Who The Heck Are We Anyways?
Welcome to The Parched Poppies first blog post! We’re so excited to try something new and provide even more details, photos, advice, etc. from our events and styled shoots! In this blog, we dive into how we got started, introduce our mobile bar, and share images from a beautiful collaboration with Silverthorn Meadows, Jess Holle Photography, Flora Stories, and our beautiful model Christina.
We are Caroline & Nathan Sailor – proud Apple Hill locals, California natives, and passionate about all things weddings. We’re pet parents who appreciate a good craft brew and adore the great outdoors, all while mixing up a storm as seasoned mixologists. In 2021, I, Caroline, embarked on a journey to found The Parched Poppies after relocating back to the greater Sacramento area from Humboldt County and buying our home in beautiful Apple Hill. Fresh out of college, I was simultaneously starting a career in environmental consulting, which was a shift from my past 8-year-long bartending life.
In the half-year following my career change, I found myself missing the energy and excitement of bartending. Yet, the allure of enjoying my newly-found free weekends held me back from going full throttle. So, I decided to strike a balance – I posted an ad on Craigslist to bartend events occasionally. As fate would have it, on July 3, 2021, I was behind the bar at my first wedding. Since that pivotal moment, there’s been no turning back, only forward into this thrilling journey of mixology and wedding celebrations.
In the exciting process of nurturing our business from its infancy, we’ve prioritized our values every step of the way. One of the most rewarding aspects of being our own bosses is the ability to infuse our core beliefs into every facet of our work and share them with our clients and community. We wear our badge of inclusivity with pride and are firm believers in uplifting our community of small businesses.
As passionate supporters of fellow local entrepreneurs, we make it a point to collaborate, network, and grow in with them. In this journey, we are not alone – we are part of a vibrant, thriving community of zealous, creative, and knowledgeable individuals. We are so lucky to be learning from as well as helping others learn how to navigate the world of owning a small business.
Looking back to my first event, my bartending arsenal comprised merely of a roll-up bag filled with essential bar tools – a bottle opener, wine key, muddler, mixing spoon, and a jigger. Arriving at the event, a baby shower, I discovered that there wasn’t a bar or even a table to facilitate my bartending service. With a quick think-on-your-feet approach, we stacked two coolers, ingeniously crafting an impromptu ‘bar’ on the deck. I then rolled up my sleeves and made the most of the situation.
Back then, I charged a modest $15/hour and didn’t account for gas or even bring a tip jar. In terms of assets, I didn’t have insurance or tangible resources to offer – all I brought to the table was my knowledge and love for mixology. Navigating through those initial events turned out to be very enlightening, with each event imparting invaluable lessons that have shaped our business into what you see today.
Fast forward to today – you’ll find us offering a diverse array of services, having fine-tuned our craft over time. We have implemented a comprehensive questionnaire and onboarding process to ensure our clients consider every intricate detail that contributes to a successful event bar. We have a rock star squad of exceptional bartenders and servers, all focused on delivering top-notch service and unforgettable experiences.
With most events we cater, we rarely are providing only bartenders. There are even inquiries from clients asking if we can provide a service we’ve not ventured into before. In these instances, we carefully evaluate the merits and potential challenges of incorporating that new service. So far, our adventurous spirit has won each time – we’ve yet to say ‘no’ to a client’s request. This drive to accommodate our clients’ needs has led us to offer even uncommon services, such as trash hauling and disposal, particularly for private property or non-traditional venue locations.
Introducing Poppy
Poppy, our nostalgic 1967 vintage Aristocrat Lo Liner converted mobile bar trailer, has been one of the most exciting moments of growth for our business. But let’s rewind a bit… Did you know that last year we embarked on an ambitious journey to transform a 1969 Fireball vintage trailer into a swanky mobile bar? As we were knee-deep in this mammoth project, Mother Nature had other plans. Camino, our picturesque home in Apple Hill, was hit by a series of storms that led to record snowfall levels in the Sierras. Despite our relentless efforts, the project we had poured our heart into met an unfortunate end. One cold morning, we found our labor of love caved in under the weight of the snow.
It was a bitter pill to swallow. After investing countless hours and immense passion into this project, seeing it crumble was a hard knock. The anticipation of the impact a mobile bar could have on our business added a layer of disappointment. But we’re believers in resilience and immediately started looking into the next steps.
As fate would have it, that following week a mobile bar was listed for sale in Southern California. I reached out to the owner with 95525 questions because it just seemed too good to be true. After a week of discussions, we set a date to go pick her up. We took a random Wednesday off work and drove 22 hours round trip to a town east of LA. We found out we had been one of hundreds of inquiries but for some reason, they liked us. And that’s how serendipity served us, quite literally, a bar on wheels!
We had her painted two weeks later, and the week after that she was debuted at her very first wedding.
Silverthorn Meadows Collaboration
As soon as we arranged the pick-up of Poppy, I instinctively reached out to Jess from Jess Holle Photography. My friendship with Jess extends beyond our professional lives in the wedding industry. We’re two ambitious, creative souls who crossed paths in Humboldt County long before we both ended up in the greater Sacramento area.
Jess has always been there, lens at the ready, to capture every significant milestone in my life, from graduation and engagement to marriage. So naturally, it was a given that she would be the one to document this exciting chapter of our business. Without a moment’s hesitation, Jess agreed and quickly jumped on board to help plan our debut styled photoshoot. It was teamwork at its finest!
Silverthorn Meadows was an obvious choice, as our paths have crossed with this enchanting venue multiple times, both professionally as bartenders and personally as wedding guests. The owners, who are exceptionally kind-hearted and genuine, deeply care about the wedding industry. Their venue, tucked away from the hustle and bustle, truly serves as a hidden oasis.
In our opinion, each vendor plays a significant role in shaping an event. However, if we had to pick a favorite (besides our own bar service, of course), it would undoubtedly be the florist. The magic of floral arrangements lies in their ability to set the mood, shift the energy, and sculpt the ambiance of any venue. We felt it was crucial to collaborate with a florist who was not only passionate about their craft but also shared our desire for growth.
Our search led us to the talented Laura from Flora Stories, and we couldn’t have been luckier. Her dedication to the art of floristry matched ours to mixology, creating a perfect harmony for our photo shoot.
Anyone in Northern California knows that we experienced some uncommon weather this Spring including rain into June! When we rescheduled, a day that was forecasted to be sunny surprisingly morphed into the week’s solitary rainy day. We had gotten completely set-up, and then the rain came. We waited an hour, had a beer, and hoped for the rain to stop. However, in keeping with the old adage, ‘when it rains, it pours,’ the downpour only intensified. We put on our rain coats and moved Poppy under the sanctuary of Silverthorn Meadow’s lovely covered reception space. Everything else was left to weather the storm and Jess worked her photography magic. Our wonderful model, Christina, was undeterred by the weather and fully embraced the challenge of posing in the rain. She sported her raincoat and umbrella with grace as we ushered her back and forth between the wet outdoors and sheltered spots. Even in our dampness, the day was filled with laughter. In the end, we not only captured all that we had envisioned, but also gained a truly unforgettable experience.
If you’re considering a Spring wedding and are nervous about potential rain, Silverthorn Meadows is a great venue with a built-in Plan B. Their covered reception space is large enough to keep everyone dry and comfortable, with beautiful touches like chandeliers and a view of the pond.
The styled shoot was a blast and a beautiful success. Please enjoy some more photos captured by Jess from our rainy day in Apple Hill.
Vendor Team:
Photography: Jess Holle Photography
Mobile Bar & Rentals: The Parched Poppies
Venue: Silverthorn Meadows
Florals: Flora Stories
Model: Christina
Looks great! I think that you two may be onto something here.