Southern fusion

A post-Civil War building, a modern tent and three styles of barbecue.

With three environments taking guests from a clear-top tented porch to a post-Civil War building, a corporate affair by WM Events of Atlanta, Ga., merged old Southern charm with new Southern metropolitanism.

Juxtaposition was the central design concept for the event at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, says William Folger, WM Events principal and founder.
“Each space had a look and feel that was both unique and cohesive with the other rooms of the event,” he says.

The venue’s 90-foot porch provided the first stop. Peachtree Tents and Events LLC of Atlanta installed a 20-by-60-foot clear-top tent, which added a softness to the building’s brick exterior, Folger says.

“The clear-top garden tent gave guests access to a beautiful, romantic outdoor space. The tent featured classically styled furniture, ornate floral arrangements, wooden bars and buffets, elegant linen and a market light ceiling treatment. We did not have any walls on the tent, which allowed guests to enjoy the nice spring weather. The clear-top drew guests’ eyes upward, allowing them to focus on the sky and the city’s buildings.”

More than a thousand guests sampled Texas brisket, Carolina pork and Memphis chicken, then used clothespin ballots to vote on their favorite. A whole pig on the pit and 80s pop hits performed in a bluegrass style completed the homage to a backyard barbecue.

Inside the building, guests moved through a garden party with sultry jazz and into a dance club featuring a flash-mob, desserts descending from the ceiling and up-to-date takes on traditional Southern fare.