When lockdown causes you to miss all the Louisiana Spring festivals, sometimes you have to take matters into your own hands and create your own experiences. So we did. And you can too!
Last week, some of my event-industry BFFs and I collaborated on a styled shoot inspired by the annual Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival.
This year was the 49th year for the festival that parades thru the streets of downtown Ponchatoula and crowns a Strawberry King and Queen. Oh and there's more strawberries than you shake a stick at.
Life's too short not to celebrate, but please do it safely and fabulously! Take a peek at the Strawberry Brunch we whipped up and get inspired for your own oh-so-sweet celebration.
Styled by: Rena Sweeney, Alchemy Events | On location: The Cannery in New Orleans | Catering: Toulouse Gourmet Catering
The Cannery's breezy Toulouse Courtyard was the setting for our brunch. This outdoor space has a brand new greenery feature wall and charming market lights for evening events. Rena chose a black and platinum stripped satin linen from The Cannery's in-house linen collection for the tables and the elegant gold patio chairs for the brunch. Two banquet tables, set at an angle and offset slightly, created a unique shape that allowed us to practice social distancing.
The flowers, that Rena arranged herself in her personal collection of Vintage Milk Glass vases, included white hydrangea, red tulips and basil leaf accents.
Rena interspersed white taper candles in sleek, modern gold candle holders with the flowers on the table to create a luxurious, yet not overdone centerpiece. Bottles of Piper Heidsieck Champagne also graced the table.
At each place setting was a gold-rimmed charger, napkin with hydrangea blossom tie and of course, a beautiful red strawberry atop a hydrangea leaf.
Toulouse Gourmet Catering, The Cannery's in-house caterer, provided a trio of strawberry flavored treats, including Strawberry "Brownies", Home Made Strawberry Poptarts and Strawberry Cookies dusted with powdered sugar, on pedestals.
Of course, no New Orleans brunch would be complete without a cocktail. Ours featured a "Ponchatoula Smash". To mix up this cocktail, muddle fresh Ponchatoula Strawberries in a glass and add vodka (we used Tito's Handmade Vodka) and top with champagne. Add a scoop of strawberry sorbet, garnish with a fresh basil leaf and voila!
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