Hosta Heaven

July 24, 2012

 

Here are some of the hostas in the pots in the entrance garden, exactly two years ago, on July 24, 2010. This was the second year for some of them and the first year for others, except for the two green-and-white hostas in the center, which were brought over from the ceremony garden. You can see that we were also in the process of painting the fence.

 

Here’s how they look today! The gardener’s saying really is true: “First year, sleep; second year, creep; third year, leap!” You can also see how the fleece flower in the background has filled in and spilled (intentionally) over the edge of the walkway.

I love how the hostas are reflected in the glossy paint on the wall. It’s an especially magical effect at night.

 

These photograph were taken after days of intense rain, which the hostas absolutely love.

The ‘job’ of these hostas is to add unusual interest to the entrance garden and to provide long-season color and life. A bride who was here recently wanted a Midsummer’s Night Dream kind of wedding. I thought that was a great image, and these potted hostas support the look with their formal/informal woodsy demeanor.

 

They couldn’t be any happier! It’s great to have sustainable perennials in the garden. They just keep getting better and better, and they consume a lot less water than the impatiens we used to plant. By the way, all of these hostas came from our favorite nursery, Behkne’s, in Beltsville. —David

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The ‘Secret’ Garden

July 9, 2012

The ‘secret’ entrance garden at Chase Court is tucked away, mostly out of sight of the street, and absolutely alive on a balmy early July day. The apricot tree has begun to drop the weight of its fruit and spring back up. The fleece flower in the right foreground is dense and beautiful and two feet high. The hostas – oh my, the hostas! – are huge! They’ve had a lot to drink all season and are as happy as can be.

Off to the right, tucked away through the holly trees, is a lovely stone bench that’s just right for a quiet chat and a kiss—and gorgeous photography, of course!

The top of one of the ballroom’s leaded glass windows is visible over the wooden fence. Those windows are ten feet high and almost six feet wide!

The entrance garden is a wonderful place to be this time of year. Come for a visit and experience it for yourself! —David

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Spectacular Entranceway Lighting!

June 27, 2012

Earlier this month Chase Court hosted a networking event (aka ‘cocktail-style reception’ in wedding parlance) for the Baltimore Chapter of the National Association of Catering Executives, the trade association for wedding industry professionals. We put our heads together with Jean and Emily at Boutique Events to produce something absolutely out of the box. So, what did we do? Imagine a Cirque du Soleil theme at Chase Court! For NACE we called it ‘Cirque du Events: Dare to be Different’.

There’s a lot to tell about the whole event – more is coming soon! – but right now we’re going to focus on what we did to create a grand entrance.

 

In the daytime we went for some traditional cirque elements – feathers, a mime, and even Crackerjacks – but when the sun went down, it was an entirely different story…

The architecture in our neighborhood is big and bold, with lots of stone and height. We wanted to make a big splash, so what better thing to do than use light! We called on our friends at Perkins Productions for outdoor lighting. They came, they listened, and boy, did they deliver! There’s lighting, and then there’s LIGHTING! It was spectacular.

The Perkins Productions lighting worked beautifully with the antique lamp posts and low-voltage lighting along our walkway. The whole event was a great success, and a chapter-and-verse model for use in other ways.

By the way, the lighting you see here is not expensive. Perkins can do it for less than $300 for your wedding.

Venue: Chase Court
Event Design: Boutique Events
Lighting: Perkins Productions
Photography: Jackson Photography (Slide show images by Chase Court)
Talent: Entertainment Exchange

I’d love to hear what you think of all this! —David

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Charm City Cakes at Chase Court

May 30, 2012

A medieval castle came through the door on Saturday, courtesy of Charm City Cakes!

 

As you might imagine, Charm City Cakes doesn’t send your run-of-the-mill delivery driver. Paperwork? Check. Cake tools? Check. Knock-out handbag? Check!

 

Every cake gets personal attention at the venue from a Charm City Cakes Artist! Here’s Elena Fox, who has already added the dragon (edible!) and the trees, and is positioning the groom. Note the bride behind her, on the chair, waiting her turn.

 

Here’s the completed cake! Note the kitties in the turret.

 


And the real bride and groom. It’s a darn good likeness, right down to the sneakers!

 


To quote James, “Caroline is my queen and every queen needs her castle! and dragon…and moat…. and kitties.”

Venue: Chase Court
Catering: Chef’s Expressions
Florist: Fleur de Lis Florist
DJ: DJ Flounder
Cake: Charm City Cakes
Photography: It Flies by Photography (Photographs above by Chase Court.)

—David

 

 

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Giving Back

April 6, 2012

The Maryland Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society held their Man & Woman of the Year Fundraiser Kick-off Celebration at Chase Court on Wednesday evening. This was our gift to LLS. It’s the beginning of a relationship we expect to last for a long time.

Lymphoma is personal with us. The work of LLS has been real and tangible in the life of Chase Court. We’re delighted to have found this wonderful way to support lifesaving work in the fight against cancer.

 


Rouge Fine Catering worked with event florist Blue Sage to create an outstanding look for LLS. They used the LLS colors of red and black throughout, tying Chase Court’s Gothic architecture to the LLS theme with touches like the very cool candelabras on the bar and the roses in red woven vases. They both did a magnificent job with the decor. The guests loved it!

Leukemia is personal with Blue Sage. Their appreciation for the work of LLS was beautifully evident in the work they did – completely donated – for this event.

 


Here’s the same view of the library as in the image above, this time populated with happy guests!

 


High and low cocktail-size tables look great at Chase Court and worked exceedingly well for the LLS event. Rouge alternated the linen colors between tables, and Blue Sage’s flowers set each table off perfectly. It was really gorgeous. I like how the decor didn’t have to be complicated to be effective. We had some of the same tables outside in the garden, too.

 


Half a dozen black Chiavari chairs around the low tables made for an inviting place to sit and chat. Three simple candles in the ballroom windows were elegant and just enough.

 

Rouge does stunning presentation and food to match. Both were spectacular! All of the stationary and butlered hors d’oeuvres were creative in look and taste, like the Asian Duck Petit Homemade Crêpe filled with Fresh Mango, Cucumber, & Spring Onion and Finished with Apricot-Plum Glaze.

At our urging, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Rouge Fine Catering worked out a relatively-small financial arrangement that will allow Rouge to support this event year after year. By having some of their basic out-of-pocket costs covered, Rouge is able to make most of the event a gift, and one that they can continue to give year after year. We are very, very grateful for the participation of Rouge Fine Catering and Blue Sage with Chase Court in supporting the work of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

 


The volunteers supporting LLS through the Man & Woman of the Year campaign are an enthusiastic and dedicated group of people, as you can see from the red-on-black look this guest is wearing. By the way, that’s Puff Pastry with Wild Mushroom and Herbs on the end of the buffet. The guests raved about the food!

 

Here’s Jon Rosa, Executive Director of the Maryland Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, welcoming everyone to the event. All of the LLS staff did a great job. Campaign Manager Kim Lennon and Campaign Director Beth Prensky were a joy to work with as we prepared for this event. They made it a fabulous event, from start to finish.

 


The video everyone is watching told the story of two children’s successful journey through treatment for leukemia, the disease that accounts for about one third of childhood cancers. As if this group wasn’t inspired enough – and let me tell you, they absolutely are – the story of overcoming cancer as told by the children and their parents said it all.

Lots of men, women, and children have encounters with lymphoma and leukemia that are a lot less deadly thanks to the work of LLS. Every one of the people present on Wednesday evening got that, and they are giving back.

The goal of the 2012 Man & Woman of the Year campaign is to raise $350,000. Here are the candidates, and here’s how you can support their efforts.

Venue: Chase Court
Catering: Rouge Fine Catering
Florist: Blue Sage

We’re looking forward to next year, and hosting the 2013 Man & Woman of the Year Kick-off Celebration! —David

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Judy Bradt - What a wonderful gift from generous, community-minded sponsors! Remarkable, too, is that every one of the event sponsors are themselves small businesses who made the choice to step up and together make a big difference — not just with a single event, but with an ongoing commitment to help LLS grow its success in raising funds for research in challenging times. I will think of Rouge and Blue Sage as well as Chase Court when I’m looking to recommend venues and suppliers for events.