NAUTICAL STRIPES & LOBSTER BITES!!

BY MICHELLE NOWAK, EVENT PRODUCER, GOOD GRACIOUS! EVENTS

You know it's summer when the lobster dinnerware, and nautical colors hit the stores and even better, we'll create any excuse for a BBQ!! Sarah and Chris growing up on the East Coast could think of nothing more exciting than to see their East Coast friends and family enjoy a Lobster/Clam Bake West Coast Style for their Wedding Rehearsal Dinner, and where better to host it than on the MALIBU PIER!! With a full moon and summer breeze, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect summer night!

Guests were welcomed by The Cape Codder and McGoo Signature Cocktails waiting for them on the upper deck above the pier and overlooking the magnificant ocean and Malibu beach, a view you can't beat even if you tried. As the surfers soaked up the last waves before the sun went down, guests enjoyed hors d' ouevres of Celery Bay Popcorn served in Lobster Cones, Clam Choweder Oyster Cracker Shooters, Lobster Mac n Cheese, and Crab Cakes , lined up on service trays with Anchor images giving the finishing touch.

Cocktail tables where tied with a Square Knot and buoys of blue yellow, red and white lined the white fences to feel like you were about to board a yacht! Guests were asked to dress in Nautical colors and sailor gear.

For dinner we constructed a long tent down the length of the pier with fellini lights strung above,creating the perfect ambiance for a casual yet intimate gathering. The tables were lined in blue linens, with white accents, nautical centerpieces of fish netting, buoys light houses and flowers picked up the pop of yellow with boat rope tied around. To finsh off the place setting, delicious cherry Lobster Lollipops for each guest to take home and enjoy!

Dinner consisted of all the summer favorites bbq chicken, corn on the cob , ceasar salad, confetti rice and black bean salad, and of course lobster and clam rolls!

Chris & Sarah's jobs takes them all over the globe. With Bride Sarah as part of the Clue Crew on the game show Jeopardy,on the show she offers remote clues for the contestants all over the world. Her co-host on the show, Jimmy McGuire, was her emcee for the evening. He came prepared with questions and answers about the couple which had everyone rolling in laughter with his great impersonation of Johnny Carson�s The Great Karnak.

The evening was unforgettable and we felt honored to be a part of it! Congrats to Sarah and Chris!

Thanks for amazing photos from Chris Schmidt Photography!!