Venues & Menus

Rehearsal Dinner - Mike's Crab House.

Mike's Crab House is a local waterside restaurant in Annapolis. I decided that since I can't have all-you-can-eat crabs at the wedding, I at least wanted to have them for the rehearsal dinner. Maryland Blue Crabs have been a huge summer staple in my life since I was a kid. I've spent many summer nights at Mike's right on the South River, eating crabs for hours on end. I wanted something a little more laid back for the rehearsal, and Mike's creates a good environment for a low-key get together.

Rehearsal Dinner Menu.

All-You-Can-Eat Maryland Blue Crabs
BBQ Ribs
Fried Chicken
Corn on the Cob
Seasonal Fruit
Salad Bar
Rolls & Butter
Coffee, Tea & Soda
Draft Beer: Yuengling & Coors Light
Wine: House Merlot, Chardonnay & White Zinfandel

Wedding Venue - Herrington on the Bay.

I've never been the type girl to sit around and day dream about her wedding and the white dress and all that jazz. All I knew is that I wanted to get married on the Chesapeake Bay. The Bay has been such a huge part of my life, from my childhood until now.

Herrington was the very last place we looked at - we originally only went because my dad [who is footing the bill] wanted to get a couple options to compare prices, yadda yadda. Well we went and fell in love. Even better - we're having both the ceremony and the reception in the same place so no one has to travel! The ceremony will take place at the Polynesian Bridal Lawn (shown above) and the reception will be held in the Paradise Ballroom... which is a pretty lighted tent. This place is just so gorgeous, we couldn't pass it up.

picture courtesy of www.herringtononthebay.com

Decor.

We had our meeting with the wedding coordinator at Herrington on the Bay and we picked out our linens. We'll be using walnut brown pin-tucked table linens as well as light olive green napkins and walnut chivari chairs. The table setup in the picture is absolutely gorgeous and it's exactly what I picture in my head when it comes to our reception decor... minus the cymbidium orchid centerpieces... we can't afford all that.

Wedding Menu.

Hors D’oeuvres:
Fresh Fruit Cascade with Pineapple Tree

                A display of seasonal fruits, melons, and berries

Herrington’s Crap Dip

Blend of Monterey, Parmesan, and Cream cheeses with jumbo lump Blue Crab meat; served hot with fresh and toasted French baguettes

Coconut Fried Shrimp

Gulf shrimp are lightly coated with a blend of freshly shaved coconut, flour, and seasonings; fried to golden brown and served with a pineapple coconut sauce

Gingered Pineapple Chicken

Gingered marinated chicken breast, skewered and topped with spiced pineapple sauce

Main Course:
Garden Salad

Crisp greens , sliced cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and shredded carrots served with Ranch or Italian dressing

Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus

Beef is encrusted with a flavorful blend of coarsely ground spices and kosher salt and is slow roasted to perfection; Chef carved and served with horseradish cream sauce and au jus

Chicken Chesapeake

Chicken breast is topped with jumbo lump crab meat; baked and served with Herrington’s Harbour sauce – a creamy volute flavored with a touch of Old Bay seasoning

Sides:
Home Baked Rolls and Whipped Butter

Grilled Vegetables

                A variety of freshly cut vegetables are tossed with our own seasoning blend and lightly grilled

Roasted Red Potatoes

                Red skin potatoes are roasted with butter, rosemary, and garlic

Beverages:
Open Bar – Liquor

                Absolut, Tanqueray, Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Dewers, Jack Daniels, Jose Cuervo tequila, Seagrams VO, Triple Sec, Vermouth, Malibu, Wild Turkey, and mixers/soft drinks

Open Bar – Wine

                Cypress Chardonnay, Sterling Cabernet, Copperidge White Zinfandel, and Merlot

Open Bar – Beer

                Budweiser, Bud Light, Miller Light, Coors Light, Yuengling, Corona, Heineken, and O’Doul’s

Signature Drink – Pear Sizzle

                Absolut Pears vodka, lime juice, and lemon-lime soda

Sodas & Juice

Coffee Station

Seattle’s Best, Henry’s Blend Arabica coffees, Decaffeinated and regular enhanced with flavored syrups: hazelnut, vanilla, caramel, sugar in the raw, Splenda, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, rock candy stirrers, cream and freshly whipped cream. Also features a variety of Tetley and Bigelow teas with sliced lemon