On February 7th, more than 100 wedding pros made their way from across Cape Cod to Chatham Bars Inn, where the 8th Annual Cocktails & Connections was held in the grand old inn’s premier restaurant, STARS.
As the event has grown from a small, informal networking event into the Cape’s premier gathering for the industry, the team at The Casual Gourmet has partnered with additional area vendors whose support has elevated every aspect of the evening. In recent years, we’ve relied on Alison Liset of Elegant Engagements of Cape Cod to deftly manage the myriad of details that are an intrinsic part of any great party.
In addition to soliciting the services of our partners for the evening, Alison brought her vision to the event’s design, transforming the stunning STARS into a truly spectacular space.
“Chatham Bars Inn has all the gold lighting fixtures, so I started there,” said Alison of her design plan.
The ornate gold fixtures were the perfect complement to today’s flourishing brass trend. Working with RESERVE Modern Event Rentals, a division of PEAK Event Services, Alison recreated the front portion of STARS, turning it into a “space that was friendly for cocktails,” as she described it.
In place of the dining room’s tables and chairs were groupings of comfortable furniture arranged for lounging and socializing. White leather sofas layered with lushly colored throw pillows, and brass chairs topped with sheepskin, were set around oversized cocktail tables. Flameless candles in mercury glass holders added to the dramatic look. Floral arrangements from Lilacs, Patrice R. Milley Floral Designers, and Fancy Flowers by Meredith were sprinkled throughout the room.
Alison worked with Scott Rosenthal of Cape Tunes, who provided the up-lighting, to bathe the room with purple light, another nod to an on-trend look. “We haven’t seen purple in weddings in several years,” said Alison.
As guests mingled, they enjoyed a selection of passed hors d’ oeuvres and music provided by D.J. Danny Walsh. As they prepared to leave, each guest was invited to take home lavender-filled sachets, which were custom created by Lady Slipper Stationery, the Yarmouth-based stationer who also designed and supplied the menus, cocktail napkins and drink tickets, all of which added to the cohesive feel of the event as a whole.
Shortly before the 8th Annual Cocktails & Connections came to close, Olive Chase, of The Casual Gourmet, and Wendy Northcross, CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the crowd. While in many industries, fierce competition is a constant, within the wedding industry on Cape Cod, which brought more than $53m in revenue to the Cape in 2017, there is a sense of partnership with multiple vendors coming together to create each couple’s dream wedding. It is a partnership that extends from the industry to the chamber of commerce as well, as the organization continues to devote time and resources to promoting weddings on Cape Cod.
“We are a community!” as Olive put it.
Photos by Merrisa Caroline Photography.
Our thanks to our partners in the 8th Annual Cocktails & Connections:
Elegant Engagements of Cape Cod | Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce | Chatham Bars Inn
PEAK Event Services & RESERVE Modern Event Rentals | Patrice R. Milley Floral Designers
Fancy Flowers by Meredith | Lilacs Florals | Sysco Boston | Lady Slipper Stationery
Cape Tunes | D.J. Danny Walsh | Studio K Photography
