#MercedesAndTJInLove Engagement Party
September 28, 2016
Things have been as crazy as usual over here. TJ and I were working and training in the studio in NYC for the last 11 days. We were living with a bunch of actors in Brooklyn, and I’m feeling all sorts of inspiration from the trip.
Let’s backtrack to a few day before we left. My family threw us an engagement party. TJ’s parents came from BC and met 45 of my family members. They also worked their butts off in the kitchen, garden, and putting the party together. Nat and I couldn’t resist prettying it up, so we grabbed a ton of greens from our Aunt and Uncles yard down the street from my Grandmas, where the party was held. We made some wreaths and green chandeliers, and thin garlands for the tables. We used Grandmas table clothes and china, and some thrift-ed crochet fabric from my collection.
This Dress was my Aunt’s prom dress. I am so in love with it! Nat wore it for her maternity shoot a few years ago and our little sister Bee will wear it when she reaches a milestone. It’s a sisterhood of the traveling dress situation over here!
The desserts were mostly made by us, but our incredible cousins brought some chocolate squares, chocolate cherry cookies, and 2 cherry cheesecakes. Grandma made her homemade apple pie, and we got donuts and cannoli from my favorite bakery, Tre Marie in Toronto.
I made a few shell mobiles and gave them away to guests as well. (I also kept one for me…!)
My mom’s frien Kim owns Oak Creek Bakery in Ottawa, and she makes the greatest tarts I have ever tasted!
Nat made her famous sugar cookies because they’re TJ’s favorite. She made mountains because we got engaged in the rockies, and seashells because a lot of our favorite memories are from the beach. We also incorporated shells with the flowers because TJ and I collect them everywhere we go.
Each guest got a shell candle made by Nat and I. They’re beautiful and so simple to make.
Nat and I love experimenting with flower arrangements. These thrift’ed vases made a great base for the purple, pink and green hues we played with.
You may be wondering why this little chicken is at the head table. It’s because she is the self proclaimed “boss of the wedding.” This girl usually hates dresses and bows but she proudly put on a dress and wore a sparkly bow in her hair because the “very important flower girl” and is so proud of her role. Be still my heart.
Don’t be fooled by this pretty charcuterie, it was the meal before the meal. My mom and grandma had approximately 9 cooking days before the day of the party. We didn’t get pictures of all the food because we were too excited to eat, but this was the buffet menu.
Keep in mind that EVERYTHING was made from scratch, including the pasta’s, gnocci, and even the sausages. I am so proud that both my parents and their parents are Italian. The menu reflected all of our families favorite dishes to make and share.
- Meat Cannelloni
- Cheese Cannelloni
- Burnt Butter and Sage Gnocci
- Beef Tenderloin
- Italian Sausages
- Skewered BBQ’ed Pineapple Shrimp
- Roasted Vegetables
- Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Sweet Potatoe & Pomegranate Quinoa Salad
- Caesar Salad
- Chicken Marsala
- Poached Salmon with Fennel & Orange
- Arancini
- Roasted Garlic & Herb Potatoes
- Maple Bacon Brussle Sprouts
- Pork Scallopini stuffed with Veal and Mushrooms, sauteed in White Wine
Very lucky that one of my bridesmaids is also a food blogger and can cut a fig like nobody’s business.
I am so lucky to have all of these beauties in my life. They all worked so hard to make everything gorgeous. How amazing is it to have a professional photographer as a sister, too? She captured the day beautifully.
The only thing missing is photos of the beautiful women in the kitchen who made all of the incredible good that kept everyone full and happy. I’m so grateful for my people, and can’t wait for the next wedding adventure!
Much love,
Mercedes