I Survived

I made it through, survived and thoroughly enjoyed catering my first wedding reception!  You can read about how I was asked to do this and some of the preparations that were made here.  Twenty-four gallons of sauce! 

Although there were 265 RSVP’s, there were probably only 170 at the wedding so there was a lot of extra food.  We sent home lasagna’s with many people who helped and some who were hosting guests.  We had a luncheon here at the house on Sunday after the wedding and you probably know what we fed them.  Lasagna!

Saturday was the wedding, so we headed to Flagstaff on Friday.  I was hoping to get there early but it didn’t work out and we arrived at 5:00 p.m.  We had about 3 hours of work to complete before we called it a day. 

Nerves

That night was not restful for me and at 5 a.m. I finally got up.  My nerves were a little bit worked up which caused me to have an upset stomache.  I’ve almost never had any nervousness about cooking for people but I sure felt it this time.  I kept thinking about the last minute things that could not be done before the wedding.  Things like dressing the salad and assembling the appetizer platters.

Once we arrived at the church, everything was better.  My stomache settled down as I focused on the few tasks I needed to do. 

The Reception Hall

I did not do any decorating.  That was one thing I told my friend.  “Please, don’t involve me in the centerpieces or any kind of decorating.”  So, she was gracious to me and all I did was buy the plates, silverware and napkins.  This bride was very relaxed in her planning and I never did know what she was doing for the center of the table till I got there.  I knew the colors were going to be pink, yellow and green but that was it.  I’m glad the napkins coordinated nicely with her center arrangements.

I thought the reception hall looked lovely with the Chinese paper lanters and flowers that were made from coffee filters.  I’ve been to this church as a guest for a few weddings and it’s always amazing to me to see how each person is able to think of something unique in how they decorate this hall. 

The bride and groom’s table.  I love that backdrop and the big bow on the table but it does look a little bit like it was forgotten, doesn’t it?  Maybe it should have had some of the same decorations that were on the tables.  I know how it is though, it can be hard to remember every single detail. 

Food

The appetizer we put together was a anti-pasta platter, which can be a combination of several types of meats, cheeses, fruit, olives…. just about anything you want it to be. 

Here the final touches are being put on.  A little rosemary here and a little rosemary there.  I didn’t know how much rosemary could add until I was at this party.  I love learning about little things that make big differences in the appearance of food.

The main course consisted of Lasagna, Salad and Rosemary Olive Oil artisan bread from Costco.

My kitchen help was fantastic and I couldn’t have did it without them.  Even Miss Audrey wanted to have a part.

The Bride and Groom

Congratulations to the happy couple.  I wish you the best, believing that God has brought you two together.  I was so glad to play this part in your wedding.  It truly was an enjoyable time for me.