Cilantro Masa Cakes with Black Bean Salsa, Photo by Rojo Pictures

Several months ago, Cortney Zieky, the “Z” of BZ Events, called me to ask if their team could hold their monthly staff meeting at our office.  So they called in an etiquette coach to do a seminar for their staff as we cooked up some tasty treats!  On the menu was:

Grilled Flank Steak with Shiner Onions
Tabasco Poached Shrimp Shooters
Cilantro Masa Cakes with Black Bean Salsa
Yucatan Pulled Pork on Arepas
and a selection of Artisan Cheeses from Antonelli’s Cheese Shop

Here are two blog posts about this fun evening that feature photography by Rojo Pictures:

BZ Events Blog CLM Etiquette Blog

Thanks BZ!  We’d love to have you back!

Royal Fig has been fortunate to serve and coordinate many outdoors weddings in the past year, and we’ve learned a few rules.  But I did a little research to see if what we learned were sort of universal truths in the wedding industry.  Turns out they are!  I came across this incredible article by Nina Callaway at About.com that really sums it up well.  I cannot think of a better list of Top-10 Outdoor Wedding Tips than this!  Enjoy!

1)    Make your guests comfortable. Think about what the weather will likely be at the time of day and month of the year of your outdoor wedding. Sunny and hot? Don’t leave your guests uncomfortably melting – have your ushers give guests ice-cold bottles of water as they are seated. Consider printing your wedding program on a fan so that guests may cool themselves. Don’t forget to have plenty of sunscreen on hand as well. For a very warm location, look into renting large electric fans (don’t forget a generator) and/or a tent to shade the sun’s rays. If it will be cold and damp, make sure you tell guests that so they can wear extra layers. A simple xeroxed insert will do. You might want to have lap blankets on hand, or rent portable heaters.

2)    Have a backup plan. What will you do if it rains? The ideal outdoor wedding location has an indoor location waiting just in case. Many brides and grooms opt to have their ceremony outside and reception inside. In a pinch, the tables can be scooted to the back of the room during the ceremony. A tent is another option, but only for light to moderate rain storms. A heavy rain will soak the ground underneath, leaving guests with soggy and muddy shoes. Make sure any tent you rent is sturdy so it won’t flip over, and that it has thick and weighted sides.  We love to recommend Premiere Tents and Events for all of your tenting needs!

Chance of rain? Opt for a tent!

Same goes for our mobile kitchen

3)    Plan for Wind.  Many outdoor weddings suffer from windy conditions. Avoid light fabrics like chiffons and china silks in your dress and the bridesmaid dresses. Tell your hairstylist that you’ll be having an outdoor wedding so she/he can plan a style that won’t leave you looking like Cousin It!  Men in the wedding party should use pomade or other styling product.  Again, tell your guests in a printed insert so that they can plan accordingly. And of course, make sure your tent will stand up to gusting winds or find an indoor backup plan.

We know a thing or two about windy wedding conditions! Always have back up linen clips and shims to level your tables.

4)    Can everybody hear? When you picture your dream wedding at the beach, you’re probably not hearing the roaring of the waves, the rushing wind, or the local kids running and screaming around you. Look into renting a sound system with clip mikes for the couple and officiant. Your DJ or band may be able to easily arrange this for you.

Memory Lane Event Center has a great set up for ceremony musicians!

5)    Decorations. One of the bonuses of an outdoor wedding is the natural beauty around you, lessening your need to decorate. But you still need to do some work. Visit the site a week before your wedding to make sure the grass is mowed, the ground raked, and the flowers have bloomed. If your wedding is at a public park, you may want to ask the bridal party or friends to do this the morning of your ceremony. If it’s been an especially cold season, you may need to supplement the flowers with some potted bulbs from a florist. Other decorations you may want to consider include an arch or trellis to focus the ceremony and frame the couple as they say their vows; strings of lights or lanterns in the trees; luminarias; torches; or farolitas.

These Chinese lanterns added a nice punch to the natural landscape

Vista West Ranch provides a perfect backdrop for an outdoor ceremony. Floral by Petal Pushers and coordination by Lizze Belle Events

Another great shot from a wedding we catered at Vista West Ranch. Photography by the Nichols. Click the picture for more pictures from this beautiful rustic wedding.

6)    Make things tasty outside.  Does your caterer have experience planning an outdoor wedding menu? Make sure they’re planning things that will keep well outdoors in the heat. Avoid things like mayonnaise salads or dishes which must be served cold.

7)    Don’t leave your guests parched.  Since alcohol is dehydrating, consider serving a variety of lemonades, teas and punches. Be sure to have plenty of ice and water around as well. For a fancy cocktail, why not serve a classic mint julep or a mojito? The mint will refresh and cool your guests.  Check out our beverage menu for a list of options!

Ice-Cold, refreshing margaritas to greet guests as they arrive! We prepared 350 of these cocktails for guests at a corporate party we catered at the Mexican American Cultural Center.

We made a prickly pear margarita to match the bride's dress!

Guests helped themselves to this outdoor drink station before the ceremony started. It kept everyone cool! Our fresh squeezed lemonades even come in a variety of seasonal flavors.

8)    Those pesky flying things.  Be sure to put out citronella candles or a bug zapper so that your guests won’t spend the whole ceremony swatting at the air.

9)    Here comes the sun.  Consider timing your outdoor wedding for sunset where your guests will see you take your vows surrounded by the warm glow of the sun. Those having a daytime outdoor wedding should orient the ceremony so that the sun will be on guests’ backs rather than in their eyes.

The sun was really shining on this day at Zilker Clubhouse! The ceremony was held inside while the sun went down.

10)    Permits.  Don’t forget to contact your city parks department or other local government to get a permit for an outdoor wedding. Be sure to ask about rules concerning trash removal, candle or torch lighting, and pre-wedding photography.

This short list of do’s and don’ts can really save your outdoor wedding and make it picture-perfect, just like you imagined.

Photo by Rojo Pictures

This is a great place if you have guests coming in from out of town because you can rent the entire property for the weekend which includes the guest house complete with private bedrooms, bathrooms, and the pool house.

The pool house, photo by Rojo Pictures

The pool and hot tub, photo by Rojo Pictures

Inside the pool house, photo by Rojo Pictures

Inside the main house, photo by Rojo Pictures

The loft in the main house, photo by Rojo Pictures

One of the bedrooms in the main house, photo by Rojo Pictures

Here are a couple of pictures of some possible wedding ceremony sites on the La Paloma property.  Keep in mind that these were taken in February, so once spring brings some good weather, the plants will be in bloom, the grass will be green, and the water features will be bubbling!

Photo by Rojo Pictures

Do you need a great place to hold a reception?  They have a HUGE pavilion that can accommodate over 200 guests.  They really paid attention to the details and made sure there were electrical outlets everywhere, roll down sides, and classy chandeliers.  Included with the space are FREE mahogany CHIVARI chairs for your reception, resin chairs for your ceremony, 60″ round tables, 8ft and 6ft tables, floor length white linens, and much more.

Photo by Rojo Pictures

Do you need some ideas for engagement shots or portraits?  They have places for that too!

Photo by Rojo Pictures

Photo by Rojo Pictures

If you’d like more information about this venue, visit their Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/La-Paloma-Events-Center/260576081338?ref=ts or their website at www.lapalomaevents.com.

Royal Fig is honored to be La Paloma‘s exclusive caterer, and we are looking forward to sharing our food with you at tomorrow’s event!  You can expect to taste:

Venison Sausage with Truffle Quail Eggs
Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms
Trio of Bruschetta
Fingerling Potatoes with Saffron Aioli
Golden Tomato Gazpacho
and a Chips and Homemade Salsa Station in the pool house!

LA PALOMA EVENT CENTER OPEN HOUSE
14913 Murphin Rd. (off of Hwy 620 in Lakeway)
SUNDAY, JUNE 13TH from 4pm to 6pm
RSVP to 512.468.9157 or natalie@royalfig.com

Vendors include:
Royal Fig Catering
Premiere Party Central
Stardust Pastry
Rojo Pictures
Dragonfly Designs
Uptown Valet
Sarah Mulder Floral

and there will be DOOR PRIZES TOO!  Here are some pictures of La Paloma Event Center by Rojo Pictures.  For more pictures of this gorgeous venue visit Rojo’s blog!

Wedding Caterers in Austin, Texas as Unique as the Town

Hi, everyone!  I’m Natalie, the first official Royal Fig Intern!  After just two weeks and three events, I already have lots of stories and updates to share.  But let me first say that I now realize just how lucky I am to be learning from Kristen and Dan, two truly talented and inspired people.

March 1st: I step into the Royal Fig office and we immediately get started on our weekly meeting.  So far I’m learning the ins and outs of event planning, from ordering linens to planning which trays to use for passed apps.   There are so many tiny details to be considered and I love it.  I am definitely in my happy zone here.  Later today I also have my very own first taste of the Royal Fig cuisine at a tasting for The Vineyard at Florence.  W-O-W!  I hate to use clichés but the only thing that comes to mind is “melt-in-your mouth.”  I have now tried the famous creole mustard mashed potatoes and the doughnuts with homemade lemon curd and chocolate ganache.

March 2nd: Kristen and I go on a site visit for a March 6th pre-wedding party that I’ll be attending.  We meet Letty, the bride-to-be and see her freshly constructed backyard venue.  Here, I learn about table layouts and space planning.  It is so fun to see a completely empty space and envision the final product.  Only a week before I get to see it in person.

March 5th:  Today I sat in on Kristen’s menu consultation with Matt and Emily for their 2011 wedding.  They are thinking about going with the salmon.  (I hope so, because I’m dying to try it myself!)  Afterward, Kristen smiled and reminded me that we had a giant stack of about 100 RF menus to be assembled.  Guess what I’m doing this weekend!

March 11th:  My very first Royal Fig event!!  I’m full of nervous excitement, but Kristen guides me the whole way.  I start by doing about 50 squats as I tie on all the decorative chair ties, but I’m rewarded later by having a sampling of the duck breast with grit cakes.

Today was a promotional event at Memory Lane for wedding and event planners.  There was a great turnout and all the vendors, including Rojo Pictures and Winery on the Gruene, were well received.  After lunch, I got to do a little bussing of the tables, and I didn’t spill one thing in anyone’s lap.  I was proud of myself. 

Memory Lane Event Center, Austin Massage Studio, J Harpist, photo by Rojo Pictures

Thalia gives the wedding pros a tour of Memory Lane, photo by Rojo Pictures

Invitation by Dragonfly Designs, photo by Rojo Pictures

photo by Rojo Pictures, floral by Wild Bunches, rentals by Premiere Party Central

photo by Eric Hegwer Photography

photo by Eric Hegwer Photography

Seared Scallop on Smoked White Bean Puree, photo by Rojo Pictures

Duck Breast on Grit Cake with Collard Greens, Duck Confit, and Prickly Pear Syrup, photo by Rojo Pictures

This was a good warm-up for this weekend.  I took some scrumptious Stardust Pastries goodies for the road, including my personal favorite, the macaroons.

Macaroons by Stardust Pastry, photo by Rojo Pictures

Dessert bar by Stardust Pastry, photo by Rojo Pictures

March 13th:  Tonight is Letty’s party, whom I met last week during my first site visit.  When we arrive at the house, I’ve already helped the servers fold about 200 napkins.  As tedious as it is, I’m glad I’m getting experience with a bit of everything.  And I’m gaining so much respect for the servers, who are some of the hardest working people I know! 

It’s a long night for everyone with three passed apps, a full buffet, and two full bars.  But the couple-of-honor has giant smiles on their faces, and the bride is stunning in her spaghetti-strap dress and white floral hair ornament.  And no less than three guests pulled me aside to ask me who did the catering after raving about the meal.  I think it was the almond stuffed dates wrapped in bacon.  That’s what sold me, anyway.  Kristen sent me home early tonight so I could “get some rest” for tomorrow’s full day event.  Oh, no…

March 14th: I’m at the Royal Fig office by 10am with my large latte, and we start loading the van.  We’re prepping for Gaby and Steven’s early afternoon wedding at the Zilker Clubhouse.  When we get there it’s a clean slate, so we are setting up all the tables, linens, kitchen, and so on.  The center pieces and place settings will arrive later with the groomsmen.  

Kristen put me in charge of decorating the cake ball stand. What do you think?

Everything is running smoothly for the first few hours, but then the kite festival at Zilker throws a small wrench in the day’s plans.  The wedding was about an hour delayed due to traffic, but by the end of the night I don’t think anyone even remembered.  And I learned a very important lesson that one must always be flexible.  Kristen masterfully ran the show, deciding to serve guests in the ceremony hall while they waited, and coaching the bridal party for the procession once everyone arrived.  Chef Dan and Sous Chef Jason were pros, ready with the first course just minutes after the end of the ceremony.  This event also highlights the value of fresh catering!  Even with over an hour delay, the guests had a fresh, hot meal served.  This would not have been possible if the food had arrived to the site premade.  After they eat, we wait the rest of the evening while the guests drink and be merry.

The happy couple singing a duet with the band

Today I got to help in creating a full-service event and see the entire process from empty venue, to 85-person plated meal, back to empty venue.  I drove back to the office at 9pm to help Kristen and Dan unload the van.  It was a very long day for the Royal Fig crew, and about 11 hours for me personally.  I haven’t been that exhausted in a really long time.  But I have the feeling of accomplishment in the end.  Now for some R&R before we do it all again.

We all love to have a great meal, right?  But have you ever really thought about the process of dining?  It’s an experience – one that starts before you even enter the dining room.  Your nose wakes up to the smells coming from the kitchen.  As you look around the room, you see the nice tableware, maybe some candles burning, shiny silverware, polished crystal, and placed in front of you is a clean white plate, all ready for food.

Out comes the first course, a single serving, a perfectly proportioned appetizer.  It’s just a tiny little bite, but as you look you can see that there are a bunch of tiny layers all stacked together.  Different textures, complementary colors, and everything combined just right looking fresh and clean.  It’s right from the kitchen and you can even hear a little sizzle coming from somewhere on the plate.

Lets stop for a second, and think about what just happened.  Of your five senses, you have just used more than half – smell, hearing, and sight – and you haven’t even tasted anything yet.

And, Just before it left the kitchen I was ready with my camera, and intercepted the plate as it left the chef’s hand, and began it’s journey to you.  I had to work fast, because if I took too long, the crisp layers would look soggy, it would cool down, and not be nearly as appetizing.

The way I like to photograph food is not the standard way magazines do it.  Most of the pics of food in the magazines are over done – stylized to a point beyond food – no longer edible.  I work fast, and keep it simple, letting the food take center stage, the way it should be.

While the chef was preparing the meal, I spent a few minutes looking around for some good light. Of course most professional kitchens are kind of dark, so I’m looking for a spot just a bit brighter than everywhere else.  It goes without saying that I love the soft natural glow that comes from an outside window, but have use light reflected off of a white wall, or even a flash bounced off a stainless steel refrigerator.

Just after the chef put the final touches on the dish, I detour the waitstaff with the plate, to my pre-determined “location”, and take a quick look for the best angle.  As I’m looking at the plate, I’m looking for a little bit of everything – all the different elements of the food and whatever other decoration that might be there.  That’s the side I’ll point my camera at.

Although I have one, You don’t really need a fancy camera – once you find the light, and the angle, the rest is just pushing a button.  I like to get physically close to the food, instead of zooming in.  It makes a small but noticeable difference in the final camera settings.  You can see some more examples on my wedding photography site, too.

As for the camera I use a professional Nikon body, and my favorite 50mm lens the f1.8 (about $100). I’ve got more expensive lenses, and they do take better pictures, but for most work this is good enough.  Technically, I expose for the shadows, and make sure that my shutter speed is fast enough so there is no camera blur.  I also shoot “wide open”, making sure that the f-stop is set at 1.8.

You can see examples of this very technique here, and here, on this very website.

Now that you are hungry give Royal Fig a call, and treat yourself to a little something special.

http://westlakepicayune.com/2010/02/05/royal-fig-opens-in-west-lake-hills/

http://impactnews.com/lake-travis-westlake/439-impacts/6864-lake-travis-westlake-impacts-february-2010