A Few More Wedding Details

This past Saturday I noticed these items on the entry table to the Grand Ballroom during a wedding. It occurred to me that I had never blogged about these kinds of details, so I thought I would now.


Detail #1 -- The brides Toss Bouquet. Rather than tossing her beautiful bouquet, many brides elect to honor the tradition by having a smaller 'toss bouquet' made for this tradition. Here is one for you to see. In addition, I thought you might be interested in this webpost about some other 'toss bouquet' ideas that are less traditional: http://ezinearticles.com/?Six-Alternative-Bridal-Bouquet-Toss-Ideas&id=122526


Detail #2 -- why were there extra boutonnieres left over at this wedding? Because the groom didn't realize that the members of the wedding party who were in military uniform were not allowed to wear them. Save yourself a few dollars if you will have members of the armed services in uniform in your wedding party, and don't order flowers for them.

Detail #3 -- An engraved platter 'guest book'. A different touch, guests were asked to write with a special pen on this engraved platter which will become a permanent keepsake for this couple. Unique and different, but make sure someone is there to really have the guests press down on the pen so you can really read their writing.



Detail #4 -- Photos of parents and grandparents in their wedding poses. This adds a really sweet, family feel to the event, connecting generations together.

I hope you enjoy seeing these ideas, and learning a bit for your wedding.

Juli

Photos from a wedding here at the Hawthorne Hotel

We recently received this link to a photographer's blog.

http://heatherbarrphoto.blogspot.com/2009/03/sara-joel-hawthorne-hotel-salem.html

All of the photos there right now are of a wedding that took place here a the Hawthorne Hotel. I think they are lovely photos, and thought you might enjoy seeing them as well. They certainly give you a good sense of what a wedding here at the Hawthorne might be.

I hope you enjoy seeing them.

Juli

A Family Celebrates

Nine years ago today, Lauren and Victor were married here at the Hawthorne Hotel. They have been coming back every year to celebrate, and this is the first year that they were able to bring their children, William who is three, and Caroline, who is nearly five.

As they were sitting in Nathaniel's to have dinner tonight, they saw Claire Kallelis, who was their wedding coordinator that night. We asked Claire to pose for this photo with them, as a remembrance of that special night. Evidently they were VERY pleased with how Claire ran their wedding for them.

We are so happy to have our guests come back again and again -- thanks Lauren, Victor, William and Caroline, for celebrating your milestone at the Hawthorne Hotel.

We hope to see you again soon.

Juli

P.S. One of the extra-nice things about being married in an historic hotel is that you know there is a dedication to preservation inherent in the business, and you can be pretty certain that the hotel will be around for years to come, for just such events as the celebration of an anniversary. You can't be sure the same thing is going to happen when you get married in a wedding hall, because those buildings are only built for a single purpose, and when someone finds a different use for that parcel of land, the building could be gone just as quickly as it was put up.

The other nice thing is just what you see happening here -- a couple who CAN come back every year to celebrate, because our hotel has two restaurants where you can celebrate these kinds of family events without having to book the entire function hall. When you have your reception in a reception hall, there is no place there to come as an individual, as there is in a hotel.

Even having a reception at just any hotel does not mean that that hotel will be around for your 25th anniversary -- many purpose built hotels are often torn down by the time they reach even the 15 or 20 year mark, because it is cheaper to build a new building, then to renovate a cheaply built structure.

There are many things to think about when choosing a place to hold your wedding reception. This is a small thing, but it could be important to you down the road.

I hope you enjoy this different look at the Hawthorne Hotel as a place for such an important event.

Juli

What do these three objects have in common?

They are all from an exciting couple, Marla and Angel Martinez, who had their wedding here in January this year. What you are seeing are their wedding favor (a charming album of their favorite songs), a thank you note to their catering manager, Karen Cotton (which you can read in more detail below -- click on the image to enlarge it), and most fun of all, a "Bridezilla Voodoo Doll" that was an after-the-fact gift to Karen from a bride who had a great sense of humor.


We hope you enjoy this slice of (wedding) life here at the Hawthorne Hotel, and we hope we can help you plan the perfect wedding, too.

Juli

A Lovely Bride and Charming Groom Share Their Photos with Us

. . . to share with you. I hope you enjoy this peek at yet another wonderful wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel.

Suzanne and Justin were married here on January 24, and really enjoyed their special day, and were thrilled with the idea that we would like to share their photos with our blog readers.

If you are planning a wedding at the Hawthorne Hotel, and wish to be a subject for this blog, please let your wedding consultant know. We will do our very best to make that happen for you.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

Juli

A Thank You from a Different Source

This was a nice thank you note from an officiant who served to join two guests in marriage, here at the Hawthorne Hotel recently.

If you need referrals for your wedding, simply ask your catering manager here at the Hawthorne Hotel. They have resources for virtually everything you may need to make your wedding perfect.

Juli
(P.S. Simply click on the image to make it larger)

The Details Make a Difference

Ellen's father, Christopher Greene, designed a logo of Ellen and Alex's initials, and they used it to personalize a number of the aspects of their wedding, such as the place cards, the program, and even the M & M's they used as their favors.

This book, called the Perfect 10, was filled with photos of Ellen and Alex growing up and meeting, and their friends and family. It was printed in hardbound, complete with a dust jacket.

More photos were displayed at the reception in the Essex Room, by the use of digital picture frames.

Who were the "Men in Black"? Two of the grooms best friends outfitted themselves with faux security-like earphones and dark glasses, and surprised the groom right before the ceremony. They certainly added a bit of levity to the proceedings, which we were able to capture on film.

When the company that 'printed' the M & M's received the logo from Ellen and Alex, they expressed concern that it might be a copyrighted symbol. They assured the candy-printing company that it was not, but that shows you the level of professionalism that these details had for this unique couple.

We loved the details that this couple (Alex and Ellen) utilized to make their wedding special. Are you doing something different and special? Be sure to let your catering manager know if you want your details blogged. We are happy to do this for you.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

A Rehearsal at the Hawthorne Hotel

If you look at our daily diary blog, at www.HawthorneHotel.blogspot.com you will see quite a few more photos and information about this wedding rehearsal here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

I hope to see you here.

Juli

Special Dietary Request Wedding Reception

Recently we were asked to do an all-vegetarian wedding reception event. For us that is simply no problem! We did it, and our client was thrilled.



We are very happy to honor virtually any special request when it comes to providing just exactly what our clients want when they host a special event.



Vegan, Lacto-Ova Vegetarian, Pescetarian, or whatever -- our chefs are very happy to oblige these kinds of special requests when they are presented by the event planners.



When you see our packages, please understand that the menus are basic guidelines, but are no means the only items we can prepare as part of a package. Talk to us and we will make sure you receive exactly what you need to make your event special. This kind of attention to detail is what sets our catering team apart for most others.



To learn more, simply call us at 978-825-4358.



I hope to see you here.



Juli

Bride and Groom in Front of the Hotel at Night

We just received this lovely photo from a couple (Suzanne and Justin) who had their wedding reception here at the Hawthorne Hotel in January. It is such a great photo, I thought you would enjoy seeing it.

Juli

Valentine's Day Wedding 2009

Instead of table numbers, the tables were designated with photos of famous couples. A cute ideas, especially on this most romantic of days.


Ribbons of their names encircle their cake.

An emotional hug right after leaving the Ballroom.


Their sweetheart table awaits.

A few glimpses of a very romantic Valentine's Evening Wedding, here at the Hawthorne Hotel.

May we help you plan your special day?

Call us at 978-825-4358.

Juli

Winter Wedding Gift Bag

This was a lovely, thoughtful and appropriate gift bag for the hotel guests who are staying here this weekend, attending a February Winter Wedding, that we thought we would share it with you. It included bottle water, Valentine's Day conversation hearts and "Bliss" chocolates, along with some mints, and granola bars, all in a personalized bag commemorating the occasion.

While it is certainly thoughtful, practical, and seasonal, it was not an overly expensive item to put together -- it is fully representative of the fact that you can have a wedding centered around the elegant Hawthorne Hotel and use Hawthorne Catering, but you don't need to spend a fortune.

Stay tuned for more on our affordable elegance.

Juli

Glimpses of some weddings

This past weekend saw us hosting weddings with winter themes (of course) and we thought you might like a look.


Juli

Two Cakes for One Wedding

The wedding which took place in the Ballroom on New Year's Eve featured not one, but two cakes, and here they are for you to enjoy seeing. The first was a very traditional cake (above), and the second was a groom's cake made in the shape of a hat -- guess you can figure out a lot about this happy couple, just by looking at their cakes.



If you have an unusual aspect of your wedding, and want that featured in our wedding blog, please be sure to let your catering manager know. We will do our best to include you right here.

Juli