Candle Lit Dinner

Looking to plan something romantic for that special someone for Valentine’s Day? Venue at the Grove is the perfect place! Treat your partner to a delicious four course meal this Valentine’s day overlooking our beautifully lit pecan orchard.

~Appetizer~
Jumbo Lump Crab Tossed with Spicy Remoulade
Served with Sweet Corn Puree and Micro Greens

~Salad~
Strawberry Field of Greens
Spring Mix, Sliced Strawberries, Candied Pecans with a Berry Vinaigrette

~Choice of Entrée~

Braised Beef Shortribs
Beef Shortribs Slowly Braided in Cabernet Wine
Served with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Asparagus

Pan Roasted Rosemary Chicken
Bone In Breast with a Hint of Rosemary
Served with Port Wine Pan Jus, Baby Carrots and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Seared Salmon
Pan Seared Salmon
Served with Couscous Tabbouleh and Fresh Olive Oil

~Desert~
Flourless Chocolate torte
Served with Fresh Raspberry Sauce

The cost for this delectable meal is $48 per person. You are also welcome to bring in a special bottle of wine or champagne to enjoy. An $8 corkage fee will apply per bottle. Seating is limited, so please call 602.456.0803 for reservations. Reservations begin at 6pm.

Be Inspired

Is it strange that I dream about weddings all the time? I am married, and have been for several years, but being a part of this industry makes me want to get married every weekend. . . ok, maybe every year.

Each and every wedding I have been part of here at Venue at the Grove, I have taken away some inspiration. Whether I use that inspiration in a display table, a mock shoot, or even for a personal party I am throwing, I am amazed, inspired, and blessed by our couple’s creativity. Sometimes I feel like I have so many inspiring ideas floating around in my head, it causes me to dream weddings. As long as it is my husband I am marrying every time, this is ok, right?

In late fall Mat (yes, it is only one “t”) and Melissa were married here, and this wedding had inspiring details everywhere! From the gorgeous natural ceremony arbor created by Bloomingals, to the herbs that guests tossed over the newly married couple, to the burlap runners, and the gorgeous centerpieces, to the s’mores station, to the warm drinks bar, and the cupcakes. . . oh the cupcakes. This wedding had INSPIRATION written loud and clear all over it.

So I decided to be inspired and took their theme and translated it into a display table for our bridal show booth.  Thanks Mat and Melissa for being the inspiration for out rustic tablescape.

Photographed by
Brittany Janelle Photography

How To Avoid Bridal Show Overload!

Venue at the Grove is thrilled to be participating in the Bridal Fashion Debut at the Phoenix Convention Center this weekend (January 7^th and 8^th)! Bridal shows always have such a great energy. . . . the buzz of newly engaged couples on the lookout for potential vendors to be part of their special day. . . it’s exciting! However, bridal shows can also be very overwhelming! Hundreds of vendors are all trying to give you information on their product, which can be a bit frustrating. Below are a few tips to help you avoid a bridal show melt down.

• Create a special wedding email address. Many couples choose to use their names and wedding date as their email address. This will help you stay organized and keep wedding information separate from personal information.
• Create premade labels. Many vendors are going green and want to email you information about their services instead of handing you more paper. By having premade labels with your: name, email address, phone number, and wedding date, printed on them, will save you the hassle of writing your information hundreds of times.
• Make a list. Finding what you need can be overwhelming. By creating a list of the specific vendors you are trying to find, will focus your experience. For example, included on your list are: find a venue, photographer, and bakery.  Going into the show knowing you are looking for those three vendors, your experience will surely be a little less chaotic.
• Prepare for information overload. Take whatever literature you can and put it in the cute bridal bag you will receive at the door. Once you get home, you can review all the literature that was given to you in a quite environment with your cup of coffee. . . . or glass of wine.
• Comfortable shoes. Wear comfortable shoes because you will be doing a TON of walking. This is fabulous for all those brides who want to get in shape for their big day (just be sure to stay away from the bar and catering booths with delicious food)
• Inspiration. If you are able to bring swatches of fabric, color cards, or pictures of your theme, this will help you express to vendors what you are looking for, and be able to help vendors tell you how they can help create that theme with you.

Follow these tips, and you will have a fabulous experience at any bridal show without being overloaded! Bridal shows are a fabulous way to meet vendors, so we hope to see you Saturday or Sunday (January 7^th and 8^th) from 9:00am – 3:00pm at the Phoenix Convention Center .

Picture Perfect

We get asked a lot, “what time should we start our ceremony?” The answer to this question really depends on several different factors. The first must is to hire a photographer that you feel comfortable with, and who captures the “style” of photos you are looking for. Then ask yourself the following questions:

• What time of year are you getting married? Depending on when the sun sets, you will want to be taking pictures just before and during sunset. A simple internet search can tell you what time that will be on your wedding day. You will also want to consult your photographer and ask their opinion as to what time would be best for the perfect pictures.
• Will you be taking any photos before hand? Many couples decide to take first look photos before their ceremony. This allows you as a couple to have a moment, just the two of you together. Other couples like to remain more traditional and wait until after the ceremony to take photos. Whichever you decide, planning your ceremony start time should be determined after you decide if you are going to take pictures before hand or not.

Brandi and Nick, who were married at Venue at the Grove in November decided to go the traditional route and not see each other before their ceremony. They planned accordingly however, and began their ceremony a bit earlier to accommodate for this. Mike Maez Photography caught some AMAZING sunset photos of this gorgeous couple!

Remember you will have your wedding photos forever, so if you want them to be picture perfect, be sure to plan accordingly so that you can treasure the memories of what a special day it was!

Ceremony Trend Alert!

One of the best ways to create an event that both you and guests will remember, is to do something different and outside the box! We are in love with the new trend of non-traditional seating for your guests for your wedding ceremony!

The ceremony area at Venue at the Grove is over an acre and a half of open space full of potential to come in and make it your own personalized event that guests will be talking about for a long time.

Imagine guests surprise if they walked out to a ceremony site like this:

Vintage Bench Inspiration

What an elegant set up with vintage wooden benches and chairs. Bringing the indoors out to create a warm and cozy space, perfect for an intimate ceremony under our pecan trees!

Or if you are looking for something a little more farm like,what about this idea:

HayBale Inspiration

Hay bales are inexpensive and a fabulous way to create a more laid back feel. Drape the bails with antique quilts or cushions to add additional color, and be sure your guests are comfortable.

If you are looking for a more modern feel, what about these mismatched iron chairs! Love the way they bring a pop of color to the ceremony area.

Metal ChairInspiration

There are so many creative ways to use the space here at Venue at the Grove! Would love to see how creative you can get to make your wedding one to remember!

Jessica and Jason

Jessica and Jason are both the type of people you aspire to be! They are both friendly, have an amazing love for each other, a great sense of humor. . . .and let’s face it. . . .they are both GORGEOUS! Getting to know them while planning their October all-inclusive wedding was so much fun!

Their color palate for their outdoor ceremony and reception was a deep purple and black with accents of silver. It looked stunning at night under the twinkle lights!

A big thank you to both of them for choosing Venue at the Grove to be part of their special day, wishing you a future full of love and laughter!

“Venue at the Grove is a beautiful venue for a wedding. The outdoor setting in the pecan grove wasreally gorgeous. We had our reception outside as well, although there is also an indoor option. The patio area for the reception looked beautiful with all of the lights. Everything flowed perfectly, in large part due to Mindy. It was a wonderful day and I couldn’t have asked for anything more. I would highly recommend Venue at the Grove to anyone looking for an outdoor ceremony and either an indoor or outdoor reception.” – Jessica MacTurk

Photography: Mike Maez Photography
Cake: FleurDe Lis Cakes

Preparing Your Guests for Mother Nature

Being a guest at a wedding is an honor! The people you invite to witness your marriage are obviously special people, and deserve to enjoy themselves throughout your entire event. Which is why, we always suggest informing guests of where you are to be wed. There is such a unique advantage to an outdoor wedding in Arizona, and preparing guests for anything Mother Nature may throw at them will instill guests give your event a rave review.

Venue at the Grove offers a gorgeous ceremony site nestled between large pecan trees. To get to the ceremony site, guests will walk about one hundred feet to take their seat, so it may be nice to inform guests not to wear their stilettos. Another option is to provide flip flops at the base of the patio for guests to slip on before walking down to the ceremony site. These can also double as some very comfortable “dancing shoes” for later.

The season you decide to get married in can also play a major role in guests comfort level. As we all know, late spring through early fall can be quite warm here. Informing guests that the ceremony and possible reception is outside, will give guests the option to dress appropriately for the time of
year. To add a personal touch and keep guests cool, you may opt to provide chilled water and fans for guests. You can even personalize your fans and use them as programs. Alternately, late fall through early spring can be quite chilly at night. Providing shawls, blankets, mittens, or perhaps offering a coffee/ hot coco bar is a fun and unexpected way to warm guests up.

If you do choose to have an outdoor ceremony and reception, another   fabulous way to ensure guests are comfortable is to provide bug spray. Depending on the time of year, it is possible to have unwanted pests around, by providing bug spray, guests are sure to enjoy the great outdoors without getting bitten.

Now you ask, what is the best way to tell guests about your wedding location? A wedding website is always a good bet, but even including this information as part of your invitation is even better. This way guests will have plenty of time to prepare. Overall, your guests are important people, and you want them to be able to enjoy themselves as they share in one of the most special days of your life. Be sure your guests have as much information as possible to keep everyone comfortable!

Photography: AshleyForrette Photography

Grand Opening!

The Grove Café is thrilled to announce that our grand opening will take place on Saturday, November 12^th, 2011! Pecan crusted french toast, blueberry pancakes, café omelette. . . is your mouth watering yet? These are just a few of the delicious menu items available for your enjoyment!

The Grove Café is nestled within a beautiful two and a half acre pecan orchard, so Imagine enjoying breakfast sitting at a quite table under the shade of a large pecan tree, sipping coffee, and reading the newspaper. The Grove Café knows you have had a long week at work, and are ready to relax, and enjoy a delicious breakfast in a serene environment.

The café will be open every Saturday and Sunday from 8am until 12pm beginning Saturday, November 12^th! We look forward to seeing you this weekend!

Visit our website for more information: The Grove Cafe

7010 S. 27^th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85020 (602)456 -0803

Number One Way to Enjoy Your Day

When planning your wedding, one of the biggest factors in determining what your day will look like is your budget. Whether your budget is small or large, there is one thing that is extremely important no matter what. . . . event coordination. This doesn’t mean that someone else has to plan your special day, and make all the decisions for you, this means that your wedding day will be a well orchestrated event.

You as the bride and groom should not have to worry about when vendors show up and set up, where centerpieces and décor items go, letting the DJ know when you are ready for your grand entrance, or the catering staff when dinner should be served. All of these little detailed tasks are often placed on a family member or friend, making that person a vendor for the day instead of a guest. By investing in event coordination you are purchasing insurance to be sure your wedding flows the way you have dreamed about in your head.

Event coordination can range from full wedding design to “month of” organization. Depending on how much involvement you want in your wedding will determine what level of coordination is right for you. At Venue at the Grove, our all-inclusive packages include coordination to help in creating a stress free planning process. “Month of” coordination services can also be added to our ceremony and reception packages. Some of the tasks that are included in this package are: vendor coordination, creation of custom itinerary, a custom comprehensive layout of the ceremony and reception, orchestration of rehearsal, finalization of details and execution of details, oversee flow of entire event by communicating between vendors and staff, and point of contact for 8 hours the day of the wedding.

Event coordination is an investment to ensure your wedding is the day of your dreams, and you deserve nothing less!
Flowers: http://www.bloomingals.com/
Photography: http://www.ginakeilenphotography.com

Special Open House

We always look forward to hosting one of our Special Open Houses, however Wednesday, June 29th is particularly special! We are very excited to introduce several new vendors that have recently been added to our preferred vendor list!

First we will be debuting our in-house Venue at the Grove Catering! We are thrilled to announce that we will now offer on-site catering for your event! Chef Jay will be whipping up a delicious taste of available menu items. We will also have Wild Child Florist in attendance. Patricia will be displaying several examples of her gorgeous work on our mock reception tables, as well as available to answer any questions you may have.
Lastly, we will have Infinity Entertainment showing off their DJ skills for the night.

In addition to our new vendors, we will also have: Fleur De Lis cake, Mike Maez Photography, Snapbooth Entertainment, and Iris D Bridal showcasing their talents and products.

Both the reception hall and ceremony area will be decorated to help you visualize what your special day could look like! And you will not want to miss the bridal suite and groom’s room on your tour.

Please feel free to join us anytime between 6 – 8pm on Wednesday, June 29th. RSVP’s are appreciated, so please email us at info@venueatthegrove.com or call 602-456-0803.

We look forward to seeing you on the 29th!