Weddingbee Blog

There is something you should know about us Sloths. We absolutely LOVE food.

NOMS!

And we wanted to make sure that our wedding food was fabulous without breaking our budget. Bartram’s Garden only has five preferred caterers, so after we decided on our venue, we started contacting caterers right away.

The first caterer never even called me back, after two voice mails and an email. I didn’t continue trying. If you’re not going to be responsive, you’ve just made our decision easier. One down, four to go.

The second caterer replied back to my first email within five minutes with a canned proposal menu that they send to everyone, saying “This is all we can do for your price.” The proposal had no hors d’oeuvres and only one entree option—basic grilled chicken with mixed veggies and rice. Blah. Two down, three to go.

The third caterer practically laughed at me over the phone when I told her our per person budget. Three down, two to go.

One of the caterers said that he could work within our budget and sent us a proposal. The menu looked okay, but neither Mr. S and I were that impressed. There weren’t a lot of selections and what they did propose wasn’t too exciting. Still, it was the only semi-appealing option we’d seen so far, and we began to worry that we’d never have the exciting and eclectic menu we’d hoped for. So we really hoped that caterer #5 would come through.

And did they ever!

The first question that the catering manager asked me was one that none of the others did: “What kind of food do you want at your wedding?”

Imagine that: asking what we want! We told him how we wanted a menu that was eclectic enough to be exciting and interesting, but not so “out there” that the grandparents would be afraid to eat. We wanted options for everyone: carnivores, pescaterians, vegetarians, vegans, people with gluten allergies, Kosher Jews, and on and on.

And the proposal they came up with was amazing. Trendy-yet-classic, and incredibly versatile. Check it out!

Welcome Beverages as Guests Arrive for Ceremony:

• Fresh Brewed Iced Tea and Lemonade

Stationary Hors D’oeuvres

• Grilled Bread with Olive and Sun Dried Tomato Tapenades
• Bruschetta Style Fresh Mozzarella Plum
• Tomato and Basil to add to above
• Vegetable Crudite with Red Roasted Pepper and Pesto dips

Butlered Hors D’oeuvres

• Teriyaki Beef Skewers
• Pistachio Encrusted Chicken Satay with Sambuca Reduction Sauce
• Seared Tuna on Wonton Crisp with Tobiko Wasabi
• Poblano and Corn and Scallion Quesadillas
• Coconut Shrimp with Roasted Pineapple Dipping Sauce

Stations Buffet

Tuscan

• Antipasti to include Grilled Vegetables, Tuscan Beans, Prosciutto, Genoa, Provolone, Fresh Mozzarella and Ripe Olives
• Chicken Breast Arabbiata served room temperature
• Tortellini with Pesto Cream Sauce
• Organic Greens Mesclun Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Roasted Peppers, Grape Tomatoes, and Reggiano Cheese
• Homemade Foccacia and Italian Breads

Grilling Station

• Shrimp and Scallop Skewers
• Marinated London Broil with Sauce Raifort and Chimichurri Sauce
• Grilled Red Bliss Potatoes with Olive Oil, Lemon Juice and Fresh Herbs

Mediterranean

• Moroccan Grilled Salmon
• Pita, Hummus and Baba Ghanoush
• Horiatiki Salad of Ripe Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Red Onions & Spices
• Roasted Vegetable Couscous

We had a tasting, the food tasted fabulous, and we signed a contract. And that was that!

How did you determine which caterer was right for you?