Wedding: Table Markers

I've been fighting a nasty cold this week but have muscled through to get you this next wedding update. I designed all of our paper products as well, including the table markers, the name tags, the program, and note cards.

Photo Credit: Dad

First, I designed matching table markers and name tags. Hubs and I both love wine so we picked wine varietals to be our theme: Chambourcin, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Norton and Traminette -- three lush reds and three rich whites. I drew a picture for each of the varietals based on information about each. These pictures were used on the front of table markers as well as on the name tags that attendees used to find their places.

Photo Credit: Rabiah

On the back of each table marker, I included a picture of the grape clusters and information about each grape varietal. The goal was to keep attendees entertained while they waited for dinner to begin -- I hope it worked!

Photo Credit: Dad

Chambourcin produces a jammy red wine -- great sweet or dry. My husband particularly likes sweet takes on this grapes, whereas I (surprise, surprise) prefer it dry. It pairs especially well with chocolate cake, so a chocolate cake was used to depict Chambourcin.

Photo Credit: Dad

One of the most popular grapes in our region of the country also happens to be my husband's favorite red: Cabernet Franc. It's so popular in this area--relative to other major wine producing regions--that when "Cabs" are recommended to us in restaurants, I also have to clarify, "you mean Cab Sauv, and not Cab Franc?" A Cab Franc varietal tends to taste of black pepper. What better way to represent this spicy red than with a pepper shaker? Unfortunately, it looks like we don't have a good picture of the front of this marker so far. But we do have a picture of the back!

Photo Credit: Dad

The final red, Norton, is the only grape native to Virginia that still grows there. It was taken out during prohibition and brought back in after prohibition ended. A Norton wine is bold and earthy with lots of tannins. Unfortunately, I ran out of inspiration on Norton -- a shame, as it's my all-time favorite wine -- and just drew a wine glass for this grape.

Photo Credit: Dad

Chardonnay, the husband's favorite white, is also a popular grape in our region. Locally, Chardonnays are made both in steel (crisp, bright acidity) and in oak barrels (creamy). The oak barrels that are used in our region are typically French or Hungarian oak -- you don't see a lot of American oak around these parts, although some wineries do use it. In contrast, California Chardonnays are frequently aged in American oak -- hence the barrel to represent Chardonnay.

Photo Credit: Dan F.

I'm not the biggest fan of Chardonnay, but I love another regional rising star, Viognier. Viognier tends to be creamy and light -- inoffensive and perfectly paired with cheese, as the round of brie I drew to represent Viognier can attest. Again, however, we have no picture of the front of this table marker so a picture of the back will have to do.

Photo Credit: Dad

Finally, my favorite white is the child of Gewurztraminer, Traminette. Traminette is a beautiful floral varietal that makes for a surprising white wine. The wineries that carry this varietal typically describe it as a polarizing grape -- people either love it or hate it. I guess you know what camp I come down in!

Photo Credit: Rabiah

The slices of wood we used for the table markers were cut by my husband and my father -- fresh from my parent's woods! The pine cones and quartz were likewise from my parents' woods, and the glasses used on the table markers were scrounged from various antique malls.

For the record, photo credit for these and other photos I'm posting from the wedding are entirely credit to the magnificent Dan F., Rabiah M., and my dad.