at the right location, right time...but wrong date. [UUUHG!!] The tasting was actually scheduled for the NEXT weekend.

I immediately began apologizing profusely for my error. How could I let this happen? (And how did I overlook the date when we were driving in the dang car?!) Mr. Hawk was shocked that I could be responsible for such an "epic fail." (His words, not mine.) I am usually so on top of things! (Hello, planning is straight up my thing!) The only way I can rationalize my mistake is to attribute it to bridal scatterbrain. Like every other bride, I have so many things on my plate. At any given time, I feel like I'm juggling a hand full of decisions, selections, and search queries. The only thing I can do is be better about scheduling appointments in my phone calendar. (But honestly I've never needed to until now. Darn you, bridal scatterbrain.) At least we made the most of our visit and spent some time at Wren Chapel, our ceremony spot.

Via Open Library

Have you ever become overwhelmed with all things you were juggling and been hit with bridal scatterbrain?

Dinner Discussions & Decisions

Throughout the whole planning process, Mr. Hawk has been pretty darn laid back. (Thank God at least one of us is as cool as a cucumber!) Besides the occasional, “do you really need that?” or “um, I thought we were thinking of ways to save money?” he’s happily let me take the reins and be little miss type-A. But when it came to discussing the food, it was a bit of a different story. I am obviously madly in love Mr. Hawk, but sometimes his obsession with all things food (well mainly pork) kills me.

When we started discussing menu ideas, we knew we didn’t necessarily want to go the traditional reception route of a steak dish, a chicken dish, and veggies. We threw some ideas around and landed on serving southern-style comfort food. It fit our location and us as a couple. (Plus who doesn’t enjoy gourmet mac and cheese?!)  I was thinking Virginia Ham, biscuits and corn bread, and some southern-style veggies (all perhaps with a little elegant twist). Mr. Hawk heard southern and thought “PULLED PORK!” I think a lot of men have an obsession with all things pork that us women may never understand, but this was ridiculous. (We weren’t discussing what to eat for your average Saturday night dinner here!) I just didn’t see having pulled pork sandwiches as being as elegant as I wanted for our evening reception. Apparently it was all Mr. Hawk could see. [Sigh.]

Photo via Simply Recipes

I went about the process of requesting quotes and having consultations with several Williamsburg caterers all the while with the nagging pork issue in the back of my mind. (I mean, it was the ONE thing he actually cared about. It didn’t feel right to just ignore his request, but it also needed to fit with our reception style). When we finally agreed on our selection, Williamsburg Catering Company, there was one tiny issue. The menu they offered had all the things I was looking for, but lacked a little something Mr. Hawk was obsessing over. Luckily they were very accommodating and willing to work with special requests. Did they make pulled pork? Of course! Could they do it as a slider as one of the passed hors d’ourves? Yes, they sure could. (Victory!) So I got my classed-up southern comfort foods, and Mr. Hawk got his pulled pork. (Well only if those tasty sliders aren’t completely gone by the time we get to cocktail hour!)

Was there a time your groom was suddenly more vocal about a decision? Did he want to participate in the food selections?