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Vibrant Occasions Catering

A Modern Romance Meets Classic Southern Cuisine in Central Arkansas

by | May 2, 2025 | Wedding Catering

A bride and groom stand at the altar under hanging greenery, holding hands and facing each other during an indoor wedding ceremony with guests seated on both sides surrounded by white floral arrangements.

When love blooms in an operating room, you know the story will be unique. Joshua and Keely Bales, who met while working together in Nashville, brought their celebration to one of Central Arkansas’s premier wedding venues, Rusty Tractor Vineyards, where our team at Vibrant Occasions Catering crafted a menu that perfectly matched their sophisticated black and white theme.

Elegant event venue with round tables covered in black tablecloths, clear acrylic chairs, floral arrangements, glassware, and a flower-covered backdrop with a neon sign. Large windows let in natural light.

Elevated Cocktail Hour

Working alongside Central Arkansas-based wedding planner Katie Gill, we designed a cocktail reception that would complement both the vineyard setting and the couple’s refined taste. Guests enjoyed our signature Caprese pipettes, an interactive appetizer featuring fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomato, and aged balsamic. We elevated classic comfort foods with spicy kielbasa wrapped in puff pastry, while Cajun shrimp shooters added a touch of Southern sophistication to the wedding celebration.

A server in black attire holds a wooden tray with cocktail shrimp in small clear cups, garnished with lemon slices and green chives, alongside cocktail sauce and neatly folded napkins.

A Menu Worth Celebrating

For the main course buffet, our catering team prepared two showstopping entrées: Cabernet-braised prime black angus brisket and blackened chicken breast with Cajun cream sauce. The wine-braised brisket particularly complemented the vineyard setting, while the blackened chicken offered a nod to Southern culinary traditions that wedding guests love.

A neon sign reading The Bales is displayed on a lush green faux hedge wall, adorned with white roses, greenery, and floral decorations at the top.
A bride and groom share a first dance on a black-and-white checkered floor, with floral arrangements and illuminated THE BOSS letters in the background. White flowers hang overhead, and a band performs off to the side.

The Perfect Setting

The October celebration at Little Rock’s Rusty Tractor Vineyards created a magical atmosphere, enhanced by personal touches throughout. The mother-of-the-bride’s stunning floral arrangements and live music by the Big John Miller Band set the perfect tone, while Sweet Lavender Bake Shop created two distinctive cakes – a carrot cake for the groom and a strawberry cake with champagne icing for the bride – that perfectly complemented our catering menu.

A table with cake, wine, popcorn, a gold cup, a black rotary phone, a domino, a black napkin, wedding stationery, and a small hangover kit pouch on a black-and-white checkered surface.
A bride in a white gown and a groom in a black suit walk hand-in-hand, smiling, through a crowd of guests holding sparklers at night in a decorated indoor venue.

Vendor Dream Team

The evening was captured beautifully by Lauren Haley Photography, with harpist Alisa Coffey providing ethereal background music. The bride looked radiant in her gown from The Bridal Cottage, with beauty services by Jessica Brazil of DWB & Co. and Tyler Richards creating her perfect bridal look.

 

Vendor List

 

Venue & Bar: Rusty Tractor Vineyards (@rustytractorvineyards) 

Wedding Planning: Katie Gill Weddings (@kaitiegillweddings) 

Catering: Vibrant Occasions (@vibrantoccasionscatering) 

Live Music: Big John Miller Band 

Floral Design: Laura Meyer, Mother-of-the-Bride 

Event Rentals: Eventology (@eventology_us) 

Ceremony Officiant: Dr. Dale Blasier 

Hair Styling: Jessica Brazil with DWB & Co. (@dwb_and_co) 

Makeup Artistry: Tyler Richards of Red Beauty Lounge (@redbeautylounge) 

Photography: Lauren Haley Photography (@laurenhaleyphoto) 

Invitations: Truly Engaging (@truly.engaging) 

Bridal Gown: The Bridal Cottage (@the.bridal.cottage) 

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