Wedding Countdown: Matt’s Bachelor Party
Matt’s bachelor party will be a classic one – a Buffalo Bills game outing!
Matt’s friends and family truly know him – he is a number one fan! With amazing Fall weather, Matt and his 4 groomsmen camped out last night near Bradford and are headed to the game. The Bills are on a 3 game winning streak and play the San Francisco 49ers at 1 p.m., today, October 16 at New Era Cap stadium in Orchard Park. It will prove to be a day to remember!
Matt sporting his Bills shirt on the couple’s engagement day!
Matt and buddies at his Buffalo Bills Bachelor tailgate.
The tailgate will be pretty basic for Matt who isn’t into frills. Lots of chips and dip, cheese puffs and hot dogs with a trunk full of Miller Lite. If watching or streaming, look for the soon-to-be groom and his buddies decked out in Bills gear! Their seats are in the tunnel end-zone right behind the goal post. The seats are prime for cheering the Bills entrance. And, hey – maybe they will get to see End-zone Elvis.
The Bills kept the winning streak alive and won 45 – 16!!
The Buffalo Bills’ fan – Endzone Elvis
Wine Glass Art at Katie’s Bridal Shower
Table set for Katie’s bridal shower at Hazen Manor.
Katie’s grandmother and aunt created a very special bridal shower day for Katie at Hazen Manor Sunday, August 28. They presented a delicious menu and baked a variety of quiches for the main course. The quiche was served with croissants. The ladies also prepared a fruit salad and a tossed salad to round out the meal. Beverages included iced tea and Sangria. Katie indulged on the cheesy potato quiche and croissants – nom nom.
The ladies played two short games so that they could move on to the primary entertainment – the painting party! Matt’s aunt won the “choose the photo of Matt” chance game while his mother won the Guess who – Bride? or Groom? game. Questions like, who made the first move? and who has the most traffic tickets? were quickly answered.
Katie’s bridal party showering her with love – L to R: Alicia, Becca, Brianna, bride-to-be, Erin, Meagan, Katie, Stephanie
Next the group sipped on Sangria and toured the farm at the quaint B&B including donkeys and goats! Again, the fun really started when the ladies painted their personal painting of a wine glass. Although the painting class was a first-time offering by Hazen Manor it was a seamless effort with a beautiful result for each “amateur” painter.
Each guest received a favor that was in line with the hashtag #ACoupleOfBucks. Katie’s mother wrapped chocolate bars with a money sticker. Clever. As far as gifts for the bride-to-be, Katie asked for gift cards instead of the more traditional registering at stores for household items. Additional to the gift cards, she received cash, tech from friends, and an original sign, “Buck Established in 2016”, wedding-day jewelry from her future mother-in-law and honeymoon luggage from her mother.
Katie, her family and friends had a wonderful time showering her with love and gifts. What a celebration!
Katie Nails Down Guest Favors
Katie and her mother are working hard looking for materials and ideas to make the favors and signage but it doesn’t feel like work at all! Katie tells me she is having a blast checking out all the craft stores. She and her mother have frequented Hobby Lobby, AC Moore and Michaels – all of which are fun and full of ideas and goods!
To start, Katie is assembling a special favor that indicates each guest seat. It is a unique decoration that is a mason jar on top of a wine bottom. The jar handle will be adorned with a charm. Katie and her Mom are still on the hunt for that charm. Each guest’s name and table number will be printed on the charm. Having the charm makes for a nice idea – that way guests will be able to re-use the glass as it won’t have wedding day details etched on it as you probably have seen many times.
As we know, Katie has an obsession with doughnuts and will have a doughnut (and cookies) table for guests. Katie found brown bags at Hobby Lobby for guests to fill with doughnuts and take home! The bags are country chic (functional yet classy). Katie will also decorate the bags with catchy labels that say something like, “Glazed and Delicious from the Mister and Missus”; “All you need is love and doughnuts”. Mighty-fine!
Katie has spent time creating chalkboard signage as well. These signs are the trend especially for rustic weddings like at our Quincy Cellars restored barn and outdoor setting. They are very helpful in informing guests where to go. Guests like to have clear direction when at a party – it makes them feel special and cared for knowing you thought of every detail to make them comfortable. Check out Katie’s touch!
Sounds like Katie is very organized and her love never-ending, creating such lovely and delicious details for her guests!
Matt Chooses Groomsmen and Tuxedos
On Matt and Katie’s special day, Katie will be wearing ivory while her attendants will have dresses in apple red. To complement the ladies, the guys will be dressed in black, ivory and red.
Matt selected black tuxes from Men’s Warehouse for himself and his groomsmen. The guys will wear a modern-style tuxedo that includes a 2-button jacket with a notch lapel; along with matching straight pants. The shirt is a point-collar shirt in ivory accented by a necktie in apple red. The look includes a 4-button vest and pocket silk – the groomsmen will also wear these pieces in apple red to match the bridesmaids.
Matt too will wear the modern-style tuxedo but with ivory accents including his shirt, tie, vest and pocket silk.
Matt has chosen 5 gentlemen to accompany him on his big day – his older and only brother, Mike, has the honor of being the best man. The two of them are avid Bills fans and are really fantastic at cracking each other up, according to Katie. Endearing. Matt also has two guys he grew up with, Matt and Kevin who will stand up for him. Matt’s college friend, Sean, and Katie’s brother, Kyle will also be groomsmen.
Can’t you envision the party now, standing proud with Matt in the Quincy Cellars gazebo, the sun shining, surrounded by Fall colors, listening to the ripple of the fountain in the pond and smelling the sweet scent of grapes and wine.
Katie Chooses Attendants and Dresses
Katie’s Attendants
Katie has chosen 7 bridesmaids – a lucky number for a sweet bride-to-be like Katie. She is truly blessed to have so many girlfriends and family so close to her. She chose a sweetheart neckline, strapless, full-length dress in apple red for her attendants. She found the dress at David’s Bridal – and the dress is absolutely radiant!
Most of the bridesmaids already have their dresses. We asked Katie who these lucky ladies are. Meagan will have the honor of being Katie’s Maid of Honor. Meagan and Katie were best friends in high school. The way the story goes is that their parents were also best friends while in high school – as teenagers, the two Moms would sneak to watch their boyfriends practice football.
It was in 7th grade that Meagan moved to Katie’s town and attended the same school, close enough to ride the bus together. However, even though the girls knew each other due to their parents’ close friendship, they didn’t speak much while sitting across from each other on the school bus. After many “bye’s”, the young ladies finally started talking and instantly became best friends – and are BFFs to this day! The two even went to the same college – and according to Katie the ladies are very different people which balances the friendship nicely.
Katie could not imagine life without Meagan now!
Katie sends Photogram to Meagan
The next three ladies in the bridal party are Erin, Brianna and Becca – all also good friends Katie grew up with and met in school. Katie’s best friend in college, Katie, will also be an attendant. Finally, two cousins Stephanie and Alicia will be a part of Katie’s special day.
We at Quincy are excited to meet the entire bridal party and see the beautiful dresses as well!
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!
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.
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