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 Nestled in the heart of downtown Wilmington is a gem. Among the hustle
and bustle of Wilmingtonians rushing to and from work and engaging in
life's daily activities, is a charming old lady who sits on the banks
of the Cape Fear River. This enchanting beauty has played sentry to the
transformations around her brought by both the lunar tides and the
dawning of each new decade.
 Circa somewhere in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, The River Room's low beams, old bricks and soldier courses enhance the room's decor and provide the perfect location for an intimate gathering. With twenty-five hundred square feet, the room can comfortably seat eighty to ninety guests for dinner and can host approximately one hundred fifty guests for a cocktail party.
When the building next door to Ray Baca's photography studio came available, owner of Baca Photographer and Evolve Image Studios found the perfect solution to the area and brides dilemma of locating a space with a trendy atmosphere. Partnered with Brian McArtan of DJ Professionals & Video, The River Room is the answer to hosts and hostesses needing a functional party or meeting space in Wilm ington.
And, while the staff at The River Room loves their brides, Baca explained that the location is the perfect place for corporate businesses to host business meetings and training seminars. The River Room has eight televisions and monitors and the staff can assist businesses with setting up power points for staff training. The staff at Focus on the Coast had the opportunity to experience an evening at The River Room for our most recent in-house Girls Nite Out. However, this evening's GNO had a slightly different twist. Since the evening would have the atmosphere of a small wedding reception complete with flowers, a sitdown dinner and music, each staff member brought a date to accompany them during this event and to partake in the evening's festivities. With a relaxed atmosphere, I, sans hubby who was quite sick, entered The River Room on the arm of none other than my daddy.  Located on 18 South Water Street's historic J.W. Brooks building, The River Room's space is complete with old architecture and subtle beauty that charmed us all. After we poured glasses of wine and introduced our "dates," we found ourselves clustered in groups of twos and threes and the staff had a chance to reconnect with each other, while our guests had the opportunity to become better acquainted. C hocolate brown linens and beautiful, yet whimsical, flower arrangements from Moxie Floral Design Studio of red roses and lilies decorated each round table set for six. This seating arrangement helped the conversations flow and allowed our staff and guests to have a more personal meal. The Cabernet Sauvignon flowed freely as hits from Motown filled the cool evening air and the men had an opportunity to forge new friendships. Our dinner of succulent roasted pork, grilled squash, zucchini and portabella mushrooms, and mashed potatoes, provided by Thyme Savor Catering, was visually appealing and pleasing to the palate. However, the crowd winner was the crisp, leafy green salad adorned with walnuts, dried cranberries, apples and blue cheese. The simple and slightly sweet raspberry vinaigrette was the perfect pairing to both the salad and the pork. After our gourmet dinner, we made our way through the adorable little cakes provided by Island Cakery of Carolina Beach that editor Brook Dorosko brought to our table. A sweet arrangement of petite little cakes made choosing one to sample difficult, but refraining from devouring the entire plate impossible.
With choices including Key Lime, coconut, and cheesecake, our table's favorite was the chocolate. "I could eat a dozen of those little chocolate cakes," explained Brook. "Paired with a nice bottle of red wine, I could too," my father agreed.
Before leaving for the evening, each of the eight couples found their way to the mock photo booth designed by photographer, Laurence Maultsby. Couples danced and grooved to the beats and rhythms of fun songs like My Girl and Brown-Eyed Girl and struck silly poses mocking Charlie's Angels and cuddled up with their dates. |
