Five Star, White Gloved Service.  Professionalism with a smile and a sense of humor.  Smiles for your big Day.  Sheer excitement that is shown only through respect and hard work.  Perfection at what they do.  Making events flawless through teamwork that is admirable.  Following direction.  Executing courses with a breeze, and still having time to mingle.  

Paints a pretty elaborate image of being out at a beautiful establishment, being waited on hand and foot, with no issues... at least I would say.  But no, these are not just random descriptors of the wait staff at the Ritz .  These words are meant to paint a picture of just what our in house catering staff here at The Commons 1854 has to offer.  Indeed, we hold them true.  Maintaining a five star rating is not easy, and when all is said and done, commending those that help to achieve this success is what we are all about.  

From the moment our guests walk in...well, let's face it, they don't walk in by themselves.  We designate two of our freshest faces :) to stand guard at the doors, awaiting our beloved guests arrivals.  When they arrive, our greeters welcome them with open arms,  ushering them in with kind remarks and taking their jackets if necessary.  These two are dedicated to standing there until every guest has been greeted and taken in to our venue and helped to settle in.  They help to usher our guests in to our cocktail hour, which takes place in our gorgeous rotunda and foire.  Our staff stand ready with glasses of Malbec already poured, or a crisp Pino Grigio.  They offer champagne or a signature drink that can be chosen by the bride.  Just walking in in this manner can be comparable to walking in to a 5 star luxury hotel.

From then on, the night is left in our hands.  During the remainder of cocktail hour, our staff is dedicated to immersing our guests in the wonderful horderve's that we offer.  Why not try a beautiful sea scallop, wrapped in hickory smoked bacon and delicately placed on a skewer with your Washington Apple martini?  We make drinking with one hand and eating with the other look easy.  And if your the Bride and Groom?  Or the Bridal Party?  Well then you have one, even two, dedicated servers at your beck and call.  We like to ensure our bride and groom with expert wait staff that can certainly ascertain anything that they may need during this period of time.  We don't want you to worry about having to ask someone for a drink, we want to already have it there for you.  Have mango and brie tarlets (so yummy!) on the ready, and korean beef skewers constantly next to your side with this exceptional service.  Our staff always thinks one moment ahead, and it is this thought process that separates us from the rest.  

At dinner, the teamwork is further exemplified and simply blows people out of the water for lack of a better expression.  The staff emerges like an army, bursting through closed doors, bearing baskets filled with fresh baked bread.  Try a cranberry roll, or a classic French baguette.  Immediately after, the staff reads your mind and places down a beautifully presented salad, all chosen by the bride and groom.  It could be our wonderful "October Salad," that is served with a mixed greens, candied walnuts, dried blueberries, crumbled goat cheese and is topped with our signature apple cider vinagrette.  It could be our classic ceasar, topped with fresh shaved parmigian reggiano, homemade croutons and delicately placed in a little cup, formed out of parm cheese that is meant to be eaten and enjoyed.  We offer you wine with dinner, a classic red or white choice.  We insist on maintaining a cleanliness like you would like in your own home, so we are constantly removing old glassware, plates, even freshening up your knife with a new one for dinner. (And this is just the starters...we like to keep tricks up our sleeve.)  We do this without being so overbearing that your wondering if we will ever just leave you alone for a nice meal, which trust me, we have all shared those thoughts at one point or another.  

When dinner arrives, it is stunning.  The staff flawlessly carry your gourmet dinner straight from the kitchen to your table.  They kindly remove the lid, only when your at your seat (and if your not they will seriously wait for you to come back to remove it, because why would you want a cold meal!), allowing the aroma to envelop and waft right towards your taste buds.  Now, it is your turn to savor the moment.

For the rest of the night our guests need not worry because everything they need is right there.  Our servers will fill your water while your out dancing, so when you get back parched and overheating, you won't be dying and trying to flag down the first soul you see.  We like to practice these little things, things we like to call silent service, because they truly show how we train to anticipate our guests needs, and appease them without making them ask.  And honestly, if you don't believe me?  Then take a peek at a few excerpts from reviews that have critically acclaimed The Commons 1854 and their staff as being #1!!!!

"It was the personal attention bestowed on each and every one of us that positively blew me away."

"Where do I even begin with the wait staff?  I feel like I just met a group of my best friends...I went in knowing that everyone would be very pleasant, but now I can't imagine our reception without them!" 

"You truly treated each and every person as if they were a guest at your home and took care of everything.  I am so happy with the way the night ran.  From the bar manager keeping us up to date on the alcohol to the room being cleared in record time.  Simply the BEST wait and service staff at a venue.  You met my expectation and then exceeded them by double." 

"With all the special care your staff gave us and our family, we all felt like the night was an awesome fairytale.  Thanks again for such a magical evening." 

"The interaction that my husband and I had with each of you on the team was outstanding.  Our guests repeatedly expressed their admiration for the level of service, the quality of the team, the attention to detail and the overall effort made to ensure that this special night was a success." 

And this is just the icing on the cake as far as reviews.  Check us out on Yelp, Wedding Wire, The Knot, Google Reviews, and much more to see just how fabulous we are.  And Hey, it seriously isn't bragging, boasting, being totally egocentric if we know its true. Right?!

Winter Weddings :)

 Not everyone can understand, but if your a New Englander, you can.  Winter can be one of the most gruesome, harsh things to get through without something to look forward to.  Most people look at it, or I say most people because it's how I feel :), as a couple months that you kind of just have to grin and bear.   However, I may change my tune just a bit when it comes to having a winter wedding.  I know the concept sounds a little scary, with all the snow and minus thirty temperatures.  But really?  It could be simply amazing.

Look at how the bride and groom look in the first picture.  As they hold hands, they are illuminated by the delicate snow and the glistening trees.  Her dress seems to shine and shimmer without any added sparkle.  His black tux makes him stand out against the backdrop in an intense yet simple way.  
The whole scene is just breathtaking.  Imagine taking your wedding photos underneath the tree scape, or in front of the gorgeous Topsfield Commons all lit up with Christmas lights.  I think it would be amazing to combine the holidays and a wedding.  The things that you could decorate with are endless, everyone is always in a superb holiday cheer, and a wedding gives you one more thing to anticipate and celebrate...two  things that people actually love to do during winter!
 

Sparkle and Shine with Firefly Lighting

Stunning. Magical. An iridescent landscape that can be highlighted like a castle.

These are just some of the descriptors I can give that seem to instantly jump off the tongue as soon as FireFly Lighting Co. takes the stage in the center of The Commons 1854.  Look at this amazing picture, popping with blues and turquoise, and centered with an amazingly velvety pink that seems to create an iconic center for this beautiful bride and groom.  The band seems to be draped in a reddish hue, making the uniformity of their black garb seem ultra sophisticated.  It really does look magical.  Imagine then, to be able to customize a color that would make your porcelain skin shine, or ivory gown glisten among a pale sunshine background.  Honestly, the great thing is that you don't even have to imagine these scenarios.  At The Commons 1854, we promote the use of FireFly Lighting to make these images of beauty come alive for the best day of your life.  How does this happen? Lets talk.

Firefly Lighting is a professional lighting company, exclusive to The Commons, that specializes in the use of sophisticated uplighting to bring drama and flow to private events here at this historic venue.   The company provides uplights for every corner of the ballroom, balcony and even downstairs in the rotunda to emphasize the color schemes of the bride's choice.  Don't worry--they aren't gaudy and huge.  They are elegant, black, rectangle shaped lights that can be perfectly fit near the gorgeous towering pillars of the ballroom, and the light they emit is just beautiful.  Choose a beautiful pale yellow for the fall, to accentuate the harvest theme with flowers of a ivory and purple hue.  Choose a glamorous red, to highlight the red sashes on your bridesmaid's dresses and the perfect red rose petals at your feet for your Christmas wedding.  Make your night glitzy and glam with a magenta hue or vibrant purple, and have unreal photos for years to come.  Seriously, the point is, they make a huge difference in the way that not only you will perceive your night, but all of your guests as well.  Instead of just a dance in the ballroom, it can be a dance in a fairytale wedding all colored in greens and pinks.  It can be simply spectacular.

Beyond the fact that uplighting creates these breathtaking moments with luminous hues, we have a technician that can control these hues at the touch of a dial.  Why stick with just one color all night when you can have ten?  For women, more choices can never be a bad thing, and for a groom?  Just go with it.  Change the color with the music.  When everyone is dancing, intensify the night with a bright green, and then slow it down to a sultry gray or shimmering white as you slow dance for the first time.  The options are really endless for uplighting, and it is truly one option that you do not want to overlook when finalizing those late minute details with your wedding planner.  Hand tailor a lighting package that suits you and your fiance's needs today, and make your wedding as perfect as possible!