Through all of my family 's simchas (celebrations) in Memphis over the last 25 years, out-of-town guests account for a majority of the guest list. This wedding was no exception, as Alex's and my families were 100% from out of town, resulting in 200 relatives and friends from other cities! Of course, we rose up to the challenge to welcome their stays in style, but I desired to elevate the "tastes" of Memphis from potentially expected, traditional airport gift shop finds to local craft confections and treats.
These wedding hospitality boxes simultaneously served as the first #caramelizedwedding-branded platform, so a white + copper + neutral look was key!
Scroll for our picks...
Photos by Sélavie Photography
SHOTWELL CARAMELS: These handcrafted salted caramels are made in Memphis, and I'm addicted! Winner of Southern Living Magazine's Best Food award in 2015, the rich bites blend notes of sweet and salty with precision. Thank you to Jerrod Smith, owner of Shotwell Candy, for gifting these to our wedding guests!
PORCELLINO'S GRANOLA: If you follow me on Instagram, you know that Porcellino's is our very favorite breakfast spot in. The house granola, served at the restaurant over tart yogurt with fruit, combines brown sugar, pecans, a hint of cayenne, and whole bunch of other secret oat-loving ingredients. We added a large serving's worth in a kraft bag with a custom Porcellino's sticker seal, designed by DCA.
CENTRAL BBQ POTATO CHIPS: Salty, greasy and gratifying, these specialty kettle chips exceed the standard barbecue joint's expectations. At the Downtown location, I've swapped the regular pork nacho chips for these...It's a heavenly experience. A kraft bag of these babies made an appearance in each box.
JULIE B.'S PRETZELS: My dear family friend Julie Boshwit has become locally acclaimed for her pretzel sticks, which have made an appearance at every Bar and Bat Mitzvah I can recall. Though not her full-time craft, Julie graciously hand-dipped and drizzled over 100 toffee pretzels. The thick pretzel stick is first loaded with milk chocolate, then drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with Heath bar. During our wedding reception, I enjoyed watching out-of-town relatives meet Julie in person and thank her for the best confection they could have ever dreamed of!
PATTI CAKES' CAKE BALLS: Another friend of ours, Patti Shaw, has mastered the cake ball to a tee. To complement our wedding logo, Patti dunked one perfectly cooked vanilla and one chocolate cake ball in copper icing with the "C" and "A" wedding mark piped in white frosting. A clear box held the pair for a perfect presentation.
ITINERARY + MAP: Since most out-of-town guests arrived Thursday evening or Friday morning, a full two days in Memphis required some Caramelized guidance! Alex and I selected our favorite spots in town, along with our usual order/activity, and my office DCA designed a beautiful map to point out the proximities! See the digital version here.
LOGO WATER BOTTLES: Hydration is key during a busy wedding weekend, and our water bottles were almost too pretty to drink! Sourced by my mother (Shindigs by Sheril), these logo-clad bottles were beautifully on-brand.
Each guests's name was printed and enclosed in the white photo box slot for transportation ease to the various Downtown Memphis hotels. Our incredible Memphis friends, who graciously hosted the boxes, delivered all 120 to their respective destinations!
