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Where else could have been better to hold a fabulous Asian-inspired rehearsal dinner for 70 people than a private residence overlooking Mission Bay and SeaWorld’s spectacular fireworks. The venue definitely gave the event a very intimate cozy feel where the guests were able to mingle freely. To make the day as stress-free for the client as possible, our staff at the Abbey arranged for all of the rentals, such as the linens, tables, chairs, belly bars, staff, and of course our gourmet food.

The flow reception lasted for three hours. This meant that the guests were able to enjoy themselves without haste. One and a half hours were dedicated to cocktail hour with an open bar while we served our very popular beef wellington, refreshing Ahi Poke served on cucumber rounds, coconut crusted shrimp, and of course our famous hummus: Roasted Garlic, Indian spice, and roasted red pepper. For the last hour and a half our guests enjoyed the station style dinner. The Asian themed dinner consisted of marinated salmon over pad Thai noodles, chicken kabobs with Teriyaki sauce served over fried rice served in cute Chinese take-out boxes.

The themed colors were a crisp white, green, and different shades of orange, and the beautiful flower arrangements done by Erin Kluzak made this evening even more spectacular! Another great event that I am very proud to have been a part of!

Contact us here to find out how we can transform your venue into the reception you’ve always dreamed of.

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Our day began with an entrance to the ceremony by our beautiful bride in an exquisite dress. Nathan received her in a gentlemanly fashion as she glided down the isle, a stunning vision. Cocktail hour followed with a sumptuous offering of the Abbey’s best appetizers . The interior reception was crafted by florist and friend Heather under the watchful eye of our bride’s mom Julie, and the room looked absolutely magnificent from centerpiece to sweetheart table. With another stunning creation by Flour Power, our guests were destined for sweet contentment. A special performance by Jesse Davis gave way to the musical stylings of DJ Randy as he revved up the crowd, ensuring fantastic energy to match the excitement of Angelina’s guests. A picture of perfection, Angelina and Nathan were whisked away in the Abbey limo to their retreat at the Hotel Del Coronado. Happy honeymooning and best wishes, Robert.

Coronado is an excellent location for your wedding, and the Coronado Community Center can provide the perfect venue. Click here to find out how.

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In this business, we have the opportunity to work with thousands of brides and grooms.  With all those ceremonies, relationships with the clients begin to develop and spending so much time together over the many months before their special day, we get to know them as friends too.  In most instances, we don’t get to have too much contact with them after the event, but from time to time we have the privilege of staying in touch.  When Jared and Jill, our happy couple from June returned from their world-wind honeymoon, they let us know all about their trip, and also thanked us for helping them have a very memorable wedding at Coronado Community Center. We want to wish them continued happiness and a long and happy life together.

Hi Petr,

We are back from our wonderfully long honeymoon! Thank you guys so much for making our wedding day such a success and relatively stress-free. You made the wedding a perfect event!  Much thanks to The Abbey.

I had high expectations of the food being good because the food tasting was so good. The wedding food seemed of the same quality which is really impressive when serving so many people.

I thought the Abbey did a great job, they turned my low budget wedding into something that people thought cost double what we paid, which is always a great feeling. If I had a need for catering in the future I would use them again.  Much thanks to The Abbey.

Jared and Jill

Interested in organizing your wedding at the Coronado Community Center? Click here to request further information.

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The Culy Warehouse was converted into an ultra modern auto showcase this month to celebrate the launch of the 2011 Toyota Scion TC. Groups of reporters were invited to enjoy a presentation of  the TC and a wonderful lunch prepared by Chef Matt and Chef Jeff of the Abbey. Guests were delighted by the high quality and presentation by Chef Jeff and blown away by entrees including our Portabello Mushroom Ravioli, Panko Crusted Chicken with a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce, and the Abbey’s signature Salmon En Croute. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a must! The Culy space was the perfect industrial atmosphere to store the amount of vehicles and allow all of the guests to easily take their desired ride out for a test drive. Engines revved  and a bevy of sporty new Scions emerged from the drive to excite many a passerby. A great accomplishment by our Abbey Team and a wonderful opportunity to view some really spectacular automotive creations!

Do you have an upcoming corporate event that you need a hip downtown venue to host it in? The Culy Warehouse is the perfect spot for small, medium or even large events. Click here to talk with one of our event consultants about planning your next event at The Culy downtown.

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What a spectacular day at Marina Village to celebrate Kimberly and Tim’s wedding. A beautiful ceremony on the South Lawn gave way to a reception to remember at the Sunset Room. Kim was radiant in her gown and glided into the room with a dashing Tim on her arm to share their love with all in attendance. Our Abbey team led by  Brandon handled every need to ensure the happiness of our guests. Fantastic food and a flurry of cocktails flowed freely to charge everybody up for a night of celebration . Kim’s mom Cari delivered a sweetly sentimental toast that touched everyone present. With big shoes to fill Jim, Kim’s dad, came next and entertained the guests and got them in the mood for a fun night capped with the musical stylings of DJ Randy’s own Blake Lindquist. A beautiful night to remember and a true pleasure to be a part of. Best wishes Kimberly and Tim!

Interested in organizing your wedding at the Sunset Room in Marina Village? Click here to request further information.

Photos Courtesy of Di-lanatta’s Photography

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The most intricate wedding that I have ever had the pleasure to attend took place in Balboa Park, the perfect canvas for such a beautiful event to occur. From the beginning of our set up, The Abbey team put their sweat and hearts into making James and Mary’s dream wedding come to life on their special day of Saturday, August 28th, 2010.

This wedding unfolded when the guests first walked through a set of tall iron gates into their own private party. The Jameson’s fantasies came to life with florals provided by Caring Florists and lounge furniture. Guests were entertained from beginning to end at this wedding. Hors d’oeuvres were passed through the cocktail area while guests watched family members dance to their carefully choreographed ensembles. Bars were available in multiple locations as well as a bronze espresso bar from Euro Bar. While martinis were shaken and lattes were poured the bridal party was anxiously awaiting their formal introduction to kick of the celebration.

As family and friends walked to dinner through the masterpiece created by our Abbey Team,  their eyes could not stop wandering as they took it all in. The decor was off the top. The auditorium was dressed from head to toe, and everywhere in between. The walls were draped in a white fabric so that blue and green spotlights could create a tranquil atmosphere. Tables in every size; square, round, and booth style, were set in particular patterns to create the perfect Fung Shui and mixed fabrics, textures, floral, candles, and candy apples. Chaffers were steaming as The Abbey Chefs lowered each component onto the stations. One by one tables were excused to make their way to the feast. Most guests couldn’t help but have a sample of everything. While the adults were making their way back to their tables their children were already full-bellied and content at a specially created table where they could entertain each other for a stress-free night. Lollipops and candy from the Bride and Groom provided the perfect energy supplement for them to hop out on the dance floor and perform their dance to hot new remixes for the crowd. With satisfied appetites, great company, and amazing surroundings this would be a hard night to not enjoy!

If you would like The Abbey Catering to organize you a breathtaking event at the San Diego Museum of Art, our advisers would love to hear from you!

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On Tuesday, my counterpart Rob Leszewski and I had the pleasure of an invitation by The Britt Scripps Inn venue manager Nikki.  We joined Nikki that morning to gain a better understanding of what The Britt Scripps Inn has to offer our clients in the way of amenities. Breakfast began with a kitchen crafted cranberry orange scone that was perfectly crusted on the outside and gave way to a delicately designed interior accented by homemade whipped cream. It was sweet perfection but it didn’t end there. A perfectly prepared omelette of smoked bacon and sundried tomato with a side of grilled asparagus awaited to tantalize our tastebuds. We were in heaven! The topper was an expertly blended house coffee that was perfected by The Britt Scripps Inn proprietor Gordon.  Brides and grooms, do yourselves a great favor and check out this jewel in the heart of Banker’s Hill.  It is a treasure that San Diego should prize for its beauty and top notch service. You will not be disappointed.

To find out how The Abbey can help you plan your perfect event, click here.

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Stephen Whitburn is running for County Supervisor here in San Diego, with hopes to improve neighborhoods that comprise District Four.   The Abbey Catering & Event Design was more than happy to be part of  the function  for Whitburn’s event, thrown at Gene Burkhart’s house. The beautiful home located in Mission Hills with breathtaking views of the bay and downtown cityscape for the event.  The two story home was the perfect location for guests to enjoy an evening of good food and great conversations. We provided guests with some of our signature appetizers and had them all well fed by the end of the evening.  Some of the appetizers included our Coconut Shrimp, Filet Wellingtons, Ahi Tuna Poke with a Mango salsa, pita bread with garlic Hummus and sweet Indian Curry Hummus. These great appetizers along with a stocked bar and a live band really made for a great fundraiser.

If you would like to find out more about having The Abbey Catering & Event Design at your next event, contact one of our professional staff members here.

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With the end of summer comes the announcement of the 10 News A-List Awards for the best of many San Diego companies. With a wide spectrum of categories to choose from, the nominees this year were extremely plentiful. In our category, Best Catering, there were over 90 local businesses that were in the running. We are thrilled to say that The Abbey Catering & Event Design has come in first. We are beyond excited and can hardly contain ourselves.

As always, we can only accomplish things like this with the support and backing of our friends, family, vendors, venues and past, present and future clients. We can’t begin to thank you enough for taking the time to vote for us and give us this great honor. The 2009/2010 season has been fantastic for us and we look forward to making the 2010/2011 season the best in Abbey history. We will continue to provide San Diego with the best possible service, style and cuisine for many years to come.

To contact us about bringing this award winning service to your next event, you can find us here.

Sincerely,

The Entire Abbey Team

1 Comment | Tags: abbey, catering, event design, reception, San Diego, wedding

The beautifully decorated venue of the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park was a great place to celebrate the joining of Mary Ann and James. The lounge area was decked out with custom furniture of crisp white leather and wrapped curved benches arranged elegantly around the outdoor courtyard. The linens were themed in absolutely beautiful traditional black and cream colors with some rich bright green accents tastefully accompanied by paisley black and white swirls. The contrasts really popped out with floral center pieces carefully positioned to compliment rather than obstruct the views for the table guests.

The elegance of the picture perfect event set on August 28th 2010 was created with the Abbey for a completely custom look and was a beautiful sight to see for a grand entrance. The venue was spread out all over the vast grounds and every inch of space was utilized for lounging and the performances that kept the party going all day. The walls were draped from the floor to the ceiling with naturally flowing white linens falling to the ground.

The Abbey Catering & Event Design made the decor of the party really stand out. At the start of the evening as the guests arrived into the courtyard, a

The sleek white head table, along with wedding presentation

breathtaking arrangement of flowers and large fruit display with trays of assorted gourmet cheeses and crackers greeted them. The best of our appetizers were prepared fresh and served hot, each beautifully garnished and plated. The traditional Abbey appetizers were served; elongated baguette slices with our tri-colored bruschetta, fresh herb hummus, Ahi poke on crisp wontons and delicious coconut shrimp. The next portion of the night was the Abbey Signature salad with dried cranberries and caramelized walnuts, topped with a yummy raspberry vinaigrette.

At the same time, the younger guests were treated to our bowtie pasta with chicken tender and fresh fruit. As always, The Abbey provided an alternative option to the main course which on this occasion was our delicious Portobello stuffed ravioli. The delicious Salmon en Croute saw fresh wrapped wild salmon in a pastry with sauteed spinach, wild mushrooms and goat cheese with a grilled vegetable risotto. The mouth watering braised short ribs done to perfection as always in a red wine demi glaze over truffled mashed potatoes with fresh summer asparagus.

Contact us here to find out more about organizing your beautiful wedding reception at the San Diego Museum of Art, or any other of our breathtaking preferred venues.

No Comments | Tags: abbey, catering, flowers, San Diego, San Diego Museum of Art, wedding