Behind the Scenes: Seattle Met Bride & Groom and Scout Provisions
As art director Samantha Gardner and I approached the shoot date for the fashion pages in the current edition of Seattle Met Bride & Groom (get your free iPad version here) we knew we wanted to create a romantic dreamworld version of the popular farm-to-table setting, and we were lucky enough to have a pretty amazing team assembled to help make it all happen.
Along with photographer Kari Pearson, hair and makeup angel Erin Skipley, a couple of great-looking models, and several rolling racks full of Northwest-luxe wedding day attire, Alan Davis, chef, Scout Provisions and Jodi Davis, event designer, Scout Provisions were vital to the day. Here, we take a look a behind the scenes and talk to the Davis’s about the scene, the setting, and the details that made it all work.
There’s more in the slideshow, so please take a look.
WWW: Alan, you were the chef at Queen City Grill for many years, and you’re a passionate locavore. What was your inspiration for the rustic, gorgeous table spread?
ALAN: I wanted to present food that made you feel that carefree happiness of a summer picnic. I wanted to evoke the pleasure and pride of a well-cooked family dinner. Many of us do not make the time to prepare a Sunday dinner, one traditionally served in the late afternoon, but we all have memories of attending one. Both sets of my grandparents had family gardens and used them in the meals. I think that those kinds of memories are healthy nostalgia.
WWW: As luck would have it, our shoot location was not far from your home. How’s life in Kitsap County?
ALAN: I feel fortunate to enjoy the produce of the area. The Chimicum valley (immortalized in The Egg and I) has great vegetable farms and cheese makers. The farmers markets from Port Orchard to Kingston have a great variety of food vendors that seem to grow each year.
WWW: Take us on a tour of the flavors and ingredients in the picnic table shot.
ALAN: The dishes start around a traditional roasted chicken. The chicken is roasted at high heat with plenty of coarse sea salt and fresh garden herbs. Make sure to let your seasoned bird dry in your refrigerator overnight, and roast at 400-425 degrees for about an hour. I garnished this dish with sautéed baby peppers. In late summer you can find an endless variety from the Yakima valley farms. I also felt that no picnic is complete without grilled corn on the cob. I cut the husked ears of sweet yellow corn down into 2” wheels. Marinate these in good olive oil, coarse salt, coriander seed and a little apple juice, and then it’s straight to the grill. I don’t mind a little color on mine.
A sweet onion and cabbage slaw was dressed simply with extra virgin olive oil, champagne vinegar, salt and fresh cracked pepper. Roasted bread salad with fresh baby tomatoes was served over mixed garden lettuces. A roasted garlic and rosemary dressing lends nice earthy flavors. We had a mixed baby beet, baby carrot and baby turnip salad with a lemon balm and fennel vinaigrette. I love the balance of carmely sweetness and aromatics that this dish brings to a table. The cheese plate was served with pumpernickel crostini and grapes fresh off the vine from the garden at the shoot location.
Lastly, and maybe best-ly, was an amazing selection of fresh baked pies and tarts. I find the most effective way to achieve this portion of the menu is to find the best looking fruits and berries, bring them to the very best baker you know and start begging them to work their magic! I adore the selection that my dear baker friend prepared for this table.*
WWW: Jodi, what inspired the event decor ideas that you brought to the shoot?
JODI: What’s so great about the rural setting is how immediately people feel connected to the surroundings. We love the happy accident, the perfectly imperfect nature of a farm. Incorporating the catty-wompus old red barn and the lush green field really couldn’t have been a better back drop!
WWW: Your ‘day job’ is creative director at Barneys New York downtown; those great windows are largely your doing. What are your key objectives when you design the look and feel of a wedding?
JODI: I always want to incorporate the personalities of the individuals involved with the event. I love to hear from the groom, he’s often left out of design meetings, however, some of the best, most inspired ideas are elements that were mentioned off-hand that we refine and finesse. I have found that props are a must if incorporating a photo booth, it shifts the focus just enough that it shows your guests’ true personalities quicker.* In this shoot the ‘groom’ ran with the taxidermy chicken, I liked that it added levity and fun to the photobooth concept.
WWW: Since you and Alan live near the Herb Farm, this was one day when your commute time was considerably shortened. What do you love about living in the Bremerton area and working in Seattle?
JODI: We have the absolute best of both worlds; on a daily basis I’m fortunate to be surrounded by creative individuals, beautiful merchandise, and all the perks of city life, and then I go home to incredible food that is more often than not grown right in Kitsap County, if not our own back yard. My ferry ride is beautiful; there couldn’t be a better way to commute. It’s always interesting to meet my fellow passenger — I sit with a reporter for the Seattle Times, a UW professor, a graphic designer, not to mention a few fellow Barneys employees. Hopping on the boat affords one a pretty great quality of life.
