Still Stuck on 2013 Inaugural Lunch

Am I the only one still in love with the decor from the 2013 Inaugural Lunch????????? It looked so beautiful and at the same time simple. Lunch was served in Statuary Hall at the US Capitol building on January 21, 2013 in Washington D.C.

Below are a few pictures I found online from "getty images."

The examiner.com mentioned that for the occasion, a painting of Niagara Falls by artist Ferdinand Richardt decorated the Hall as a backdrop. Table settings included tablecloths with turquoise and olive spots on a white background, white plates with turquoise and silver borders, silver flatware and peach colored centerpieces. Luncheon Programs were placed at each place setting and each guest was given a goodie bag with chocolates to take as a memento.

 The floral designer was Jack Lucky Floral Design an Alexandria, Virginia company who has done the floral arrangements for the Inaugural Lunch 6 times. In an interview he actually said the flowers were designed to die after the lunch.......I thought that was interesting. Flower duet.com highlights that orange is the color of fusion, conversation and spirituality; so I guess it was a great choice for the day. The orange Ranunculus filled arrangement was infused with some roses called “Free Spirit,” which ranges in color from apricot to orange with flecks of coral to rose and orange Ranunculus blooms.

Now don't get me started on the menu....it looked so delicious even though many sites online say it totaled 3000 calories yikes! "Design Cusine" was in charge of the place settings, and I gathered from the cbs news that the menu was a tribute to American cuisine:

First Course: Steamed Lobster with New England Clam Chowder Sauce
Lobster tials
New England clam chowder
Sauteed spinach
Sweet potato hay

Second Course: Hickory Grilled Bison with Red Potato Horseradish Cake and Wild Huckleberry Reduction
Bison
Butternut squash pur?e
Baby golden beets and green beans
Red potato horseradish cake
Strawberry preserve and red cabbage
Wild huckleberry reduction

Third Course: Hudson Valley Apple Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream, Aged Cheese and Honey
Pie dough
Cinnamon cumble
Apples
Sour cream ice cream
Maple caramel sauce
Garnish
Artisan cheeses

To close out my post about my love for the decor at the 2013 Inaugural Lunch I thought to share this nice snippet I saw on "exotic flowers" blog in reference to how lovely the decor at the Inaugural Lunch looked. "Now, think about how weak and lacking these same tables would look without flowers. If you take the approach of cutting the budget on flowers, then you might as well cut the dry cleaning bill and attend the lunch in sweat pants." Just thought it was so funny I had to share

Photo Credit:  Allison Shelley/Getty Images