Nothing beats ice cream in the summer! Adding a Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Sundae bar to your wedding reception is the perfect enhancement for those hot summer days. 

Ben & Jerry's added some new flavors to the Ice Cream they off at your reception. Here is the new list with those great additions.

If you want some more information about this enhancement or want to add it to your wedding package, please give us a call at 860-347-7171 or send us an e-mail!

It is always nice to get a Thank You Card in the mail after the hard work of putting together a bride & groom's wedding day and reception but this is just as thoughtful.

One of our Wedding Planners, Mary-Beth, received this Thank You Card from one our happy couples to be married at The Barns at Wesleyan Hills this July after their Detail Appointment a few weeks ago. 

This means we must be doing something right! Thank you so much Tracy & Steve for sharing your thoughts and feedback with us! We can't wait to celebrate your special day with you.

Want to do something fun and interactive at your wedding? Try adding a Photobooth! Photo booths are great ways to get your guests involved in your reception and make sure they are having the best time.

Photo booths can also serve as your party favors. You can buy some picture frames so when your guests are done taking pictures, they can frame them and there they go; they have a great party favor that will truly be memorable. 

These pictures are from the Photobooth provided by Harry Gambardella Entertainment. Our staff always has a great time creating memories with the photo booth and I am positive your guests will too.

Here at The Connecticut Wedding Group and Pavilion Catering, we host more than just great weddings. We have a variety of different events over the 2011 season like holiday parties, a benefit dinner, and a retirement party. It is always nice to hear back from these customers as well about what they thought of our services.

We held a retirement party at The Wadsworth Mansion after the weekend of the unplanned snow storm back in October. Take a look at the kind Thank You Card they sent to us about this event:

We also held a benefit dinner for Tammy McDowell & Family in December to help support her and her family after her diagnosis of cancer. Read their gracious words about the benefit we held for them at The Pavilion on Crystal Lake:

:) We owe you a big Thank You as well for the generous words you have shared with us. We always want to keep you happy!

With our 2012 Menu Tasting events under our belt, we wanted to extend a big THANK YOU! to all of our 2012 and 2013 Brides, Grooms, and Families who were able to attend our menu tasting events this year! We had such a great time meeting everyone and hearing what exciting plans you have for your upcoming weddings with us! It's our goal to make your wedding planning as relaxing as possible and we hope that we gave you some great decorating and menu choice ideas! We also want to thank our vendors who helped make our events a success! We look forward to a wonderful wedding season with creative ideas, great food, and wonderful couples!

Below is a thank you we received from a mother of one of our 2012 brides!

With our 2012 Menu Tasting events under our belt, we wanted to extend a big THANK YOU! to all of our 2012 and 2013 Brides, Grooms, and Families who were able to attend our menu tasting events this year! We had such a great time meeting everyone and hearing what exciting plans you have for your upcoming weddings with us! It's our goal to make your wedding planning as relaxing as possible and we hope that we gave you some great decorating and menu choice ideas! We also want to thank our vendors who helped make our events a success! We look forward to a wonderful wedding season with creative ideas, great food, and wonderful couples!

Below is a thank you we received from a mother of one of our 2012 brides!

This Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at The Pavilion on Crystal Lake we have our Fall Menu Tasting & Event Planning Spectacular!

If you are already booked with us, or interested in our company and want to learn more about us, it would be a great way to see who we are and exactly what we have to offer you for your wedding receptions.

Don't miss out on the chance to taste the delicious food we have before your 2012 wedding!

Please call 860-347-7171 to make your reservation or email us and let us know if you would like to attend! Check out the details below about the event.

This just in.. we have two dates open that just opened up in August and September of this year!

At The Pavilion on Crystal Lake, Friday, September 30, 2012 is now available!

We are less than a week away from the Spring & Summer Menu Tasting & Event Planning Spectacular for The Connecticut Wedding Group! Booked or unbooked brides, be sure to make this event to see all that we have to offer! Check out the flyer below to review all the information for this event.

Get ready to enjoy some delicious food, see spectacular decor options, and experience the creative wedding enhancements at The Connecticut Wedding Group's 2012 Menu Tasting & Event Planning Spectacular!

On Saturday, January 21st, 2012, all the Spring and Summer Brides can come and taste the fantastic seasonally inspired menu items. Check out the flyer below to review all the information!

Rachel & Ryan celebrated their reception with us at The Lyman Orchards Golf Club! You already got a sneak peek at a video from their wedding but now we can share some pictures from their wedding day! 

**We would like to thank Justin Bass Photography for being so generous to share his lovely images with us!

Rachel & Ryan had their ceremony off site but Lyman Orchards Golf Club provided many unique locations for bridal pictures before the reception and party began!

We hope that Rachel & Ryan had as much fun on the honeymoon as they did at their wedding! We received this thank you card in the mail from the newlywed couple a few weeks ago:

Thank you so much for those kind words! We had an amazing time coordinating and helping plan their wedding day over the months. We wish this happy couple many, many years to come!

The entire Pavilion Catering family is saddening by the news that Tammy McDowell has been diagnosed with cancer. The diagnosis, always cruel, was especially so as it came at the same time she and husband Steve were celebrating the birth of their second son, Jacob. Both his birth and the diagnosis happened four weeks ago. Both Tammy and Steve are long time members of the Pavilion Catering family.

Steve's sister, Marybeth McDowell, has put together a fundraiser that will go to a Foundation to help with medical expenses and benefit their two boys, the elder of whom is 3-year old A.J. The event will be from 5-9 p.m. on Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at the Pavilion on Crystal Lake located at 144 Prout Hill Road in Middletown. There will be a buffet dinner that will be served continuously and there will be a raffle and a silent auction, which will include UConn and New York Yankees tickets and many other items.

Anyone wishing to donate items for the raffle or auction may contact Ms. McDowell at Marybeth.mcdowell@gmail.com. Admission to the fundraiser is $20.

Sunday October 30th, 2011, will be remembered by many as the day after the giant Nor'easter that hit Connecticut full force rendering hundreds of thousands of people without power, not here at CT Wedding Group or in the case of our bride and groom Jenna and Chris Greenhill, October 30th will instead be remembered as the day of the "Miracle Wedding". With all of Middletown out of power, 21 members of the Pavilion Catering staff came together to pack up the Barns and drive down to St. John's Orthodox Church, where Jenna and Chris's ceremony was taking place, to convert the basement of the Church into the perfect wedding reception for the couple. The result was wedding magic.  

St. John's opened their hall and kitchen, giving us full reign of the facility to pull it off. With their help and the incredible support of Jenna and Chris's family and guests, tables were set and hors-d'oeuvres ready for passing at 4:00 on the dot. Two hours later dinner was cleared and the dance floor opened for the party to commence! A moment didn't pass without a guest walking into the kitchen to thank us for all of our efforts. 

I would like to take this moment to thank all of them for their patience and support. The Goetz's and Greenhill's may not have planned or expected for their location to move the day of the wedding, but no one would have ever known the day of. The positivity, appreciation and joy that filled the banquet room that Sunday was inspiring. 

Here at Pavilion Catering & CT Wedding Group we have always thought of ourselves as a family, as a team that can perform so well because of our connection to each other and our work. Jenna and Chris's wedding is not only a testament to that but also stood as a reminder to all of us that with love, hard work, and respect we are a team that can and will go above and beyond for our brides and grooms. 

 

Last week we received a thank you note from Jenna's parents, Colonel and Mrs. Robert Goetz that we would like to share with you. 

We are starting something new here and that is Guest Blogging. Today's comes from Kim of Kim's Cottage Confections; a wonderful, delicious and local bakery, just the next town over! When you book your wedding with us and want you cake made through us as well, we use Kim's Cottage Confections to create that delectable dessert to have at your reception!

Check out her website to see what tasty desserts she has to offer for any occasion or to make your wedding day dessert stand out! 

Topic of the Day = Cake Toppers!
Kim runs into so many unique and creative ideas for cake toppers, nothing ever seems to amaze of surprise her. This is what she has to say about the idea:

"At Cottage Confections, the question isn't who's on top, but rather, what's on top? On top of your wedding cake that is. Once the size of the cake is determined, the detailed design discussions are complete, and the flavor selections are made, the final question remains "What are you putting on top of your cake? Be different! Let your cake top compliment your cake while honoring your personality and creativity! Over this last year, we have graced our wedding cakes with the like of handmade elephants, penguins, owls, a personalized pennant flag and baseball, mini flags reading 'I DO', delicate musical fabric birds, and a wooden figure of a bride and groom. Everyone love flowers, and a monogram is elegant, but how fun to stir up a conversation among your guests when they arrive to find something wild perched on top of your wedding cake!"  So go ahead and mix it up and don't be afraid to let your colors show! It is always fun and interesting to see something new. Go ahead and check out what some of the brides did for cake toppers this past year.

We take such pride and joy helping couples plan their big day and enjoy that they choose us to spend their day with! But what makes that even more special, is when the couple shares their story with us of how they met, the proposal and all the other moments that led up to choosing a venue and their wedding day. We had a great time helping Anna & Nick make their wedding day dreams come to life.

From the beginning!

There is always two sides to every story. Anna and Nick remember the day the met so vividly, but they tell that story in different ways. Nick recollects from the very first day they met. Nick tells his story, "We met at the Bidwell Tavern in Coventry, CT one faithful evening. I asked Anna to dance she said yes (to my surprise). We danced in tiny area going around in tiny circles. I wanted to ask her out that night but decided against it as that might have been weird and too aggressive. I knew that we had mutual friends so I decided to wait until I ran into her again. Little did I know that wouldn't happen until about 4 months later. The next time I saw her ...I again, chickened out. BUT the third time I gathered my courage and took the plunge." I guess it's true what they say when the third times a charm! Anna, on the other hand, tells their story from their first date,"Nick took me out to a Sushi restaurant for our first date. We spent all evening talking. When I returned home that night my mom said I had the silliest grin on my face and she knew since that moment that someone truly special had entered my life." It's funny how mothers always know!

 

The rest is history!

Anna and Nick have been together ever since. And now it is time to make it official and tie the knot. But first comes the proposal. Anna describes the magical day that took place out in Rhode Island, "It was a beautiful Saturday in April 2010. Nick was suppose to be dropping me off at a cousin's baby shower but had made different plans instead. When he told  me he was bringing me to Newport instead of the baby shower I assumed he had something planned. Nick packed a picnic and we began to hike the Cliff Walk. Apparently the entire time he was keeping an eye out for the 'perfect' engagement spot. Nick's favorite joke about this day is that I was even carrying the ring half the time during our walk as it was in our picnic knap-sack. A couple hours into our walk we discovered a nice area to eat lunch. There was a nice grassy area off the trail that overlooked the ocean. After throwing down the picnic blanket Nick got down on one knee and asked those magic words... 'Will you marry me?'".     :)

And now to the wedding planning!

Which of course, is one of the most happy yet stressful process that a couple can go through. But not for this extraordinary couple and Anna tells us "Planning our wedding was a wonderful and fun experience. We are not a traditional couple and knew exactly what we wanted our wedding to be like. I had been day-dreaming of a tented reception and outdoor ceremony even before the proposal so our first step was to find a venue with a tent in Connecticut. We looked at a few locations before finding Lyman Orchards." And a tented wedding at Lyman's is certainly a sight to see!

But it does take some time and patience to find the perfect venue for your dream wedding. "There were not many options to choose from and what we did find was out of our price range or extremely far away" as Anna explains in her hunt for the perfect venue. Continuing with her story "The mother of the bride saved the day when she found Lyman Orchards and e-mailed the link over to us. Nick, my parents and I (the bride) visited Lyman Orchards one Saturday morning to visit with Jonathan, a wedding coordinator. When we showed up at the golf course a little early to scope out the area I knew we had found the perfect venue for our wedding. Jonathan discussed reception details and how the venue could be used. We then went for a ride through the area and into the apple orchard where we were shown a possibility for a ceremony site. The ceremony site was just as perfect as the tent." Anna had an idea in here head, and with some help and persistence, it became reality. You can see that the ceremony site is truly breathtaking and one of a kind!

Anna describes the ceremony as "White chairs were set up in a field overlooking the orchard. We knew some guests would drive to the golf course by accident instead of the orchard for the ceremony. Jonathan and Mary-Beth made sure that any guest who ended up at the golf course made it to the correct ceremony location on time. We have no complaints regarding the ceremony. Everything went smoothly and then we were headed off to the party." Thank you Anna! We certainly want everyone to make it to the ceremony to witness the happy couple becoming husband an wife!

Now it was time to make her dream into reality and book the venue with us! Along the course of Anna planning her wedding with us, she had nothing but wonderful things to say about us, which we truly appreciate, "Pavilion Catering offered us several lists of different services such as DJ's, florists and photographers to look into. Jonathan told us to always feel free to contact the company with any questions or concerns that came up over the next year. I did take Jonathan up on that offer and had sent several e-mails throughout the year of planning. I never waited long for a response and was always given answers." It is always nice to hear that our hard work does help out our bride and grooms throughout their time planning their wedding. It is what we are here for! We want your wedding day to look like this:

It's all in the details!

The Florist: For Anna, "Flowers were one of the most important parts of the wedding for me. We met with a few different florists (more than once), and ended up using Nyron Florist located in Southington and Avon, CT. Paul Nyron
and his crew made my vision come to life. He created a forest look inside the tent using curly willow, moss and succulents as accents."

The Dress: Everyone, or at least the women, certainly care about the dress and where it was purchased from. For Anna, "My dress was from The White Dress on the Shore in Clinton, CT. We ended up buying a sample dress made of the material I wanted and re-designing it into my dream dress." No matter what a dress looks like when you purchase it, there are always things to do that can make it original and fit your personality, making it a one of a kind dress!

The First Dance: Everyone wants to start out their reception with high-energy and in party mode and so did Anna & Nick. "One of my favorite parts of our reception was our choreographed first dance. We wanted to do something different in order to set a fun tone for the evening. After e-mailing several dance studios we found a choreographer in Manchester, CT. Kandi Mendez owns Northstar Dance Academy in Manchester, CT. I told her we wanted to have a choreographed dance to 'I Gotta Feeling' by The Black Eyed Peas that would include three other couples (four friends and the bride's parents). Our first dance began to a slow song, 'Feels Like Home', which then cut our after the minute. We wanted the guests to think that something tragic happened to the music. Then 'I Gotta Feeling' began. Nick and I danced together for the first few measures and then one of couples jumped in for the first chorus. Soon after the second couple joined in and then my parents. The entire dance was a complete surprise to the guests. They believed the music had really cut out. They were also surprised when what they thought were regular guests jumped into the dance. My parents joining in brought the most laughs. Our dance definitely set the tone for our wedding. Everyone was on the floor after wards, socializing and having a good time." Anna knew what it would take to get the crowd off their feet and enjoy their time at her special day. Through the pictures, you could see the happy expressions on all the faces.

The Bridal Party's Wardrobe: The Bridal Party always looks gorgeous but they can't look better than the bride, of course. So, where is it that they purchased their lovely attire? Anna tells us "The groomsmen and ushers wore navy blazers and khakis which we got through Men's Wearhouse who offered us a fair deal. The bridesmaid's dresses were from J.Crew."

The Food: We take such pride in the preparation and presentation when it comes to our food, so we love when we hear compliments on the food we serve. Since Anna wanted her guests to enjoy dancing and socializing at the event, she explains how "Jonathan suggested turning the served appetizer into an extra appetizer at cocktail hour to shorten the overall dinner a little. This plan worked perfectly. We had an extra appetizer at cocktail hour, gazpacho sliders (which were absolutely beautiful and delicious) and the dinner did not take the entire night. We received an incredible amount of compliments on the food at our wedding." Another aspect of the food that we take pride is in the variety of food we offer. We want to make sure that there will be something that everyone will like no matter what style of food they like. This came into play with this happy couple because "Nick and I have opposite diets. I am a vegetarian while he is from Texas and therefore a big fan of red meat. Pavilion Catering made sure there was no meat in the salads that were served to the five vegetarians at the wedding. I had requested that sweet potatoes be used in our starch dish rather than only Idaho potatoes and that whole grain rolls were included in the bread baskets. Pavilion Catering did an amazing job incorporating both our tastes into our menu and incorporating our requests." A wedding day, is your special day and therefore we want to make sure that you are happy with what you will be getting in our food and service. We always do our best to accommodate all requests and need to make your day one of the best days of your life.

After the main course, comes dessert. "Four days before our wedding we changed our entire dessert menu. We met with Jonathan and Mary-Beth the Wednesday before our wedding. Before our meeting my fiance, parents and I stopped at the Apple Barrel. After sampling some gourmet pies we realized we had to change our original dessert plan to a gourmet Lyman Pie Buffet. Even with four days remaining, Jonathan made our idea reality. The day of our wedding, a dessert table was laid out containing a variety of pies and ice cream and whip cream to top them off." We want to make your wedding day dreams come true and we will do all that is possible to help your vision come to life!

The Wedding Day: All couples want great weather on their wedding day and Anna & Nick had a beautiful July wedding on a perfect summer day. They arrived early to take some pictures around the scenic views of Lyman Orchards. Anna tells "Our party bus took the bridal party around the orchard and golf course for pictures. The apple orchard offered numerous options for fun outdoor pictures. Near the golf course we found old stone walls, a barn, and fence to use as photo scene." Having great pictures from your wedding day are key so you can relive this happy day for many years to come.

We have an on site coordinator that is at your event from start to finish to make sure your wedding by goes smoothly with no problems. We want you to enjoy your day! "Mary-Beth did an amazing job making sure we had a successful cocktail hour and reception. She made sure Nick and I had what we needed at all times and would ask if were ready for introductions or for dinner to being before making the move. She found the perfect balance between addressing our needs without taking us away from our event. At the end of the night, Mary-Beth had everything packed up and organized. Gifts, flower arrangements and all supplies that were brought in were boxed up and placed together on a table. Mary-Beth explained where everything was and made sure nothing was missing or out of place."

As the night came to an end, it was time to say goodbye but remember the wonderful times that you shard with Anna and Nick, at the ceremony and reception, held at Lyman Orchards Golf Club. Anna continues to tell us "We have received so many compliments on our wedding. The day of the wedding, the next week and even over the next couple months, family and friends would remind us what a great time they had. The majority of the compliments were on the food, flowers, and venue. Everyone loved that it was 'out of the box'. They especially enjoyed the location of the ceremony and thought the tent was beautiful. I would recommend Pavilion Catering to any engaged couple looking for an original venue and good caterer. The service was truly impeccable. Everyone we worked with was sincere, thoughtful and helpful. As of today, our wedding has been the best day of my life."   :)

We are just a couple of glowing reviews away from winning the prestigious 2012 Brides Choice Award from  WeddingWire and we need your help to get there!

If you were super happy with your wedding at the Pavilion on Crystal Lake, the Barns at Wesleyan Hills, Lyman Orchards Golf Club or Wadsworth Mansion, please help us win by completing the review form listed here WeddingWire Review Site

After you complete and submit the review, please email me at jonathan@ctweddinggroup.com and so I can send you a little "thank you" for taking the time to help.

Thank you all!!

Our last wedding of the season at Lyman Orchards Golf Club brought our beautiful weather and a fantastic party! Check out this video from Summer Wind Wedding Films that was shot, edited and showed right at the wedding!

Rachel + Ryan SAME DAY EDIT from Michael Murray on Vimeo.

Catersource is the largest gathering of caterers in the world and our annual source for inspiration!
I am giving away a free wedding cake to the first bride who can spot me in the video! Email your answer to jonathan@ctweddinggroup.com!

Update: Rachel D. and her Fiance have come the closest so far!

Rachel is the winner! 4:15 ... Traci and I are in the front row listening to the incredibly talented Alan Berg talk about the latest trends in weddings.  Rachel will enjoy a custom designed wedding cake at her wedding at the Barns at Wesleyan Hills next spring ... all for free! Congratulations Rachel and thank you to everyone who played!!

We will always say we have the best staff...because, well, we do...!

This past Saturday night, sixty members of the Pavilion Catering family got together at The Lyman Orchards Golf Club and celebrated the holiday season with incredible food, non-stop dance music (thanks to Todd Powers of Jock-in-the-Box Entertainment!), and a photo booth (thanks to Geoff of Photobooth Planet!) that turned out some pretty hilarious shots of our favorite waiters, waitresses, management, and culinary staff!

In addition, we all got together and collected canned goods to donate to The Amazing Grace Food Pantry in our very own Middletown, CT, as well as two huge boxes full of toys that we donated to The Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford.  It was great to be able to give a little something back to the community and state that we love!

Okay here we go...take a look at all the fun!

A few weeks ago we celebrated with enough apples to ensure health for the rest of your life.  Ashley and Vin exchanged vows in a beautiful country field next to rows and rows of apple trees at Lyman Orchards in Middlefield, CT.  The reception was held at the picturesque, Lyman Orchard's Golf Club. The tent under which they ate and danced and celebrated was lit with all of the most gorgeous colors.   The pallet of purples and yellows made the championship greens glow. 

Below are some striking photographs taken by the incredibly talented Danielle Fuller of Beyond the Lens Photography.  Danielle is one of our favorite artists:)  Take a look at all the beauty and all the love and all the apples!

Those greens sure make for quite the backdrop.

And on to the reception!

The groom was interested in adding some bar-style food to the menu, and we were game!  The french fries, served in authentic bamboo cones on an artist's pallet (middle left), paired excellently with the delicious sliders (bottom left) that were passed butler style during a relaxing cocktail hour beneath the tent! 

After a delectable buffet dinner, dessert was served...Ben & Jerry's style!  The toppings featured below were all a part of the awesome spread set up by Ben & Jerry's for the couple's very own Ice Cream Sundae Bar!

Check out how that tent glows from the outside as the party begins!

Nothing like a little tradition:)

And then, well...we don't know what happened...haha.

A night well done, if we do say so ourselves!  Let us know if you ever want to renew your vows Ashley and Vin!  Our staff had a blast:)

It's my favorite time of the year for weddings in Connecticut. We have just finished up a terrific summer season and are looking forward to many successful wedding at our venues this Fall!