a shabby-chic tutorial

11 May 2010 | decor, food, wine & spirits | Tags: , , ,
The current rage in wedding themes is “Shabby Chic.”  We love this earthy, relaxed approach to a backyard or farm wedding.  The key is to toss any notions of matchy-match colour schemes out the window in favour of bright, playful colours, contrasting patterns, and jumbled, laid-back décor.  Add a drawn-out dinner menu featuring local foods & wines and treat your nearest and dearest to a perfect shabby-chic affair.

 

Welcome guests with a rustic cheese plate, breads, and a zippy cocktail such as the Ginger-basil Bash, which combines muddled lemon, ginger, & basil with chilled vodka & ginger beer.

 

Our ideal 100-mile menu for such an event would begin with a traditional Hungarian soup, prepared over an open fire in a cast-iron pot.  Slowly braised beef from the shank would be prepared with potatoes & root vegetables; serving this rustic soup in a clean-lined white bowl would be a beautiful contrast.  For the entrée, breaded provimi veal from a farm in Cambridge would be served with a local arugula, tomato and onion salad with caramelized sweet potatoes.  A sweet ending to the meal would be a trio of lemon panna cotta, warm chocolate cake, and vanilla crème with freshly picked berries.

 

antique-style amber tumblers

antique-style amber tumblers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Set the table with coloured, antique-like glassware; we love these amber tumblers from Anthropologie for water or wine.  With the above menu, we would serve local bottles such as Norman Hardie’s 2007 Pinot Noir and Cave Spring’s Off-Dry Riesling.

 

A dinner under the stars sounds perfectly romantic … until you trip over a tree stump.  Light the way with these vintage-style string lights from Restoration Hardware…and then enjoy them after the wedding in your own garden.

vintage-style string lights

vintage-style string lights

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Early summer evenings can be a bit chilly; keep your guests warm & happy with hand-made quilts.  We love trolling through the listings on Etsy to find bright & playful designs. 

 

a cozy & comfy quilt

a cozy & comfy quilt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Need more ideas?  Please call us at 416.449.5432 to create your own shabby-chic affair.


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