The Bite Team and I recently had the honor of catering a BBQ for former President Jimmy Carter and the First Lady. To top it off, the event was graciously hosted for the former President by the talented William H. Macy and Felicity Huffman. This was a huge honor - and fun to boot!! The BBQ bash was a political fundraiser for the former president's grandson, Jason Carter, who is currently running for state governor of Georgia in the 2014 election.

We helped produce and design the party to be a "Pinterest-worthy" BBQ party. We brainstormed various decor and setup inspiration that would be elegant enough for the guest of honor yet also comfortable and welcoming. Backyard events always have a specific set of considerations different from an event venue as most were not designed to be event-ready as well as each home setup is different. The first step was to create an event flow that would optimize the space and layout. We created 4 distinct areas for a cocktail hour, VIP reception, dinner reception, guest lounge, and food stations. In addition to these guest spaces, home events have the added challenge of making sure the catering team has enough space on the operational end. But with creativity and experience our team was able to set up our operational and guests spaces in such a way that made sense and made for a great event experience.

Once we established the event flow we were then able to design and decorate the event. We went with an orange and red color scheme to create a truly rustic themed event. We used burlap runners on the tables topped with mason jar centerpieces that held bundled wildflowers and sunflowers. String market lights were adorned above the guest tables to light up the space and also provide an outdoor summer party feel. Our food stations and bar setup included a lot of natural elements like wheat grass and wooden crates. We also included beautiful vintage elements like striped paper straws, antique furniture for display, and mason jars as drinking glassware.

My inspiration for the menu was to create a flavorful BBQ menu filled with comfort food, variety, and refreshing options. We also added some Southern touches (Peach Cobbler at the President's request!) were a must:

Check out all the charming rustic details here: