Unique serving dishes can truly enhance a fun cocktail hors d’oeuvre!

Jolyn | Lifestyle Wedding Planner & Designer
Nuance Occasions
780.628.6457

These sliders were created by Century Grill Hospitality Group.

Comfort food is sure to please every palate during a cocktail hour.

Jolyn | Lifestyle Wedding Planner & Designer
Nuance Occasions
780.628.6457

Now, before you start thinking I’m a lush (LOL) – I actually love using shot glasses in a more untraditional sense!

Shot glasses are a perfect single serving glassware item, that can be used in many ways. I love getting creative about our cocktail hours and incorporating fun and unique ways to use a shot glass!

In the traditional sense, offer your guests a signature shot instead of a signature drink – like Christine & Gavin did with their peppermint schnapps with candy cane embellishments (a perfect way to warm up at a winter wedding!). A signature shot can be less expensive than a full signature cocktail – just make sure you have a cap placed on the quantity you offer guests.

In a more untraditional sense you can use a shot glass to create single-serving sizes of your favorite foods!

At the recent wedding of Candace & Peter - you’ve seen our cookies and milk - our groom loved his cookies and milk, so we had to find a way to incorporate it into the day. With so many kids in attendance at their wedding, this was a perfect cocktail choice!

Need some more ideas for what you can serve in a shot glass…

1. butternut squash soup with mini grilled cheese sandwiches on top
2. sweet potatoe fries (cut shoe string style)
3. yogurt dip with cubed fruit on kabobs set on top
4. cocktail sauce with a 2 shrimp hanging on the edge of the glass

Shot glasses are easy for guests to manage & is the perfect size for small portions. And they are easy to dress up too for presentation.

Get creative when thinking about how to present the appetizers during your cocktail hour! It’s a perfect time to infuse your personality by sharing your favorite foods with your guests!

What other food and beverage items can you think of that would work well for serving in a shot glass?

Jolyn | Luxury Wedding Planner
Nuance Occasions
www.nuanceoccasions.com

“Thank you so so much for making our day so much more wonderful! It was a great day and we couldn’t have done it without your expertise, patience and smile! If only every day was that much fun!” – Vanessa & David

Vanessa & David’s wedding day reception started with a celebration of their commitment observed by their colorful wedding party, family & friends who couldn’t participate in their wedding ceremony the day previous.

Their evening cocktail-style reception was hosted at Enterprise Square in downtown Edmonton and started with live cello music as guests arrived.

Photos were taken before the reception with their photographer Michael from Jet Black Photography.

For this cocktail reception, unique floral holders were created for the reception program by La Piazza Dasee floral team. While each of the bridesmaids carried bouquets of gerbera daisies with pins & butterflies coordinated to their wedding dress color.

The unique space of Enterprise Square created a relaxed atmosphere for this cocktail reception which featured an array of food options for guests to snack upon including a gelato bar finale all created by Fantasia Caffe (on site at Enterprise Square).

Their simple white 3 tiered wedding cake created by Simply Elegant was adorned with a colorful arrangement of butterflies ascending the tiers.

The evening concluded with a bouquet toss from the second floor over the reception space, and a dance to finish off the evening.

Vanessa & David, your love for one another radiated throughout the room that evening. I’m so honored to be small part of your weekend to help seal your marriage commitment.

Jolyn | Luxury Wedding Planner
Nuance Occasions
780.486.5310 ext. 1

However, on a recent episode with Chef Michael Smith – he shared a recipe for ‘Chewy Wine Shots’ – basically jello shooters, but for wine…and then instead of putting them into mini cups, simply cut them into squares…

How cool would this be presented on mirror platters for your cocktail hour?

{photo credit : Food Network}

You can find the tutorial for making your own at home here:
http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/recipe.html?dishID=6872

Thinking outside the box is fun for your wedding reception, especially presenting normal every day options in a never been seen format to your guests.

So if you love wine, and want to share your favorite wines in a unique way with your guests, consider asking your caterer to provide an option like these chewy cubes from the Food Network.

Jolyn | Luxury Wedding Planner
Nuance Occasions
780.486.5310 ext.1

I love attending these types of soirees, as it’s a chance for the venue to show off what they do well…and for this year’s customer appreciation event, the Marriott at River Cree chose food stations to showcase their fabulous culinary abilities!

(all photos were taken on my iPhone)

Food stations can be perfect in a cocktail style atmosphere or even a be used to offer full meals. If I had let myself make my way to each station, it would have surely sufficed as a full meal.

Filling the center of the room, was an assortment of savory and sweet stations, pleasantly arranged and not buffet like at all – all easily accessible from 2 sides, so there was never an awkward line up to participate in.

My favorite stations for the night was the asian noodle station and the crepe suzette station – needless to say, my personal trainer Darcy’s words hung heavy in my mind as I still snuck a creme brulee from the dessert bar.

Other food stations included the sushi bar, baron of beef au jus station, pasta station, shrimp cocktail on ice station, martini bar, pastry station with chocolate bar, and antipasto bar.

To celebrate the CFR – there was a great band, calf roping skills test and opportunities to meet Miss Rodeo Canada and Miss Rodeo Princess…thank you Marriott at River Cree for hosting such a fun appreciation event!

Even the Nuance Occasions lighting architect was part of the design process for the main stage backdrop…love all of Vince’s lighting works!! He does such a great job of creating ambient light in any room.

Food stations are a creative and fun way for guests to pick their food options instead of a buffet. And the Marriott at River Cree definitely knows how to do them right…be sure to check with Erin or Kate on their sales team if you want to consider a food station style reception for your wedding!

PS. And the Marriott at River Cree will even cater events off-site – including food stations!

Jolyn | Lifestyle Wedding Planner
Nuance Occasions
780.628.6457

My all-time favorite signature drink I found in a Toronto restaurant and then began scouring for the perfect recipe – here it is:

Carmel Apple Martini
• 1 oz 1800® Silver Tequila
• 0.5 oz butterscotch schnapps
• 1 oz apple cider
• 1 ts lemon juice

Combine ingredients and shake well with ice, strain into martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice (and a thin round slice of apple with caramel sauce drizzled over it makes it all the better!)

At Jamie & Mark’s wedding – they offered their guests a Marktini – a decadent pomegranite martini. At Lisa & Cameron’s wedding – they offered their guests a ‘402‘, and orange tequila mix. And for Kim & Eric’s winter wedding, we had offered guests a warmed spiced orange mulled wine.

Do you have a favorite cocktail that you think would make an excellent signature drink for a wedding? Then pop over to our Nuance Occasions fan page on Facebook and leave the recipe HERE – so we can all sample and try out something new!

I’m looking forward to hearing about your favorites! And hope you’ll try out mine too!

Jolyn | Luxury Wedding Planner
Nuance Occasions