A Wedding at Graeme Park: Meghan & Chris

Our 2014 wedding season at Graeme Park concluded with Meghan and Chris. First and foremost I need to apologize for the photos - they were taken on a cell phone and it was a dark day so they don't even begin to capture just how pretty their colors and set-up was. Unexpectedly for fall, they chose a chocolate brown and light blue color scheme to decorate the tables in the Open Aire Affairs tent.

Centerpieces consisted of burlap wrapped vases stamped with the table numbers, branches and crystal beads, along with twinkly votive candles. The take-home favor was a jar of hot chocolate mix.

In place of a traditional wedding cake, they had a tower of all kinds of delectable-looking cupcakes.

Congratulations Meghan and Chris and thank you for choosing Graeme Park to celebrate your day.

A Wedding at Graeme Park: Casey & CJ

We're still playing catch up around here with the last few weddings, which were coming fast and furious through the month of October. Casey and CJ were married off-site and then invited their guests back to Graeme Park for a dinner catered by Maggio's of Southampton, drinks and dancing.

In keeping with the fall season, they decorated with bales of hay, corn stalks, pumpkins, and colorful mums. Homemade signs directed guests to the important locations (the Open Aire Affairs tent where the reception was taking place, and the restrooms).

A beautiful display of hors d'oeuvres were put out in the barn yard for guests to enjoy when they arrived.

In keeping with the season, place cards were made from mini-pumpkins and paper leaves and the wedding colors incorporated orange and purple, gold, and russet red.

A faux pumpkin was carved with the couple's name and wedding date - what a nice memento to bring out every Halloween! 

Caramel apples were a fun take-home favor for the guests, and to satisfy their sweet teeth during the wedding there was a tower of cupcakes, topped with a small cake for the couple to enjoy on their one year anniversary.

The bar was decorated with mums and the card box had an elaborate floral topper.

As evening fell the lights on site and in the pumpkins took on a nice glow.

And the lights in the tent were even purple in keeping with the theme.

Congratulations Casey and CJ and thank you for choosing Graeme Park to celebrate your day.

A Soldier's Christmas

Peace on Earth. It’s such a central message to the holiday season, and something we wish for year round. Unfortunately, wars don’t stop for Christmas and every year, from Revolutionary times on, brave Americans have spent the holidays away from their homes and families in order to ensure peace for the rest of us. Soldiers not actively engaged in fighting on Christmas day strive to celebrate the holiday in ways that remind them of home. In fact, many of our beloved Christmas traditions came out of wartime celebrations and Christmas became a federal holiday in 1870, five years after the end of the Civil War, in an attempt by President Grant to reconcile the still divided north and south. Prior to the Revolutionary War, Christmas in America was a quiet, religious occasion and not celebrated with a lot of outward festivities and fanfare. Many historians credit the Hessian soldiers from Germany, who fought in America alongside the British, with introducing Christmas trees to the United States. In fact, General George Washington took into account the German's love for the holiday to plan his famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day in order to take the Hessian soldiers by surprise, presupposing that their guard would be down as the celebrated the holiday in order to gain the advantage, which he did and which ultimately proved to be the turning point of the Revolution. 

The Prayer at Valley Forge, Arnold Friberg

Decorated trees were just starting to become popular when the Civil War broke out, and at least one account records Civil War soldiers as decorating their tree with “hard tack and pork” – materials they had on hand, just as they would have used popcorn, dried fruit, pinecones, and homemade paper decorations had they been celebrating at home. 

Later generations of soldiers did their best to maintain established traditions, with visits from Santa, wrapped gifts arriving from loved ones, singing carols - many of which originated during the years leading up to the Civil War - and decorations made from foil, tin cans, and anything else they could fashion from salvaged materials and creativity.

On Saturday, November 29 the grounds and first floor of the Keith House at Graeme Park will be open for free tours from 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. with soldiers representing different wars encamped on the property demonstrating how Christmas was celebrated on the battlefront during different eras throughout our history. The Revolutionary War, Civil War, World Wars I and II will be represented along with modern-era wars. Crafts, gift items, ornaments and refreshments will be available for purchase in the Visitors’ Center. We will also be collecting items at this event to send to active-duty military serving overseas during the holiday season. Items we’re collecting include:

• Flip flops, men’s and women’s white socks
• Unscented soap, wipes, deodorant, shampoo, hand sanitizer, foot powder, Chapstick/Blistex, moisturizer (please note, all products should be unscented)
• Saline eyewash, individual tissue packets, individual wrapped rolls of toilet paper
• Holiday decorations, individually wrapped non-chocolate candies, non-dairy creamer, small tubes of Crystal Light, 12 oz. bags or smaller of coffee, sugar/Splenda packets, nutrition bars, small bags of chips, cookies (no peanuts, put in Gladware-type container if homemade)

Items may be dropped off at our offices during regular Friday – Sunday hours up to and including the day of the event. Please note that we will be closed Friday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday.

A Wedding at Graeme Park: Kim & Pat

Kim and Pat had a rather dreary day in October for their wedding ceremony and reception at Graeme Park, but fortunately they were still able to do their ceremony outdoors by the stream. The bridal party gathered by the garden and then processed through the house and out to the ceremony site.

They'd set their guests up on two levels, using the natural landscaping and stone walls around the Keith House at Graeme Park, which they'd decorated with pumpkins and large mums.

Their wedding arch was draped with fabric and decorated with gorgeous yellow and orange roses and burlap bows. The florals were done by JL Original Designs.

A little station at the entrance invited guests to fill pretty paper cones with birdseed to toss in lieu of the traditional (and bad for the wildlife) rice.

In place of individual place cards, the table assignments were written on an old window - clever and easier than alphabetizing and arranging all the individual cards. Pictures at the entrance to the Open Aire Affairs tent commemorated family members no longer with them.

The tent itself was decorated in the colors of the season - oranges, yellows, and greens.

The tables were kept simple with yellow and gold linens, tall, twiggy branches, and candles all aglow (especially pretty because the day was on the darker side). 

The head table had a unique set-up: a sweetheart table table in the middle, flanked by the bridal party tables.

Red Cedar Grille of Colmar did the catering and their beautifully presented buffet included choices of chicken, salmon and beef, scalloped potatoes, mixed vegetables, salad, and a mac & cheese bar!!

When October rolls around, the candy bars come out and guests were provided with bags to fill with candy corn, caramel creams, mini candy bars, and the like. 

Believe it or not, that leaf basket in the middle is the cake! So detailed, right down to fondant "staples" holding the basket together. 

It was almost a shame to cut it.

And the evening wrapped up with a few last dances.

Congratulations Kim and Pat and thank you for choosing Graeme Park to celebrate your day. 

A Wedding at Graeme Park: Mary & Scott

Mary and Scott had a church wedding and met their guests at Graeme Park for their reception.

They were able to take advantage of the pretty buildings and landscaping to take some photographs while their guests enjoyed cocktail hour in the barnyard.

Once October dawns, we see lots of bales of straw and mums dressing up the grounds. The addition of their initials was a cute touch.

The Open Aire Affairs wedding tent was decorated in white and cranberry linens, which is a nice change from the expected (but still pretty) oranges and golds.

The centerpieces were candle lanterns, groupings of flowers, and wine bottles with custom labels to serve as the table numbers.

The four tier cake was baked and decorated for them by Lochel's Bakery in Hatboro.

From the cute, whimsical topper ...

... to the elegant monogram, it was just beautiful.

They even had the server and forks personalized.

The area outside the tent was decorated with additional straw and mums. 

It was a beautiful night with an almost full moon for a buffet dinner of ziti Florentine, smashed red potatoes, green beans, pork tenderloin and chicken with apples and walnuts prepared by Catering by Rich and dancing in the Open Aire Affairs tent.

Congratulations Mary and Scott and thank you for choosing Graeme Park for your celebration!

If you're interested in learning more about weddings at Graeme Park, please contact Kim about our next open house, which is being held on Thursday, October 16.