Mid-March, winners of the ACE awards took the stage at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. To enter, each contender was asked to identify the two events the company completed that it felt best represented the company, as well as challenges and favorite aspects.
Throughout the year, Catersource.com will profile the winners and nominees of the 2017 ACE awards. In the next installation of our series, we are placing a keen eye on Jaclyn Watson Events who took the ACE award for Operations under $2 million in the East region.
Events • East region • Operations under $2 million • Jaclyn Watson Events
Classic Refinement in a Vintage Coach Barn
Kendall and Will’s wedding was a refined classic style achieved through simple, organic movement. The family-oriented wedding brought their closest friends and loved ones to the beautiful, vintage Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms where they dined alfresco in the courtyard and watched the sun set behind the beautiful blue Adirondack Mountains across Lake Champlain. The location was special to the couple because Will grew up in Vermont and came back here for his schooling, while Kendall grew up on San Juan Island. The lakeside affair brought back fond memories of all the water and nature she grew up around. Their guests dined family-style thanks to Let’s Pretend Catering under an elegantly lit courtyard of bistro lights by Vermont Tent Company and an abundance of candlelight by Nectar & Root. Their evening came to an end with a stunning sparkler send-off that helped to capture one of the most magical moments for a loving couple.
Challenges
“Our couple was very laid back,” said Jaclyn Watson, “and our vendor team meshed very well together, therefore, overall our event went off without many challenges. However, one definite point of stress came with the venue and the hope to keep the reception alfresco. In Vermont, weather is very unpredictable and the decision to tent or not to tent needs to be made several days in advance. Had we needed to tent the courtyard the entire look and feel of the event would have changed and much of the surrounding building hidden from sight. Thankfully, the weather was perfect and our couple had the wedding of their dreams under an open sky.”
Favorite touches
There are many things we loved about this wedding, said Watson. “One of our favorites was how they incorporated personal touches from their families. Kendall’s mother had San Juan sea salt shipped to Vermont, and every guest got to take home a little piece of Kendall’s history as the wedding favor. Then, Let’s Pretend Catering used apples from Will’s uncle's orchard, located right here in Vermont, for the apple strudel dessert.
“Another favorite personal touch was that the couple had their dog, Ajax, in the wedding party.
He was a wonderfully behaved, young yellow lab and for us at Jaclyn Watson Events, dogs in weddings is always a treat! We are huge dog lovers here, and regularly have all three beagles in the office with us while we work.
“Lastly, while sparkler send-offs are definitely not uncommon, Paul Reynolds Photography captured Kendall and Will’s magical send-off perfectly! It’s a beautiful image of their family and friends lining the path from the beautiful arched entry of the Coach Barn and Kendall, and Will’s faces are both aglow with love and happiness! The image, once again, captures the beautiful, intimate feel of this event.”
Next week on Catersource.com: A Fare Extraordinaire’s Mercury Baroque 15th Anniversary Crystal Gala
