Dessert buffet have been so popular over the last few years. Amy Atlas is probably the best known stylist of these fantastic displays, where she leaves nothing overlooked. Below are some beautiful images that can be used for inspiration. Whether you have a caterer or planner put together such a tablescape, or you do it yourself with grocery store and flea market finds, you can create a fun and interactive display for your guests!

Photography Credit: kellymoore via socialbites

Photography Credit: Amy Atlas, Elizabeth Anne Designs

Photography Credit: Amy Atlas, Martha Stewart Weddings, Shauna Younge Dessert Tables

Yellow is a bold and happy color that can be incorporated into weddings at any time of the year. Below are some photos of beautiful yellow details that just exude personality and excitement. A yellow dessert bar looks great with bold black accents, and lemons are the perfect modern centerpiece. Bold bridal accessories look even better when coordinated with the groom.

Photography Credits: top: Amy Atlas, middle: Boutwell Studio, Jonathan Canlas Photography, bottom: Event Jubilee

There are many options for yellow flowers in bouquets, which look so fresh when paired with an abundance of green leaves. And of course, dressing your maids in yellow is the perfect way to tie it all together.

Photography Credits: left: Kate Osborne Photography, right: Kate Headley, bottom: Vrai Photography

Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you next week with more fabulous D.C. wedding inspiration!

As steamy and humid as it is this week, these photos are awesome.  Bring on summer! Oh okay, maybe just spring…

As spring is (hopefully) approaching, what new flavors and dishes will Windows Catering be offering to clients and those interested in your services?

One of the biggest trends we’re still seeing is local, sustainable and seasonal.  This spring we’re focusing on fresh ingredients with what’s in season. Some fun new menus are:

Specialty Drink Ideas: A Cherry Old Fashioned (Sweet and sour cherries muddled with orange juice, maple syrup, a dash of bitters, served with bourbon over ice and garnished with cherry foam), Pineapple Mojitos, and Blueberry Pie Martinis

Hors d’oeuvres: Spinach filled Crepes tied with Chive Ribbons, Spring Pea Soup Shooters with Maryland Lump Crab, Mini Lobster Corn Dogs

Plated Entrée:  Spring Long Island Duck breast with a Bing cherry glaze over roasted rhubarb and fennel bed with corn and wild rice flapjacks and topped with a Bing cherry relish

Plated Dessert: A Deconstructed Pineapple Upside Down Cake served in a martini glass accompanied by a home-made coconut sorbet.

What do you offer to couples who inquire about Windows Catering for their wedding? How is your plated dinner structured, and do you offer buffet or cocktail style receptions?

The first step in all of our wedding consultations is to fully understand the bride and grooms vision for their wedding.  Once we understand their personalities, culinary expectations, budgets and desired look and feel, we are better able to make menu suggestions and assist in designing their ideal reception.

Windows can offer a wide range of reception options.  Whether it’s a plated dinner, traditional buffet, themed stations, or any other option, we can make it happen.  I think it’s always great to incorporate different food elements that reflect the couple’s background and culinary preferences. People tend to eat with their eyes first and want a ‘wow’ factor in the food presentation, so we focus on using fresh ingredients, stylistic presentation and making sure a plate or buffet display is colorful and consistent with the overall look of the event.

One example of integrating our client’s background and vision into our culinary creativity is a couple I am working with whom have strong roots in the South. The bride and groom were raised in Georgia and Virginia and we’re creating a southern style barbecue, with pulled pork mini sandwiches, pecan crusted chicken, and grilled Virginia trout on sweet onion crepes.

How flexible are your menus? Are your chefs able to tweak and customize your menus in order to completely satisfy your clients?

All of our menus can be customized and tweaked to the bride and grooms preferences. We treat cuisine as an art form, which could translate into an Asian themed rehearsal dinner reminiscent of their first date or a cocktail reception with fresh, local seafood and produce for they’re out of town guests.     We understand that this is their day, and we’re happy to help reflect their style and personality in the food.

What trends have you noticed in desserts at weddings- are couples often ordering cakes or dessert bars?  How creative have you gone for desserts at a wedding?

Ever since Martha Stewart and Amy Atlas started showcasing Dessert Bars the classic wedding cake has been transformed. I love that couples are customizing their weddings with an added final twist.  The dessert station has become a final focal point of the evening, and when it’s the last thing they’ll see, it’s great to make an impression!

The more popular dessert bars we’re seeing are an assortment of different sweets monochromatic to the colors of the wedding. One such way is customizing our famous French macaroons to be monochromatic with the colors of their wedding. I love placing the macaroons and colored candies in beautiful apothecary jars on the dessert table. Another creative twist is the Vintage candy bar; it’s a fun, budget friendly way for guests to leave your evening on a sweet note.

Thank you so much Kelsey.  Hearing about all of these delicious foods from Windows Catering is making me so hungry! Many companies can serve food at your event, but Windows truly caters to your needs and unique vision for your special day.  That’s why they are a District Favorite!!

As a boutique catering company located right in the heart of Georgetown, Fete Accomplie Catering will accommodate your every need, and can travel to provide their services as well.

Sharing their love for cooking, the food at Fete is always fresh, and with the absence of set menus you can be sure to expect unique and delicious creations that perfectly fit your special event. I was lucky enough to chat with Sumner Powell, a fantastic Account Executive at Fete Accomplie Catering. She is absolutely wonderful, and her enthusiasm for Fete is simply contagious…

How does Fete Accomplie Catering stand out among catering companies in the DC metro area?

Many catering companies in the area are quite large but we are a smaller company that has made the conscious decision to remain small. This helps us form great relationships with each of our clients and be by their side pretty much every moment leading up to the event.

As we are on the smaller side, we love to work on dinner events, teas, lunches and weddings, but are also thrilled to create food for events with over 500 guests. We really have fun with our clients and love when then are happy!

What are Fete’s signature dishes, and what are some current favorites during the holiday season?

One of our most popular items is our special fete lime scented chicken salad as well as our jumbo lump crab cakes. Our clients always like to have those no matter the time of year!

Because we do not have any set menus and make everything to our clients’ desires, we always like to work with our clients to figure out items that are unique to the seasons. One of our most popular items for the fall was our butternut squash risotto and for the holidays, a spiral ham cooked in madeira sauce.

What are YOUR favorite Fete creations?

Personally, it is so hard to pick a favorite item! I do very much love our grilled cheeses and our roasted tomato, shallot, and goat cheese in a puff pastry cup. We also made this fantastic brownie for an event last month that was just amazing; it was a brownie layered with white chocolate flavored caramel and chocolate ganache, served with chocolate gelato and raspberries. It was delicious!

What are the most unique catering requests that you have received, and how do you make them a huge success?

There are so many! We would have to say it really varies, but to whittle it down…we once did a Dr. Seuss Party where the waiters were dressed like cat in the hat and the food was Dr. Seuss related, including green eggs and ham.

Another event was an Octoberfest event where our waiters wore lederhosen and we had an Oompa band; all the food was related to food popular during Octoberfest.

Those types of events are always just so much fun because you really can go all out! To make this company a success, I would have to say that we truly love what we do and we really love our clients. Leah (the owner) and I work personally with all of our clients; we always arrange a meeting where we can go to either our client’s house or venue and go through what styles they like, what types of food, etc. We just love what we do!!!

Thank you so much Sumner! Be sure to check out Fete Accomplie Catering for your next event!

]]> http://www.districtweddings.com/a-conversation-with-sumner-powell-of-fete-accomplie-catering/feed/ 0 http://www.districtweddings.com/thanksgiving-dessert-bar-by-amy-atlas/ http://www.districtweddings.com/thanksgiving-dessert-bar-by-amy-atlas/#comments Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:00:16 +0000 Danielle Freedman http://www.districtweddings.com/?p=4531 How we love this dessert buffet by Amy Atlas!  Isn’t Thanksgiving oh-so-sweet?

Beautiful photography by Allan Zepeda for Mel Barlow Photography.

RSVP also boasts its signature in-house party rental equipment, allowing you to plan your entire event as smoothly as possible.

Upon arrival, RSVP met its guests with wonderful fall-inspired cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres.  Some of my favorites included a deliciously warm and creamy Wild Mushroom Soup Shooter and a mouthwatering Scallop & Bacon Arancini.  So yummy!  

While guests mingled and tasted the various offerings, RVSP also set up a fantastic spread in the tasting room with fresh Crab Dip and Spinach & Artichoke Fondue.  But there was more!….

Next was the buffet, and let me tell you, it is TOO easy to have eyes bigger than your stomach when looking at RSVP dishes! Here are a few of the selections…

Winter Spinach Salad with Apple

Winter Spinach Salad with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Grilled Apples, Walnuts &

Mushrooms in Cider Shallot Vinaigrette

Red Wine Braised Brisket with Horseradish Sauce

Cabernet Braised Beef Brisket with Horseradish Demi Sauce

Sweet Potato Gratin with Pecan Streusel (my FAVORITE!)

Sweet Potato Mashed & Blended with Cinnamon, Brown Sugar, Toasted Pecans,

& Maple Topped with Streusel

For the grand finale, RSVP Catering presented a dessert table that portrayed nothing less than a gourmet candy land!  Next to a Holiday Cheesecake Lollipop Trio towered a pyramid filled sky high with delicious Holiday Mini Cupcakes.  There were also RSVP Signature Petit Fours, Mexican Weddings Cookies, and Designer Chocolate Dipped Strawberries- too many to choose from!

Overall, it was a wonderful and delectable night at RSVP Catering, tasting the delicious food, mingling with the guests, and meeting with the wonderful staff.  RSVP, thank you so very much for having us! Stay tuned for the next RSVP Tasting- you will not want to miss it!

How far in advance do you first meet with a couple who is interested in your catering services?  When do you usually schedule a tasting and who usually attends?

While we always prefer to have a meeting with the bride and groom, we often do not have the opportunity to meet personally prior to providing a proposal if the client lives out of the immediate area.   We can easily establish an email and phone relationship to get things started until we meet for a tasting.  Depending on a couple’s needs we sometimes will do a tasting very far out, perhaps 10 months.  However, it is preferable that we do a tasting a few weeks prior to the wedding so that you can experience the seasonal produce we will serve at the event.

Do you recommend pairing wine with each course?  How do you differentiate the menu of one wedding from another?

Wine pairing depends on the client and the style of the wedding as well as the guests. From small, intimate dinners to large, more lavish parties we work with the client to choose a wine selection fitted for their wedding.  Some couples are happy to offer one red and one white wine throughout the evening.  While others are more interested in pairing wines to compliment each course of the meal.

Each of our menus is customized based on the couple and their unique vision for their wedding.  Wedding meals may range from plated meals for a sit down dinner to ethnic buffet stations to passed tapas style menus for a cocktail reception and more;  there are many ways to make your wedding meal memorable and special.  Seasonality of the food is also a factor in the design of the menu and we always take this into consideration by recommending different items based on what is freshest at that time of the year.

Photo: Ralph Alswang

Do you recommend that couples request guests’ meal preferences in advance of the wedding on response cards?  How much does this affect the cost?  What about table-side entree selection?

We recommend that couples decide in advance to serve one entrée, or a dual entrée, based on what they like.  If they are going to offer an option, response card selection is the most effective way to tally guests’ choices.  With table side choices it can end up being more costly because without knowing what each guest will choose on the wedding day we must prepare significant quantities of each option so that we do not run out.  In any scenario, we will always have vegetarian options and can meet dietary restrictions.

When would you suggest having a buffet versus a plated dinner?

This depends on the type and size of venue, the style of the wedding, and time of day.  A buffet is great for couples who want a more casual style where guests can choose from a variety of options as well as have the chance to mingle.  However, the cost is similar for both options so the decision should be based on the atmosphere you want to create on your wedding day.

Do you ever prepare food-related favors, such as dessert bars, etc.?

Absolutely!  We create anything from customized boxed chocolates or cookie favors to dessert buffets where guests can fill their own bags with sweets and take them home at the end of the night.

What trends are you seeing in wedding catering?

Right now we are seeing requests for comfort and home-style foods.  Couples want a simple presentation, but with a twist on the family classics.  Mini mac & cheese bites, sliders, and short ribs are very popular because they are familiar and always delicious.  Also, late-night snacks are a fun addition to the celebration, such as passed desserts like mini ice-cream cones, truffle pops, cupcakes, and milk shakes.

Thank you to Joel and Occasions for stopping by today!

New York-based Event Planner Amy Atlas is the QUEEN of dessert bars.  I’m sure you’ve seen her work before.  Somehow she finds a way to hand-pick the most perfect, most coordinated, and most delicious candies and confections.

Designing a lovely dessert bar is harder than it looks.  First, pick a simple color palette, then design the bar around one or two points of inspiration.  

Look at this oh-so-chic dessert bar by Amy Atlas….

It is important to vary the heights of the elements on your table, while keeping the vessels and colors consistent.

Amy designed this Lavender Snowflake dessert bar for the Elegant Bride  and the Wedding Library’s Wedding Event at the New York Palace.  Take a break from work today and escape to Amy’s fabulous website and blog….she is the BEST at what she does!

If you are creating a dessert bar for your wedding, here are a few local places to look for beautiful candies, amazing chocolates, and other sweet novelties.

Chocolate Moose – Washington, DC

Artfully Chocolate Kingsbury Confections – Alexandria, VA and Washington, DC

Chocolate Chocolate – Washington, DC

My personal favorite… Candy Kitchen – Ocean City, MD; Fenwick, DE; Bethany Beach, DE; Rehoboth Beach, DE; Virginia Beach, VA

Looking forward to receiving that one special item off your registry?  Tell us what it is and you’ll be entered to win a $100 gift certificate to JC Penney!  Thanks, JCPenney, for sponsoring this great District Weddings giveaway!

I wanted to get these photos to you as soon as I could, as I think they perfectly show why Design Cuisine is often rated the BEST catering firm in D.C.

Feast your eyes are these yummy creations…

Photo 1 – Amish Chicken (yum!)

Photo 2 – Soup & Sandwich (adorable!)

Photo 3 – White wedding cake with diamond design and gold accents (beautiful!)

Photo 4 – Sesame-crusted Crab Cakes with Wasabi Ailoi (tasty!)

Design Cuisine is known for its gorgeous presentation, as well as its delicious recipes.  The team at Design Cuisine is highly knowledgeable and professional, not to mention incredibly creative!  If you are looking for a caterer, I would highly recommend adding Design Cuisine to your list.  Ask for Anna Bryan — she’s darling and so fun to work with!