{Name}  Catherine Ann Davis
{Hometown}  New Albany, MS
{Event Site} Home of Tounia and Jay Herrington in New Albany, MS (parents of the sisters)

{Tell us about the occasion for the event?}
Joint Gender Reveal Party for sisters, Catherine Ann Davis and Elizabeth Harrison.   

{What inspired your event location and theme?}
Elizabeth and I wanted to include our family in our big reveals.  Our parents’ home in New Albany was the perfect setting.  It is not often that sisters are pregnant at the same time and their due dates are a week apart.  We had a big reason to celebrate!     

{What inspired your color scheme/flowers?}
Elizabeth and I wanted our gender reveal party to be classic and Southern.  We incorporated jade McCarty and Annieglass serving pieces, blue hydrangeas, bright pink roses, and double satin ribbons in pink and blue. 

{What’s your favorite event detail? Is there a story behind it?}
Elizabeth and I love champagne!  Since we could not pop a bottle of our own, we thought that mini champagne bottles would be fun party favors.  Each guest left the party with their own bottle tied with a tag that I designed.  Cheers to the sweet babies!

{What was your favorite part of the event planning process?}
My favorite part of planning the reveal party was sharing our excitement and joy with our family.

{What was your favorite moment of the event day?}
My favorite moment from the day was popping the confetti cannons.  We knew what the cannons would reveal, but our parents and grandparents did not.  I don’t think our family was expecting to see that much BLUE!   

{Your favorite picture from the event day?}
I LOVE every single photo from the day.  Blake did an amazing job!  My favorite photo is of me and my sister, Elizabeth, comparing baby bumps.  I think it is pretty special to go through this time in my life alongside my best friend and sister.

* Please include the names of all vendors used at your event so that we can credit their work.  Please provide a link to a website/facebook if you have it. 

Photographer:  Blake Belcher Photography - Also check out Blake Belcher Photography on Instagram here! 
Event Planner:  Hi Yall! Made In The South
Venue:  Home of Tounia and Jay Herrington, New Albany, MS
Florist:  In Bloom, New Albany, MS
Cake:  Hellen Polk’s famous coconut cake (Cat’s mother-in-law)
Champagne Party Favors:  Hi Yall! Made In The South
Heirloom diaper shirts:  The Comish Collection, Nancy Comish
Monogramming:  Kimber Williams
Food:  Tallahatchie Gourmet

Happy Labor Day from the Inspiration Mississippi team!  Today honors you, your hard work and dedication, which have greatly strengthened the beautiful country we call home!  

Labor Day welcomes one of Mississippi’s most beautiful seasons.  Fall is truly a magical time, and an especially wonderful time to host weddings, parties and events!  If you are looking for a fabulous caterer, look no further.  Imagine delicious food created by the teams at Amerigo, CHAR, Sombra, Anjou and Saltine!  These beloved Mississippi restaurants have formed a magnificent catering company, 4Top Catering.

Anne Marie Smith, Senior Sales Manager, says their guests inspired 4Top Catering.  “Each of our restaurants has been offering daily catering services to local doctor offices and businesses for years now, and we’ve seen a need for more robust options. To accommodate the needs and requests from our loyal guests, we now offer catering for events on a wider spectrum; from weddings and rehearsal dinners to corporate and social events, we’ll do it all! To make it easier for guests, we combined our five restaurant concepts into one brand for a more user-friendly approach to selling our menu options.”

The name, 4Top Catering, was inspired by the four owners and their family of restaurants: David Conn, Ben Brock, Doug Hogrefe and Paul Schramkowski. Together, they make up 4Top Hospitality, so it was only natural to name their catering sector 4Top Catering.  We spoke with Anne Marie about 4Top Catering, and are thrilled to share more delicious details with you today!

Who does that actual catering?  Does the food come from all six restaurants?
“Yes, the food comes out of all six restaurants! The same culinary team that provides excellent food in the restaurants also prepares food for our catered events.”

What can 4Top offer clients that other caterers cannot? 
“We’ve built our reputation around providing excellent customer service with an endless variety of options. There are never two events that are exactly alike; we tailor to each individual’s needs for budget, setup and food preferences. Our restaurants’ quality is already well known in the Jackson area, and we are simply bringing the best of each ‘world’ to our guests at their event.”

Describe how 4 Top Catering puts a menu together for a client's wedding or event!  What are the steps to finding that perfect menu?
“Menu development is completely based on the guest and their specific event. We find out what they like, dislike, and what vision they have for the style of event. The ‘formula’ is always the same; you need an incredible protein, some accompaniments (like roasted veggies and a mash-tini bar), a couple of hors d’oeuvres, and, being Southern, a dip! For a backyard wedding, the bride may want a swanky taco bar or BBQ station, while a corporate client may prefer a beef tenderloin carving station. We take their preferences, recommend some options, and expand from there.”

How does living in Mississippi influence your menu? 
“Mississippi influences our menu in so many ways!  The menus feature many Amerigo and CHAR menu staples that are deep rooted in the community, like our cheese fritters, no-filler crab cakes, artichoke dip and sin city BBQ shrimp & grits. We also take other southern favorites and put a fun spin on them – mashed potato martinis, shrimp shooters, mini po’boys and black-eyed pea & crawfish relish, just to name a few! Having access to fresh Gulf seafood is important too; our oyster bars, crab & shrimp martinis and other seafood items are always popular items for every type of event.”

Is there anything else you want to add or talk about specifically?
“We can also handle all of our guest’s bartending needs for events! From drink packages to staffing needs, our Sales Manager will work with each guest to determine the best solution for the event. We aim to be a one-stop shop for all event needs!”

Thank you, Anne Marie, for telling us more about 4Top Catering!  Visit their Facebook page to learn more about their delectable fare!

All photographs courtesy of 4Top Catering.  

“God gave me the mindset to build trusting relationships.  When I photograph a couple on their wedding day, I love following the natural flow of the day.  Capturing the raw emotions between a couple is my heart and my style,” smiles Katelyn Hambick of Katelyn Anne Photography.

Katelyn was raised in Brandon and attended Missiissippi College as a Communications Major.  “I received my first camera during my freshman year of college,” she reflects.  “I began taking pictures of my friends, family and college events.  I dreamed of having a business, but didn’t think it was realistic.”  During her sophomore year, she was asked to take some engagement photographs and was quickly hired to shoot her first wedding.  After a few years of working part-time for a non-profit and photographing on the side, she took a leap of faith and opened her full-time business, Katelyn Anne Photography.

Katelyn is warm, faithful, genuinely sweet and a pure delight.  She laughs, “I have always been super organized and a planner.  I wanted to work in the adoption world, so I worked for 200 Million Flowers and that is still a big piece of my heart.  But God changed me and brought out a creative side!  It has been so cool; the gift of photography is totally from the Lord.”  

When Katelyn captures a couple on their wedding day, she focuses on two things.  “The first is natural light.  The second is capturing the emotions between people in relationships.  I get to know my couples and build a great foundation with them.  That is where I thrive; working with families is why I dearly love my job!”  

Katelyn has a passion for photographing intimate moments during wedding ceremonies, when couples are exchanging vows, or worshiping together for the first time as a husband and wife.  She is also known for beautifully capturing a couple’s first look. 

The results are simply stunning.  “My heart is in my business and I believe in what I do.  On your wedding day, your images should not be a top priority.  You are getting married, and that is your priority!  You want to leave with images that allow you to relive your day for eternity.  It is so important to invest in the photographer you love; you cannot replace that!” 

Katelyn recently married her husband, Dylan, who is a teacher at Christ Covenant School.  The newlyweds have moved to Brandon and are enjoying decorating their first home together!

For more information on Katelyn Anne Photography, please visit her website here.  You can also like her Facebook Page here or follow her on Instagram!  Katelyn, you are so talented!  Thank you for sharing your story and your lovely photographs with us today!