Step into dream spaces for fall weddings – with seasonal foods to fit
by Noel Wolfram Evans
Fall used to be the season dedicated to football and hiking sprees, but Kimberly Gibson says autumn has taken on a new identity.
“August through November has become the new summer for weddings,” says Gibson, the executive chef and owner of the Hungry Bee catering company.
And really, why wouldn’t it be? Fall in Northeast Ohio can create a wedding with a backdrop of spectacular colors and temperatures that generally won’t make your guests roast. It can also give access to tantalizing fall flavors.
Of course it is Northeast Ohio, where on more than one occasion, residents were stunned by a June snowfall so weather is always a concern. But with the right venue, you can get the most out of fall, regardless of what the sky brings. Two of the venues that can do that are Tall Oaks Resort in Kirtland and The Tanglewood Golf Club in Bainbridge Township.
TALL OAKS RESORT
In the heart of the Kirtland valley, couples will find the expansive Tall Oaks Resort. Jaime Cordova, vice president of sales and operations at Tall Oaks, tells Jstyle Weddings the resort is especially suited to host a fall wedding.
“It’s right there in our name,” he says. “We are surrounded by these beautiful trees, and in the fall when the foliage changes it is quite stunning.”
Perhaps the centerpiece of the location is the rustic-chic contemporary event barn. Cordova says this two-story event space, “is great year-round, but it has a motif that is particularly ideal for a fall setting.”
“Couples usually have an idea for the dream vision of what they want their wedding to be,” he adds. “We can offer the locations and fall decorations – bales of hay, pumpkins, corn stalks – to make that vision a reality.”
Seasonality is important to the menu as well. While Tall Oaks offers a catering menu, Cordova says they will work with the wedding party if they have a taste for something special. This is often a family favorite or something using seasonal ingredients like butternut squash or pumpkin. Soups and cups of hot cocoa also add a warm fall touch to the wedding celebration, especially later in the season when the temperatures are dropping. As a delicious added plus, Cordova says, “We are a completely scratch kitchen. Everything, from our breads on up, is made from scratch.”
Another feature that makes Tall Oaks stand out is the Carriage House Inn on the premises. The luxury suites provide a perfect place for the bridal party and their guests to end their night.
“It’s nice to get to the end of the wedding day, walk 20 feet and go to bed,” Cordova says.
With gazebos, gardens, a covered portico, covered bridge and many other features, the Carriage House is also a great place to continue the celebration in the crisp fall air, he adds.
THE TANGLEWOOD GOLF CLUB
When discussing the beauty to be found across The Tanglewood Golf Club, Gibson shares her excitement with Jstyle Weddings. Her Hungry Bee company is the catering partner of Tanglewood for on-site gourmet services for all its events.
“We are nestled in a beautiful community among trees and florals,” she says. “There are so many gorgeous spaces everywhere you turn.”
It’s a location that seemingly comes to life anew when fall sweeps across Chagrin Valley. The club, which was completed in 1967, recently came under new ownership which has “revitalized and renovated” the space, Gibson says. It was acquired by a group led by Scott Pollock of Chagrin Falls, who takes over from Mark Tiefel and Warren “Renny” Wolfson, the Cleveland Jewish News reported. One of the changes made was to partner with the Hungry Bee for catering.
“What sets The Hungry Bee apart is that we have a gourmet store right down the road where you can see the quality and love that goes into everything we make,” Gibson says. She adds that the chefs love to bring the flavors of fall into the weddings they cater. One popular dish that does this are its 48-hour braised tender short ribs with potatoes and spinach.
“We’re finding that with a lot of fall weddings, people are getting away from plated dinners and buffet-style settings,” Gibson says. “Most of our brides and grooms are interested in family-style dining. It’s really huge right now, I think because it creates a better form of connection.”
There are a couple offerings that set Tanglewood apart from other potential venues for a fall wedding. A unique one is that it takes advantage of being a golf club by hosting a number of indoor golf simulators. They give the bridal party and guests an opportunity to unwind in a fun way. The other is a range of indoor and outdoor spaces for celebrations.
“The weather in the fall is usually pretty mild,” Gibson says, adding an all-to-familiar caveat, “but of course this is Northeast Ohio.” As such, with outdoor and indoor spaces of varying sizes, there is room to accommodate the ceremony and celebration – no matter what the fall skies bring.
And regardless of where exactly you decide to celebrate your wedding, Northeast Ohio is full of exciting, accommodating spaces to host a richly textured autumn wedding. (JS)