Wedding on a Hillside

I have to apologize for the lateness of the Top Chef Recap. I only have one thing to say - WAAAAAAAAAAAAH. The recap is on its way but Footnotes guyput his two cents in so go to his site.

The reason for the delay was that J and I spent the weekend in Berkeley Springs, going to one of the most equisite wedding ever put together. I am a wedding freak and watch other people's wedding videos for fun. I know my weddings. The wedding was for a former co-worker of J's and it was on the family property with one of the most spectacular views in all of West Virginia. It's hard NOT to have an equisite wedding with that tableau. This wedding was a Martha Stewart fantasy, especially because the wedding party put the whole thing together THEMSELVES. No seriously. They rented the tent and the tablecloths, napkins, dishes, silverware, and glasses and had servers (who were organized by a groomsman) but the plating, decorating, and cooking was all them.

On top of all the green valleys and rolls hills and verdant forests, the wedding couple accented nature's beauty with the color scheme of orange and green (the bride wanted a peas and carrots theme). Thinking about all of the vile shades of orange and green, the wedding could have easily looked like an 80's prom gone bad. But the shades they chose were so elegant and everything matched, from the perfectly arranged centerpieces, to the aisle markers that were shot columns with an coral and sage green satin overlay and white tulle topped with pansies.

The tables has sage green napkins and gold rimmed plates with centerpieces of orange and green wildflowers. To balance out the incredibly beautiful day she handed the couple, mother nature decided to make her breezes a little more gusty. This led to the wedding cake tipping over, losing the top two layers and the beverage tent literally blowing away. This was a group of people who were there to celebrate C & J coming together so no gust of wind was going to spoil the day.

And the food? the food kicked some major booty. First of all, the planners had a quasi-antipasto platter set out for cocktail hour. I'll say it once if I say it a thousand times - feed 'em early and feed 'em often. The platter included deviled eggs, spinach artichoke dip (served warm!), mini caprese salads, crostini and tapenade. This gave the guests time to mingle and take in the breathtaking scenery.

The meal itself was a testament to the love of a devoted group of friends. It was a spectacular sandwich bar that would make the Breadline guy tip his hat. The "meats" included turkey sausages, roast pork loin, and portabello mushrooms. The condiments were a dazzling array of roasted peppers, caramlized onions, stone ground mustard, and mayo with an assortment of crusty baguettes and soft rolls. As if we couldn't eat more, we also had an array of salads to go with the sandwiches - black bean and corn, caprese, and caesar.

The meal was finished with plates of cookies and, of course, the wedding cake. And yes, the bride looked FABULOUS.