24 Carrot Blog

What better way to unveil our new venue, The Richland, than by sharing it with those who patiently awaited our transformation? Our neighbors in Orange have tracked our progress in their regular walks and daily commute, cheering us on from the sidelines as we added every final detail, and it was our honor to welcome that very community in for an exclusive sneak peek of the finished project!

Complete with a ribbon cutting ceremony and photo booth, our Community Open House at The Richland was full of friends, families, and fun bites of food.

Bright and merry balloons could be seen in every direction, complementing The Richland’s front steps in a grand display and being handed out to children and adults alike from the balloon cart stationed inside the ballroom. Live music set the mood as The Moody Crooners filled the space with their sweet and soothing covers of many a familiar song. As guests bustled around, miniature versions of some of The Richland’s menu items – now featured full-size in The Richland Living Room Bar and Lounge – acted as tray-passed hors d’ouevres.

Little hands were kept busy at the adorable kids’ tables where stickers, crayons, and coloring sheets of The Richland were the main attraction. Outside in the porte cochère, guests of all ages were entertained by The Richland-branded cornhole and jumbo Jenga and Connect-4 games.

There were house-made cookies and fresh-squeezed lemonade for all and a specialty cocktail and Chapman Crafted beers for some in this showing of local love. Lemonade was poured and passed by our “baby carrots”, the children of our employees here at 24 Carrots, and all donations from the stand were paid forward to support Orange Home Grown. Guests could also step outside to grab a cup of locally brewed Chapman Crafted Coffee from the coffee counter propped in the courtyard. We are so lucky to have the support and partnership of local businesses as we welcome guests to The Richland.

We are incredibly grateful to be received so warmly by our neighbors in the City of Orange and look forward to greeting many more guests through our (now open) doors!

Creative Partner Credits

Production & Catering: 24 Carrots Catering & Events

Venue: The Richland

Beer & Coffee: Chapman Crafted

Florals: The Bloom of Time

Balloons: Balloon Babes OC

Rentals: Found Rental Co., Signature Party Rentals

Entertainment: The Moody Crooners

Photography: Lovisa Photo

Photobooth: Pixster Photo Booth

C’est magnifique! Love was in the air at our Parisian-inspired Chef’s Table dinner at The Richland. Guests were transported to the City of Love with pretty-in-pink details, romantic music, and a four-course fine dining experience prepared by the culinary team at 24 Carrots. Our newest venue in Old Towne Orange was the perfect setting, where guests were welcomed into the cozied-up courtyard which boasts a mature olive tree and complemented with a stylish crushed velvet and marble vignette by Found Rentals.

Suggested attire on the invite was “Parisian Chic”, and guests did not disappoint as they showed up adorned in berets, tulle, lace, pearls, and a variety of texture galore. Their outfits were only made better with a chic champagne flute or coupe in hand, as specialty cocktails prepared by The Richland bar team were tray-passed. A baby blue Vespa dressed in pink florals was the photo-moment star of the show during our chic courtyard cocktail hour.

COCKTAIL RECEPTION MENU

Lillehammer Vodka, Aperol, Lemon, Honey

Rossini Sparkling Wine, Strawberry Purée

Fraise (NA) Strawberry Purée, Vanilla Syrup, Lemon, Sparkling Water

Bloody Mary Toast Vine-Ripe Tomatoes, Horseradish Cream, Worcestershire, Celery Salt, Grilled French Baguette Crostini

Steak Tartare Beef Tenderloin Tartare, Grainy Mustard, Italian Parsley, Capers, Brioche Crouton

Crispy Fingerling Potato Fondant Golden Osetra Caviar

Ballroom doors opened to reveal a breathtaking table for 25, framed by The Richland’s 40’ tall windows. The king’s table was fit for any royalty, decked with dramatic candles and stunning floral arrangements, accented by personalized menus and oversized black and white gingham bow napkins. Once seated, the 24 Carrots chefs welcomed the diners with an amuse-bouche paired with a tale of inspiration behind the dinner menu. Each course was slightly reminiscent of a Parisian breakfast for dinner. From the salad course which felt like a crudité of freshly picked farmer’s market veggies to the main course entrée which had the flavors of a croque madame and the elevated presentation of a classic French dish, all playful courses were presented elegantly and paired with a beverage.

DINNER RECEPTION MENU

Winter in Paris Market Salad

Flageolet Coulis, Pickled Baby Beets, Shaved Radish, Asparagus, Balsamic Pearls, Mandarin Orange Supremes, Citrus Vinaigrette, Charcoal Brioche with Salted Butter

Pâtes du Chez Gabriel

House-made Ravioli Bergese, Spinach, Ricotta, Egg Yolk, Beurre Monté, Pancetta

Croquem’bœuf’

Prosciutto and Swiss Chard-Wrapped Whole-Roasted Beef Tenderloin, Crispy Brioche, Blackberry Jam, Rainbow-Colored Baby Carrots, Lavender Honey, Gruyere Mornay

Pardon my French (Toast)

Crème Brûlée Panko Cake, Yogurt Semifreddo, Meringue, Seasonal Pâte De Fruit, Seasonal Fruit Coulis, Maple Caramel

Prior to leaving, guests were gifted bundles of floral bouquets from the fleuriste, another design touch imagined and executed by Leproux Collective.

We were overjoyed to host our first Chef’s Table dinner at The Richland and look forward to many more to come. Tchin-Tchin!

Creative Partner Credits

Production & Catering: 24 Carrots Catering & Events

Venue: The Richland

Florals & Design: Leproux Collective

Photography: Jackie Culmer

Videography: Balerina Films

Entertainment: N-Effect DJs

Rentals: Found Rental Co, Adore Folklore, Catalog Atelier, Signature Party Rentals, BBJ La Tavola

Found Rentals has been a creative partner and a source of inspiration for us at 24 Carrots from the very beginning! Built upon Jeni Maus’ vision for bringing distinct character and warmth to any setting, Found has grown into an exemplary industry leader, not only in the rental market, but through the events industry as a whole.

This last February, they celebrated 10 years of elevating events throughout California (and beyond!). When sweet owners Jeni and Joel called us to throw an anniversary party in their epic new warehouse to celebrate this momentous occasion, we could not be more honored to say yes! Found family, happy 10 years!

Our menu was inspired by iconic Found Pieces, while also highlighting new inventory (hello multiples!), and most of all, honoring the team that builds each thoughtfully-designed experience.

SITTING PRETTY

Mini Sourdough English Muffin, Crushed Avocado, Rainbow Micro Flower

sitting on a miniature engraved Morris Chair or hand-dipped Huxton Chair

PILLOW TALK

Pork Char Siu Bao, Gold Leaf, Black Garlic Molasses

inspired by the Jocelyn pouf and Jeni’s love for pillows

BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME

Little Gem Lettuce, Shaved Radish, Toasted Sesame Seeds, Queso Fresco, Avocado Green Goddess Dressing

served on a Griffin Pergola plank

Chilean Seabass, Yellow Bell Pepper Emulsion, Yellow Squash Relish, Rice Puff Cracker, Squash Blossom Tempura

Emphasizing the Yellow Arlo Chair, a vibrant small dish full of flavor and character

LIGHT AS AIR

Zucchini Tempura, Cilantro, Tajin, Cilantro Kogi Aioli

These light flavors serve as a nod to the setup teams making each piece look “light as air”

@foundrentals

@thebarmodern

@24carrotscatering

@dartcollective

@invitingoc

@katiepritchard

@hoo_films

@copperwillowps

@allstarphotobooth

@onehope

The age-old vendor meal policy is an industry-wide hot topic that our Leadership Team has grappled with, and revisited time and time again. For most of our 15+ years of business, 24 Carrots proudly paved the way, feeding our wedding vendors hot meals, with flexible timing. At a time when the wedding industry wasn’t prioritizing vendors, this was a welcomed change. We found some of our best clients and industry cheerleaders in this process – who are still with us today!

A few years ago, we changed our policy to align with the traditional catering approach: feeding vendors after guests. We did so with much reluctance, but out of necessity, as the timing of vendor meals, coupled with an overwhelming lack of communication, were negatively affecting our client experience.

If you’ve experienced our team in any capacity, we believe you should know this about us: that we work together to fix problems. That we communicate respectfully, learn from each other, and grow together. And that service excellence comes standard at 24 Carrots. So when the challenges of our revised policy were brought to our attention, we listened to those partners who respectfully engaged and communicated directly. While our catering service contract is with the client and not our vendors, our vendor teams are very important to us and we value the hard work a team puts into a wedding day. When faced with this issue once more, our decision boiled down to the heart of 24 Carrots: hospitality.

We are proud to go back to our 24 Carrots roots, to offer the following options to accommodate timeline requests:

Plated Vendor Meal: The same entree meal as the guests. Our favorite option! We are happy to accommodate requested timing with the following guidelines (see below for important notes).

Vendor Buffet: Allows for flexibility with varying vendor schedules. Perfect for larger teams. 10 person minimum and rental of table and linen are required.

Deluxe Boxed Meal: The perfect grab and go. Great for entertainers or those who have to eat before hot meals are ready.

Important Notes: While we’ve always offered these three options, timely communication of the following information allows us to serve you best:

• • Number of vendor meals and meal service request time must be submitted to the designated 24 Carrots representative (either directly or through a planner / coordinator) 10 business days in advance. This will allow for requests to be worked into the timeline and service order and for our chefs to prepare accordingly.
• • All dietary meals should be requested to the designated 24 Carrots representative (either directly or through a planner / coordinator) 10 business days in advance.
• • If this information is not received, vendor meals default to a plated vendor meal after guest service is completed.

Just like any other wedding details, communication and planning ahead are the keys to success! One of our 24 Carrots core values is service excellence: our commitment to proactively identifying and meeting the needs of our clients, colleagues, and communities. You can expect this from us and in return, we thank you in advance for your proactive communication.

We are grateful for every opportunity to do what we love, and we look forward to serving you!

At 24 Carrots, we love creating impactful experiences for our clients. Sometimes that means focusing on the big moments – like confetti blasts and 40’ carousels, but it can also mean gathering at the table together and having heart to heart conversations. 24 Carrots hosted a Gratitude Dinner at our very own Franciscan Gardens to say thank you to some of our incredible partners who have been with us on this 15-year journey.

We love reliving and sharing the experience with you and we’re thankful to have so many ways to not just tell, but show you the curated experience for this Gratitude Dinner. As an extra special treat, our friends at Delovely Details were guests that evening and have been so gracious to share their first-hand experience being treated like the VIPs that they are.

As 24 Carrots does, every detail was meticulously thought of and everywhere you turned was another vignette that tugged at you and invited you in to experience it. 24 Carrots does an amazing job at turning a simple “dinner with friends” into a journey for the eyes, mind, and soul. We are so grateful to work with them as often as we get to and consider them friends. It was a perfect night.

Read more here about being a guest at a 24 Carrots event!

Production + Catering: 24 Carrots Catering

Venue: Franciscan Gardens

Floral Design: Oak and the Owl

Furniture + Lounge: Found Rentals

Tabletop Rentals: Borrowed Blu

Linens: La Tavola Fine Linens

Photography: Brett Hickman Photography

Videography: Villa Visuals

Entertainment: Elevated Pulse

Lighting: Premier Lighting and Production

Calligraphy: Project Watermark

Laser Cut Details: Delovely Details