Our bakery at Pepper's Catering creates stunning cakes and delicious desserts to fit any event. In our style and design department, we like to create displays that show all those delicious confections in the best possible way!

 

Glamorous Dessert Display

We created this dessert display for a modern glamorous wedding in a palette of black, gold, and white. We started with a black glitter backdrop, black linen, and a white gold sequin runner- I mean, you really can't go wrong when you start with sequins! We added paper flower garlands to the backdrop to add more color and interest with the different colors and lengths. The next layer consisted of glass elements, like glass cake stands in a variety of shapes and heights to highlight all the different desserts. With glass cloches on the two accent cakes, we add a little more detail and another layer of detail. With tall glass vases on the ends, each holding a single tulip, we bring in extra height to frame the entire display. Our last and most important detail: the desserts! Each one is perfectly crafted and is a work of art on it's own!

Dessert displays are the perfect way to wow your guests after their dinner and fortify their stomachs before a night of dancing! Contact us to learn how we can help you create a beautiful dessert display for your next event.

by Style & Design

  Designing the perfect wedding table can be daunting. There are so many elements to consider, the linen, the table setting and flatware, the centerpiece, your table number, menu, place card and even favors! Here at Pepper’s, our Style and Design department can design each and every one of those elements for you. This is a wedding table we recently designed for the modern romantic. We love this petal organza, it adds dimension and interest to any table. We have balanced the frilly linen with a sleek and sparkly place setting by pairing the petal organza with a modern gold flatware and bead rimmed charger.. To bring in some color, we did some blush watercolor washes for our graphic elements, here we've once again paired a romantic element with a more modern detail. By juxtaposing different styles, we keep the table from feeling over the top girly frou-frou, and instead, it feels modern and romantic. The round menu under the charger, the table number, the place cards, and the favor tags all tie into one another, with consistent fonts, colors and design. We also love the idea of "S'more love" with a to-go s'more favor, and your guests will love it too! When all the elements of your wedding relate to one another, the whole thing feels perfect. Last but not least, the centerpiece! We started with a large protea as our focal floral, then built around it with ranunculus, brunia berries and various greens. When every element is considered, you're guaranteed a wedding table to impress!

 

 

by Style & Design

 

One of the things that makes Pepper's Fine Catering great is our ability to serve brilliant food and create a stunning displays in any setting. From museums, to event halls, to isolated fields, we promise a perfect event. We recently added to our arsenal of decor props by building this custom beer tap wall.

With a faux brick and bead board facade, wood display shelves, and lovely beer tap pulls, this facade is reminiscent of a traditional pub. We can hook up one of our custom brewed beers, a popular seasonal favorite, a cider or even something you may have brewed yourself. With four separate taps, you have lots of possibilities! We even have mini 4oz beer steins if you want your guests to have a beer tasting experience, or, you can give your guests their own mason jar mugs that they can refill all night long! You can set it up as a serve yourself station, or as a backbar to one of our fully stocked bars so that one of our talented bartenders can serve up your guest in style. For a wedding, a gala event or house party, we've got you covered!

Learn more about our Style & Design services here.

by Caitlin Spaulding

Style & Design

Peterson Party Centeris one of Pepper's favorite places to rent all of our beautiful linens, china, and flatware that can take an event from lovely, to spectacular. They have recently asked us to design a table for their show room, and we decided to embrace the start of the holiday season. With a graphic gold pattern as our starting point, we added a gold sequin runner for a little sparkle. Then there was the question of the centerpiece, when a table is set for over two months, that means fresh flowers are not an option. So we got inspired by sputnik mid-century designs and created these big impactful gold spheres as our main focal point.

With a mix of white and grey graphic china, Peterson's new modern gold flatware, a striking green glass, and pleated napkins, we were almost done! To add a personal touch, we hand made calligraphy place cards (which Pepper's now does in house!) and matching tags for our delicious truffles made in Pepper's own bakery.
                      Now we feel ready to take on the holiday season! Are you?

 

It’s not often that you get to design a wedding from top to bottom, but with Matt and Sandie’s wedding this past week, we were able to do just that! I met with the bride and groom to walk through the Southborough Community Center, a lovely old house set on a beautiful property, to get an idea of what Pepper’s could do to bring their wedding vision to life. As we walked thorough each room, Sandie told me her vision, of rustic romance with lots of personal touches. She had bought plenty of pieces already that she wanted me to incorporate, so I went back to the design studio and started sketching, I sent over my sketches and a proposal and we were on our way, with a plan of building special pieces, staging pretty areas, and creating lots of floral arrangements!

We started by building an interactive photo display, which was placed on the deck by the front door. I used vintage doors to create a photo backdrop, created signage for the door and more directional signage (and you can’t forget # info for photos!) We then added hooks and family photos so that all the guests could pose with the couple even when they were occupied elsewhere! With a couple more props and hay bales to sit on, it was the perfect place for the couple and guests to pose for photos! We love photo stations because they can create some of the most fun photos a couple has of their guests!

Next was the welcome table in the entryway. We wanted to create a first impression upon entering the house, something that really gave the guests a clear idea of what the whole look and feel was. We built this with an old door as the top and wooden wine boxes as the legs. I then drew up a custom welcome sign and set up a little rustic-vintage vignette with old trunks, letters, and little drawers full of flowers. The bride and her kids had created these fun windows with photos and writing and wanted us to include them in the décor, so I thought the perfect place for this one was on the gift table, we paired it with their gift box, another sign made here at Peppers, and more flower arrangements, it was the perfect place for guests to drop off their gifts and cards for the couple.

After signing the guest book, guests headed into the great room for the ceremony, which was full of design details! First, we made this custom wood marquee sign especially for the couple, with hand painted details and vintage bulb lights, it was the perfect focal point for the fireplace where the couple would say their vows. Next we created this lovely floral garland for the fireplace and filled bud vases with flowers to give it some extra impact. Then we stacked wooden apple crates and filled them with flowers to more clearly define the ceremony area. It was a truly magical place for Sandie and Matt to say “I do!”

 

Last but not least, and of course for Pepper’s, one of our favorite parts: the food & drinks! For the bar, we built another backdrop of vintage doors, and created a marquee sign to designate the bar area. This was a cocktail style party, with lots of delicious little bites and appetizers for the guests to nosh on all evening long. So along with delicious passed hors d’oeuvres, we created this rustic stationary display for the tasty morsels that would be out all night long. With apple crates, a giant vintage spool top, a hand written menu sign and plenty of floral arrangements, this food display fit perfectly with the rest of the décor!

We wish Matt and Sandie all of our best wishes and thank them for letting us bring their wedding vision to life!

by Jody Boyajian

Senior Event Designer

Mango. Tangerine. Or just orange. Whatever hue you call it, this sunny color is sure to make a summer wedding original and memorable.

A recent bridal couple spiced up all aspects of their Larz Anderson Auto Museum wedding with a winning combination of navy and white chevron striped linens with orange charger plates, napkins and floral centerpieces.

Other details included an orange slice in each water goblet, orange paper lanterns throughout the tent, orange display linens and orange imprinted sunglasses for guests to wear during the outdoor ceremony. Even the bride and bridesmaids wore bright orange shoes!

This wedding had a cohesive and fun design plan that reflected the personalities and spirt of the couple.

Here’s to coloring your wedding with creativity!  

 

 

by Jody Boyajian

Senior Event Designer

 

It’s so exciting to see weddings take on personalities of their own with creative design elements. 

Here’s a fun idea from a recent Elm Bank wedding for those who want to think outside of the box for their wedding entertainment: outdoor games.

 

 

The father of the bride and the groom built a giant Jenga game and also created a customized dart board with a heart-shaped target. The wedding guests enjoyed being out in the gardens and getting their competitive juices flowing. This relaxed vibe added to the casual feel the couple wanted for their special day. 

 

Gone are the cookie-cutter weddings of days past. Long live creativity!

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What fun games have you played at a wedding? Let us know in the comments below. For more creative wedding inspiration, check out our Pinterest boards or visit our Wedding Cake site.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

by Jody Boyajian

Senior Event Designer

 

Graduations. Bridal and Baby Showers. Weddings. We are now in the midst of full-blown celebration season! And with that comes gift giving.

Everyone wants to offer a present that is memorable and reflects the recipient’s taste and style. And, we just heard of a most unique bridal shower gift that we wanted to share.

The bridesmaids for a June bride created a personalized “Date of the Month” organization file. Some of the items included a gift card to the ice cream shop where the couple had their first date (for the month that they met), sports tickets to a team that they both root for, seasonal activities that they enjoy for the appropriate month and more – 12 in total for a year full of memories.

What a clever idea that can be customized for so many celebrations! And with many bridal couples already owning most of the “stuff” they need, this is a fabulous alternative.

Love, love this idea!  

 

by Jody Boyajian

Senior Event Designer

 

Looking for some inspiration and ideas for your wedding? Personal touches are one of the ways to make a wedding extra memorable.

                                     

A recent couple did just that – hand lettering, painting and framing oh-so-beautiful signs for the various elements of their Elm Bank wedding: welcome and direction signage to the ceremony site, gift table board, bar, dinner and dessert menus.

This takes DIY wedding projects to a whole new level!

                                      

But the pièce de résistance was the life-size love letter to each other in the bar/lounge area. What a great way to celebrate their union and individuality.

“I Love You More Than…”

So sweet and heartfelt. Definitely a wedding design element their guests will remember.

Just fabulous!

 

 

It may come as a complete contradiction, to wrap your head around saving money and booking a prime wedding venue during the high season. Asking the right questions and being opened minded, can help you capture a gorgeous and memorable site.

How so, you ask?

1.)    Dates are booked and on occasion a date is cancelled, leaving the venue eager to fill the space.

2.)    Friday evenings and Sundays create a unique opportunity both in savings and unique menus.

3.)    Wedding vendors may be inclined to offer a break or value add-on to fill these time spots.

If you consider a traditional wedding: it’s 5 hours with a cocktail hour, 90 minutes for dinner, leaving 2.5 hours for the fun, dessert, dancing and cocktail.

Ponder this, begin your Friday evening wedding a little later than usual, have an enhanced cocktail hour with both hors d’oeuvres & chef active stations going on at the same time. Then morph into traditional Toasts, First Dance etc. and phase right into the “party”, giving you plenty of time to thank attendees and enjoy your guests. You transformed your 5 hour reception into a paced 4 hour reception saving on the food, staffing and perhaps the Venue rental. It starts to add up to some serious green when you hit multiple areas that affect your overall budget.

As for a Sunday, think about a Caribbean Brunch and take-off on an island theme. You can have some real fun with this and it’s a perfect lead into your Cancun or Bahamas honeymoon.

In Central Massachusetts, the stunning Tower Hill Botanic Garden is booked up for their Saturdays this season but has further discounted their Friday and Sunday events quite a bit, offering a great value for this one-of-a kind venue.  Pepper’s is taking an additional 10% off our normal costs for this terrific venue. Tell your friends about this deal!

Likewise, Gardens-at-Elm-Bank, located in Wellesley, also has a few open dates to fill and they are open to meeting prospective couples and showing the gorgeous grounds of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society.

Ok, so you see an opportunity to save a few greenbacks on a venue, what else you say?

Yes, to seasonal flowers? Many wedding flowers travel thousands of miles, increasing the cost and carbon footprint. Mixed media bouquets are both clever & contemporary, but can also save you considerable amounts of money. Speak to your floral professional and have an honest dialogue on their knowledge and recommendations. Our style & design specialist often mixes in vegetable, limes & herbs in her floral displays for a unique & seasonal look that really “pops”.

Gifts for your attendants?

Etsy.com for those one-of-a kind and special gifts for the ladies.

For the guys, consider moneyclam.com as they have monogramed (or wedding date etched) money clips as well as one that has a built in bottle opener.