We are partnering with the talented Cooper & Company Photography to offer the 3 entries who receive the most votes a free family photo shoot along with a disk of 20 professionally edited photos that will be yours to keep, print, publish and share.  The couple with the MOST votes will win a bonus of a romantic dinner for two at the Park Cafe.

Click Here for a link to the contest.  Share your entry on Facebook and have your friends vote for you!  

 In addition to the floors we are doing a few other projects.

To go with our new look in the ballroom, we recovered the chivari chairs.

Each chair has about 100 staples.  That’s 20,000 staples!

And a little stain guard.

The bottoms of the chairs get glides to protect the floors.

The finished product:

New lighting fixtures have been istalled outside 

Vintage lights for the veranda:

All of our outdoor furniture gets a fresh coat of paint:

We have a few other details to take care of then the renovations will be complete.  Stay tuned for our website and logo make-over from Vinebranch Designs.  Coming soon!

This is the foundation of the original house.  Bricks and morter upto the original hardwoods.

Our installers are working some magic to make the floor level where the original house and the addition done in the 1950′s meet.  Check-out the linoleum! 

Starting installation…

We will keep you posted on our progress!

Owner and artisan pie baker, Briana Carson started the business in November 2011 with a passion for pies and has to date supplied a number of weddings with her delicious treats including a Tequila Key Lime Margarita Pie for a beachfront reception.

Crave Pies can make any pie for your special day while their signature pies are the Chocolate Chess and Maple Pecan.  Brianna asks that custom orders for full size pies events be placed 24-48 hours in advance and she offers consultations by appointment.

Crave Pie Studio

3107 B. Main Street

Duluth, Georgia 30096

Briana@cravepie.com

678-485-7198

Cravepie.com

 Perfect for afternoon lunch and small group gatherings, the afternoon menu will feature several well-prepared staples such as chicken salad and quiche as well as flavorful soups and hearty salads.  Soups, quiche and homemade dessert selections will change daily and all of the food is freshly prepared on site by the Dream Keepers.  

Dream Keepers Inc. is based on lifelong friendships, deep community roots and savvy business experience.  Annette (Knox) Summerour, Jane (Lynott) Wilson, Margie (Tonge) Ross, Judy (Mulkey) Burel and Emma (Bray) Deavours purchased the Payne-Corley House focused on creating an outstanding catering and special events operation in their own hometown.  

For more information on the Cottage Tea Room, please contact Jane Wilson, Dream Keepers, Inc. at 770-286-2834 or tearoom@paynecorleyhouse.com.

 Reservations are recommended and event accommodations are available.

The winning team — a trio of intensive care unit nurses — won the event which pitted hospital employees against firefighters, with fajita crepes and a sweet potato chile lime soup. 

The course the goal of the event was to encourage a healthy lifestyle among everyone in the community, fire fighters alike. 

Not only did the food have to be good, but the recipes had to meet stringent dietary requirements.

Chef Ganley, said he was glad that contestants focused on fresh veggies and didn’t forget the spices, since a lot of people think heart healthy means no salt. He praised one team’s quinoa creation and said they all remembered the most important thing.

“Food’s got to taste good. That’s the challenge that everyone has,” Ganely said. “It’s not just food for sustenance but food for experience.”

Proposal Day is set aside for future bridegrooms to stop hesitating and pop the question–in addition to Valentine’s Day, holidays, birthdays, vacations, and well, every other day of the year.  

A man named John Michael O’Loughlin invented the holiday after his cousin’s boyfriend strung her along for years without sealing the deal decades ago.  ”Enough already,” he said.  ”A day dedicated day to marriage proposals.” 

Many churches as well as individual counseling centers offer these workshops.  Perimeter Church in Johns Creek has The RightStart program.  During the six week sessions participants explore a number of topics that will affect their marriage such as budgeting, getting along with the in-laws and conflict resolution.  A mentoring relationship, which is optional for non-members, enriches the experience for the participant couples by pairing them with an experienced married couple who provides them with encouragement and support. 

Cathy and Troy Burwell were married at the Payne-Corley House and attended Right Start.  ”Eight years into our happy marriage, we are still so thankful for our premarital counseling!  It has saved us from many an argument, and helped us to understand the specific differences between the two of us.   It gave each of us an opportunity to talk about how we deal with conflict, how we need help from the other, and even the most mundane of things like, who will take out the trash?  It sounds crazy, but talking about these things ahead of time definitely gave us a right start!”  

 Photo courtesy of:  Cooper & Co. Photography

Whitney shot a wedding with us a few years ago and remembered how beautiful the venue was.  The Payne-Corley House is always available to photographers who need a special location for a photo shoot.  

The couple decided to do a “first look” before the ceremony so they could take advantage of the sunlight.  The weather cooperated perfectly and one of our favorite photographers (now on our referral list!) Sonja and Matt Cooper of Cooper & Company Photography captured the moment on the front lawn.  The ceremony was very touching, with Kyra’s mother and brother giving her away and Michael’s father officiating the service.   

Danielle Christian and Mary Kay Kibler started Re:Find Vintage, a Vintage Rental Company last year and this was their first big venture into the wedding market.  Their booth was SO cute, in fact, it won Best Booth at the show!  

Danielle and Mary Kay are former antique dealers who have turned their love of all things vintage into something that they can share with others. They want to be able to bring the stories of their unique pieces and let those items help create one of a kind spaces for special events.  What a great idea and perfect for all the Payne-Corley House brides who love the vintage look. 

If you are looking to add a touch of vintage to your wedding but don’t  have time to scavenge flea markets on the weekends or aren’t quite sure what you’ll do with 100 milk bottles after you say “I Do”, give these girls a call.  We also heard them say MANY times if they don’t have what you are looking for they never turn down the opportunity to go shopping and add to their inventory.  

Aden Wesley Walker
Born on August 22,2012
Gwinnett Medical Center
8 lbs. 7 oz.
21 1/2 inches

Each menu will include several Displayed Items, such as the Imported and Domestic Cheeses and the Creole Crab and Shrimp Bake along with Three Action Stations.  Some of our new Specialty Stations include:

~ Dim Sum Station with Pork and Scallion Dumplings and Veggie Pot Stickers

~ Mac & Cheese Station with Creamy Mac & Cheese, Buffalo Chicken, Pulled Pork, Shredded Cheese, Sauteed Peppers & Onions

~ Braised Beef Sliders with Crispy Fried Onions and Pickles, Yellow Mustard 

We look forward to featuring some of our new menu items at our upcoming Winter Tasting.  

Before ringing in the New Year, and to ensure that you treat your taste buds to every last bubble, chill the bottle for 30 to 45 minutes.  As you begin to open the bottle, slowly turn the cork a sixteenth of an inch with each twist.  

To add a little more sparkle to your wedding celebration, include a champagne toast for each guest at $3.00 per person.  Please contact us for more details.  

Photo courtesy of Katie Snyder Photography. 

I am so thankful, and very humbled by the love of my husband Michael and our amazing children Mackenzie, Emerson and Conner. -Jen Fulford, Event Specialist 

I am thankful for the titles of wife and mother.  Even with all the opportunities and challenges, it has shaped me into the strong woman I was designed to be!  I am thankful for an extra dose of patience (my son is t-w-o) and delighted God gave me creativity and humor for an extra dose of sanity! -Stephanie Griffin, Event Specialist

I am so thankful for the love and support of my three amazing children Allie, Parker and Amelia and for my incredible husband, Todd.  I am grateful for my wonderful family and friends and for the pleasure of working at the Payne-Corley House everyday!  -Hope Follmer, Director of Sales

 I am thankful I have the opportunity to do what I love to do and work with amazing staff and wonderful clients.  I am grateful to my parents, who help me out way more than they should.  Above all, I am thankful for my three sons, Colin, Alex and Ryan and for my husband Michael.  Our life is complete chaos so I thank God everyday for GRACE!  -Krista Ganley, Director of Special Events        

The couple wanted a casual brunch so an late morning ceremony was planned with a delicious brunch buffet to follow including made to order omelets.  Max developed a crossword puzzle with fun facts about the couple for the guests to work on while they sipped their morning coffee.  Brittany wanted incorporate her grandmother’s china into the reception so she used it on the sweetheart table for their first meal together.

A highlight of the reception was the “wedding cake” of donuts.  Brittany and Max were not big fans of cake so decided to keep the brunch theme going by having their cake of donuts along with other assorted desserts for the guests to enjoy.  

Photos by Tom Smarch Photography and Florals by Abby’s Floral Design.

We use cabbage and parsley in our planters.  Come spring, we’ll use the parsley in some of our dishes!

We also over seed with Rye Grass ensuring that our front lawn remains green throughout the winter. 

Featured in Georgia Living and voted by The Knot Magazine “Best of Weddings”, Jeff and Karyn Schwerzler offer over 35 years of combined experience. Karyn has been the recipient of over 20 awards from The Culinary American Federation and has been awarded the prestigious New York Guild of Chefs Award for Professionalism and Creativity.

Frosted Pumpkin designs breathtaking wedding cakes as well as incredible groom’s cakes and are a premier wedding cake company with extraordinary talents that has earned the respect of wedding venues, bridal consultants and other wedding professionals.

Please contact Jeff to schedule your complimentary tasting.  Tastings are held by appointment only at their bakery in Alpharetta or in Decatur at the Atlanta Wedding Loft.   

Our properties offer exquisite food, exceptional service and magnificent decorations…even a Christmas Tree!

Above photos courtesy of Eric Little Photography. 

Exquisitely decorated for the season, your guests will feel captivated by the warmth of our beautiful homes while our gracious service and attention to detail and exceptional cuisine from our acclaimed chef will make a lasting impression. We have three different dining selections to choose from and our desserts are to die for!  There are a number of beverage packages to choose from as well. And don’t forget our Deluxe Coffee Station of whipped cream, chocolate shavings, rock candy stirrers and flavored syrups.  Perfect for a cold winter night.

We can supply all of your party needs.  Are you looking for a DJ? We have a great one!  Interested in upgraded linens?  We can handle that too.  AND we even provide your centerpieces.  Gorgeous gold candelabras with silk floral toppers are included in your facility rental.  The only thing you have to bring is Santa!

Thanks to our wonderful staff for providing such amazing service to our brides and to our brides for recognizing our efforts.   Check us out the Fall/Winter Edition on news stands now and check out some of our reviews on Wedding Channel.com.

Photo courtesy of Amy Jo Photography.

Photo courtesy of King and Spivey.

The post popular question on a tour is….do you know the train’s schedule?  The answer is unfortunately no.  We have been told that a schedule exists but it would be very unreliable as it changes all the time.  If a train does pass, children and adults alike will delight in the nostalgic feel it brings and the memories it makes for you on your special day.  

 Photo courtesy of Nadia D.

Chef Michael uses no pesticides in his garden and maintains the area himself…you may even catch him pulling weeds!  Parsley is plentiful during the autumn months in our flower pots and any day you might find him snipping away with a batch headed to the kitchen. Along with The English thyme found in his stocks, lemon balm is used in the Watermelon Salad and some of his vinaigrettes.

Rosemary enhances the flavor of the roasted potatoes and the oregano is for the dressing for the Country Greek Salad.  Chef Michael uses the basil for his Signature Basil Pistou and in his pasta creations and as a finishing touch in many of his delectable dishes which include The Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Salad, The Ratatouille Salad and Capreese Salad. 

Chef Michael grows the Dutch Lavendar just because it smells good!

Papi sporting his bow tie

Named Papi, the five year old Toy Fox Terrier has become such an integral part of the family that Maria could not imagine getting married here without him.  And we were more than happy to oblige.  Sporting a bow tie, Papi paraded down the aisle at The Magnolia Cottage and took his place among the other groomsmen. That didn’t last long and soon he was carried center stage and spent the remainder of the ceremony at the bride and groom’s feet.

Papi in his place of honor

 At The Payne-Corley House we understand how important your pet is to you. You are welcome to have them participate in your ceremony outside. Ask your Event Specialist how your special member of the family can share in your celebration.

Papi and the beautiful bride

Their signature cocktail, “The Sazerac” was served because the couple loves New Orleans and classic cocktails. Bill finally knew Lori was the one when she could master it!  While the meal was more formal, for the dancing they continued the couple’s nod to New Orleans with sounds of the ASO (The Atlanta Swamp Opera) who played traditional Cajun music as the guests danced the night away.   The evening concluded with the classic New Orlean’s dessert, Banana’s Foster.

Flowers by Abby’s Floral Design and Wedding Cake by Celso’s Cakes. 

What bride dosen’t want to save a little money on her wedding expenses?  There are a number of easy ways to do that without sacrificing any of the special details such as booking an extraordinary venue, serving your guests amazing cuisine or having a rocking D.J.

Book your wedding at The Payne-Corley House in the months of January and February and we will waive the facility rental.  Talk about a cost savings! Think about what you could use that money for….maybe upgraded lines, a photo booth, florals or even the honeymoon!  You are still getting a beautifully historic home, a professional wedding specialist, exceptional food and beverage and what will be the most special and memorable day of your life.

Photo courtesy of:  Stacey Bode Photography.

Envision your wedding in July, August or November and see a reduction on the facility rental as well.  Savvy planners also know that booking short-term allows vendors more flexibility with rates and minimums.  You’ll need to hit the ground running but by booking within 4-6 months of your planned date vendors are more often anxious to fill the holes in their calendar and work with you on their published pricing.    

If you want to get married in a peak month, consider an off-peak day, perhaps a Friday evening or Sunday.  Facility rentals and minimums are substantially less on on these days.

Don’t forget about our wedding package enhancements for florals, D.J and upgraded linens.  Our preferred vendors have produced cost savings packages for us and we pass the cost savings on to you.

Design courtesy of:  Abbys Floral Design.

St. Barths or Yachting The Caribbean with SeaDream Yacht Club

 For a most romantic get-a-way, imagine sailing the beautiful Caribbean ocean aboard The Seadream Western Caribbean who’s motto is “It’s Yachting, Not Cruising”.  Meander into ports just not accessible to the larger ships, indulge in amazing cuisine, plan to dance the night away or try your hand at the small casino aboard ship.  Spectacular ports-of-call throughout your trip await you in The British Virgin Islands, U.S. Virgin Islands and St. Barths.

 Nicaragua and Costa Rica For more active, adventure seekers, there is the Island Eco-Lodge on Lake Nicaragua, on the architecturally stunning Jicaro Island where you can take a 4 hour hike up Mombacho Volcano, fish in the beautiful lake or relax in hanging hammocks. Sail above the trees on a zip line canopy tour and or just take in the culture and history of the local Nicaraguense.

 Paris and South of France

Begin your indulgent gastronomic tour in Paris on the left bank with a stay at the charming tiny boutique Hotel L’ Espirit de Saint Germain located next to The Saint Sulpice Church made so famous in The “D’avinci Code”.  San Germain is renowned for local chic boutiques, pasticeries, brasseries, and bistros.  With the university just nearby, and the gorgeous Luxemburg gardens and the Musee d’Orsay and Seine river a short walk away, the area is an ideal base for a Parisian stay that maybe feels a bit more local and relaxed.  This area offers a multitude of exquisite eateries sure to please even the most discerning palates.  A day trip to Lyons awaits with a stroll through Les Halles Market where the most famous chefs in the region including the local hero, three Michelin-Star chef Paul Bocuse provee delicacies for their restaurants. Take a riverboat down the Rhone and The Soane Rivers and savor the exceptional wineries, captivating villages and even a local truffle farm along the way.

For more expert travel advice contact Resort to Laura Madrid:

Always start with a consultation.  Your hair stylist will look at your face shape, personality and lifestyle and of course, the details of your dress, the neckline and accessories such as tiarias, the veil, a barrette or flowers. Trial runs are encouraged so you can try out the style before your big day. Ideally this visit should be at least six months before the wedding day for a consultation.

This year brides are going more natural than years passed. Tasha Shaw of Jamison Shaw Hairdressers in Atlanta suggests doing a soft wave on the side with one side tucked.  This is an elegant, natural look. Brides are also adding vintage broaches or feathers as bling which gives elegant detail.

Additional styles for 2012 are hair softly swept away from the face in an updo with a low bun in the back.  Rouching, a French word which means to plait the hair, creates volume and strength for an easy up-do that has a lovely result. It is a very ancient sewing technique. A strip of fabric or ribbon is gathered in a repeat pattern and as the gathering thread is drawn up, the strip forms scallops or petals. Throughout history, Rouching has been an embellishment or trim on women’s clothing often seen on a neckline, sleeve, hem or bonnet. —- and now it is done with hair!

Hair Stylists will also work with the bridesmaids, mothers and other members of the bridal party.   At The Payne-Corley House, you will have access to our gorgeous bridal suite 1-1/2 hours prior to your ceremony.   We recommend using this time for pre-ceremony pictures and so the bride and bridal party should come with hair and make-up done.   Your stylist is welcome to join you to the bridal suite for last minute touch-ups before you walk down the aisle.

Whatever hair style you favor, you’ll be a beautiful Payne-Corley House bride for your most special and memorable day. 

If the ceremony was meant for our lovely outdoor gazebo and there is a chance of inclement weather your Event Specialist can help you make the decision to move it inside as she tracks the storm and gives you the latest developments on the situation.  

 We offer lots of flexibility and give you up until two hours prior to the ceremony start time to choose to hold your ceremony inside.  There’s plenty of time to dress the alter and to relocate any florals to enhance the ceremony site.  

From the bridal suite you’ll descend down the grand stair case and enter through the arch to walk along a white aisle runner to the front of the room.  As guests gaze at you from their gold Chiavari chairs, you’ll meet your handsome groom under the master fireplace which sets the perfect stage for this magic moment. 

 After the ceremony as you are taking pictures we’ll ask guests to step into the bar area and onto the veranda and we will reset the room as desired for your reception.

Celebrating 10 years in business, Melonie got her start baking cakes when a friend from church encouraged her to attend a cake decorating class.  She never would have tried without her friend’s encouragement and as it turns out she not only loved it but was good at it!  In fact, Melonie recently won her first cake decorating competition and was awarded the National Association of Catering Executives 2012 Events Trend Design.   Here is Melonie’s award winning design:

“One of the things we are known for is being able to make our butter cream look smooth like fondant, but without the added cost of fondant.  We also specialize in offering our brides the ability to replicate their wedding dress pattern into their wedding cake design.”  In fact, Melonie’s award winning cake design was inspired by The Great Gatsby.

On a personal note, the staff favorites from Melonie are:  Butter Pecan (hands down), Strawberry and Orange Creamsicle.  

We are very fortunate to have an award winning orchestra right here in our community.  The Duluth High School Orchestra   can provide a variety of different string ensembles for wedding ceremonies and events.   The students are incredibly talented and eager to gain performance experience.  Utilizing these students can offer a big cost savings.  The students have played for a number of weddings here at Payne-Corley House and we are happy to recommend them.

The tasting is a gift to our booked clients so they can get a feel for what their event will be like and select their menu items.    As usual, our culinary and service team did an outstanding job.  Thank you to Abby’s Floral Design for decorating the house.

Just a few pictures from the event:

 Peter’s proposal was an almost unanimous decision by our judges.  They each read the stories individually and 4 out of 5 voted Raychel’s as their favorite.  Our florist, Abby of Abby’s Floral Designs said, “it was simple but really touching.”  Brett, from Black Tie Events loved how Peter involved his children in the proposal. 

A huge thanks to our other judges, For Goodness Cakes, Homewood Suites and Celso’s Cakes  for all your hard work reading and judging the entries. 

It wasn’t until after the contest that we realized Raychel was also a Payne-Corley House bride!   All of the entries were handled by our marketing partner Vine Branch Designs so we were thrilled that Raychel won the contest.  She will be having a lovely bridesmaids luncheon at the Park Cafe before her wedding on February 19th.  

Here is the winning entry from Raychel:

It was a typical evening at home with Peter’s three kids. When baseball, soccer, girl scouts, and/or boy scouts doesn’t get in the way, it’s become part of our routine for us to have dinner as a family. His daughter and I will often end the evening with a bedtime story before Peter and I both tuck her in for the night.  On October 30th, something was different.  As soon as she and I finished reading, Peter and the boys came into the room and Arden jumped up off the bed and grabbed something from the corner of her room and hid it behind her back.  I immediately knew what was going on and I started to cry!  Peter said something like, “…we love you and we want to be with you today, tomorrow, and everyday.”  Instead of asking if I’d marry him, he asked, “Will you join our family?” My answer was, “Of course!”  He presented me with a unique and meaningful ring that has four diamond pave hearts; one for each of them. I always had a hunch that Peter’s proposal would somehow involve his children, but I never expected it to be so emotional for all of us!  The audio on the video is hard to hear, but you can really see the excitement and the love from everyone there…even the dog!

The back story here is relevant and almost unbelievable, but a true story. …Our relationship started out in a way that no other has…or that we’ve (or even Paul Tacorian of Tacori Jewelry) has ever heard of; and he knows relationships!  We had known each other for years prior to dating, but only as casual friends.  Over the years, we had lost touch until we ran into each other at a concert.  After talking on the phone, Facebook-ing, and texting almost non-stop, we went out again a couple weeks later (to that same bar we reconnected at) and ended up with a “court”-ship we’d never have imagined.  I don’t want to spill too many details, but let’s just say that our first “photos” weren’t exactly album worthy. Yes, we’d like to thank a certain unnamed PD for their part in our future civil union…  -From that moment on, we knew we were inseparable, even though we weren’t handcuffed together~

We both went to D. Geller & Son to pick out the ring.  He knew that I wanted a vintage/antique style ring, but we figured, if I’m only getting one of these for the rest of my life, I’d better love it.  Consequently, we both had picked out the same ring!  Of course, I could not have the ring immediately.  He even made me go outside so I wouldn’t know what level of the house the ring was on when he hid it.  Cruel, right?  Every once in a while, I’d get to look at it and admire its beauty, but not get to wear it.  I came home from work one day to find a ring box on the bed with a note by it.  I was excited; then, I realized that the ring box was black, not blue…  I knew it wasn’t the engagement ring, but was curious.  The note was a poem written about how since I could not have the ring for my left hand it was only fair for me to have one for my right.  It was signed, “The Evil Karat Dangler”! That ring is beautiful as well )

Fast forward to the proposal ~October 15th, 2011~ There are two things that make Evan smile more than anything ; well, three now ;o) ~but, they are:  the city of San Francisco, and the band, Journey.  I had never been to the west coast or to a Journey show, so when Evan saw that they were playing in SF, he promptly booked us on a flight to the City by the Bay with two 3rd row tickets to the show! We stayed at the elegant Fairmont Heritage Place, right in Ghirardelli Square (Whoops!  One more thing that makes him smile, Ghirardelli Chocolate – the collection around the house is becoming problematic). 

From the second we got there, I thought it was the most beautiful place I had ever been.  I was perfectly content with the awesome view, rich food, and amazing company; but little did I know, there was one more surprise up ahead.  The next morning, we rented bikes and headed toward the massive golden beast that, without fail, makes you want to sing the Full House theme song upon site.  Boy, was I out of shape…Evan, who had just had hip replacement surgery 6 weeks before our trip, was smoking me! 

In the midst of our stopping every 5 minutes to take pictures of the scenery, it took us over 2 hours to even get up to the bridge.  What did I care?  I was on vacation…No worries or a care in the world.  I was just soaking it all in.  Once on the bridge, Evan said, “Let’s stop here.”  I, and my quads-on-fire, happily obliged.  Evan had me look over the edge and frame up some shots of sailboats and the Marin Headlands.  I snapped a few pictures before he said, “Ok, that’s probably good.”  I turned around to my left, only to see him down on one knee.  I was speechless!  He was staring at me with a look in his eyes that I will never forget, and said very quickly, and like he had practiced it in front of the mirror many times, “Will you marry me?”  

For a moment, I forgot we were on a bridge: with wind blowing in our hair, car horns beeping and bicycles whizzing by.  For just a moment, everything stopped, and we were the only ones there.  Sounds were muffled, except for a lone seagull in the distance -all light was focused on him.  It was like a montage scene from a movie with different clips from different camera angles and everyone was watching our story of joy, -feeling like they were a part of our magic moment.    Of course, as I type this story today, I said, “YES!” only to be immediately followed by slight applause of some onlookers nearby, seeming like they didn’t really know what to do.  Do they come up to us offering congratulations; do they just smile and say, Awww?  It was absolutely perfect.  -Every detail of it!  It made sense why in the weeks leading up to our trip I’d always catch him looking at me all funny and whimsical-like. 

Now, don’t let him fool you.  When he tells the story, he will say that he proposed in the “middle” of the Golden Gate Bridge…it was really in the first third of the bridge.  He was much too excited to wait until the middle.  I think he was relieved that the plans he’d had for months were not foiled.  I very easily could have gone through the luggage and found the ring.  How he got it from the hotel to the bridge without me seeing, I’ll never know, but I’m glad it happened the way it did.  I’m glad our relationship started the way it did.  Our story was intense from the beginning and every chapter we write from here on out will have an equal, if not greater amount of passion and love.  There is so much character and integrity between the two of us; it’s built an undying strength to last a lifetime.

Our one year anniversary of when we had the DTR (defining the relationship) talk and made it official, was May 5th.  We decided to go out to celebrate this anniversary on Friday May 6th.  He said he had a plan, could I be ready to go at 3:30.  I was off that day so I said, sure!  We went downtown (that was the only hint he would give me) and we pull up at the Georgian Terrace Hotel.  For those of you who are not from Atlanta, this hotel is directly across the street from the Fox Theater, where shows and concerts and more are held.  He said they agreed to let us sit out on the Terrace even though it didn’t open until 5:00 and enjoy a drink while watching the world pass us by. 

 It was a beautiful day (75 degrees and sunny) and he said he had to order the drinks at the bar since they were not technically open in the restaurant yet so I could go ahead and have a seat.  When he got back out to the terrace he started talking about this past year and how great it had been and how much he loved me, and then all of sudden said, wait what is that while pointing to the Fox’s marquee.  I look at the marquee and it says, Amy stop looking at me, Kit’s trying to propose and when I look back at Kit he is one knee with a GORGEOUS ring!  I would be lying if I told you I remember word for word what he said as I was so shocked (in a good way of course) but it was beautiful!  I, of course, said YES! and we hugged and then he put that bling on my finger!  Afterwards, the marquee on the Fox changed to Congratulations Kit and Amy (thank you, Russ) and we were able to snap pictures of that.

It was magical, wonderful and perfect!

 John and I were planning to celebrate our year-and-a-half anniversary in June of 2011, and I thought it would be fun to go out on the town in Atlanta.  He seemed to have a different idea, letting me know that he would rather celebrate at his house cooking our favorite meal together and just spending time there.  Even though I thought my idea was better at the time, I am so glad he had something else in mind. The morning of what I thought would be a ‘low-key’ date night, he told me to be at his house at 6pm because he had something special planned.  Of course I had many questions, and he would not answer any of them! We didn’t talk much the rest of the day, and it turns out he had been so nervous/anxious that he was just pacing around his house in preparation for me to get there at 6.  I walked in to find rose petals laying around the house and candles lit. He is a romantic person, but I had never seen him go to this extent- It was like a scene out of a fairytale! He told me to come sit on the couch, where he had prepared a pail of water with rose petals in it.  He told me that if he was going to lead me in life, he must learn to serve me as well.  This is so special because we work to keep our relationship focused on God, and in the bible, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples as a sign of service and love. He then took my shoes off and washed my feet one by one.  I was sitting still as a statue, not knowing what to do with myself! He said “You can start crying now”, which would have been normal because I tend to be very sensitive.  But I was so in shock, I couldn’t even find tears to cry! 

Then he said your second gift is in the next room, and he went to go get it.  He came out holding the ring box behind his back and told me to stand-up.  As soon as I got up on my feet, he dropped to his knees and asked if I would marry him! I was so shocked, I just stood there with my jaw dropped.  After a couple of seconds, I asked him if he had asked the permission of my mom and my grandparents (the three most important people in my life other than him).  He let me know that he had called my grandparents, who live in Pennsylvania, to ask for their permission.  He had also taken my mom to dinner the week prior to our engagement, asking for her permission as well! I said YES and he slipped the gorgeous ring on my finger.  The ring is also very special because the main diamond in the ring belonged to his grandmother first, then belonged to his mom, and now has been passed down to me! I am completely grateful of such a one-of-a-kind gift. The next few hours of that night consisted of calling our loved ones and letting them know the news, though most of them already knew, and cooking our favorite meal together. Thanks to John, I will never forget that night and look forward to our wedding at the Payne Corley House!

Here are a few pictures of our engagement story! The dog sniffing the water is John’s sweet dog, Roxy.  She will be like our first child when we get married!  A wonderful addition to our story.

Thank you!
Lauren Kelley

It was the weekend of Thanksgiving 2010 and we were out in Hilton Head, SC walking along the beach and it was starting to get cold. I was complaining of course and was ready to go home. I kept begging Tony to go home and he kept telling me lets walk a little longer. Finally he gave in and we headed home. Once we got home we started to decorate our fake tree. Once the tree was finished, so I thought, I turned around and he was on one knee and said you have one more ornament. I looked at him in shock and asked “Are you serious?” We have been dating for almost 8 years at this point and I couldn’t believe my time had finally come. Of course I said yes once I realized this was really happening. Come to find out he was going to ask me at the beach earlier, but I had ruined those plans. Now we couldn’t be happier and can’t wait for our big day!!

That moment when the world seems to stand still, your heart races, and the love you have for him is so overwhelming you actually are at a loss for words. Were you whisked away to a private bungalow and asked for your hand in marriage after a romantic evening under the stars?  Did he orchestrate the most unforgettable surprise and rope your BFF and parents in on it? Maybe he jumped out of a plane as he professed his love in yet another one of his Xtreme stunts!

Whatever the tale one thing is for certain, you will never forget the day you looked into his eyes and knew that his love for you was everlasting and that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with him.

You know you love to tell the story, so why not win something fantastic for sharing! Submit your engagement story for a chance to win a FREE Bridesmaids Luncheon for up to 25 guests at our sister restaurant, Park Café.

Be sure not to leave out any of the sweet, hilarious, or tear-jerking details. The winning proposal may have impressive originality, a great meaningful gesture, or even a well-planned surprise. Let’s just say we’re looking for the best overall “awwww” factor.

Entries will be accepted through January 17. If you’d like to be featured on our blog or at the Georgia Bridal Show on January 8th, please include your video url with your entry.

Winner to be announced on January 21.  

Submit Your Story

 For Alycia Monopoli Cullen, one of our most recent brides, having a website was really useful. Alycia felt that it was stressful and time-consuming to set up because she built it from scratch instead of using a cookie-cutter website maker but once she set up keeping it up was really easy and took minimal time. Alycia said “it was great to be able to update information as it became available: important events, hotel blocks, bridal party, etc. and it was a great way for Ralph and I to show our creative side and give the “other” family a sneak peek into who we were marrying before the Day”.

Alycia and Ralph were able to link their registries directly to the site, which made it easy for people to find where they were registered and to order online. Now, after the wedding, they’ve used it to put pictures up of the Day, and are planning on using it to give little updates about other lives and any future events. 

Check out Alycia and Ralph’s custom website:  www.thirtynineinbinary.com.

Free wedding websites are available through Wedding Wire and The Knot.

Lela and Stephen planned a vintage chic wedding with a lot of homemade touches. Lela’s step-mother was decorator in chief and did an amazing job pulling everything together. One of my favorite features was the “Let Them Eat Cake” display. In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, Lela and Stephen wanted friends and family to bake their favorite cakes to share with all their guests. Success! And the candy buffet…..the candy buffet to end all candy buffets.

Rock and roll continued throughout the evening with a special duet from the couple.

 Also known as a seated dinner, a plated event is a more traditional and more formal option than a strolling reception.  Every guest is seated, usually at an assigned table, and the meal is served by our wait staff. At the Payne-Corley House, we can accommodate up to 170 guests for a plated event and you can either have a menu selected ahead of time or have your guests order their own meal via a la carte dining service.  Yes, we will let the guests choose their entree the day of the event! 

 Plated events tend to have a more formal air than buffet or strolling receptions but this is not to say they have to be stuffy! Your guests will definitely enjoy being pampered by this dining style.

At the Payne-Corley House we prepare all our meals “a la minute.”  What that means is our culinary team is plating up your food just before it goes into the room, like you would have at a restaurant.   You will NEVER find your meal plated ahead of time, sitting in a hot box with a lid on it.  The extensive experience of our culinary team allows us to really shine with our plated events and offer a level of service most caterers won’t attempt. 

 If your families tend toward the traditional and prefer a wedding reception with a sit-down meal, then a plated event might be your best choice. Or if you’re wavering somewhere between a strolling reception and a plated event, there is also the buffet event option to consider. We’ll explore how a buffet event  differs from the other two in the next post in this series.

Our wait staff is ready to pick up the Cucumber Wrapped Field Greens with Toasted Pecans and Maple Vinaigrette.

Below are three of our most popular plated entree selections:

Pecan Crusted Chicken with Vanilla Sweet Potatoes, Madeira Jus

Seared Salmon with Herb Risotto, Basil Oil:

Beef Tenderloin with Caramelized Onions, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Red Wine Reduction

This year’s “Taste of Duluth” featured cuisine 12 local restaurants. 2011 is an exciting year because there are many wonderful changes happening in Downtown Duluth.   Come and see  how Historic Duluth is taking off! 

Duluth Fall Festival is this weekend:  September 24th and 25th.  For more information on the festival visit:  Duluth Fall Festival

Duluth photographer Wallace Reid of Wallace Reid Portraiture captured the festivities at the event.

Pictured below:  Jason Chandler, President of Gwinnett Medical Center Foundation, Kathryn Willis, Founder of the Duluth Fall Festival, State Representative Brooks Coleman, Grand Marshall Mr. and Mrs. Stewart Cink and festival sponsor Claude Mason.

Pictured below:  Honorary Grand Marshall, Dr. Miles Mason

Pictured Below:  Park Cafe  prepared it’s signature Shrimp and Grits:

Pictured Below:  Partners of the much anticipated Pure Taqueria, Historic Duluth’s newest restaurant with Duluth’s Economic Development Manager, Chirs McGahee. 

Payne-Corley House prepared Braised Beef Sliders with Crispy Onions and Pickles.

The Historic Payne-Corley House.  Such a great night for the event!

Our brides always tell us how helpful the tasting is to not only sample the cuisine but to visualize how their wedding might feel.  Abby’s Floral Design decorated the house and ceremony site to showcase the special floral packages she offers our brides. 

 One of the favorite menu items is always our Shrimp & Grits…

And the Pecan Crusted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes…

Our wonderful Sales and Events team circulates during the event to answer questions from their clients.

And our Executive Chef and amazing culintary team and service staff makes it all happen…

We launced a Facebook competition for our brides to win two complimentary hors d’ oeuvres to add to their event.  It was a huge success!

In the summer we still have several pear trees that produce fruit.  One of the most abundant is at the ceremony site.  Before the ceremonies one of the staff  is always assigned “pear” duty to clean up the fallen pears and minimize the bee and yellow jacket activity before the guests arrive.   I will harvest in early fall and I’m thinking red wine star anis poached pears and pear and golden raisin cobbler for our holiday buffets!

One of my other favorites are the Celeste (sugar) fig trees.  We’ve gathered hundreds of figs this summer and used them at the Park Cafe and PCH.

While we are far from “farm to table” (although we would love to move in that direction one day) we do try and utilize what we have.  This week I made some beautiful fig preserves (see below) and we also made roasted fig and vanilla custard tarts for one of the dessert displays.

The fig perserve was great with the brie cheese!

Anna and Mike are such a great couple and regulars at our restaurant, Park Cafe.  In fact, they got engaged there!  So I was so thrilled to get to know them better and work with them on all the plans for the big day. 

You’ll see how all the trees cooperated perfectly with Anna’s color scheme.  For the ceremony, the “Unity Beer” was one of my favorite personal touches they added along with the monogram aisle runner.   Anna & Mike’s dog Mackie served as ring bearer.

Anna dressed the ballroom in beautiful linens by Chair Covers & Linens and Abby’s Floral Design  crafted elegant “rock” centerpieces.   For Goodness Cakes crafted an intricately designed guitar for Mike’s groom’s cake;  so authentic the couple didn’t even want to cut it!

Photos by Lora Ayers Photography.

What do our bride’s say?  Here’s just a few of the personal notes I received from some of my recent brides (and might I say how impressed I was how quicky these girls got out their thank you notes!):

“Thank you so much for everything you did to make our wedding as perfect as it was.  You really went above and beyond and we really appreciate it.  The Payne-Corley House is an amazing venue.” 

 -Sarah & Andy Stein (June 25th)

“Thank you so much for all you did to make our reception AMAZING. We had the best time and everyone loved the Payne-Corley House.” 

 -Melissa and Jared Hudspeth (July 9th)

“The day was PERFECT and everyone has commented on beautiful the house was and how great the food tasted.  Everything was SO WONDERFUL.”

 -Krysten and Matt Little (July 16th)

Voting ends Friday, August 12th.  Please vote at:  http://bestofgwinnett.com/vote-now-best-of-gwinnett-2011/.

When it comes to strolling receptions I am always asked, “Will my guests have enough to eat?” At the Payne-Corley House your guests will never go away hungry.  Characteristics of strolling receptions are a variety of menu options such as carving, pasta, or sauté stations placed in different areas of the house, passed hors d’oeuvres, and displayed food selections that entice guests to meander and sample.   We love to utilize our talented culinary team to provide action stations for your guests.  I describe the selections as ’user friendly’ meaning you don’t necessarily need a knife and a fork while you eat.  All the selections work well for the classic balancing act of negotiating your smaller plate and beverage.

Another question asked about a strolling reception is, “Will everyone have a seat?”  That question is best answered based on the number of guests you are having.  But typically for a strolling reception we accomodate seating for about 60% of your expected guests inside the house with additional seating outside.  Strolling receptions encourage guests to move around and typically have more of a relaxed flow of events. Guests can choose to sit inside close to the dance floor action, wander outside on the grounds, sit a spell on the veranda, or even explore the gazebo.   It is always important to have the right ration of seating to guests and since the guests are “strolling” around, we need to leave room for them to do so.

Strolling receptions are perfect for large parties with guests of all ages and celebratory styles. And they are an ideal way to provide guests with a delicious feast without the formality of a sit-down event.

Think a sit-down meal better fits your needs? In the next post in this series, we’ll take a look at the “plated event.” Stay tuned!

The most common types of reception styles include a Strolling Reception , Plated Events (also known as Sit-Down or Seated Dinners / Luncheons) and Buffet Events.   There are various benefits to each of these reception types and the reception style that works best for one couple will not necessarily be the style that meets another couple’s needs.

In this blog series, we’ll explore the differences among the various types of reception styles to help you determine what makes the most sense for your wedding. But first you’ll want to consider several questions:

1.       How many guests are you expecting? The size of your event plays a big factor in which reception style will be most accommodating for your guests.

2.      What type of atmosphere do you desire for your reception? Do you want guests to mingle throughout the event or do you prefer more intimate seating options and a measured pace?

3.      What sort of entertainment are you planning? Will there be a lively dance band or a subtle string quartet?

While each reception style can be tailored to meet the needs of widely different events, thinking through the answers to these questions will help you envision the arrangement that best compliments your occasion.

In our next post in this series, we’ll start with a look at the Strolling Reception a popular choice for a lot of our brides and a concept with Southern roots.

 Our “Sip & Sees” give both potential and confirmed clients a little taste of our beautiful venue. We open the house for a few hours and arrange the facilities just-so to give you an idea of how it might look for your event. Best of all, we serve a complimentary selection of treats from our current seasonal menu so you can discover for yourself just what a delicious difference our scratch kitchen is over typical banquet style food! (Careful … guests who taste our chef’s creations find themselves completely unable to resist the Payne-Corley House charms!)

 ** And if you’re wondering why we call it a “Sip & See,” we’ve taken that phrase from a time-honored Southern wedding tradition where the bride’s mother hosts a light tea party for her friends to “sip and see” all of the bride’s lovely wedding gifts lavishly on display! Now, what could be more Southern than transforming our nosy neighbor tendencies into an excuse for a party?

At the Payne-Corley House we do like to brag that we don’t offer your typical banquet food.  That’s because we do it right.   We believe in the integrity of our product and not taking short-cuts.  For example, the process for making stock, the base of all our sauces is completed over 3 days and takea total of at least 30 hours.   Here is the journey:

Day I: 

First, we roast the veal bones until golden brown.  Typically, we roast about 50 pounds of bones at a time.   This takes about 1-2 hours. 

Next, we enhance the flavor of the bones by adding aromatics (garlic, black peppercorns, thyme) roatsed mirepoix and liquid. 

The mirepoix (carrotts, celery onions) ….I’ve already roasted these separately for 30-45 minutes. 

Simmer together for 8 -14 hours (depending on the size of the bones).

The boiling process requires constant attention as we continually skim off the foam and fat.

Day 2:

Boil the liquid to reduce by half.  This takes about 5 hours. 

 At the same time, we do an “2nd run” with the bones and mirepoix for another 8 -14 hours.  This is the remiage.

Day 3:

We combine the 1st and 2nd run and reduce this by half.  This takes another 5-7 hours.  Now we have our Demi-Glace.  We rapidly chill to preserve the integrity of the sauce.

The end result of the 3 day process is about 3 to 4 gallons of demi.   With all the reduction, the chilled liquid becomes ” Veal Jello” (Below is considered  a bar of gold in the culinary world) giving us the base for our sauces.

Keep in mind, this is JUST STOCK, the foundation of our infamous Madeira Jus and other sauces.  Making the actual sauce is another process all together.  We’ll share that labor of love another day.

David has a great rapport with his clients and we have enjoyed getting to know him.  We are pleased to share some of David’s work with you and are delighted to recommend him to our brides.   

For more information about David:  www.firestinephotography.com

We turned to one of the Payne-Corley House founders, Jane Wilson,  who just planned her daughter Susanna’s wedding last fall.  “Susanna and Chris have both been living in Albany for several years so it was decided to hold the wedding there.  I didn’t have the expertise of the Payne-Corley House at my disposal, but after planning hundereds of weddings myself at the Payne-Corley House I knew there were a few key things I could do as the mother of the bride to make things go smoothly.” 

Here are a few of Jane’s tips:

1)   DON’T OVER DO IT.   ”I can’t tell you the number of weddings I planned where the mother of the bride took on too much and was so stressed out on the day of the wedding.    You may love to tinker with flowers, but on the big day do you really want to be putting the finishing touches on your daughter’s bouquet?”

2)  HIRE PROFESSIONALS.  “Booking a venue I had never been to was a little scary, especially when I have grown accustom to Chef Michael’s amazing cuisine.  But since he was not available to come cater the event we booked our venue based on word of mouth and reviews.  Do your research.  You need to feel confident in the abilities of your venue.  Once we booked the venue we used their referral list to select our other vendors.”

3)  USE YOUR FRIENDS.  “I could not have survived without my girlfriends.  When someone asked if they could help I didn’t hesitate to say yes and give them a job.”

4)  YOU ARE THE HOSTESS:  ENJOY THE DAY.  “The venue we selected did not have an Event Specialist like we offer at the Payne-Corley House.  So I hired a day of coordinator to make sure all the details were covered.   I did not want to be running around making sure the favors were out or the guest book was in the right spot.  I wanted to enjoy the moment because it really is over before you know it.”

Our gardens offer the perfect backdrop for your wedding party pictures or your engagement photos.  Don’t forget to capture the moment underneath our century old Saucer Magnolia tree!  Come by and take a look whether you are planning a wedding, a silver anniversary party or your daughter’s Bat Mitzvah we can assure you that your guests will be captivated by the warmth of our beautiful home and cottage, while our gracious service and attention to detail will make a lasting impression.

Our calendar is full with special events the entire month of May so our next Sip & See will be in June.  Remember:  you don’t have to have to be planning a specific event to attend.  Maybe you’re just a nosey neighbor and want to check us out….come on by! 

Cindy Brown Photography  dropped in and shared a few photos with us. 

We are thrilled to announce that the Payne-Corley House Saucer Magnolia is now the official State Champion!  Much thanks to Frank and his dad Woody who measured the tree and submitted it for nomination.  Scott Griffin with the Georgia Forestry Commission certified the tree and gave us the honor of being the largest Saucer Magnolia tree in the state.

The blooms are beautiful but they don’t hold on for long, perhaps only a week or two.   So to see the tree in all its glory I suggest driving by soon.  Shortly, the pink blooms will fall and give way to branches of green.  The azaleas will then follow suit, letting us know spring is here and that wedding season is in full swing.

We were honored the couple selected the Payne-Corley House because Megan’s dad is Jerome Spivey, of King and Spivey Artography, one of Atlanta’s premiere wedding photographers who has shot hundreds of weddings all over the country.

Jerome considers the Payne-Corley House one his favorite venues for photography. We consider that an “expert” endorsement!

Photography by SimplyBloom