Event Spotlight: JoAnn + Mike's Boston Wedding at the Waterworks Museum
Boston Wedding SpotlightJoAnn and Mike wanted to celebrate their wedding in a fun and elegant way. The Waterworks Museum was a perfect choice for their reception venue, featuring more than enough uniquely designed spaces to accommodate the 200+ guests.
Beautiful Waterworks Museum Wedding in Boston
As the museum layout did not provide many large open spaces for gathering to enjoy passed hors d’oeuvres, BG worked out the logistics to roll those items out on bookcases. Each bookcase focused on a new dish and offered a new delicious experience for each guest to enjoy.
Boston Wedding Menu
JoAnn and Mike's reception menu featured a variety of delectable items including:- Baby iceberg wedge salads served in shaker containers
- Crispy fried chicken on mini waffles served with a chipotle maple syrup
- Corn and bacon griddlecakes served with a tomato relish
- Grilled medallions of beef served with bleu cheese “tater tots” and finished with a demi wine glaze
The couple and their guests all agreed that the food and event concepts designed by BG Events and Catering made the entire night a great success. JoAnn and Mike are proud to have showed their guests a truly wonderful experience that was “nothing short of amazing.”
Event Location: The Waterworks MuseumPhotographer: Darlene DeVita Photography More Articles You Might Like:
Event Spotlight: Allie + Sam's Wedding
At BG Events and Catering, we take special pride in being able to showcase our successful events as well as the individuals that planned and enjoyed them.Peruse the photos below for event inspiration, decoration ideas and a true testimonial to the event planning magic we can perform to help you create lasting, life-long memories.
In this month’s featured event, we show you how we helped Allie and Sam celebrate their special day in dream-like fashion.
Allie and Sam’s reception was held at the iconic Endicott Estate, complete with rustic, shabby-chic décor that the two selected together.
A band serenaded and entertained guests throughout the event. Guests were welcomed with a cocktail hour, complete with champagne and passed hors d’oeuvres, as they began to enjoy the festivities. The dining area of the event was adorned with a combination of burlap and lace, creating the perfect upscale yet rustic atmosphere.
A pre-set first course welcomed guests to the wedding reception feast. Family-style food presentations made guests’ mouths water, and the lengthy menu was a huge hit:
- Coconut Crusted Shrimp Lollipops with Spiced Pineapple Sauce
- Vegetarian Summer Roll with Thai Cucumber Sauce
- Tuna Sashimi on Golden Beat Chip with Wasabi Aioli
- Mini Lavash Wafer with Seared Duck Breast with Kumquat Marmalade
- Pepper Crusted Beef Tenderloin Crostini with Fresh Horseradish and Tomato Jam
- Goat Cheese and Beet Napoleon with Arugula and Citrus Vinaigrette
- Grilled Pork Loin with Fire Roasted Pineapple Salsa
- Grilled Onglet (Hanger Steak) with Garlic and Shallot Jus
- Vinegar-based Coleslaw
- Sauté of Haricot Vert and Rainbow Carrots with Fennel and Shallots
- Toasted Rosemary Potatoes
- Grilled Seasonal Vegetable Torte with Parmiggiano Reggiano Cheese
- New England Style Sweet Cornbread
- Assorted Mini Desserts including Key Lime Pie, Lemon Meringue and Italian Mini Pastries
- Bacon, Chive and Jalapeno Cornbread
- Whoopie Pie with Maple Filling
Many traditional moments were captured throughout the event, such as the cake cutting. In a modern twist, Allie and Sam had a “Selfie-Cam” that streamed photos of the event as they were happening.
Personal photos were placed throughout the event space, personalizing the space with images of Allie and Sam’s families and friends. The entire event was a great success! Event Location: Endicott EstatePhotographer: Dan Aguirre PhotographyEvent Planner: Blue Ivy EventsFlowers: Harrington FlowersBand: La Vie en RoseCake: Party FavorsPlace Cards: Seven Swans Wedding StationeryMore Articles You Might Like:
Event Spotlight: Tim’s Party of the Century
Tim, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) mascot, recently celebrated his 100th birthday party, a milestone that MIT deemed more than worthy of a glamorous afternoon affair. Held at MIT’s Johnson Ice Rink Center, this 900 guest, seated and plated lunch event and party to follow were both great successes.Take a look at the beautiful event displayed in the vibrant images below.
Lunch was served at elegantly designed tables. The meal included a delectable combination of:
- Grilled Rosemary Chicken with Lemon Aioli
- Charred Leek Potatoes
- Grilled Asparagus
- Soy Glazed Tofu with Asian Rice Salad
- Baby Bok Choy
- Artisan Rolls with Butter Balls
- Miniature Desserts with MIT logos
- Lemonade Service in the lobby
- Iced Tea and Water at each table
- Coffee and Tea Service at each table
After lunch concluded, we spent six hours transforming Johnson Ice Rink into “Tim’s Party of the Century,” creating an stylish space filled with all the accents of Hollywood glitz and glam.
The event was designed to celebrate Tim, so his image and name were prominently displayed throughout the party.
We worked with a lighting designer to visually transform the Ice Rink space, utilizing pools of warm light to highlight different event elements.
Guests enjoyed a Hollywood-style red carpet, a VIP area, dramatic diamond décor throughout the event, and even a 1000 birthday cupcake display.
The event was a great success, and everyone in attendance had a wonderful time.
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Event Spotlight: High Wire Doughnuts
Our client approached us wanting a creative, quirky and cocktail-style breakfast party. We were immediately excited to get started on this event!The client wanted a really fun and imaginative way to display doughnuts because the guest of honor loved doughnuts. So, we brainstormed possible ways to display these tasty breakfast treats and dubbed the event “High Wire Doughnuts”.The BG team constructed a “high wire” custom copper display unit where we hung dozens of doughnuts for guests to admire…and eat!
Since it was clear this wouldn’t be a typical breakfast event, we wanted to add even more interesting ways to display our food. In lieu of the typical fruit display, we created a fun, deconstructed Berry Bar by filling vintage apothecary jars with fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries.
What the client really loved about this event was the juxtaposition of the modern white and plexi with the vintage jarsThe menu included tray-passed breakfast hors d’oeuvres, which were as inspiring as they were delicious. They included:
- Petite Chicken and Waffles
- Mini Potato Latkes
- Sausage and Biscuits
- Baked Eggs in Mini Bacon Cups
- Caramelized Onion and Egg Quesadillas
- Hanging Homemade Doughnuts
- Fresh Berry Bar
- Yogurt and Granola Panna Cotta
We also offered guests refreshing tray-passed mocktails, because what’s a brunch event without some fruit beverages?
The awesome sight of hanging doughnuts sure made guests hungry, and we saw lots of full stomachs and happy faces. Overall, this event was a smash hit.
Event Spotlight: Winter Wedding
Jaime + Ivy
Jaime and Ivy’s wedding and ceremony took place in a small church in front of close family and friends. The couple felt that the intimate ceremony perfectly described their relationship.
The church aisle was covered in flower petals and flowers which, as you will see, played an integral part in the décor for the evening.
The couple had specific taste in both décor and florals, so we met with them to discuss their options. We came up with the idea of using flowers as the main element of décor, and the florist even designed 3-D sculptures of the bride and groom’s initials. The great room in which the reception took place was also decorated with tasteful floral centerpieces, which guests admired as they sat down to an exquisite BG catered meal.
We worked with the couple to customize this menu. The couple and their guests enjoyed a first course of Leek and Tomato Tart Tatin which was followed by the main entrée, Herb Marinated and Seared Chicken Breast, Sauté of Haricot Vert and Rainbow Carrots and an Individual Potato Soufflé. Dessert for the evening was Red Velvet Cake served with Coffee and Tea Service.Because the groom is Spanish, and because many of his family members flew in from Spain to attend the wedding, it was only fitting that we also provide our table menus in both English and Spanish. The groom felt this was so thoughtful and the family members from Spain were very appreciative. Plus, we loved how romantic the menu looked and sounded in Spanish!In the end, after cutting the cake, sharing a first dance and indulging in a wonderful plated dinner, the couple had a fantastic experience, as did family and friends. Our bride was moved to tears at the beauty of the day and night, and we were right there with her. It was truly a wedding that fit the couple’s dream and we feel fortunate to have helped them experience it.
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Event Spotlight: Fall-Themed
Our Boston financial district client’s open house event featured some of BG’s most creative catering tricks, including the colors of fall, foods of the season and results of great proportions.Take a look at this successful autumn event theme and catering in the brilliant images below.We began with visions of the fall season, using warm browns and reds as inspiration for tablescapes, layouts and food presentations. 
The floral design was an important element, elegantly tying natural sophistication into the theme and presentation. 
We created a customized menu for our client that equally suited its preferences and the event theme. Our resulting menu satisfied both to the extreme!Our stationary and passed hors d’oeuvres menus included:
- An Antipasto Display
- Fiery Pumpkin Dip
- Traditional Hummus
- Grilled Chicken Skewers
- Roasted Tomato Soup Sippers
- Mini Cheeseburger Sliders
- Fingerling Potato Cups
- Pigs in a Blanket
- Warm Pretzel Bites
Our !ndulge Petite Sweets menu, accompanied by Micro Roasted Coffee Service, included:- Hand-wrapped Salted Caramels
- Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cookies
- Carrot Cake Pops
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
- Apple Pie in a Jar
- Chocolate Bacon Desserts
The drink service included a special fall-themed Apple Cider, Cranberry and Vodka cocktail that guests loved!
At the end of the event, guests left with a token of the client’s appreciation, as well as a sweet take-home treat to enjoy later. Each of the takeaway gifts were pre-wrapped in cellophane and tied with a company logo-branded ribbon provided by the client.Our takeaway gifts included:- Caramel Apples
- Pumpkin Whoopee Pies with Cream Cheese Filling
- Chocolate Whoopee Pies with Orange-dyed Vanilla Filling
Event Spotlight: An Awards Night to Remember
We at BG pulled out all of the stops during one of our most recent events, the MIT ALC Awards Dinner.This event was a huge hit, and with such a large crew geared up, we couldn’t have been more excited to give this wonderful client a really super evening.The evening began with the set-up. Our crew arrived on scene and quickly got to work with a briefing of the timeline of events to come.
Not long after, the entire team worked together turning this great venue…
…into the beautifully arranged landscape below.
The scene was set, the crew prepped and we were more than ready to produce a night to remember.
As the evening began, all 350 guests were invited to mingle in the reception areas.
The kitchen was hard at work behind the scenes preparing the delicious cuisine that guests would enjoy later in the evening.
We passed and set up stations of hors d’oeuvres throughout the beautiful venue. Our tray-passed hors d’oeuvres menu included Butternut Squash Soup Shooters, Roasted Pumpkin Tartlets with Duck Confit, Garam Masala Chicken on Petite Papadom, and a Manchego, Sliced Fig and Almond Crostini.Our stationary hors d’oeuvres included a Mediterranean display and an Imported and Domestic Cheese display.
As the dinner began, we invited guests to take a seat to enjoy a first course of Mixed Greens in a Ficelle Cuff Crouton. Following the salads, guests dined on a duo plate of New England Crab Cakes and Slow Braised Beef Short Rib, Sautéed Haricot Vert, Roasted Root Vegetables with Heirloom Carrots, and Assorted Artisan Rolls.
Immediately following the dinner service, guests dined on a delicious Flourless Chocolate Cherry Cake dessert.
As the dinner segment of the event wound down, guests tuned in for the presentation portion of the evening honoring those receiving awards.
It was a beautiful evening, and one that we hope the MIT ALC Awards guests won’t soon forget. We know our BG team sure won’t!
Event Spotlight: Photo Nights Boston—at the Boston Center for the Arts Cyclorama
On October 3rd, Photo Nights Boston held its public photo festival at the Cyclorama in Boston, an event venue operated by the Boston Center for the Arts.Photo Nights Boston, a non-profit organization founded in 2010, promotes photography as a chance to “Project Yourself.” The group supports local photographers and artists throughout the year, culminating in a public photo festival catered by BG Events and Catering.
The Cyclorama is a classically beautiful Boston event venue featuring a wide open space that can be dressed to fit any kind of event theme and fit a very large number of guests. Since the benefit was for Photo Nights Boston, we turned the Cyclorama event space into a sleek, industrial city atmosphere using the different regions of Boston as our inspiration.
The photos themselves were captured all over the city of Boston, so we decided our menu should reflect the same love for our city. We featured cuisine made famous by geographic location, with examples including North End Italian, Chinatown and Fenway Park.
Guests were able to experience Boston’s unique culinary scene through an array of appetizers, hors d’oeuvres and other casual foods.
We displayed the food on towering steel shelving throughout the Cyclorama, giving guests ample space to congregate and dine while also supporting our industrial city theme.
The lighting crew designed wonderful effects on each food display, creatively mimicking a Boston city night inside our venue.Our signature dr!nk service provided plenty of delicious beverage options and prompt service from bars strategically located throughout the venue.
Across the Boston venue, we scattered groups of sleek, white lounge furniture to give guests a place to sit and eat while enjoying the photos and mingling with other photography supporters. Overall, the festival was a huge success, and we can’t wait to work with Boston’s Cyclorama and Photo Nights Boston again!
Event Spotlight: An Asian-Italian Wedding Fusion
She’s from Hong Kong, and he’s a New Yorker with Italian heritage. The two met, fell in love and decided to get married…in Boston! This summer, we helped this wonderful couple plan their perfect wedding—a celebration with a special nod to both heritages—then helped make their dream wedding come true.Celebration: WeddingVenue: deCordova Sculpture Park and MuseumGuest count: 150Vision: Asian and Italian fusion utilizing only traditional red and yellow colorsUsing the couple’s wishes and ideas, we accomplished the Asian and Italian fusion via two food stations: one Italian station with an interactive chef polenta board and one Asian station with traditional suckling pig and noodle boxes.
Our team continued the fusion by designing a fire and ice display. It featured a classic New England raw bar enhanced with Asian elements such as tuna tartar with wonton crisps.
The flower displays and bouquets featured the traditional red and yellow colors in beautiful, appropriate centerpieces and table accents.
Entertainment began with a captivating lion dance as guests dined on a starter course and watched, all of them fascinated with the show.
The celebration’s cake was a classic wedding cake in a beautiful, decorated in yellow frosting to match the floral design. Surrounding the traditional wedding treat were several more delectable delights: assorted mini desserts like brownie sundae bombs with chocolate pipette, cake pops and a cannoli station.
In addition to the reception, BG Events and Catering also coordinated the ceremony at the Harvard Business School Chapel, treating the couple to a true full-service experience.
The Reception Menu included:First courseRoasted Tomato Tart served with Goat Cheese & Balsamic, topped with Fresh Herbs & Champagne VinAsian StationSuckling Pig with Hoisin Sauce and Flat BunsWok Street Noodles with Scallions and Bok ChoyVegetable DumplingsItalian StationItalian Polenta BoardBraised VealProsciuttoMushroom, Tomato Sauce, ParmesanCheese-Stuffed Tortellini with Fresh Pesto Sauce
Beach Housewarming Party: A Branded Experience for Sperry Top-Sider Boston Store Opening
The opening of the new Sperry store here in Boston called for a huge celebration, and not just any celebration would do. Our client wanted the whole event, catering and all, to align with its famous Sperry brand’s reputation.But just what did that mean? It meant we got to brand the entire housewarming party experience! Our BG team had a ton of fun partnering with Sperry and brainstorming to create the perfect branded party.
First, we nailed down the theme, which was an easy one since Sperry is well-known for their comfortable, stylish and beachy shoes. The theme was “beach” from the start. Our BG team dressed in the Sperry beachside look, complete with khaki pants, classic brown Sperry shoes and white and blue polo t-shirts. We certainly looked the part! Our culinary team put together a seaside spread full of Cape Cod and New England-style cuisine and finger foods. The food’s presentation was just as stylish and sophisticated as its taste. The menu included summer gazpacho shooters alongside mini grilled cheese sandwiches and mini lobster rolls served with mayo and celery. We also served mini grilled chicken sliders with pickles, crispy onions and a buttermilk ranch sauce, as well as bacon-wrapped scallops with horseradish aioli.
Desserts were custom-made mini desserts, including blueberry panna cotta shooters and anchor cupcakes. Each passing tray—and several other elements of the event—were branded with the Sperry logo to reinforce the client’s brand—after all, that brand was the entire reason all were gathered together!
All guests went home with a swag bag full of Sperry merchandise. How generous!
A photo booth gave guests ample entertainment on the “beach boardwalk” as they roamed around the store floor, ate great beach-inspired food and admired the wonderful merchandise.The final element of the seaside soiree was the drink menu. We served New England craft beers, of course, and the specialty cocktail of the evening was a Cape Cod Fizz (recipe included: vodka, cranberry juice and lime club soda). Yum!
Event Spotlight: When to go Full-Service
Select a delicious caterer, choose a rocking venue, pick out the best florist, brainstorm an awesome theme, find a killer bartender, hire the perfect lighting provider, rent the best furniture… What a list of responsibilities!When throwing a party, there are times when finding and selecting the right vendors for all of your party needs can work. But friends, those times are far and few between. It takes an expert among experts to know exactly who to call, when to call, how much to pay, when to meet and how to coordinate every detail of an event.More often, people prefer putting their event visions and ideas into the hands of the professionals, and this event spotlight is one of those times exactly. Our client asked BG to coordinate the entirety of the evening’s affairs, and we’re going to share with you our seamless planning process and the fabulous outcome.Complete Event Planning Solutions Meets an Easy Experience for the Client!Client: MIT Alumni Association, an annual event for over 900 MIT AlumEvent theme: Miami NightsBG transformed the MIT Ice Rink into a Miami-themed White Party for the annual MIT Alumni Association event. The venue was a great space, but the atmosphere was cold and bleak. We needed to add a whole lot of heat to turn it into a spicy Miami soiree.Here’s what we did for the client:
- Catering
- Event marketing
- Equipment and furniture rentals
- Lighting
- Music and entertainment
- Florals
- Event staff
- Bar services
- Event design
- Linens
Our expert BG Lighting Division created dramatic lighting throughout the venue. The team incorporated different levels of lighting, including LED candles; crystal sparkle chandeliers over the white seated areas; purple, blue and amber pin spots; palm leaf gobo projections and towering white café lights.
Our florist brought even more drama to the atmosphere by sourcing dramatic tropical florals to incorporate into the event’s arrangements. We used birds of paradise, white orchids and palm leaves to complete the arrangements, bringing over 30 tropical palms and floor plants to soften the hard linens of the ice rink.
The catering was a crowd favorite, but one of the most talked about features of the culinary side of the evening was our food Velcro wall. We first brought this concept to Boston over a year ago, but the chic Miami glamour of this event required us to redesign our original model. We ended up using modern white walls and white Asian take out boxes lined in perfect rows to display the food. Each of the towering walls had its own posh Miami culinary attendant as well. What Miami beach party would be complete without a live band? The music and entertainment had guests dancing and enjoying the evening for hours to come.
