Lillet Blanc Basil Cocktail

Lillet blanc is an aperitif wine that is pleasantly fruity but not overly sweet. When paired
with gin, orange juice and basil it creates a balanced combination of sweetness and
herbal notes. This is the ultimate refreshing summer cocktail.

Ingredients
4 oz lillet blanc
1 oz gin
2 oz fresh orange juice
¼ cup loosely packed fresh basil
splash of tonic
1 cucumber spear
Steps

Combine ice, lillet blanc, gin, orange juice and basil in a cocktail shaker- shake well!
Fill glass with ice. Strain contents of shaker into a glass.
Top with tonic water and garnish with a cucumber spear. ENJOY!

IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE | MINI DESSERT IDEAS

Dare to go smaller at your next event. Offer your guests mini versions of your favorite dessert. These individual size desserts are fun to eat and can also double as an edible favor. We especially love individual desserts for a bridal shower or baby shower, in which you can customize the dessert to fit the look and theme of the event.

Heart shaped pie pops are a perfect dessert for a bridal shower. Instead of dealing with a messy pie, it’s much more enjoyable for your guests to receive their own pie pop.  Oreo pops, cake pops, and rice krispie pops can be color coordinated to fit with the baby's gender at a baby shower. Or different kinds of cake can be served in small jam jars that guests can take home.

Individual desserts can also be enjoyed at the event. We recently served mini wedding cakes at a bridal shower. Guests could choose from 3 different individually plated and designed 3 tier cakes.

Individual desserts are cute, convenient and fun! To see more dessert inspiration ideas check out our CakeART page. 

FEATURED EVENT VENUE: HANOVER THEATER

Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester, MA is a 2,300 seat theatre that draws over 197,000 patrons annually with world class performances and popular Broadway Shows. The Theatre combines old warm charm with state of the art technology making it a unique venue to host an event. Offering a variety of spaces to accommodate events of all shapes and sizes you are sure to find the perfect location for your event.

551 Main street, is Hanover's newest event space. Recently renovated with gorgeous hard wood floors and interesting architecture to create two contemporary and beautiful event spaces. 551 can accommodate groups of 40-250 depending on the event set-up. This is a wonderful space for both corporate and social dinners or luncheons.

photo ©  Erb Photography

The historic lobby offers stunning chandeliers, antique mirrors, a granite bar and an iconic grand staircase. The lobby can accommodate up to 150 guests and is the perfect spot for a cocktail style event.

The grand promenade overlooks the lobby and is a large space that can accommodate up to 200 guests for a seated dinner or 300 for a cocktail style reception. This space is ideal for a pre show cocktail party.

Photo © Joe Dolen Photography

The stage is Hanover's most unique space to host your event. Commonly used to host large corporate dinners, fundraisers and weddings. The stage can accommodate up to 300 guests for a seated dinner. Additionally, the theatre can hold up to 2,300 guests making it ideal for a large presentation or tradeshow.  
Photo © Joe Dolen Photography

Photo ©  CJ Gonzalez Photography

Interested in hosting your event at Hanover? Contact us!

For more information on renting the space or seeing a broadway show click here.

BOW - TYING IT ALL TOGETHER

   At Peppers Artful Events, we have a love for creativity and design. Picking out beautiful china, linen, glassware, and flatware are part of the big picture, and can be quite impactful to your wedding. One way to make your day unforgettable is to incorporate a design element that adds a very special touch to the overall look-n-feel of your celebration. It is a great way to express your style as a couple and can become that one detail that ties it all together. We’ve seen couples use retro bicycles, vintage keys or books, parasols and food items like a favorite candy or family recipe.

   This past summer, we had the special honor of working with Steve & Josh on their wedding at Tower Hill Botanical Gardens. Their special detail was a bow-tie. This originated from their wedding invites which a friend designed with a yellow and navy bow tie. They loved it so much they decided to make it a a staple of their wedding.  The bow-tie was incorporated throughout their wedding from save-the-dates and invitations to décor and ring boxes.

   Bow-ties reflect style, elegance, confidence and attention to detail, which all represent who Steve & Josh are. Of course, each wore a custom made bow tie on their wedding day.  (knottytie.com - check them out!) Each time we saw that bow-tie, it made us smile thinking how fabulous and wonderful they are as a couple.

 Here is a sneak peek of Steve and Josh’s wedding!

Photographer: Janelle Carmela Photography
Venue: Tower Hill Botanical Garden
Catering: Peppers Artful Events

To see more weddings from Tower Hill Botanic Garden follow our Pinterest board.

Catering for a Bar or Bat Mitzvah

As I await the assignment of my own son’s Bar Mitzvah date, I am thinking of all of the planning that goes into the big event. Where to have the party? Kids or adults? Afternoon or evening? Who sits where? One of the most important questions for me, is what will the food be? That leads to a whole other list of questions. Who will cater? Buffet or plated? Small kiddush or elaborate dinner?

As an Event Manager, I have planned -as well as attended as a guest - numerous Bar and Bat Mitzvahs. I find that choosing a menu for the kids can be more challenging than one would think. Gone are the days of chicken fingers and french fries. Kids today have much more adventurous palates. In addition, kids who go to Mitzvah after Mitzvah, weekend after weekend, grow tired of the same cuisine at every party.

Food stations continue to be a popular trend. More focused than a buffet, a food station not only gives the kids an opportunity to create their own meal, but also offers a deeper dive into one particular type of cuisine. In addition, food can be eaten on the run, while dancing or during games. As we all know, kids don’t want to sit for long! Here are a few of my favorite food stations. 

• Taco Station: Soft and hard taco shells, pulled chicken, ground beef, refried beans, tomato, shredded lettuce and cheese with a variety of salsas, hot sauces, guacamole, homemade tortilla chips
• Burgers and Dogs: Beef and vegetarian sliders, hot dogs, chili, sliced and shredded cheeses, with all the fixins, paired with seasoned french fries or sweet potato fries.
• Mac and Cheese Bar: Creamy mac and cheese with a variety of add-ins like bacon, tomatoes, jalapenos and more.
• Salad Bar: Assorted mixed greens with a variety of toppings. For even more intrigue serve the salad in a martini glass!
  
• Asian Dumpling Station: Soba noodles paired with veggie and beef dumplings, shrimp shumai, and all the fixins. Serve in asian food containers and you have a great on the move food station.
• Grilled Cheese: Who doesn’t love a warm freshly grilled grilled cheese? Our chef active grilled cheese station is always a hit. Pair this with a warm soup for a perfect combination.

photo by Nancy Katz Photography 
Written by Jen Shotkin, Event Manager & Bar/Bat Mitzvah Specialist 

Let these ideas be a springboard for your own creative ideas! Contact us today to begin planning your bar or bat mitzvah menu. For more inspiration follow our Pinterest page. 

Lindsey and Dave's Fall Wedding at The Five Bridge Inn

It was a beautiful fall day in October, when Lindsey and Dave said "I do" under the white gazebo at the Five Bridge Inn. This was an extra special wedding for us to be a part of, as Lindsey is one of our own talented Event Managers. We couldn't be more excited to share her wedding with you.

Lindsey and Dave wanted a casual elegant feel to their wedding that also involved hanging out by a fire with friends and family at the end of the celebration (a past time they frequently enjoy). The Five Bridge Inn couldn’t have been a more perfect venue for them.  Between the sprawling lawns, poolside cocktail hour, stunning white cloth tent, and of course the fire pit, the inn created the perfect backdrop for their fall inspired wedding. They were even able to spend the night before the wedding celebrating their daughter Mckenna's birthday outside at the inn.

The color palette of purples, oranges, greens, and pops of yellow were incorporated throughout many details of the wedding.  The centerpiece design incorporated wood stumps from Lindsey's grandmother's backyard. Between the wood accents, moss and bunches of kale a natural elegant feel was created.

Lindsey, naturally with her love for food being in the catering industry, wanted her guests to enjoy a wide range of tastes and flavors. Dinner was served on stations with small plates. This allowed the guests to enjoy a range of food from grilled cheese and soup, short ribs atop savory corn pudding, to a chef active butternut squash ravioli station with a maple brown butter sauce.

Following dinner, guests enjoyed cake and an array of cookies paired with milk. The cookie bar was a joint effort from family and friends, who spent days before the wedding preparing their favorite cookie recipes. There were so many personal details incorporated into the wedding that made it truly unique to Lindsey and Dave. We couldn't be happier to have been a part of the celebration - Wishing them both a lifetime of happiness (from the Peppers team!).

Photography: Angela Greenlaw Photography
Venue: The Five Bridge Inn, Rehoboth MA
Catering, Cake, Design and Florals: Peppers Artful Events

Winter in Bloom Series at Tower Hill Botanical Gardens

    This past week our in-house Floral Designer, Katie Gaucher, was invited to participate in the annual Winter in Bloom Floral Design Series at Tower Hill Botanic Gardens. Over the course of five weekends, guests are invited to Tower Hill Botanic Garden to experience a vast array of floral arrangements, participate in workshops, and hear from industry professionals.

This years theme was, “The Gardens of Tower Hill”, in honor of the 175^th Anniversary of the Worcester County Horticultural Society. Designers, both professional and amateur, were asked to create a unique floral arrangement using one of the many Tower Hill gardens as their inspiration. These arrangement could only be made using freshly cut plant material.

   Katie chose the Orangerie for her inspiration.  “When I imagine the Orangerie in the winter, I picture many varieties of plants and trees all clustered together in one space. It’s a beautiful, natural and fragrant oasis full of light and life.”- Katie

  She designed her arrangement using concrete/stone material- a trend in the wedding industry right now, as well as a key element of design in the Orangerie and other gardens at Tower Hill. Katie incorporated plants that she had at her own home to add a more natural, personal and interesting feel to the piece. “I just like how my succulents at home have grown over the years and aren’t as perfect as the new one’s you’d find at the store”.  Between the succulents, she integrated an array of colorful Orchids and Peperomia with various potted greens and natural moss. The outcome was a thoughtfully composed, beautiful and unique piece that evokes nature and life.

Have you had a chance to make it to Winter in Bloom yet? Don’t miss this great opportunity to get out of the cold and experience Spring before it’s here! Click here from more information

FEATURED EVENT VENUE: THE PIERCE HOUSE

The Pierce House, located in the heart of Lincoln, was built in 1900. Crafted in the Georgian-Revival style, the house and thirty surrounding acres of woodlands and rolling lawns originally included vegetable gardens, an orchard, and a carriage house. In 1964, the Pierce family left the house and extensive property to the Town of Lincoln. Since that time, this elegant estate has provided a unique and historic location for weddings, meetings, corporate and social events.

Photographer: Leah Freeman Photography
The Pierce House provides both indoor and outdoor options for all kind of special occasions. Inside the historic estate they can accommodate up to 75 guests, while outside under the tent on the beautifully manicured lawn they can accommodate events up to 200.  

 Weddings at the Pierce House are picturesque. With two on-site ceremony sites, near the pond under an old willow tree or in the colorful gardens, you will find the perfect backdrop to say I do. The estate house features a large wrap around porch, perfect for cocktail hour, where guests can look out over rolling lawns and charming gardens. The dinner reception can take place inside the estate for a smaller intimate wedding or outside under the large white tent for events over 80.

Photographer: Leah Freeman Photography

Contact us to learn more about hosting your event at the Pierce House. 

ARTbar's Newest Draft Beer Wall

Do you love craft beer? Are you looking for something interesting and unique for your next event that will have your guests talking long after your party is over? Our draft beer wall is a fun and unique addition to your next event. 

This stunning new beer tap wall makes a big impact on any party-whether it be a corporate function, wedding, birthday party, gala/fundraiser- you name it! It’s classic and clean design makes it blend well with many different venues and settings. With slate gray and metal accents it coordinates nicely with a wide variety of themes and colors.

Photos by Lindsay Hackney Photography

We designed the wall to have a mix of straight and cross shelving to allow the addition of bottes, florals or décor for further customization based on your specific event. The tap handles are updated each event to display the name of your beer offerings.

The beer wall works as a great addition for a birthday party or graduation as well. Instead of beer we can serve various sodas and non-alcoholic beverages. 

We also offer a more traditional beer tap wall featuring dark stained wood and black accents which looks great in a more rustic or outdoors setting.

Think of how fun this could be for your next event! For more design ideas from ARTbar check out our ARTbar Pinterest page. 

EVENT VENUE FEATURE: ASA WATERS MANSION

Asa Waters Mansion, located in the heart of Millbury is a beautiful estate for weddings, functions, meetings and cultural events. Whether you’re considering an intimate sit down dinner or an outside celebration, Asa Waters offers outstanding intimacy and elegance.

Asa Waters has a variety of options both inside the mansion and on their beautiful landscaped lawn. Events inside the mansion can accommodate up to 85 guests for a sit down dinner or buffet. For guest lists of a 100-150 a tent can be rented to combine the elegance of the manor while utilizing the spacious grounds.

Planning a wedding at Asa Waters ensures a beautiful elegant event. Ceremonies can take place on their 19^th century style bandstands, under stately trees or on a portico. Following the ceremony your guests can enjoy cocktails on the lawn and porches with dinner in the house or under a tent on the lush green lawn.

For more information about Asa Waters Click Here.
Photo Credits: Rob Reiman Photography