Brunch for a Wedding Reception- Part 2
A New York area bride and groom share about their great brunch wedding reception.
read moreBrunch for a Wedding Reception? Part 1
Brunch is a great idea for a wedding reception now in times where everyone is watching their bottom line.
read more“Cheap” Weddings
I keep running across articles and blog posts talking about cheap weddings, and frankly, it is just beginning to irk me. Listen, I know we’re in a tough economy right now, but do you really want to celebrate the start of your life together ”cheaply”. I don't think it's a helpful way to think about your wedding. Here’s an alternate dictionary definition of “cheap” : “inexpensive because of inferior quality.” So, how about an alternative way of thinking about your wedding-spending money wisely is good, trimming bloated costs is good. Simple, small- yes, they can be beautiful, but please, no “cheap” weddings. Ciao, Gisele...
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 moreMore December Celebrations Beyond Christmas
Okay, obviously there's New Year's Eve. But I know there are those of you who prefer not to be out on a night like that. This year we are lucky enough to have a weekend to celebrate, or to recover from, all the ringing out of the old and in with the new year. I happen to love a leisurely brunch, so I vote for a “Hair of the Dog” Champagne Brunch showcasing an Omelet Bar with all the fixings, Fresh Salmon or Crab Cakes, and made to order French Toast or Waffles. To my mind, there's no better way to get the New Year off to a great start than sharing a wonderful time of feasting with family and friends. Bon Appetit!...
read moreDecember Celebrations Beyond Christmas- Boxing Day
Here's another December celebration in tribute to our neighbors from the up North and across the pond. How about a Boxing Day Brunch, traditionally celebrated on December 26th, serving Quiche Lorraine, Pumpkin Waffles with Cinnamon Poached Apples and Canadian (of course) Maple Syrup. If you're feeling a bit hungrier add some Canadian bacon and sausages. For dessert- a Fruit and Rum Trifle. Best Wishes for a Happy Christmas. Bon Appetit, Gisele...
read moreMore December Celebrations- Kwanzaa
Celebrate family, culture and community with a first-fruits Kwanzaa party. Kwanzaa which begins on Dec. 26th and lasts for 7 days, was created by Dr. Ron Karenga in the tumultuous 1960's to honor African heritage in America. Here we are, less thana month before the inauguration of the United States’ first African American President, a day many of us never dreamed of seeing in our lifetimes. Regardless of your ethnic background, why not consider using Kwanzaa this year as a teachable moment for your children. Put out a spread of selections from the African Diaspora and remind them of the long civil rights journey that has led to this historic moment. Start with Jamaican Jerk Chicken Skewers and Cod Fish Cakes- full of flava’, mon… Then a buffet of West African Roast Chicken with Peanut Sauce and Okra, Fried Catfish, Fresh Corn Pudding, Candied Yams and a Melange of Collard, Mustard, Spinach and Turnip Greens Sautéed with Garlic inspired by the American South. To finish-what else but Pecan Pie? Bon Appetit! Gisele small pleasures...
read moreDecember Celebrations- Have a Hanukkah Dinner
Okay- here’s the first non-Christmas December celebration. Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, is observed for 8 nights, so there are lots of chances to get together and and enjoy the company of your loved ones. It celebrates the miracle of a single container (normally enough for only a single lighting of the eternal flame in the Jewish temple) of consecrated oil lasting for 8 days. Because oil is an integral part of the celebration it is traditional to eat fried foods at Hanukkah- like blintzes, latkes (potato and other vegetable pancakes), and doughnuts. For dinner, start with tray passed Mini Cheese Blintzes topped with Warm Blueberry Maple Sauce. Then there’s nothing like a Slow Braised Brisket smothered with a mountain of deeply colored Caramelized Onions- you don’t have to be Jewish to love this special treat. Serve it with Potato Pancakes and Chunky Apple Compote, accompanied by Roasted Winter Vegetables. End with desserts for the kid in all of us- Hanukkah Cupcakes, decorated with blue and silver sprinkles and Stars of David, and the updated version of jelly filled doughnuts, Beignets sprinkled with Powdered Sugar and served with a Tart Cherry Compote. Yum!!!...
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