Katie & Matt book the Honeymoon!
Katie & Matt – the Future #ACoupleofBucks
It may seem a little early to talk about the honeymoon since Katie and Matt’s wedding day is in late October but, wait it is never too early to talk about plans as exciting as your honeymoon!
The couple plans to embark on a fun trip after the wedding – driving straight to Charleston, SC. A 13-hour road trip during the (literal) honeymoon phase of their marriage will be a breeze for these crazy in-love kids! They expect to have a full day in the lovely low-country historical city and take in the romantic battery, rainbow row, the market and other steamy spots.
Next, #Acoupleofbucks will depart Charleston on a cruise to the Bahamas – that’s right the Bahamas on a 5-day cruise! They are both incredibly eager for this first-time cruise vacation as a couple – romance is in the sea! Speaking of sea, there are two “fun-at-sea” days where they plan to get decked out for dinner one night while the rest of the time they will simply relax and be pampered poolside, with a tropical drink in-hand.
Katie has a shopping trip planned to freshen-up her tropical wardrobe – her list includes a cocktail dress, swim suits, sunglasses and sun-hats as well as everyday comfy yet smart cruise attire. Snorkeling is on the itinerary for their day in Nassau. Another other shore day includes the gorgeous exclusive beach at Half Moon Cay! Looking at the photos it is no wonder they are thrilled to experience this scenic islet retreat.
Sounds like a fantastic romantic respite to me considering all the effort and emotional ups and downs that go along with a wedding day.
Katie and Matt’s Wedding Day Menu
Quincy Cellars is known for its fresh gourmet food with a contemporary flair and so I personally have been very curious to hear all about featured couple Katie and Matt’s menu choice for their upcoming special day.
Events manager, Amy, guided the couple through this important decision. First she presented them with owner/chef Kevin’s decadent wedding fare options – which by the way totally impressed Katie. Next, considering Matt is an outdoorsman with a traditional American palate (hot dogs, tacos, burgers, you get the picture), Katie wanted to make sure he was happy and asked him to take the first pass at the menu choices. He chose at least two options per category – despite a little trouble with some of the pronunciation of the contemporary options (wink, wink) and, Katie filled in the blanks in request for their personal tasting.
The couple worked with Amy, scheduled the tasting and ultimately discovered a perfect menu just for them. Drum roll please… and, here it is:
Hors d’oeuvres will be offered in the venerable wine cellar, including an assortment of classic and mod artisan cheeses, meats, and crackers at the bar. Black-tie serviced hors d’oeuvres include a one-of-a-kind Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail, along with delicately created spinach and artichoke phyllo cup pastries (Katie’s fav!). My mouth is watering already!
North 40 Photography captures Abbey and Chris in the cellar at Quincy Cellars in 2012.
The main course includes a locally-sourced field green salad with house-made intensely flavored and fresh vinaigrette. The salad is accompanied by bread freshly baked onsite, served along with compound butter. If you are like Matt (and me) and wondering what compound butter is – it is just that a combination of fresh herbs and spices added to the butter giving it amazing flavor, kick and sweetness – a perfect match spread upon the out-of-the-oven hand-crafted bread.
Abbey and Chris’ menu. Year 2012 by North 40 Photography.
All guests will be served a paired plate which includes a poultry and a meat entree. The bird is a slowly roasted chicken breast with a honey pomegranate sauce which assures a moist white meat along with an incredibly sweet and tangy flavor – divine! The hoof is an exquisitely selected filet mignon cooked just right using Quincy’s very own Merlot along with a hint of rosemary garlic for a flavorful yet subtly infused steak. Katie and Matt chose a parmesan and herb mashed potato for the starch. A seasonal farm-stand vegetable will also be prepared with care and served with the paired plate.
Kevin and Andrew in the Quincy Cellars kitchen making the magic happen!
Drinks include Quincy Cellars’ fine wines and 7 Sins Brewery crafted beers. Per Katie’s request, a variety of 5-star doughnuts from Mighty Fine Donuts in Erie will be served along with locally pressed apple cider.
October 22 cannot come soon enough!
Katie & Matt Planning Ahead for October Storybook Wedding
Katie is busy with planning the details for her big day and has found herself fretting lately – with all the big decisions made, she is finding that it is the little decisions and tasks that are a bear. And to top that off, she is most concerned about one item she cannot change – the weather! October 22 is a bit of a gamble on the shores of Lake Erie so please join us in sending in good vibes to her for that day!
The bridal shower is scheduled for August 22 and so the guest list and design for the bridal shower invitation are top-of-mind for Katie right now with the date fast approaching. Her aunt is hosting the shower in Sherman with an artsy theme. The bride-to-be and guests will be guided through creating their very own painting! Her aunt is calling the day, “Brushes with the Bride” – trendy and fun!
Katie is also getting the wedding day guest list together which for most brides can be exhausting. The good news is the guest list is often the most challenging task of all! Here are a couple articles on etiquette and simplifying the task. Real simple offers 6 tips on creating a list and keeping the peace while The Knot suggests a few simple rules.
Selecting the ring for Matt is on Katie’s upcoming to-do list and Matt has yet to pick out the tuxes for the groomsmen. More tasks include finalizing decorations for the ceremony to be held in the pavilion – and again, with some concern – in her words, “you cannot see it all tied together until the night before/day of when it is completed so it is hard to decide!” She is renting some of her decorations from Special Occasions Rentals & Design and plans to have her order buttoned up soon.
Special Occasions Rental & Design
A plus for Katie is she is finding all the vendors (and especially Amy at Quincy Cellars!) to be very patient, helpful and insightful which is putting her at ease.
See you next time to discover together more decisions to be made and details to be planned!
Enjoy a Panoramic Farm-to-Table Dinner Including Wine, Music and PleinAir Painting
You may have visited Quincy Cellars to sample our wine, and possibly had an appetizer or, even a dinner at a special wine & cheese or holiday event – or maybe you attended a wedding or philanthropic event, regardless, if you even had one bite of the food, you would be delighted.
And if not, here is your chance to come and sample a fresh, simple, natural, true culinary arts experience. Quincy Cellars was chosen to host the Farm-to-Table dinner as part of the upcoming national PleinAir Westfield event. While here, you will enjoy a sumptuous dinner prepared by our owner and chef, Kevin Daughrity. The menu is inclusive of food from local farms and paired with wines from our cellars. Additionally, there will be live music and invited PleinAir artists in action.
En plein air is a French term that means open air and is often used to describe the act of painting outdoors. Often artists work in a studio looking at a still object while plein air painting is when an artist reproduces the scene or picture at that time at which they are in the natural environment. Artists from around the country will gather to spend five days painting in beautiful Chautauqua County including our lovely Quincy Cellars. The Quincy Cellars event center and wine cellar are in a country chic restored barn set on romantically landscaped grounds including a pond, willow tree, rose garden and vineyard – a perfect spot for artists to recreate.
This year is the third annual PleinAir Westfield event Sponsored by The Station Art Gallery & Studio of Katherine Galbraith, Johnson Estate Winery and Quincy Cellars. The Farm-To-Table Dinner is Thursday, June 23 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m with a cost of $60 per person. We are located at 10606 Route 20 in Ripley, close to the State line. Reservations are needed, get your tickets now – go to the “events calendar” under News at JohnsonWinery.com, or call 716.326.2191.
Less than 150 Days Till Katie and Matt’s Big Day
With 150 days left till the wedding day, what does a bride in our modern Information Age do in preparation for her big day? Creates a save-the-date card, a website and a hashtag – but, of course! #ACoupleOfBucks
Katie was stressed about creating the save-the-date, having a tough time deciding whether or not to place an engagement photo as the focus or a different graphic related to the Fall country chic theme. She also knew that time was of essence and getting it designed, printed and sent out no later than 4 months prior to the wedding date was critical. After much fretting and procrastination, Katie finally pulled the trigger and went with an engagement photo. She also created the card herself to save time.
Katie chose Zazzle.com as the vendor to produce the cards. Zazzle.com is an online store where you can collaborate with makers & designers to make almost anything. It has easy-to-use templates to help customers create a variety of event planning and marketing collateral. In addition to artwork as the focus, the details of the day are important in producing a save-the-date card. Here is what Katie’s design looks like – fabulous! She is waiting for the printed product to be shipped – cross your fingers it is what she expects! 
The purpose of the save-the-date notice, the wedding website and the hashtag is to give guests enough advance notice about your date. Having this knowledge for one, assures guests reserve your wedding day on their RL (real life) social calendar. Secondly, when friends and family talk about your day through social media like FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, via the hashtag, all chatter, photos and links can be searched and viewed easily. The date, time and venue are the most important details to share at this point. Also, if the venue is in a busy region, if your date falls on a holiday or otherwise busy weekend and/or guests are traveling far (typically, 30 miles or more), you will want to suggest accommodations for them.
Again putting her creative skills to work, Katie designed the website and a hashtag. She went to theknot.com to produce a personalized wedding site. She had fun with this one, telling the “Matt and Katie” story and simply used the Knot’s boilerplate to fill in the blanks for their special day. The address is theknot.com/us/acoupleofbucks. She also had fun with the hashtag creation – #ACoupleOfBucks – Matt’s last name is Buck and before you know it, so will Katie’s – and that, my friends, makes a couple!
Phew, who knew wedding planning was so fun??!! We at Quincy Cellars are so glad to be a part of it!
Featured Couple, Matt & Katie’s Engagement Photos
Selecting a photographer to record the idyllic moments and poses of friends, family, fashion and sentiments among other memories is a critical step in a couple’s wedding day journey. Just like the venue, Katie’s mother gave photographer Kat Ritenour of Erie a resounding recommendation – and after speaking with Kat, Katie agreed Kat would be a perfect fit. (Aren’t Moms great?)
Katie says Kat is amazing because she is adept at both creating moments reflective of Katie and Matt’s personalities and likes – and, capturing them. Kat also knows all the right spots for outdoor photo opportunities and arranged for romantic landscapes to compose many back-drops characteristic of Katie and Matt. First they went roadside – literally, next to a highway which was surprising to the couple but once they experienced Kat’s magic in working with them, they were sold.
Being that Katie and Matt are amateurs at being photographed, Kat put them at ease and poignantly highlighted the fun-loving side of the couple. Next, the crew went to a cemetery and a friend’s backyard all of which resulted in stunning poses and refreshing candid shots once the set was final. According to Katie, Kat could make any place look like art! And Katie and Matt certainly are a lovely and captivating couple to portray.
As part of the overall wedding package, Kat Ritenour shot Katie and Matt’s official engagement photos some of which are seen here. She will also be shooting their entire wedding day including the preparation and reception.
Quincy Cellars welcomes new photographers and is excited to have Kat record this amazing couple’s storybook day on Saturday, October 22, 2016.
Matt & Katie – The Ring
Matt is a true romantic and amazes Katie again – this time, with the engagement ring. Katie has urbane taste and had not specified what she wanted in a ring but Matt listened. He “creeped” around and talked to Katie’s family without her knowing so that he could create an extraordinary ring.
First, he asked her parents’ permission to marry her. Being the gentleman he is, Matt also spoke with her grandmother upon which she gave him her engagement ring. Knowing Katie’s special bond with her late grandfather Matt was able to take the stones from her grandmother’s ring and arrange it in a token of love personally made for Katie.
Katie expresses her joy and states, “Knowing that my ring has the stones that were on the ring my grandfather selected and gave to my grandma means the world to me.”
Her grandfather passed away when Katie was in middle school 10 years ago and she still misses him to pieces. For many years she was his only granddaughter so she was royally – and justly – spoiled. The two of them spent lots of time together – as a high school principal in the Erie Area Katie’s granddad often brought her to extra-curricular events with him. As as special treat, when they were out and about, he would always stop at local donut shops to satisfy their love of donuts (by the way, Katie is having donuts at her wedding reception – yumsters!).
The engagement ring story gets better, Katie had no idea that Matt was working with the jeweler located smack dab between their workplaces at the time – on several occasions during his lunch break he sneaked to the jewelry store, praying she wouldn’t spot his car in the lot! Check out the ring and witness Katie’s pure awe in the proposal photo shown.
Come back to our blog regularly for Katie and Matt’s storybook tale – their big day culminates at Quincy Cellars October 22, 2016.
Matt and Katie – the Proposal
Some brides will say the most exciting part of getting married is the proposal – and from Katie’s perspective, hers was truly special.
First, Matt completely surprised her – she had no clue as to what he had planned nor if/when to expect it – can you say, romantic??!!
Katie and Matt live in the northern tier of PA, close to Bradford – sometimes known as God’s country. Their property has a lovely and scenic view on top of a steep hill overlooking the valley and town. One beautiful Autumn day last September, without suspicion, Matt asked Katie to hike up the hill to enjoy the colorful and picturesque foliage.
Once they reached the peak, Katie was bombarded with hugs and sweet nothings when suddenly she spied Matt pulling something out of his pocket … and, her heart stopped. Matt presented Katie with an exquisitely radiant ring and requested her hand in marriage. (Check our blog often and learn the beautiful story behind the ring.)
Katie immediately said YES. For someone who loves simplicity, this was an absolute perfect and amazing day for Katie (and Matt!).
Knowing Katie and Matt’s love for natural beauty and simplicity, it is no wonder the couple has chosen Quincy Cellars to celebrate their marriage together this coming October. We cannot wait to host their big day!
LUNAFEST film festival coming to Quincy Cellars
In celebration of women, Quincy Cellars hosts LUNAFEST Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday, May 7. LUNAFEST is a film festival created by, for and about women. The traveling festival presents short films around the country with the mission to connect women through film and charity.
What a fun and provocative means to connect us, through film. Films or movies have a profound way of making a point and telling a story through original characters, cinematography and music – the LUNAFEST shorts include narratives, documentaries, stories and comedies. In reading the film guide, I know I am excited to see this year’s acclaimed screening and especially First World Problems about a tired housewife who loses her car in a shopping mall and finds that everyday problems can open a door to a whole new world.
The film show is 90 minutes long with a total of 6 features – the other five include: Balsa Wood, a light-hearted short about mixed-race siblings who visit with their extended Filipino family; Beach Flags and Boxeadora are about international athletes trying to break barriers for women in their countries; Finding June has a more serious tone taking us through the emotional journey of a deaf woman going through a breast cancer diagnoses and finally, Raising Ryland is from a parent’s perspective of raising a young child through the transgender experience.
LUNAFEST is also a fund-raiser and lucky for us, through Quincy Cellars’ community outreach efforts, we can be entertained, inspired and give back by attending this event. Quincy Cellars hosts the film fest while all profits go to two charities. All the profits from the event on May 7 will go to local club, LinkedbyPink.org while Quincy Cellars has donated funds to the Breast Cancer Fund, a national charitable organization deemed by LUNAFEST.
Linked by Pink is a non-profit organization out of Erie that offers support to young women and their families affected by breast cancer. Its mission is to increase awareness of young breast cancer while raising funds provide emotional and financial support for local (within a 45-mile radius of Erie) patients and their families.
Tickets are available at the door for $25 – light appetizers, a glass of wine, a viewing of this nationally acclaimed film festival and a donation to the local charity, LinkedbyPink, are all included! Come at 5:00 p.m. to get a good seat, savor the fare and wine, enjoy the Wine Cellar and overall space. The show starts at 6:00 p.m.
Just like the women filmmakers and those fighting breast cancer, LUNAFEST is going strong – come be a part of the 25,000 plus attendees this year!
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