Catering to All the Special Moments in Life
I received this touching e-mail last week which I want to share with you now. "I'm writing today, as you've done such a wonderful job catering for our family during both happy and difficult times in the past, and sadly I fear we are facing a sad upcoming occasion. My dear mother, who has been gravely ill for several weeks, today entered palliative hospice care. My sister and I cannot imagine anyone but you and your company feeding our friends and family at such time as we will remember and celebrate her life. Understandably we do not have a timetable, it may be days, or longer… but in advance wanted to know if you would be able to help us when the time comes? With thanks as always." She wrote again 3 days later to say that her mother had passed away peacefully with her family by her side. I first catered a event for Lyla when she and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. A couple of years after that it was her husband's 75th birthday, and finally three years ago, her husband's memorial service. Her daughter was right on, I have had the honor to be there at both "happy and difficult times" in their lives. I talked to Lyla's daughter a couple of times during the week. She shared thoughts and memories, and even struggles of her family. I was honored she felt so free to speak openly with me. As business owners we hear over and over again, it's about the value you offer to others. While, as a caterer, I always place a very high value on the quality of food I serve, and how it's displayed, my mission is really to create memorable celebrations for all the special moments in my clients lives. And very often, the mission goes way beyond the food we provide. Lyla's memorial was indeed, a celebration, and I have grown with her family as they move through their milestone moments. I feel privileged to have done...
read moreA Personal Touch-the Wedding Cookie Table
Orange Almond Biscotti- a favorite recipe for your wedding cookie table.
read moreAn Autumn Wedding Feast to Celebrate Your Marriage
Incorporate the rich colors, scents, spices and flavors of autumn to your wedding feast as metaphors to remind you of your vows and love for each other as you encounter those objects throughout your lives together.
read moreThere Will Always Be a Need for Parties!
In June of 1969, Stephanie Mills created quite a stir by announcing in her valedictory speech at Mills College’s graduation ceremony, that the future was a cruel hoax, and that she would not be bringing children into this world. I was graduating from high school that same month, and about to go off to Mills College in the fall. My mother wrung her hands, not quite sure what she was sending me off to. I’ve just finished reading a personal perspective by Ms. Mills in my latest alumnae publication, entitled “the brighter side of doom and gloom” where Ms. Mills states that we must begin to distinguish between wants and needs to survive. I’m so glad that she includes conviviality as a need, along with water, food, shelter, clothing and dignity. Indeed, there will always be a need to gather with friends and family to celebrate the special moments in our lives, to share each others’ company and great conversation. Sometimes we’ll need to gather to support each other and reassure ourselves in tough times. And sometimes we’ll just need to kick back. We’ll always need great food and drink, along with great music, entertainment and storytelling to remind ourselves of our humanity. So in spite of what’s going on in our economy, parties, whether casual or more formal, large or small, are still on the...
read moreI Do Radio
Hello All, I just wanted to let you know about a great resource- I Do Radio- with host Rev.Angela Butts Chester of Chester Ministries and Blessings All Around located in Long Beach, CA. Rev. Angela's mission is to celebrate the the stages of our lives in ceremony. Now there's something I can really get behind. I truly believe in the power of celebration. Her show, I Do Radio, features wedding advice from all angles, and this morning she interviewed- me! You can click on the link below to listen in. Rev. Angela Interview BonAppetit!...
read moreThinking About Different Kinds of Wedding Receptions- and Incidentally, Saving Money
I've just read a blog post where the author ("capper") questions the logic of some wedding expenditures. Capper quotes couples stating their "need" for butterflies and doves released at their weddings, and asks pointedly, " do these people have a grasp on what life and marriage is all about?" He goes on to talk of costly "full blown" weddings he's heard of resulting in marriages that lasted for very short periods of time, and how little he and his wife spent on their wedding. I must agree that the only wedding I've ever attended where doves were released lasted a very short while. And while I would never recommend the plastic flowers capper and his wife displayed at their wedding for any occasion, I am on somewhat of a mission lately to encourage, shall we say, more creative types of wedding receptions. I devote a section in my E-book ( Help! I Need a Caterer) to discussing wedding receptions other than the now standard (and most costly) Saturday night banquet with cocktail and hors d'oeuvre reception beforehand. What happened to the brunch, lunch, picnic, tea party and other type of receptions I so remember enjoying as a youngster? They still seem much more interesting to me than the dull sit down hotel dinners I get invited to. And as someone who has spent a good bit of her time on this planet not only attending those wedding receptions, but working in both hotels, and now at catering receptions for clients of my own, I find the "out of the hotel banquet box" party far more interesting. So over the next few posts, I'll be sharing some different type of wedding celebrations with you. BTW, you can read cappers entry at: http://cognidissidence.blogspot.com/ Scroll down to "Wedding Bells and...
read moreA Reflection on Wedding Ceremonies
I received an e-newsletter last week from an associate, Deborah LaFranchi of LaFranchi Couture. Deborah wrote her reflections after attending the wedding ceremony of a bride whose gown she had designed. As she ends the essay, she captures perfectly the emotion we, as wedding vendors, experience at being a member of the team which creates those special moments in a client's life. Deborah has given me permission to share her reflection with you. I have pasted it in below. I urge you to visit her Website (www.deborahlafranchi.com) and view her lovely gowns and costumes. Ciao, Giselewww.smallpleasurescatering.comwww.helpineedacaterer.com Marriage: The New Frontier? I was at a wedding not that long ago. Being a bridal gown designer, I had custom made the bride's gown. The church was packed, the flowers were beautiful and the bride looked exquisite as she floated up the aisle. She noticed no one else except her fiance and he seemed so proud of this vision as she approached him. I felt excited for them as they began their new journey. The minister read a beautiful passage from the bible. It stated that two, working together were stronger then one and three, braided together were unbreakable. Tears came to my eyes as the words echoed through my mind. It was true, two people working together with similar goals and dreams had a better chance of making them happen. Their survival rate was better. And once they had children, that made their bond and potential survival even greater. The minister asked the congregation to take responsibility for the couple and help them in good times and bad. We all answered with an enthusiastic "We do!" It was one of the most meaningful weddings I have ever attended. Has our society lost sight of what marriage really means? In this day and age of divorce as the answer to being happy, children born out of wedlock or people just "living together" because they don't need a piece of paper to be committed to each other, it seems marriage has become the new frontier. It seems our society has lost the meaning of marriage. Sure, the day itself is a big production with flowers, costumes and food but isn't it really about taking responsibility for another? Creating the future? It's about surviving better, and when children enter into it, one is making a statement that there will be a future. How will the problems of the world ever be solved if one isn't making sure that children are being raised in loving homes where they see a great example of people working together to help each other survive better? As I sat eating my cake, watching the bride and groom dance in each other's arms, oblivious to anyone else in the room, I knew I had contributed more then just a beautiful gown. I was helping put future generations there. And I hoped that someday, when a grandchild or two looked at pictures of their grandmother on her wedding day, looking so happy, they might just wonder where she got such a beautiful...
read moreLooking Back to Share a Catering Success Story
I am spending this afternoon finishing up my goals and plans for 2009. Part of that process has been reviewing 2008, the shortcomings and the successes. I'd like to share with you one of my greatest successes of 2008. In September I catered the Golden Gala of the Shawl Anderson Dance Center in Berkeley which celebrated 5 decades of dance in the East Bay. I walked into the Shawl Anderson Dance Center as a young woman of 20 years old, fresh out of college with a degree in Dance and Theater Design, and began a wonderful relationship with the owners, Frank Shawl and Victor Anderson, that has followed me throughout my life. So I was greatly honored when they offered me the opportunity to be such a big part of their special moment. It meant taking my show on the road, so to speak, but I had wonderful assistance from Carrie Dove Catering in Emeryville, who helped by renting me kitchen space, and with staffing. Frank and Victor are amazing people. They left behind careers in New York City 50 years ago, and pioneered in creating the first modern dance school in the East San Francisco Bay. They have trained and mentored countless young (and not so young people) over the years, including me. In my New York years, I had the occasion to deepen my relationship with Frank, as he spent a good deal of time there in the 1980's. I hardly ever walked down the street in lower Manhattan where many dance studios are located, without someone stopping Frank and commented that they had studied or performed with him, and thanking him. He has just celebrated his 77th birthday last week, and Victor celebrated his 80th this past summer. And they still both do a dance warm up every morning ! Now there are role models for you. I also had the wonderful opportunity to work with their great young assistant director, Jill Randall, who got a quick education in event planning. She did a fabulous job. I've posted some pics below of the food, and of Jill, checking in guests, Frank and Victor, welcoming and thanking them. Check out the petits fours platters decorated with little feet shortbread cookies, supplied by Anni Amberger. Call her if you're in the Bay Area, and want a dessert which also happens to be an art project (510) 236-4084. Besides saying he was so proud of me (like a good papa) here is what else Frank had to say: “It was so wonderful. You did a spectacular job.Everyone was very complimentary and commented how wonderful the food was.It went like silk…the event was a wonderful success. You did a splendid job!” -Frank Shawl Ciao and Happy New Year! Giselewww.smallpleasurescatering.comwww.helpineedacaterer.com ...
read morePut Some Thought into Creating a Truly Personal and Memorable Wedding Reception
In my last post I wrote about how planning a wedding reception that’s something other than the big Saturday night sit down dinner can often save money. Besides saving money, putting some creative thought into planning a celebration you and your guests will truly love, will undoubtedly result in a much more personalized day. First, I have to stop right here and say that I am somewhat biased against the aforementioned “default” reception. I’ve never quite enjoyed being seated at a table (sometimes with people I don’t know) and stuck there throughout the night waiting for a banquet server who’s rushing through the evening to get my plate in front of me. Or asking the people at table with me to please pass the salad dressing or butter which happens to be sitting on the opposite side of the table. I really don’t enjoy the plate I’m served being yet another uninspired “rubber chicken” or dried out salmon meal with either an under cooked or over cooked “vegetable melange” (read whatever cheap vegetables the kitchen has on hand). To my mind, any time we entertain valued guests, we are giving a gift to our loved ones. When the party is a wedding reception, we are also creating a wonderful, once in a lifetime celebration, one about which we want ourselves and our guests to have great memories. Thought should be put into the details of the party. What kind of food would I and my guests really love? How can I create something fun and memorable for them? What would they enjoy doing for these few hours we’re together celebrating? Hint-it’s certainly not being stuck in a chair in a crowded nondescript hotel or banquet hall room. I like to wander around the room, visit with lots of other guests, and eat really great food. I catered a backyard wedding last June where the young couple chose to have a station with pizzas, topped with several various yummy items, and cooked to order, added to their buffet of several salads, grilled lemon chicken, asparagus and peppers, with farmer’s market fingerling potatoes. Instead of a wedding cake they had a brownie and ice cream sundae bar, with 4 different types of brownies, and lots of different sauces and toppings for the ice cream. I really got a kick out of watching the groom as he enjoyed sampling and comparing each type of brownie with the various sauces and toppings. I’ve catered weddings in the past, where the couples chose to have Western food, as well as incorporate stations with foods from their ethnic backgrounds, like Korean, Chinese and Japanese. We decorated the station at one with big brightly colored fans purchased in Chinatown. I remember, as a young woman attending a great afternoon picnic wedding in the park, where the guests were entertained, while sitting at picnic tables and on blankets on the grass, with great musical and street theater performances, reflecting the artistic tastes of the bride. And another, as a somewhat older woman, at a winery in Sonoma County with sweeping views, where the guests were offered a selection of great box lunches, to enjoy as we sampled the wines, and decadent chocolate truffle tortes (which I gave as a gift to the couple) for...
read moreConsider a Different Type of Wedding Reception- and Save Money, too.
I read an article yesterday by Ann Keeler Evans, which asked whether it was necessary, in these times of economic downturn, to slash your wedding budget. Evans states that "modern wedding planning has it all mixed up with the emphasis on the wedding reception" rather than the ceremony. Now while I agree that the ceremony is important, I believe in the power of celebration, which to my mind, includes a feast shared with your loved ones. Evans does go on to ask "Do you think they care if you serve them salmon or picnic food? …The food can be great without being over the top. " And this is the statement that got me going. One of the points I make in my E-book is that the big Saturday night sit down dinner preceded by an hors d'oeuvre reception has become the default wedding reception. While I believe that having good food at your reception is of prime importance (I know that I and people I know have talked for years about wedding food that was exceptionally good – or bad), I urge prospective brides to consider different types of receptions. When I was young (ahem!) people often had brunch, lunch, or tea sandwich and dessert receptions- even picnics as Ms. Evans mention, and I found them delightful. These types of receptions are much more budget friendly, and they offer the opportunity for you to put your distinct touches on a reception, while sit down dinners have often become staid, even stuffy. So I encourage you to think outside of the box. Plan a brunch, tea, or even a picnic, with great food, and save yourself some money in the process. In my next post, I'll talk about some creative touches couples have put on their receptions. Se you then! Ciao, Gisele P.S. Here's the link to Ann's article Your Perfect Wedding- Before You Slash Your Budget, Focus on What Matters...
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