Wedding Planning 101: The Dress

I want to start by letting you know that we have an AMAZING ad in the upcoming issue (Fall / Winter 2011) of The Knot Texas Magazine. This was even more exciting to me because that means that I received multiple issues of the magazine this week… before it even hits shelves. Sneak peak… It’s a good one!!

Now on to the dress. I’ve now entered into the nine months out category. And, let me tell you, the list is getting long. I spend most of my nights reading magazines or hunting for the perfect ideas online. During the 9 to 11 month period, most timelines say to start your dress shopping… among many, many other tasks. So for the past few weekends my mom, grandmother (or Mimi as I call her), future Mother in Law and best friend have been trekking to stores all across central Texas. 

Here are a few things I’ve learned:

• Do your research on the individual stores. Once you have researched the stores you want to go to, I REALLY encourage you to look at the individual brands of dresses that they carry before you go. That way, you can walk into the store and know which dresses you are interested in. Trust me, this will make your consultant love you and it will give you the most opportunities during your appointment.

• SET YOUR BUDGET BEFORE YOU GO! It doesn’t do any good to try on dresses that are outside of your budget. It might seem like something fun – try on the really expensive dress just to play princess for a minute – trust me, DON’T DO IT! Unless you (or your mother) are willing to buy this dress if you fall in love with it, it’s important not to tempt yourself. Once you fall in love with a dress, nothing will ever look as good to you.
• Use your first appointment to get the experience and figure out what you like. I was really surprised to learn what style looked good on me. I tried on dresses that I never imagined I would like or look good in and I loved them. Go in with an open mind.
• Trust your consultant. This is what they do day in and day out. Trust their judgment and consider their opinion closely. Yes, they don’t know you very well, but they know wedding dresses better then you ever will. If your consultant brings you a dress that you hate on the hanger, just try it out you might be pleasantly surprised. 
• Give yourself plenty of time. When they say start shopping at 9 to 11 months, they mean it. A typical dress order takes between four and six months and then you have to get alterations – usually about another six weeks. Plan accordingly and make sure that you are on top of this. You don’t want to incur any added costs for expediting.
• Trunk shows can be your best friend. Though few and far between, shops will usually offer anywhere from 10 to 15 percent off all merchandise during trunk shows. You will also have the opportunity to preview the newest line of dresses. Be warned that the dresses are runway size. If you’ve been to a store and they have a trunk show coming up for a designer you love, don’t be afraid to ask them to order specific dresses for you.
• Sample sales. These can be a great deal with some dresses being 50 percent or more off the sticker price. Be very careful, though. With the wear and tear on the dress, it might cost you more in the end just to get it fixed. Not to mention, the dresses have been stretched and stepped on and sometimes even ripped open at the zipper. Just use your best judgment here.
• Take a camera. Or a phone with a camera. It’s likely that your dresses won’t all be at the same store, a camera will help you remember which one’s you liked. Designate someone you trust and try to get the back and the front of the dress. If you like a specific veil – or the look – try it with every dress to get the best comparison. 
• Don’t let the sizes scare you. In the bridal world, dresses run small, I mean really small. Sample sizes are usually a 10, which translates into about a 6 or 8 depending on the designer. There are times you will have to use your imagination to visualize how the dress will really fit. Don’t take this as a message that you need to eat nothing but salads for the next nine months, not true. If you find the right dress, the fit will look great on you.
• Other cities. Don’t forget about alterations. If you buy a dress and get them to alter it and say you’re in San Antonio and they’re in Austin, be prepared to make many trips for fittings.
• Don’t discount your mom’s or grandmother’s dress. Seamstresses can do wonders. If they are willing to let you have your way with the dress, take it to get looked at and see what you can dream up.
• Have fun! This is supposed to be an experience that you will remember for a lifetime. Make a day of it, go to lunch and bond with the girls (or boys) you love.

Here are some of the stores I visited in San Antonio and Austin. There are many, many more, I was just looking for specific dresses and designers. I’m keeping the list short – two per city.

San Antonio:

• Julian Gold. Look here for everything designer. They provide the whole experience and the consultants are wonderful. There’s a reason they have been so successful for so many years. My consultant was Barbie she’s wonderful.
• Bridal Salon of San Antonio. I am visiting this store this weekend. They also have some higher end designer dresses and some lower price points.

Austin:

•  Serendipity. A really great store with many dress options in a variety of prices. I really enjoyed my experience here and found many potential options for “the one”.
•  Unbridaled. This was much more of a boutique, which I liked. They had many designers that other stores didn’t carry. If you are looking for something a bit different, definitely try this shop. They are very helpful and great to work with.

Off the beaten path:

• Etsy.com. I know I’ve mentioned my love of Etsy in another post. Don’t discount the fact that there are many talented designers on this website and you might be able to custom order or find the dress of your dreams.

Lower cost options:

• If you are strapped for cash but want a designer dress, visit preownedweddingdresses.com. This is a site for people to post dresses they are trying to sell. Don’t be scared – many of these dresses were purchased and never worn for various reasons and you can get them for more than half off in some cases.

Coming soon:

Wedding blogs I love.

To get a planner or not to get a planner?

Vendors: how do I choose?!

Happy shopping!!

Jessica

Wedding Planning 101: The Venue

Oh, where to begin…

Your venue is one of the first things – if not THE first thing – that you should check off your list. It will often set the tone for your entire wedding – everything from the dress to the décor to the type of food you serve. Venue shopping takes A LOT of time because it’s really one of those things that you have to go see yourself. There we so many places I fell in love with on the internet and once I got to them, I quickly fell out of love. The more you visit, the more your individual style will be apparent.

I always knew I wanted an outdoor wedding. I envisioned the beautiful hills of the Texas Hill Country as my backdrop. I searched the hills in every direction possible, and this included several locations in Austin, and soon came to realize maybe it wasn’t what I really wanted. Though it very well might be for you… Here are some of my favorite Austin and Hill Country venues:

Laguna Gloria

• Riven Rock Ranch: Beautiful Hill Country views will win your heart.
• Vista West Ranch: A ranch-like setting with spectacular facilities and views of the hills.
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center: Wildflowers are my weakness. This is a unique venue that you have to explore.
• Mercury Hall: Set in the heart of Austin, but with privacy and charm. Many options and looks await exploring with this charming space.
• AMOA Laguna Gloria: Totally stole my heart when I looked at this venue. There are multiple areas for the ceremony and reception. There are water views (lake), an amphitheater and architectural details that will take you back decades. Not to mention the history. Go visit for the art and the story, and take a nice stroll around the outdoor space and be prepared to fall in love.
• The Bob Bullock History Museum: If you are a history and museum junkie, you will love the feel of this venue. With beautiful design and attention to detail, your reception will be filled with history and elegance.
• Texas Old Town: If you're looking for a place that screams "Texas" this might be it. Set in the Hill Country, the outdoor and indoor spaces will easily meet your expectations. 

Yes, I know what you’re thinking… “I want to use The RK Group for everything, do they go all the way to the Hill Country and Austin??” Well, you’re in luck; we have a whole team in Austin that is happy to assist you with everything from tents to tables to china and catering. All the wonderful services we offer in San Antonio are available to our northern neighbors as well.

San Antonio is filled with unique venues – some with tons of culture, others with a modern edge and even some with views that will not disappoint. Here are a few of my favorites:

Sunset Station

The Bushnell

Pearl Stables

Southwest School of Art - inside the chapel

Southwest School of Art - the gardens

•  Historic Sunset Station: Talk about history, this venue was an old train station. You have your choice of multiple depots all with different looks. The parking is convenient and it’s close to downtown, so out of town guests can have easy access. I urge you to check it out!
•  The Venues at Valero: Did you just say “Huh? For a wedding? Isn’t that an office?” It’s beautiful and the views are even MORE beautiful! There’s a wonderful outdoor area and an impressive indoor area complete with views of the hills. Take a look; you won’t be disappointed.
• Pearl Stables: Located in the heart of the amazing Pearl Brewery, this venue is an old horse stable that has been turned into a magnificent space. It’s full historic mementos and the setting is spectacular. The building is completely round, giving the main room a unique feel.
• McNay Art Museum: I love this venue. It has history, it’s beautiful and you can say that Monet and Picasso were at your wedding. 
• San Antonio Museum of Art: Again, awesome space. Set on the banks of the San Antonio River Walk, this is a venue that can really be customized to your liking and you’ll have amazing art work to look at all night long.
• UIW Sky Room: Talk about views – that’s all your guests will be talking about. You can see the whole city from here.
• The Bushnell: This is a venue to remember, for sure. The setting is unlike anything in San Antonio. You will be able to see the whole city -360 degrees of it – from the top of this building. It’s located in historic Monte Vista, and will not disappoint.
• Southwest School of Art: Probably one of the most popular venues in town and there’s a reason for that. It’s spectacular. Enveloped in a garden on the banks of the San Antonio River in downtown San Antonio. Overflowing with history and a very special feeling. WARNING: If you want this venue, be prepared to book AT LEAST one year out. And you can probably forget about April and early May – Fiesta Arts Fair takes place and the grass needs time to grow back.

There are SO many more spectacular places, this is just a sampling of what I looked at. If you know of any you loved and really want to share, please please send them my way.

Happy hunting!

Jessica

Wedding Planning 101: Tools

Today was such a big day in the wedding world that I have decided to forgo the venue post until next week (I hope that's ok with you all). Today, I would like to talk about some great tools and tricks to make your life easier while planning the big day. The Royal Wedding is all the news stations can talk about - I secretly, or maybe not so secretly, love it. I mean, what girl doesn't like a good love story? Especially one that ends with a regular girl turning into a princess, oh the fairy tale. We're in the wedding and events business so, of course, many of us have been following this very closely. I have found so many great tips and I just couldn't wait another week to share them.

Being in marketing, one of my favorite websites is Mashable, a site that gives all sorts of news and tools relating to social media and the web. Now, you might be thinking: "Social media and my wedding, what? Are you crazy?" I would answer that with yes, I am, but please think beyond Facebook and Twitter and realize that there are tons of great sites that can help! I've listed some below that I have used and some that I have found, but not used in depth yet. Take a look:

• COLOURlovers: A great resource for one of the first steps, picking your color scheme. Once that step is finished, a whole new world of planning will open up to you.
  
• Etsy: Ok, let me take a deep breath because this is going to be loud... I LOVE ETSY! I always have, even before I was engaged. That being said, they have great wedding resources. If you are slightly offbeat or like things that are a bit different, go to this site and explore. It might take a while, but it's totally worth it. Also, sign up for their wedding newsletter, you won't regret it. Check out their great blog too.
• Google: Specifically, google weddings. Did you know there was such a thing? Neither did I until I happened upon it. You can create websites, edit photos, use googledocs to keep the budget in line, share albums with Picasa and more. I haven't fully explored this yet, but plan to dive in very soon.
• Amazon: What are you looking forward to most when you think of your wedding? Gifts of course, well I mean that and being married to the love of your life. Personally, I am an Amazon, junkie. If I lived closer to the home base I would probably buy all my groceries from them, not that I can't now. Amazon has a great tool called a Universal Wishlist. This great tool lets you add gifts from all sorts of sites to one central location. I'm not to the registry point yet, but once I get there, this will be used, guaranteed.
• Apps: I speak iPhone, so sorry blackberry and Android users, I don't know how helpful I will be to you in this section. Take a look at: the Wedding Wire app for all of your organizational needs, Brides Magazine also has a pretty useful app, as does The Knot - Wedding 101 and The Wedding Dress LookBook.
• Hard core social media lover: Do you find yourself constantly on Twitter or Facebook and feel naked when your phone or laptop or iPad is suddenly nowhere to be found? Then this might be the perfect thing for you. A writer for Mashable had the brilliant idea - he's like you - of incorporating Facebook and Twitter as sort of a mobile guest book. Simply create a hashtag and tweet away. Go a step further and use TwitterFall if your guests are like you. You might just creat some cheap entertainment with this idea.

Tired yet? Don't forget you have to plan the honeymoon!

• YourTour: Again, suggested by Mashable and looks like a very helpful site to plan a multi-destination trip.
• Stay.com: Personal travel guide? Yes, please! Build your own according to what you and your betrothed love to do.
• Kayak: Best site for comparison shopping. Sign up for their eblast to learn about the great deals that surface.
• Apps: There are WAY too many to list here. More to come on this.
  

Now, this is just a small sampling of all the great resources out there for you. I am a blog-a-holic (did I just make up a word?) so I will be dedicating a whole post to my favorites in the weeks to come. If there's anything you want to specifically learn about, let me know and I will dig around. Thanks for stopping by and I promise - Next week: Venues - this one will be great!

Happy planning!
Jessica

The Perfect Menu for your Royal Celebration

Are you in a Royal Wedding FRENZY?! It seems like that’s all I’m hearing about this week. From the morning talk shows to the fashion blogs to right here in our office, its all people can think about. Rosemary, along with her good friend Joanne Boone (president and CEO of Rio Cruises San Antonio), is throwing a royal wedding watch party at – wait for it – 3 A.M. on Friday morning! The party will be British themed – everything from the food to the clothing to the decorations.

Our executive chef, Eric Nelson, a wonderfully talented “bloke”, came up with a menu that was overflowing with British influence and character. There will be plenty to “nosh” on and the setting will be grand! If you’re looking for a menu to serve at your bash, look no further. This is the menu that Chef Nelson suggests will make your guests remark: “Why, this is splendid!”

Poached Egg Wellingtons

Tender poached eggs wrapped in flaky puff pastry with sautéed Madeira mushrooms and fresh baby spinach and drizzled with Bearnaise sauce

Crisp pancetta and potato hash

with caramelized shallots and chopped chives

Chilled tomato minced basil salad

with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and black sea salt

Assorted English muffins, scones and crumpets

served with assorted jams and spreads

I’ve provided the recipes for the Bearnaise sauce and crumpets below. If you make anything on this menu, please let us know how it turns out! For more information on what Rosemary is planning, take a look at the wonderful article on MySA.com that appeared in the TASTE section of San Antonio Express-News last Sunday.

Cheers!

Jessica

Bearnaise sauce

1/3 cup tarragon vinegar 1/3 cup white wine 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed roughly 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots 2 tablespoons chervil, finely chopped 6 sprigs tarragon 3 egg yolks 1 cup butter, melted and at room temperature Cayenne pepper, to taste Salt, to taste

Directions

In a saucepan, combine vinegar, wine, peppercorns, shallots, chervil and tarragon. Cook over high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup or less. Strain through a chinois and set aside. Place the egg yolks in a thick bowl and set over a double boiler. Stir yolks vigorously. When the yolks have thickened to the consistency of very heavy cream, begin to slowly add the melted butter while stirring continuously. When all of the butter has been incorporated, add in the wine/vinegar/herb reduction a few drops at a time and immediately remove from heat. Add cayenne and salt to taste.

Crumpets

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water 1 cup lukewarm milk 2 tablespoons butter, melted 3 1/2 cups flour 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Directions

Put water, milk, butter, flour, yeast, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat at high speed for 2 minutes. Mixture will be a thick batter. Remove bowl from mixer and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let stand for about 1 hour. Batter will rise and become bubbly. Heat a lightly oiled griddle to about 325 degrees. Place well-oiled ring molds on the griddle and scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into each mold. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. The top of the crumpet will have dry edges and lots of open bubbles; it should hold its shape when the mold is removed. Flip crumpets and continue to cook for another 4 minutes or so. Top and bottom will be lightly browned and the inside will be airy.

Wedding Planning 101: The Engagement Party

According to the wonderful experts at TheKnot.com the engagement party is usually thrown about three months after you get engaged, tradition states that the bride’s family throws the initial shindig, but it’s becoming more and more common for the groom’s family or both families to host them and etiquette says that if you invite someone to the engagement party, they should expect to get a wedding invitation as well. Historically, this is a time for both families to get together to build relationships and realize that they are truly becoming one big, happy family.

I am terribly lucky. My fiancé and I have been together for seven years, yes, since high school, and throughout this time it’s easy to say our families have gotten very close. We share holidays together, we call each other on birthdays, our mothers “talk teaching” – they’re both elementary school teachers and we always have a great time together. It was only natural that an engagement party was going to be fun, relaxed and full of all of the people we loved.

Though the party is usually the responsibility of the bride’s parents, my future mother- and father-in-law (or as the blogosphere calls them, FMIL and FFIL) graciously took it upon themselves to host the night of fun. We held true to the timeline I mentioned above – we were engaged on December 15, so it’s about four months. We waited until April because we wanted the perfect weather, the perfect blooms and the party was Fiesta themed, so it only made sense. I love all of the bright colors and fun decorations that this theme allowed.

Of course, we had to have only the best, so all catering and decorations were provided by The RK Group. Can I just say, WOW! Now, I know you think I’m biased, because well, let’s face it, this is the BLOG of The RK Group! But, in all seriousness, the food was EXTRAORDINARY, the service, SPECTACULAR, and the décor, BEAUTIFUL. It was so nice to have such an amazing and professional team set up the tables, get everything prepared, make sure the food was always out, keep areas clean and provide great service, all while making our guests feel comfortable. There was not a guest all night that didn’t come up to me and comment on how wonderful it was. The process was painless, too. My FMIL was able to communicate everything that she wanted through email and phone conversations. She was able to customize to her budget and the feel that she wanted. Truly a wonderful experience all around. If this is how the casual, low key engagement party played out, I can’t wait to see what they can do at the wedding!

The night was amazing. Full of loved ones, old friends, eclectic groups and oh, did I mention Mariachis? They were great, by the way.

Next week: The venue! This is a fun one, so make sure to check the blog.

-Jessica Young-

The 2011 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

WE TOOK IT BY STORM…AGAIN!!!

We’re back and settled in San Antonio after another successful year at the Big, Bad Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR)!

In 2010 we secured a substantial amount of very important business within HLSR and because of our hard work and commitment to excellence, we were able to secure a three-year contract. Enter 2011…

Working with the HLSR is a very high honor because we are based in San Antonio. Catering more than 180 miles away brings a good amount of challenges; challenges that we love to overcome and make look easy. We literally have to pack up and move a large part of our operation to Houston for an entire month, and fully commit to making it a great experience. Our Senior Vice President Ken Holtzinger, Staffing Extraordinaire Michelle Rivera, Operations Guru Sal Becerra, Executive Chef Eric Nelson, Executive Sous Chef Mercedes Valadez and a small, very talented group of crew members relocate to Houston for more than four weeks.

Before relocation we have to divvy up everything in our warehouse (sometimes bolts are actually pulled out of the ground to move a piece of equipment that we can’t live without) and spread it between our San Antonio and Austin operations while taking what we need for HLSR. This is a daunting task because many of our large events happen in March.

On February 21^st a compact crew arrived at our San Antonio headquarters early to begin packing on an extreme level. By the time everything arrived at our final destination in Reliant Park, Houston, it fills more than eight 24-foot trucks.

Our feet hit the Houston ground running and we immediately set up our three grand kitchens. Fortunately, Illusions built us two very beautiful and amazingly workable kitchen tents before we arrived and the Reliant Arena has an existing and well-equipped kitchen that we called our own. Ovens, fryers, grills, sinks, worktables, coolers and even a full sized dish machine are split between the Stadium Kitchen and the tents. Organization and quickness are key because production started the very next day.

Out of our three fantastic kitchens comes food for four main areas of service. Backstage Catering, Director’s Club, Chute Seats/Rockin’ Rodeo Pavilion and the Arena are all umbrellas for many catered functions. Our Backstage Catering involves taking over a dining room on the ground level of Reliant Stadium. Here, we fill the bellies of many different groups including: the Houston Texans, audio visual crews, stage hands, production artists and the musicians that perform every night. Every night it was our job to take extra special care of the star of the day. Some days Janet Jackson shined the brightest and other days it was Kid Rock or Kiss. No matter who it was, we prepared exactly what they wanted and with whatever special direction they gave. While it is just one meal for a handful of people, it is quite important and we take it very seriously.

The Director’s Club is where the HLSR VIPs spend their evenings. Feeding this group is one of the toughest logistical situations that we deal with because every piece of food, plate, fork, piece of equipment and staff member has to move through one single freight elevator. Like I said, we love a challenge and thankfully we are able to prevail through difficult situations.

Near the actual dirt of the rodeo is the Rodeo Contestants Room. Each night all of the rodeo participants and their families gather to prepare for their performance, visit and watch the competition. We take extra special care to feed the 300 folks that come through every day. We pay attention to their preferred comfort foods: fried chicken, smoked brisket, spaghetti with meatballs, strip steaks and chicken and dumplings were some favorites among the tasty dinners.

Amazingly enough, every meal for Backstage Catering, Director’s Club and Rodeo Contestants was prepared in one kitchen tent. Ovens and various shifts of chefs ran more than 16 hours a day to make all of the breakfasts, lunches and dinners just perfect. That adds up to more than 1200 meals a day for these groups alone!

Just behind the Astro Dome sits another kitchen tent that produces up to 600 meals a night for events in the Chute Seats and Rockin’ Rodeo area. Each guest in the Chute Seats is welcomed by a 16 oz. Cowboy Ribeye Steak dinner and a prime spot to watch the music performance. Rockin’ Rodeo is an opportunity for different corporations and groups to have a private dinner before the rodeo. Each menu has a different theme that we can customize to their various presentations or ceremonies.

Across Reliant Park is the Arena where we occupy an existing kitchen. Every day we feed visitors to the Stockman’s club with a tasty and fulfilling bar-style menu. As diners enjoy their meals and drinks they can watch the horses practice in the Arena. Behind the scenes of the Stockman’s Club is a small crew working non-stop to prepare for the many “off-premise” events that we have everyday. All across the rodeo grounds are events that require catering and we keep ourselves busy by feeding up to 1800 people everyday in these events alone. When we add it all up we are very busy folks feeding up to, and sometimes more than, 3000 rodeo guests every day.

To recap, that was:

180 miles from San Antonio

Three kitchens

Four main areas to serve plus special event locations

16-hours cooking per day

30 days

More than 3,000 meals per day

WOW!!

February 21^st to March 21^st turns out to be a surprisingly short month; within the blink of an eye, we’re loading trucks again and caravanning to San Antonio. We have a great time in Houston, pushing ourselves to new limits everyday. We learn so much in such a short period of time and never stop brainstorming ways to make the next rodeo bigger and better. Houston Rodeo 2012 is right around the corner and is off-premise catering to the EXTREME!

Co-written by Executive Chef Eric Nelson and Executive Sous Chef Mercedes Valadez

Historic Sunset Station

Historic Sunset Station is an amazing venue for any type of event - reunions, graduations, parties, weddings and more. We love it when we receive photos from the events that we have on site. Recently, a couple that spent their special day with us passed on photos from their wedding. The wonderful Elizabeth Homan of Artistic Images by Elizabeth produced an amazing video of Rebecca and Jay, take a look! The space they used turned out incredible.





Jessica