I can't recommend catering one's own wedding to anyone with a clear conscience, but I'm glad I did it and it came off pretty well!
I arranged with my sister and sister-in-law to serve all the food that I prepared ahead of time. My plan was to have all the cooking done by Thursday, all packed and labeled in the garage refrigerator, each course's elements on a separate shelf, so I could relax and enjoy our houseguests on Friday. HAH! The houseguests worked all day on Friday, rolling truffles, chopping chicken and washing salad. My friend Dennis arrived to string all the lights and lanterns. We had to break for rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner, even though there was still more to do.
I was awake at 5:00 on Saturday but with everyone else asleep I couldn't really get up and get going--that was torture. As soon as I heard Edd, Jacques' best man from Alabama, stirring in the living room I hopped out of bed, put on some coffee and grabbed my clipboard. Edd looked at the clipboard and said, "Darlin', if you go up the aisle with that thing still in your hand I'll break it over your head."
I spent the morning boiling shrimp and making sauce while my nephew, who had volunteered as bartender and had come to set up the bar, stayed and skewered chicken. All the while we were frantically setting up tables, chairs, sound system, etc.
Earlier, we had ordered leis from Hawaii for everyone in the wedding party, 11 in all, and it hit us that it would have been nice to have two more for my dad and my aunt. Nothing could be done about it, until the doorbell rang and there was a delivery of 2 beautiful leis, bigger and better than the ones we had ordered, from our dentist and his wife, (the ones I cater/barter with), along with a bottle of Vieuve Cliquot. Can you believe our luck? We wore the big new leis and Dad and Auntie got our original ones.
I don't know where the rest of the afternoon went, but before I knew it it was 4:00 and my SIL arrived and ordered me out of the kitchen. Boy, she meant it! I still had a few things I wanted to set up but she just pushed me out bodily. So I was forced to spend a little time with Jacques getting ready, which was good. Up until then, I had not put my whole outfit on at once, and my pants were too long. No problem! SIL had brought her tape gun to paste up her "Kitchen Staff Only" signs and so she taped up my hems.
My sister arrived and got in line with SIL, so I had nothing to do but greet people. I'm not used to having nothing to do right before a party!
I had two adorable nieces in the front room to greet the guests and give each of them a silk lei as they arrived. The leis were a hit, and really broke the ice. The kids then directed everyone out the side doors, around to the back patio, avoiding the kitchen and the wrath of SIL. We wasted no time pouring wine, and we had roasted nuts and tapenade set out on the tables.
Brandi, a salesperson at our shop, is a wonderful singer, and she started with an a capella version of "Close to You." I've never been a fan of Karen Carpenter and I didn't expect to like it but Brandi had insisted, and she made it something else entirely. Just beautiful. Then she sang my request, "And I Love You So," by Don McClean. I was a wreck. Then came Jacques' choice for a wedding march "You are the Sunshine of my Life" sung in French by Sacha Distel and Brigitte Bardot. It got a belly laugh, as predicted. We then got serious for the ceremony, except when it came time for the rings Edd handed Jacques a hideous cocktail ring he had bought at the 99-cent store. Nice. Right after being announced "spouses for life," my nephews and BIL's popped champaigne corks in unison and we played "Right By Your Side," by Annie Lennox.
Whew!
The hors d'oeuvres appeared (country pate, salmon rilletes, crudites, and the big shrimp platter with green aioli) and it all seemed so effortless because we were so busy meeting and greeting. I had other nieces assigned to light the myriad candles and tiki torches, including floating candles in the hot tub. Dennis had outdone himself with the lantern display and by dusk it was really magical.
We danced and drank, while another nephew grilled 100 chicken skewers, and while my brother was toasting us, the hors d'oeuvres were cleared, and when he was done, out came this procession of nieces, nephews and a couple other recruits carrying platters of food on parade. It was like they had rehearsed it. Sis and SIL had done my cooking proud--the platters were beautiflul.
The menu: Salade Nicois, Sorrel Tart, Chicken Souvlaki with cucumber sauce, Zucchini Nicois, Chickpea Salad, Fruit, Cheese and assorted breads.
I thought we'd have lots of leftovers, but there was hardly anything left.
And the cake! One big gooey Napolean--a specialty of a local bakery. Everyone said it was the best wedding cake they had ever tasted (not a very high bar to pass, but still).
I had been fretting about the music, worrying that no one would want to dance to our stuff, so one of my nieces made a playlist of her own and when we put it on the dance floor was full for the rest of the night. Even my 82-year-old father was out there shaking it.
I don't know how I'm going to pay those kids back. It was just so great how they all worked so hard and then danced all night. As for Sis and SIL, even though they've been dying to take over my kitchen for years and were were in heaven, there's just no way to repay them.
Here are some pictures....
I arranged with my sister and sister-in-law to serve all the food that I prepared ahead of time. My plan was to have all the cooking done by Thursday, all packed and labeled in the garage refrigerator, each course's elements on a separate shelf, so I could relax and enjoy our houseguests on Friday. HAH! The houseguests worked all day on Friday, rolling truffles, chopping chicken and washing salad. My friend Dennis arrived to string all the lights and lanterns. We had to break for rehearsal and a rehearsal dinner, even though there was still more to do.
I was awake at 5:00 on Saturday but with everyone else asleep I couldn't really get up and get going--that was torture. As soon as I heard Edd, Jacques' best man from Alabama, stirring in the living room I hopped out of bed, put on some coffee and grabbed my clipboard. Edd looked at the clipboard and said, "Darlin', if you go up the aisle with that thing still in your hand I'll break it over your head."
I spent the morning boiling shrimp and making sauce while my nephew, who had volunteered as bartender and had come to set up the bar, stayed and skewered chicken. All the while we were frantically setting up tables, chairs, sound system, etc.
Earlier, we had ordered leis from Hawaii for everyone in the wedding party, 11 in all, and it hit us that it would have been nice to have two more for my dad and my aunt. Nothing could be done about it, until the doorbell rang and there was a delivery of 2 beautiful leis, bigger and better than the ones we had ordered, from our dentist and his wife, (the ones I cater/barter with), along with a bottle of Vieuve Cliquot. Can you believe our luck? We wore the big new leis and Dad and Auntie got our original ones.
I don't know where the rest of the afternoon went, but before I knew it it was 4:00 and my SIL arrived and ordered me out of the kitchen. Boy, she meant it! I still had a few things I wanted to set up but she just pushed me out bodily. So I was forced to spend a little time with Jacques getting ready, which was good. Up until then, I had not put my whole outfit on at once, and my pants were too long. No problem! SIL had brought her tape gun to paste up her "Kitchen Staff Only" signs and so she taped up my hems.
My sister arrived and got in line with SIL, so I had nothing to do but greet people. I'm not used to having nothing to do right before a party!
I had two adorable nieces in the front room to greet the guests and give each of them a silk lei as they arrived. The leis were a hit, and really broke the ice. The kids then directed everyone out the side doors, around to the back patio, avoiding the kitchen and the wrath of SIL. We wasted no time pouring wine, and we had roasted nuts and tapenade set out on the tables.
Brandi, a salesperson at our shop, is a wonderful singer, and she started with an a capella version of "Close to You." I've never been a fan of Karen Carpenter and I didn't expect to like it but Brandi had insisted, and she made it something else entirely. Just beautiful. Then she sang my request, "And I Love You So," by Don McClean. I was a wreck. Then came Jacques' choice for a wedding march "You are the Sunshine of my Life" sung in French by Sacha Distel and Brigitte Bardot. It got a belly laugh, as predicted. We then got serious for the ceremony, except when it came time for the rings Edd handed Jacques a hideous cocktail ring he had bought at the 99-cent store. Nice. Right after being announced "spouses for life," my nephews and BIL's popped champaigne corks in unison and we played "Right By Your Side," by Annie Lennox.
Whew!
The hors d'oeuvres appeared (country pate, salmon rilletes, crudites, and the big shrimp platter with green aioli) and it all seemed so effortless because we were so busy meeting and greeting. I had other nieces assigned to light the myriad candles and tiki torches, including floating candles in the hot tub. Dennis had outdone himself with the lantern display and by dusk it was really magical.
We danced and drank, while another nephew grilled 100 chicken skewers, and while my brother was toasting us, the hors d'oeuvres were cleared, and when he was done, out came this procession of nieces, nephews and a couple other recruits carrying platters of food on parade. It was like they had rehearsed it. Sis and SIL had done my cooking proud--the platters were beautiflul.
The menu: Salade Nicois, Sorrel Tart, Chicken Souvlaki with cucumber sauce, Zucchini Nicois, Chickpea Salad, Fruit, Cheese and assorted breads.
I thought we'd have lots of leftovers, but there was hardly anything left.
And the cake! One big gooey Napolean--a specialty of a local bakery. Everyone said it was the best wedding cake they had ever tasted (not a very high bar to pass, but still).
I had been fretting about the music, worrying that no one would want to dance to our stuff, so one of my nieces made a playlist of her own and when we put it on the dance floor was full for the rest of the night. Even my 82-year-old father was out there shaking it.
I don't know how I'm going to pay those kids back. It was just so great how they all worked so hard and then danced all night. As for Sis and SIL, even though they've been dying to take over my kitchen for years and were were in heaven, there's just no way to repay them.
Here are some pictures....
