Here's To Another 20 Years

On Friday, December 1, 1989 Ceresville Mansion hosted its very first event. Since that day, we have been witness to countless marriage vows, thousands of white dresses and many a corporate banquet. We average about 225 events a year with about 175 of those being weddings. That adds up to over 4,000 events! While we are a little bit tired, we feel so blessed to have played a part in so many joyous and memorable moments. On the 20th anniversary of our inception, Ceresville Mansion is feeling nostalgic, thankful and looking forward to the future. We would like to ask all of our clients, brides and grooms, families and friends to raise a glass to Ceresville Mansion, here's to another 20 years!

*Thanks to Abloom for the beautiful arrangement!

Hot Off the Presses

Ceresville Mansion is proud to unveil our new brochure! And of course, no Ceresville brochure would be complete without the vendors who supported the printing of it.

While we pride ourselves on how well we perform and turnout beautiful events, it really does take a village to execute a flawless wedding. In other words, you need a team of professional and experienced vendors to help make your wedding dreams a reality.

Ceresville Mansion and all the staff here would like to send a special "Thank you" to all the vendors who not only support us but have become part of our extended family. We wish them all continued success!

Click here to see a list of all of these fabulous businesses.

Happy Fall

The fall is a busy time of year at Ceresville! I want to apologize for not posting more regularly! I could make excuses about being busy and having no time but I won't.

Last night, Ceresville Mansion attended the monthly FABnet meeting. FABnet (Frederick Area Bridal Network) is a local organization that allows brides a one stop shop of wedding vendors. This month's meeting was held at Premier Party Rentals in Frederick, Maryland. And was well attended by members and non members alike.

On Sunday, October 25th FABnet is hosting its annual Bridal Showcase at the Holiday Inn & Conference Center in Frederick. The show will run from 12 pm to 3 pm and feature local wedding vendors. The cost to attend is $3 per person. Hope you can make it!

Long Time, No Blog!

I wanted to post some photos from a recent wedding at Ceresville. Karen & Randy were married on Saturday, April 18th. Their centerpiece cakes were from Charm City Cakes and flowers by Blossom & Baskets. Congratulations, Karen & Randy! Thanks for choosing Ceresville and letting us take part in your day!

Food for Thought

So much goes into executing flawless events and food is at the very top of that list. Our Executive Chef, Thomas Heilman and his talented Sous Chefs, turn out amazing food on a weekly basis. It is said that people eat with their eyes, meaning presentation goes a long way. Chef Tom and all of the staff in the Ceresville Mansion kitchen are experts at presentation. Of course it helps if the food tastes good too and trust me....it does.

The following pictures are from recent events at Ceresville Mansion and depict some of our most popular passed and displayed hors d'oeuvres.

Warm Spinach & Artichoke Dip as a displayed hors d'oeuvre for cocktail hour.

Jumbo Coconut Shrimp with Gingered Sweet & Sour Sauce to Dip as a passed hors d'oeuvre for cocktail hour.

Imported & Domestic Cheeses with Seasonal Fresh Fruit and Berries as a displayed hors d'oeuvre for cocktail hour.



Creamy Chesapeake Crab Dip as a displayed hors d'oeuvre for cocktail hour.

Vegetable Crudite with Herb Dipping Sauce as a displayed hors d'oeuvre for cocktail hour.

Of course, every good cocktail hour needs a well stocked bar.

Ceresville's Beer Selection

Keep checking back for updated photos and events from Ceresville Mansion!

Weekend Weddings

As we dig out of what will hopefully be the last snowfall of the season, Ceresville Mansion is cleaning up after a busy weekend of weddings. We hosted three receptions here this weekend and wanted to share some of the photos. Keep in mind that we like to leave the picture taking to the professionals and ask that you be forgiving in our attempt at photography. :)

Christine & Derek started off the weekend with an afternoon ceremony on Saturday. The ceremony was held in our ballroom at 11:30 and attended by 150 guests. After the ceremony the guests retreated to the front of the house for cocktail hour, sampling some of Chef Tom's finest hors d'oeuvres. Guests enjoyed a formal seated luncheon and danced the afternoon away. The bride & groom made their exit amid tossed rose petals into a vintage car. Ceresville wishes Christine & Derek every happiness life has to offer! Congratulations!

Kelly & Garett also were married at Ceresville Mansion on Saturday. Their 6:30 ceremony was celebrated in front of our beautiful fireplace in the ballroom. After the ceremony bridal party and guests enjoyed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the front of the house, while the Ceresville staff turned the ballroom over for reception seating. Kelly & Garett celebrated their new life together with family and friends well into the evening.

Last but not least, Kindra & Juan Carlos were wed at Ceresville on Sunday morning. Their ceremony was officiated by the father of the bride and attended by family and close friends. As guests enjoyed cocktail hour, the bridal party took photos in the ballroom and on the terrace. The luncheon begin with Chef Tom's Shiitake Mushroom Bisque and ended with wedding cake made my the parents of the groom. Kindra & Juan Carlos danced and mingled with guests througout the afternoon. Guests sent the happy couple off at the end of the afternoon with bubbles! Congratulations, Kindra & Juan Carlos!


Thank you to these three beautiful couples for allowing Ceresville Mansion to be a part of their day! We wish them all the best!

So, have you set a date yet?

A wedding proposal is probably the most exciting event in a young woman's life. Whether is it elaborate or simple, every girl will immediately contemplate who to call first. And as soon as that beautiful ring takes its place on her finger, the very first question people will ask is "Have you set a date?" And among all those decisions brides have to make, this decision is at the very top.

Picking a wedding date is very simple for some couples and more challenging for others. The thought process and reason behind wedding date selection is different for every couple. Here are some of the most frequent reasons we here at Ceresville Mansion:

1. The date has personal significance - Some couples choose to have their wedding date coincide with the anniversary of their first date, proposal or parent's wedding anniversary. This is a great reason to choose a date. Problems can come into play with the day of the week your anniversary falls on or with venue availability. All in all, though having your wedding date be same date as the anniversary of the first time you met your finance is romantic and celebrates your relationship.
2. The date is fun - In recent years, couples have been drawn to dates with repeating digits (July 7, 2007, August 8, 2008, etc.). How fun will it be to tell your kids that you were married on 10/10/10 and have it inscribed on your invitations and cake knife. Another bonus is that your fiance will easily recall your anniversary date if its the same three numbers. These dates are popular though, so act fast.
3. Your schedule is crazy - If you are in college and will be taking your finals the last few weeks of May, you probably don't want to have your wedding take place the weekend before. Or if your groom is in the military and currently deployed oversees, its best to pick a date that he will be in town for. Your schedule and availability should definitely be a factor when picking your wedding date.
4. Your venue has limited availability - If you have your heart set on getting married under Ceresville's pergola on a Saturday evening in 2009, you are at the mercy of our availability. (Though, we still have a few Saturday evenings available in 2009). A lot of times we see brides waiver on their "gotta have it" dates for dates we have available. This is important, if you fall in love with a venue, you will be more flexible with your preferred date.

As a wedding planner, I hear a lot brides say that they are not flexible with their dates and it is frustrating. Instead of being set on a specific date, choose a month or time of day that you prefer for your wedding. Are you willing to let a quality venue slip through your fingers because your Grandmother's birthday is not available? Be flexible, any date you choose will forever be important to you and your family.

So, have you set a date yet? Call us! We have the perfect wedding date for you!

Happy Valentine's Day!

While weddings at Ceresville Mansion are always special, Valentine's Day weddings are even more so! This year we were fortunate enough to have two couples celebrate Valentine's Day with us. While both weddings were beautiful, they each had their own special flare.

Lauryn & Corey were our first couple to wed on Saturday. Guests arrived at Ceresville after the ceremony at a local church. As they entered the mansion, they were welcomed into the cocktail hour. While hors d'oeuvres were being served, guests mingled and sipped on signature martinis. Lauryn's wedding theme was fire & ice, which was reflected in several elements throughout the reception. Amongh those elements was a beautiful ice carving created by our Executive Chef Thomas Heilman. The ice carving was highlighted in the ballroom and lit from below with a blue light. The most amazing aspect of the carving was the flame, emitting from the top of the heart. Gorgeous!

Lauryn's cake also incorporated her Fire & Ice theme. Created by the bakers at Cake's Plus (www.cakesplus.com), the tiered cake was frosted with blue icing and accented with orange flames. After the cake was cut and served, guests danced away the afternoon and sent Lauryn & Corey off in a beautiful stretch limousine.

Congratulations, Lauryn & Corey!

Kim & Adam arrived at Ceresville for their ceremony & reception in the afternoon. While they were getting ready and taking photos, the staff at Ceresville and her vendors were preparing for an elegant evening. Kim & Adam's ceremony took place in Ceresville's ballroom, which was decorated beautifully by her florist, Ory's Custom Florals (www.oryflorals.com). Kim's bridesmaids wore a beautiful deep red color that was also accented in her flowers.

After the ceremony, guests were invited to enjoy the cocktail hour in the front parlor rooms of the house, while Ceresville staff turned the ballroom over for dinner. After the transformation, guests were invited back into the ballroom for the rest of the reception. The evening continued with a delicious meal prepared by Ceresville's Chef, followed by a beautiful wedding cake created by Sweet & Savory (http://sweetsavory.net). The cake was cut and served, while the newlyweds took to the dance floor.

Congratulations, Kim & Adam!



Thank you to these two beautiful couples who choose Ceresville Mansion! We were honored to be a part of their special day! Best Wishes to Lauryn & Corey and Kim & Adam as they each begin a new life!

And Happy Valentine's Day to all!

What's In a Name?

It's one of the most commonly asked questions. How do you pronounce Ceresville? My typical response to this is, "Sears-ville", like the store. In reality, Ceresville has nothing to do with discount appliance sales. Here's a little history on our namesake:

In Roman Mythology, there is a goddess named Ceres. Ancient Romans worshipped Ceres as the goddess of growing plants. The word cereal is derived from Ceres because of her association with edible grains. There are statues of her on several state buildings across the U.S. Because Ceresville Mansion was originally home to the purveyor of the largest producing grist mill on the east coast at one time, it is fitting to be named after the Roman Goddess of Agriculture.

There is a also a dwarf planet named after the goddess Ceres. Ceres is the smallest dwarf planet in the Solar System and is the only one in the asteroid belt.

In addition to Ceresville Mansion, several businesses throughout the world have adopted Ceres as their business name. Among these are, Ceres Brewery in Denmark, Ceres Fruit Juices based in South Africa, and a software development company.

There you have it! Ceresville Mansion is steeped in history far older than the house itself. According to William Shakespeare, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet" but a wedding at any other venue would definitely not be as sweet as Ceresville Mansion.

An Historic Mansion's Leap Into the 21st Century

There has been a lot of talk here at Ceresville about expanding our reach on the Internet. We realize that most of our brides (and grooms) are part of the "echo boomer" generation. These Internet savvy brides have grown up with computers and are constantly connected. Of course we have a website (www.ceresville.com) and communicate almost exclusively via email with our couples but we felt that we needed to reach out a little bit more. So, began the birth of Ceresville's facebook page, Ceresville on YouTube and now Ceresville's blog. Here we intend to post fun wedding ideas, pictures of events at Ceresville and talk about new trends in wedding and event planning. We're excited and hope you are too! Please keep checking back in with us!