Venue Review - St. Agnes & Gerards Catering

It's not very often that I get an older couple for a wedding reception. I do plenty of anniversary parties, but this past Saturday was different. The Swains got married a year ago down south and had a wedding reception for her side of the family. They did it again this past weekend for his family and I had the opportunity to DJ their reception.

I had met with them the week before and while showing them pictures of my previous setup, they inquired about the lighting I had used, which led to them adding lighting to the room. This is the easiest way to make a big impact in the look of the room without spending hours decorating.

I'm not exactly sure of their ages, but I'd guess late 70's to early 80's. This makes playing the right music challenging for some and impossible for most. Only an experienced DJ knows how to get the balance right. With their grandchildren, children, brothers, sisters and friends, the ages were all over.

They weren't concerned with picking specific songs and left that to me.  Their first dance was Doris Day - Cheek to Cheek, which they told me was perfect.

Shortly after their first dance, they had a little family tradition that took place. A 250lb ball and chain was locked to the groom's leg and the key given to the bride. They then had to sit back to back and answer questions (similar to the newlywed game) until the end when she unlocked him.

That ball is cast iron and weighs nearly 250lbs!

Guests enjoyed the music as the mix progressed from old to new, until the end, when most of the grandchildren were the ones dancing.
 
The reception took place at St. Agnes (in their hall behind the church) in Fowlerville. It is very clean and with a little lighting and decor, can be a very nice reception location. The block wall and height of the room do contribute a slight echo, but that shouldn't detract from the appeal of this location. The contact for the hall is Tonya Spisz (517-223-8684) and their website is:
http://www.stagnesfowlerville.parishesonline.com/scripts/HostedSites/org.asp?p=22&ID=4447

I highly recommend checking them out as a potential reception location. Tonya is excellent at assisting clients with their needs. The room can accommodate about 275 people and the pricing is among the best in the county.

The caterer that they use is Gerard's Catering. I've worked with them on several occasions as they also do the Opera House in Howell. Chef Joe created an excellent menu for the Swains and was possibly one of the best meals I've had from this caterer.

I don't know all the names for each of these, so excuse my poor descriptions. The chicken had a basil garlic seasoning with fresh mozzarella and a roma tomato slice baked on top.  The fettuccini had olive oil, garlic, parmesan cheese and shaved red pepper on it; and the vegetables were a mix of squash, mushrooms and asparagus with tomatoes baked on top. Seasoned red skin potatoes and a salad were also available. The meat was a carved pork loin with honey mustard glaze. 

I highly recommend Gerard's Catering for any event.  There contact email is gerardsfood@sbcglobal.net and their phone number is 517-548-1303.