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.

“I just wanted to thank you guys so much for the amazing job you did at our wedding. Everyone raved about not only the food but also the decor. The tables and linens and everything worked out great. The food was awesome. I was especially happy about those shiner squash blossoms and the bread, not having been able to taste either of them, they were way better than I could of imagined.  I was really happy that we got so many people to eat foods that were new to them (everyone apparently loves bison now) and half the people didn’t believe me that they one of the appetizers was a edible flower. Both of our parents keep reporting that all the family loved the food and said it was the most interesting wedding they had been to (I’ll take that as a compliment).”

Here is a peek at their decor: (we can’t wait to see the professional pictures soon!)

White Lamour and Loden Shantung Linens by BBJ Linens, Rentals from Premiere Party Central, Floral by Pollen Floral Art

And some of their menu (photographed at their tasting by Rojo Pictures):

THE FIRST COURSE: Orange and Fennel Caprese Salad

Game Spiced Bison with Creole Mustard Mashed Potatoes and Edamame Succotash

Poached Turbot with Olive Tapenade, Duck Fat Roasted Potatoes, and Edamame Succotash

So thank you to all of the couples that touch OUR lives over the months we work with you!  And thank you to the other vendors that make our jobs easier!

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!

Photo by Scott Stanfield

The benefit of an action station is, well, the action!  At a recent corporate event, coordinated by our friends at Red Velvet Events, Royal Fig created a guacamole bar.  The attendants cut, mashed, and custom-mixed guacamole servings for each guest.  Mix-ins included things like fresh cilantro, roasted garlic cloves, and diced tomatoes.   I snuck over to the guac bar half-way through the night to see how the station was going.  In the name of research, I grabbed a plate full of tortilla chips and tried a bit of the custom guacamole (which by the way was served in perfectly portioned little bowls).  I don’t have to tell you it tasted awesome.  But what you may not know is it was also fun and interactive!  It’s almost like having a behind-the-scenes look at the kitchen, and then getting to custom create your idea of the perfect guacamole.

Photo by Scott Stanfield

Photo by Scott Stanfield

But chip and dip stations are only one option, and may not be right for your event if you’re envisioning something a little more chic.  In that case, how about a cheese and fruit display?  Royal Fig has started working with Antonelli’s Cheese Shop to create displays tailored to the host’s or guests’ unique palate.  Recently, Chef Dan and Sous Chef Jason crafted a magnificent display that consumed 3 tiers on an entire 60” round table.

At this event there were six choices of both hard and soft cheeses; various fruits and berries and nuts; bread and crackers; jellies and honey.   No two plates were the same, and every guest walked away with exactly what they wanted.  In fact, the party descended on the cheese table with such zeal that it was replenished within 10 minutes!

Some other fun things we’ve done recently are custom designed stations, specific to the event.  At a recent wedding, we created a late-night snack station with sliders served on a skillet and troughs of Mexican bottled Coke.   On many occasions we’ve also done carving stations, which are a big hit with most crowds.  The meat is seared and cooked to perfection, and brought out to a table to be carved and served directly onto the plate.  This preserves the freshness and juiciness of the meat, and again creates an action station.  Guests are involved with the process rather than just absentmindedly milling about with a plate and fork.
But maybe even these unique options are too humdrum for you.  Sure, you like chips and salsa, you enjoy cheese and crackers, but you need a little something more to convey your message.  In that case, you may want to do something like our lovely couple, Kelly & Sean, did on their special day.  A pig roast!  That’s right, stations of endless pork.  Dan got to go hog-wild, if you’ll pardon the pun, in preparing these pigs.  From a charcuterie plate including Smoked Kielbasa and Country Pate to Boudin Blanc and Pig Ear Salad.  But the real action was at the pig carving station.  The crowd went crazy over this display.  I walked my way through the party on this night in order to hear the conversations surrounding the food.  I heard lots of chuckling, lots of “Oh, wow” and more than a few “Mmm, this is delicious!”

Photo by Ben Godkin

Photo by Ben Godkin

So, the action station.  It’s something fun and different to consider for your event.  And it may event leave then with a lasting impression!

Appetizer
Truffle Popcorn

Dinner
Whole Pig Roast
Pig Ear Salad
Homemade Charcuterie (Pork Tenderloin Terrine, Pate, Smoked Kielbasa, and Head Cheese were the favorites!)
Seared Pork Belly with a Banyuls Vinegar Gastrique
Braised Kale with Tails and Trotters
Dr. Pepper Glazed Ham
Homemade Brats and Boudin Blanc
Green Chili Mac and Cheese
Pineapple Jicama Slaw
Summer Succotash
Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tamale with Ancho Paint (for the vegetarians)
Texas Toast

In addition to the unique menu, the couple had a rockin 80′s band, Radio Star, numerous specialty cocktails made by our bartenders such as Bacon Margaritas, and the two guests dressed as the characters from Dumb and Dumber.  We just loved working with this couple and hope our paths cross again soon!  Also, a big kudos to Cortney and her team from BZ Events for their work on the coordination!

Check out the pictures on Ben Godkin’s blog!

Wedding Caterers in Austin, Texas as Unique as the Town