Vibrant Venues: The Loft on Belmont

The Loft on Belmont

The Loft on Belmont provides intimacy and warmth within an urban, eclectic backdrop full of rich colors, texture and light.

The Loft on Belmont is home to Vibrant Table. If you’ve ever come for a tasting, met with an Event Coordinator, or attended a recent Our House Chef’s Series dinner, you’ve been to The Loft – and may have even sat at our namesake, a tremendous chartreuse tableau comfortably nestled in the heart of our double-duty office/event facility. Kurt Beadell, Creative Director Extraordinaire, has garnished this unique venue in gorgeous fabrics begging to be touched, funky chandeliers, eclectic art and rich, earthly tones. Other features include a fireplace and wall-to-wall windows.

Roughly 15 x 77 feet, The Loft is one long, narrow space divided into three continuous sections: the lobby/bar, fire place, and dining room. Though each section has its own dynamic feel, they present a fluid assemblage that follows the natural progression of most events: libation, conversation and eats. The Loft works best for groups looking to relish the intimacy of gathering with friends and family, such as smaller weddings, birthdays, wine tastings, meetings or team building.

Because The Loft is Vibrant Table’s base of operations, we are able to pass our savings to our clients holding events here, and we have everything you’ll need to host a memorable celebration from beginning to end.

Vendor profile: Eric Newland, Hybrid Moon Video

Eric Newland, Hybrid Moon Video Productions

Vibrant Table has been lucky enough to work with Eric Newland from Hybrid Moon Video on a regular basis, and we are constantly astounded by his amazing work! Eric is the driving force behind Hybrid Moon Video Productions, a national award-winning creative multimedia company located in Northwest Portland.

Hybrid Moon produces and directs “Weddings Portland Style”, as well as creating wedding video packages for brides across the country. Their company also specializes in promotional creative work on a corporate level, and they have the distinction of owning Oregon’s only 1947 “Silver Wraith” Rolls Royce Limousine (available for rental for your events). Following his blog is a trip – the latest post is direct from New York’s Bridal Fashion Week!

We sat down with Eric to talk to him about his work in Portland, and it went a little something like this:

Q. How long have you been practicing your craft?
A. Since 1991

Q. Why did you choose videography?
A. Long story short: I cannot seeing myself doing anything but this. I love it!

Q. How did you get started doing video for special events?
A. After my search for a vendor to film our marriage in 1995, we realized how badly the market was in need of quality wedding videographers.

Q. Has anything significant changed in your field?
A. Everything has changed. First started with ANALOG tape to tape editing systems to HYBRID editing systems that were under computer control to todays modern NON-LINEAR edit computers. The look of a finished wedding video is so different from long ago!

Q. What/Who are your inspirations?
A. Alfred Hitchcock! My favorite quote from him is: “An edit is never finished, it is only abandoned”. Also, just sitting down and watching TV inspires me.

Q. What ideas, trends, etc. do you find exciting in the video industry currently?
A. I am pumped to see media delivery change… from the old days on VHS, to convergence to DVD, then Blu Ray and now in to the future being web delivered in High Definition!

Q. How long have you been a member of Portland event community?
A. Since I first started shooting wedding video. I am a rare Portland Native!

Q. In your opinion, is there something that makes Portland a unique place for events?
A. It’s great how compact Portland is compared to other spread-out, sprawled-out cities. The closeness makes it cool!

Q. What is your favorite event venue?
A. There really not just one facility that stands out… I do appreciate the downtown locations. I hate locations laden in dust and I can’t stand uneven ground. It’s always frustrating to see elderly guests at suburban locations trip and fumble to walk anywhere because the owners are too cash-tight to pave walkways.

Q. Do you have an event horror story?
A. Oh, yeah! MANY! For now, I’ll keep them to myself, but keep an eye out out for Hybrid Moon’s Wedding Mock-umentary at your local theater soon!

Q. Do you have a professional pet peeve?
A. Working with amateur photographers. It is frustrating to watch people with hardly any professional event experience ruin a wedding because they really have no idea what they are doing.

Q. Where do you see yourself in five years?
A. Owning a cool hip event facility.

Vibrant Venues: Zenith Vineyard

Zenith Vineyard

Zenith Vineyard exudes old-country elegance.

The beautiful Zenith Vineyard is located in the Eola-Amity Hills near Salem (about 45 minutes from Portland). This breathtaking facility features a fireplace, large windows, 20-foot ceilings and gleaming stained floors. The 4,700-square-foot Grand Ballroom is decorated in warm tones with natural wood and stone accents, lending the elegant room a rustic grace. Details such as Juliette balconies and French doors opening to a 120-foot veranda complete the old-world charm. The Grand Ballroom can accommodate seated receptions of up to 320 guests.

The Bridal Salon is absolutely luxurious. Decorated in antiques, including an enormous gilded mirror, the Salon is spacious enough for the bride and all her attendants. A Juliette balcony with graceful cast-iron scrolling overlooks the Ballroom.

Grooms, owners Tim and Kari Ramey have not forgotten you. Their Man Den comes with pin-ball machine and flat screen, a great place to wait with your friends as the ladies prepare.

The grounds of this 133-acre property provide expansive views of the vineyard and are the most popular location for ceremonies in warmer months. With 22,000 square feet of available space for events, the generous grounds can accommodate receptions of over 500, making Zenith Vineyard a striking location for company barbecues as well. 

Other Details:

Tricks of the Trade: Flips

Weddings with a ‘Flip’

‘Flip’: Event industry term describing when a room is completely transformed between stages of an event, such as from a wedding ceremony to a dinner reception. Flips require planning and teamwork to ensure the event flows smoothly.

Here are some of our top tips to managing successful room flips.

1. Take advantage of the flip to create a more dynamic event experience. Use lighting, drapery and decor changes to make guests feel they are entering an entirely new venue.
2. Plan for guest comfort. How obtrusive will the flip be? Can the room be curtained off to hide bustling event staff? Will the noise travel? Is there a nearby room or terrace where they can wait?
3. Flips can take up to an hour. What are your guests going to do while the event staff turns over the room? Guests are often treated with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. But what about a fun photolounge like Studio-98, a wine tasting, or a gallery viewing if you are near a museum? Be creative!
4. Some vendors and equipment need to be in place before the flip. The DJ or band, for example, should be ready to go. Nor is it time to set up a dance floor. Coordinate load in times and floorplans to accomodate these vendors and any pre-set equipment.
5. To expedite a flip, we can set up the tables before the ceremony and have them waiting nearby. Budgeting for pipe and drape allows the design team to carefully obscure these tables and other unsightlies.
6. Additional staffing may be required to transition smoothly and seamlessly, particularly if there are also passed hors d’oeuvres and cocktails during the flip. When shopping for a caterer, be sure your quotes include the extra staffing to avoid any surprises. (Vibrant Table’s proposals include these and other oft hidden charges, such as gratuity.)

Photo by Peter Paul Rubens.

Recipe Feature: Oyster & Sourdough Stuffing

Oyster & Sourdough Stuffing

We ask Executive Chef Steve Brockman for recipes to feature in our monthly newsletter. Chef Brockman normally likes to think about which recipes to feature, but there was absolutely no pondering this month’s sourdough stuffing packed with fresh oysters and sage. It’s rich and savory, the perfect partner to a Northwest-style Turkey Day.

 Ingredients

1 lb 1 ea 2 ea 2 c 3 T 2 ea 1 c 1 c

sourdough bread, cubed onion, large, fine dice celery ribs, fine dice oysters, fresh, shucked, in their liquid sage, fresh, chopped eggs butter chicken stock salt and pepper (to taste)

 Instructions

1. Sauté the onion and celery in 2 T of the butter until soft.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, sage, onion-celery mix, eggs and oysters.
3. Melt the butter
4. Add butter and stock to the bread mix until moist. Adjust with salt and pepper.
5. Bake covered at 350 for 30-40 min or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160.

Giving it a try? We want to hear from you!

An Evening With Vibrant Table

Promotional Video

In addition to the time-release video, Vibrant Table asked Ambient Sky Studios to create a promotional video at the China Design Now opening. What do you think?

done

Related Posts:

• The Transformation of a Ballroom (Time Release Video)
• Transformations: China Design Now opening (Decor Gallery)
• Cuisine: Asian Fusion at China Design Now (Cuisine Gallery)
• China Design Now: Entertainment (Entertainment Gallery)

Vintage-Inspired Wedding Bouquets

Just saw this post on the Luxe Productions blog So This is Bliss and it reminded us of the work that we have done on a couple of upcoming photo shoots!

We absolutely LOVE to use vintage accessories as an addition to personal flowers. We use pins to set off the handles of bouquets, or beads, hairpins or even old glass leaves mixed into the flowers. It’s so fun to carry that theme through from bouquets to corsages, boutonnieres and hair accessories as well. Little touches like that add such personality and whimsy! Coupled with amazing vintage ribbons (another favorite vice of ours), the effect is sublime.

Can’t share the upcoming shoots with you yet, but we can show you this inspired way to create or embellish a bouquet in a very “something old, something new” sort of way! Check it out!

Recent Reviews & Feedback

Vibrant Table constantly reviews our policies and practices to make sure we provide the utmost quality of service. Client feedback is an essential part of that reflective process. We’d like to share a few of our more recent letters, emails and comments.

Zenith Vineyard Grand Ballroom

___________________________________________________________________

Hi Eric,

Todd & I had an incredible time, and loved EVERYTHING about the evening. You were so wonderful in helping coordinate all of the details, and I can’t begin to thank you enough for all of your help.

The room looked phenomenal, and exceeded all of our expectations. Everything was absolutely flawless! The food was delicious, the staff was amazing, and all the small details were taken care of!

Thanks again for all that you do. You’re wonderful.

Shiva Rahimi
Bride
Portland Art Museum
November 7, 2009

From my side, I wanted to let you know that Matt, Emily and Jeff were FANTASTIC to work with.  Everyone on our staff agreed – what a wonderful team!  Please extend my thanks to them for their help and patience while we were throwing everything at them.  They took it all in stride and were always available to help.  Many, many thanks.

Megan Bulger
Doernebecher Children’s Hospital Foundation
Portland Art Museum
October 17, 2009

Thank you!! The wedding was amazing! It seems like it just flew by… Your staff was very helpul and (Kyle) did a great job taking over after you left! Everything was seamless. And the food it was so delicious!! Jason and I were very impressed! And I have to say I think I liked the mini desserts even better than the wedding cake!

Thank you for all your help and hard work, it made our wedding very special. Not to mention I’ll be craving the food from now on

Nyssa Berge
Bride
Zenith Vineyard
October 16, 2009

Social Media in the Workplace

Though some of our staff are quite the Twitter-bugs, as a company, Vibrant Table is just beginning to enter the realm of social media. This blog is a part of that journey. We are excited by the ability to be communicate with our customers in new ways, but it’s also a huge and scary place. I would love to hear from those of you that regularly use social media as a part of your jobs, especially from those that are not professional marketers. How do you incorporate social media in your workplace? Are there strategies you use to make it more manageable? Has it changed your relationship with your clients? As a consumer, what do you expect of the businesses you support? What sort of challenges did your company face as it began to implement social media? 

Feel free to share your experience by posting a reply, emailing me through the form below, or sending a link to a response on your blog.

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Holiday Party & Decor Ideas

Looking to get that holiday party ‘just right’? Let Vibrant Table help you plan both menu and décor with some useful tips.

Holiday Ideas from Vibrant Table

Ten Holiday Party Tips

1. Incorporate a simple color palette to develop a cohesive look.
2. Lighting, lighting, lighting — use candles, lamps, and fireplaces to create that warm, inviting glow.
3. Lots of kids? LED candles are worry-free alternatives to traditional votives.
4. Ornaments aren’t just for the tree. They can be hung from the ceiling, scattered on a table, or stacked in a glass vase for an inexpensive yet highly effective centerpiece.
5. To make a buffet more attractive, serve items at different levels. Stack platters and bowls on stands or pretty boxes. You can even throw a table cloth over some sturdy, but unsightly, cardboard boxes.
6. Shot glasses are multi-functional and can usually be found en masse at local thrift stores. Use them as votive holders, miniature flower vases, or single-serving containers for appetizers or desserts.
7. Vases and jars convert foods to centerpieces when filled with pretty edibles. Add your favorite holiday candies, punch or snacks. Provide tongs or ladles for service.
8. Fruits and vegetables in flower arrangements provide bright infusions of color, appealing textures and are inexpensive alternatives to blooms.
9. Nothing’s worse than running  out of food, but neither do you want to eat leftovers for a week afterward. We recommend at least 10 appetizers per person for an early evening gathering, where your guests are likely to arrive hungry. For later festivities, 4 to 6 bites will usually do.
10. Signature cocktails are fun and can coordinate to your evening’s theme. They can be timely to make in the heat of the moment, so don’t go too complicated, do some prep work ahead of time, or leave a nicely framed recipe for guests to make themselves. Here are our top picks:

BARFLY WITH A TWIST
Try Integrity Absinthe garnished with a sugar cube.

MORE THE CASABLANCA TYPE?
How about a Poinsetta, a premium sparkling wine such as Argyle with pomegranate juice?

FOR THE SWINGER
A martini is a must. We recommend a Winter White Cosmo with Crater Lake Vodka, white cranberry juice, Cointreau and lime.

Credits

All images in our inspiration board are of Vibrant Table events. A special gratitude to Evrim Icoz Photography for donating these images:

1. Christmas trees at The Portland Art Museum
2. Scrolled vase and candles