The Joys of Working at JSMB

I experienced my first JSMB Premiere Wedding Show as of last Saturday. I wish I would have thought to bring along my camera to fully capture the event. All I can say- It was CRAZY!
I was stationed in the Empire Room with many of my fellow server friends, working butler style.

[Server Lingo
-Butler style equals carrying a small circular tray, half the size of our usual oval trays, all afternoon because we were not allowed to use the tray jacks.
-Tray Jack is the wooden apparatus used to hold the trays. Next time you eat at a restaurant with waiters, look at what they place the tray on. That is what I am talking about.]

Typically, I come home with sore muscles from a day at work. I never remember how much physical labor is involved in being a server. The difference with this particular afternoon was that my right arm was constantly up, holding my tray. It was a straight two hours of clearing. Not my favorite, in the least.

And now for the fun stuff:

A number of my fellow gentlemen servers were literally assigned to wear a tuxedo all day. I wouldn't be surprised if my supervisor picked those that would look best. I don't know if they fully enjoyed themselves because I only saw a few of them as they occasionally walked into the Empire Room or kitchen for a break. Their main purpose was to escort the ladies who modeled wedding gowns as they descended the grand staircase. Even though I look and feel like a masculine ninja in my uniform, I was not immune to these good looking friends of mine ;)

The set up of the room was to show off the range of options that are possibly provided for your special day, although I had never seen the food provided by the Catering office ever served before. The Floral Department also went above and beyond. I've seen my share of intricate and expensive weddings and had reason to shake my head. (Why spend this much money on your wedding when you could put some of it towards your future? Then again, if you can, why not...? My wedding, whenever that blessed day decides to occur, will not be anywhere near that extravagant.) The Wedding Show still went ABOVE AND BEYOND their typical above and beyond.

 Let me explain: The room was separated into corner sections, each with a different possible wedding theme: Vintage, City Chic, Mountain Retreat, and Beach. The food, the floral, the decorations were all according to the theme. Each corner was provided with two round tables with chairs and one cabaret. (Lingo- a cabaret is a small, tall table where guests stand to eat their refreshments.) Each section was decorated with elaborate chair covers, linens, and two choices of centerpieces: one very tall or elaborate while the other was shorter and much simpler. Each selection also displayed a possible wedding cake. I have never been to a wedding show before. I have never had the reason to attend. Thus, I was incredibly shocked by the detail provided.
Vintage was gold and white with intricate curls and lace. The cake was extremely tall. I would guess 5 to 7 tiers, each with elaborate gold appliqué and a unique shape. The food was a Trifle bar. It had the most sweets with small, individual trifles, both chocolate and raspberry, and flavored macaroon cookies-two connected with a creme filling.
I worked at the Mountain Retreat. My wedding may be way off, but even I gained some ideas. My favorite part was the centerpiece. The designers had used pieces of an Aspen branch, cut in different heights, and placed small votive candles on the top of most. I don't know how many trees were injured for beautiful display, but I loved it! There were even fake butterflies that moved! I mean, have the paper butterflies as appealing to the eye. But plugging them in so that you have the appearance of real butterflies? There was also a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, made of branches and moss, that held lighted candles. We served grilled vegetables: marinated carrots, zucchini, squash, and eggplant that looked like mushrooms, (I tried an eggplant and it was large and slimy.) and two different kinds of macaroni and cheese. The fancy kinds: bacon and cheddar, and gouda/brie. I mean really? Really???
The Beach had two seahorse ice sculptures that were three feet tall!
City Chic was a combination of black, charcoal, and silver, with a deep maroon accent. Amazing! Not my cup of tea, but impressive just the same. It also had blue lighted chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, I would guess about 4 feet long triangles pointed towards the floor.
The food was complete with tiny silver plastic forks and spoons for all the tiny food.

In the Empire Room, there were possibilities of bands that could be hired to play for weddings. The first was a blues group with a bass, piano, trumpet and saxophone. Their music was fantastic but if you sat too close to the stage, conversation was impossible. The second was a strings sestet. They had a wonderful set. I loved all the music they played- Somewhere in Time, Anne's Theme, October Sky. Mellow but beautiful. I'd grab their card.

Overall, the afternoon was a blast! I bonded with server friends. The whole building was beautiful. Whenever my special day decides to happen, I think I now have some original ideas and ways to go about doing it without paying my arm and leg.

*Sigh* So Pretty! So wish I had had my camera!!!