Dear Readers,
This year, Hamby was honored with Best Catered Wedding at the ICA CATIE Awards for a celebration we’ll never forget.
Set on a private farm in Aiken, South Carolina, this black-tie wedding brought Michelin-level dining to an open field – rooted in Southern hospitality and unforgettable moments.
128 guests experienced an evening of elegance and joy, from sunset cocktails to late-night pizza on the dance floor.
The Setting
The wedding took place on the groom’s family farm, a former polo field now home to dressage horses.
The couple envisioned an elevated celebration that honored the property’s equestrian heritage.
The result: a tented dining experience that felt refined yet deeply connected to the land – luxury layered into the natural landscape.
What Guests Ate
Cocktail Hour: Passed hors d’oeuvres welcomed guests as the celebration began. Familiar favorites of fried oysters, deviled eggs and shrimp & grit cakes set a warm, celebratory tone while guests mingled over cocktails.
Dinner Service: Dinner was a formal, synchronized dual-entrée service featuring filet & salmon. Full wine service and polished table presentation reinforced the black-tie atmosphere.
Late Night: As the party shifted gears, the menu did too – enter mini pizzas in custom boxes, chicken nuggets and fries – a playful finish to a refined evening.
Bringing a Restaurant to a Field
Executing a five-star dining experience in a remote field meant building everything from the ground up.
The site had no water, power, or kitchen infrastructure, so our team partnered with the Reagan Events team – the day’s celebrated planner – to build a fully functional temporary kitchen in the vendor village. We outfitted it with professional-grade equipment, dedicated workstations, and proper food safety systems.
From transporting staff to maintaining food integrity hours from home base, every detail was engineered for precision – so guests experienced only ease.
What Made it Work
This event was driven by seamless collaboration and a shared vision.
From cocktail hour and custom branding moments to dinner and a dramatic after-party reveal, every transition felt effortless.
The menu evolved with the night – elevated to playful, refined to celebratory.
The Heart of It
At Hamby, we believe the best hospitality tells a story.
For this wedding, that story was about place, people and celebration – bringing refined dining to an open field while honoring the warmth and spirit of the South.
Winning Best Catered Wedding is an incredible honor, but the real reward was creating a night guests will talk about for years.
The Vendors:
Venue: Private Residence
Planner: Reagan Events
Photographer: Sarah Bradshaw Photography
Florals: EM Creative Floral
Lighting: Technical Event Company
Rentals: Curated Events Charleston, Crush by Event Works, Nuage Designs
Tabletop: Emerson James
Tent: Snyder Events
Linens: BBJ Latavola, Reverie Social
Draping: Party Tables
Dance Floor: Southern Event Wraps
Paper: Cheree Berry Paper & Design
