Going Green by Going Local

            In the year 2012, brides everywhere have been going green in multiple different aspects of their wedding.  Eco-friendly weddings are the most trending theme this year and brides, planners and designers are coming up with creative ways to stay true to the environment on this special day.  One of the most important details that your guests will most appreciate, is what is being served for the reception meal.  When researching about these “green” themed weddings, we noticed that these bride’s were turning to sustainable and local sourcing to cater their meals.  Not only are they two ways that are great for the environment, but chef’s everywhere have been coming up with tasty and creative recipes that you and your guests are sure to be pleased with. 

Local and Sustainable Sourcing: What is it?

            By using local sourcing, you are going to caterers and businesses in your community and buying their supplies and services in order to serve your guests at your wedding.  Not only are you helping the environment, but you are also benefiting your community’s economy.  If the environment is very important to you, buying locally supports it because it protects the air and water, it minimizes energy consumption and it enriches the soil.  There are many benefits to using local sourcing when creating the meal that will be passed out to all of your guests.  Now on to the other type of sourcing: Sustainable Sourcing.  Sustainable food is mostly similar to local sourcing, but with a few differences and a few more benefits to your guests and the environment.  Sustainable sourcing means you are receiving food that is healthy and does not harm the environment at all because it is completely pesticide and chemical free and guarantees that hormones were not used during the growing process.  Local foods can be grown this way, but it is very rare to find a place close to home where chemicals were not used.         

The Positives to Using These Sources

            Obviously, helping the environment is the most important reason to use local and sustainable sourcing when catering your meal.  It helps all aspects of the environment including the air, water, soil and how the animals are being raised.  The economy has also been a struggle for most these last few years, so by reaching out to local businesses, you are helping not only their financial situation but the economy of your very own community.  Another positive to local sourcing is that you are staying local.  You will not need to travel far for a tasting or pay shipping and storage costs because it will be available to you very easily.  Not only does this save you time, but it also saves you gas and the environment from gas pollution in the air.  One important selfish but smart reason for using either of these sources is that it can save you a lot of money.  It is less expensive than most foods and you will not have to worry about shipping or storage fees because everything is grown near you and will be nice and fresh by the date of your wedding day.  With so many positives to choose from, how can you not choose a way that not only can benefit you and your guests but the important environment and community around you?

With Many Positives Comes a Few Negatives to Consider

            Even though the positives outweigh the negatives, there are a few things for you to consider and research before making a final decision.  Depending on where you live and where your wedding will take place, it could take some effort to find the right food source that can give you exactly what you are wishing for.  Research is key when it comes to finding your perfect source that also shares the same knowledge and respect for the environment as you do.  One last negative could be creating menu options that make sure that you and your guests will be satisfied.  If you are working with a caterer, this might make things a little easier, especially if this caterer specializes in eco-friendly meals.

Local and Sustainable Menu Options That Could Surprise You      

            With today’s creative chefs, there are many different choices you can have when it comes to menu options and using local and/or sustainable sourcing.  Your cake for instance can actually be created with these sourcing options.  If you are thinking about a country theme for example, pies might be the perfect choice for you.  By using a local market or farm, you can either purchase or make these pies yourself for the perfect dessert for this theme.  Other environmentally friendly options could be a fruit cake, carrot cake or even cupcakes.  Wine is another surprise delicacy that can also help reduce a negative impact on the environment.  Now for the main course, we recommend choosing chicken, fish and even vegetarian dishes to serve to your guests.             

           

By choosing these healthy and eco-friendly options, you are not only serving your guests something they will appreciate but it will be a fresh and creative option they most likely have never seen before. Americans are starting to change the way they eat and live, so why not correlate this to what you serve your guests on your wedding day.  

BBFN, 

Olivia

Is Mini the New BIG Trend?

           No one can argue that food is one of the most important parts at a wedding.  It is something that can set your wedding apart from others.  The big trend in 2012 is to have mini foods in all parts of the big day.  Whether it is during the cocktail hour, the reception, or the after hours, brides everywhere have been incorporating mini foods in a fun and creative way.  From mini pies and sliders to dessert shooters and mini cocktails, mini foods have been trending and we believe is a cute idea that is easy for your guests to eat and pretty easy on the budget.

            Examples of mini foods that have been used at previous weddings can go on and on.  Depending on the vibe you were desiring for your wedding, there are many great and unique choices out there for any type of event.  During the cocktail hour choices range from little salt-rimmed margaritas and mini coca cola bottles to blueberry martini jello shots and mini crab cakes.  For the reception dinner, couples can choose to have mini steaks to mini meatballs with a small spaghetti portion on top.  The cake can also be miniaturized by serving mini cupcakes or small individual cakes for each guest.  And for those who are having late night wedding receptions and want to serve after hours snacks, the variety does not have an end.  Mini tacos, sliders, bite-sized grilled cheese sandwiches, and espresso shots topped with mini doughnuts are just to name a few.  Basically, if you dream it, it can be miniaturized. 

 

            Saving money never hurts right?  Well whether you serve mini delights in a buffet setup or have it served butler style on trays, mini foods are a very creative and less expensive way to feed you and your guests. They also allow a maximum assortment of different foods and flavors into your menu that can satisfy anyone’s appetite.  Mini foods also can easily incorporate cultural foods and traditions into the special day.  Whatever the reason and the use of these tiny treats, this unique style of food can be a focal point and conversation starter at any wedding event.     

BBFN ( Bridal Bliss For Now),

Olivia

How a Food Truck Can Enhance Your Event

Want to make your wedding one for the books? One that everyone will be talking about for months to come? One of the hottest trends right now is incorporating a food truck into a wedding. Whether it is during the cocktail hour, the dining hours, or used for late night treats, food trucks bring a certain “wow-factor” that you and your guests will remember forever.

So why and how would you incorporate a food truck into your wedding? If any part of your wedding is outdoors, then this could be a great idea for you. Maybe you could show what your favorite foods are in a fun and unique way. Or maybe you and your fiancé have a favorite street vendor that you both enjoy and would like to share that with your guests. Whatever your reason may be, food carts can spice things up, while still offering different foods you know your guests will enjoy.

There are many different ways to use a food truck and different foods they can provide.

Ethnically Inspired Food Truck

An ethnically inspired food truck can help you incorporate and celebrate your heritage. Trucks can provide anything from Latin Tacos to Mediterranean “Falafelwiches”. Whatever your heritage is, food trucks provide a way to enjoy your cultures best cuisine.

Sweet Truck

Another way to incorporate a food truck is to use it to deliver sweets to your guests. A Sweet truck allows you and your guests to choose from a variety of different tasty treats. Sweets can range from mini cakes and smores, to chocolates and ice cream. Everyone has a sweet tooth, so why not provide a way for your guests to choose how to satisfy it.

Late Night Snack Truck

After dancing the night away, guests will definitely be hungry and ready to eat again. By incorporating a late night snack truck with comfort foods, you and your guests can refill and reenergize. These special late night snacks can be anything from sliders and hotdogs, to popcorn and smores. Whatever your guests choose at the end of the night, they will surely be thankful.

There is a reason why food trucks have become such a popular trend. They provide a fun atmosphere, they reflect the bride and groom’s personalities, and ultimately, they will make the event one people will be talking about for a very long time. If you feel like doing something unique and special for your event, a food truck is definitely the route to go.

Remember to make it unique and have fun!!
 
BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now
Olivia

Your Service Signature

No, it's not your wedding ceremony we're talking about, it's the manner in which food will be served to your guests. Believe it or not, one of the most important aspects of your wedding day will be the food and beverage. People will always remember how the bride looked, and how good (or not) the food was. Keeping this in mind, you need to understand the different options that are available out there. Today we will explore the options, and the features and benefits of each.

First we will explore the most popular choice, which is a plated meal. This service is where you, as a bride, will chose the menu to be served directly to each guest. You can choose a single entrée, a duo entrée, a trio, or you can have your guests RSVP their choice from a limited selection. First and foremost, this type of meal service will tend to be less expensive, and look the most formal. It will also typically be, depending upon the venue, hot and directly out of the kitchen. A drawback to this service is it limits the guests to what you have selected for the choices. If you do decide to go with the RSVP meal choice route, keep in mind that the venue or caterer will have to prepare a few extra meals in each category, potentially increasing your costs, because people tend to change their mind when they see the presentation of the entrees.

Second we will tackle the buffet meal. This service consists of one menu being served at buffet tables in the reception room. Your guests will get up from their tables and go through the buffet, filling their plates with the items that they want to eat. This is a good service in that the menu is the same for everyone, and typically comes with several choices for entrees, thereby making it easier to please the picky eaters in your group. The downside to buffets is that they do tend to be more expensive than their plated counterparts, and people do have to get up and potentially stand in line to get their food. Always ask your venue or caterer how many buffets they will do in order to eliminate, or at least lessen, lines. The standard in the industry is a one sided buffet for every 50 guests.

The third service we will cover is family style service. This is exactly what it sounds like, in that the servers bring out platters of food and place it in the center of the table. Then like a big Thanksgiving dinner at home, the guests pass the platters around the table and serve themselves. A benefit to this service is it is similar to a buffet service, except the platters of food are brought and placed at the table versus your guests having to get up and stand in line at a buffet. This service does tend to be more expensive than plated or buffet service, and is limited on the amount of food you can offer, based upon the space available at each table. It is not recommended to do more than 5 or 6 items, or you will lose space for your centerpieces and for your guests to comfortably eat. By using longer rectangular tables you won’t have to be limited as much on the amount of items you can offer, and it will also lessen the amount platters needed potentially lessening your cost.

The last service we will cover is stations. This service is very similar to buffet service except each ‘station’ has a different menu. This is a casual type of service but very trendy. A great feature and benefit to this service is it allows you and your guests to enjoy a lot of different kinds of food, it also allows your guests to mingle and creates better conversation between guests. You can theme each station with each offering of food or simply choose all of your favorites and divide the stations into different ethnic cuisine backgrounds. The downside to this service is it tends to be the most expensive due to staffing, equipment needed and the overall amount of food that will be needed. Even though the stations might be offering smaller portions it will mean that they have to prepare more to ensure your guests don’t leave hungry. Your guests will also have to visit multiple stations in order to enjoy all that is being offered.

In the end it is your wedding reception so you can stay traditional or you can mix it up. Serve appetizers and salads plated, the main entrees family style and then end the night with a fabulous dessert station. The sky is the limit so do whatever suits your style, theme and budget. As long as the food is presented well and tastes good the guests will enjoy it and talk about it for years to come.

In deciding what service is best for your wedding there are many factors for you to consider. First, as much as we all hate to admit it, you need to be realistic about your budget. Decide what you would like to serve, and work with your venue or caterer on how you can best make that happen within your budgeted amount. More importantly though, think about the atmosphere you’d like to have at your wedding. Are you looking for a classy and chic event? Do you see cozy conversation among your guests, like a family? Do you want guests up and moving around the whole time? The beauty of your wedding will be in the details. By thinking through a few of these things you will be well equipped to make the right decision, putting your signature on even the meal service for your wedding.

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia

Twist on a Traditional Wedding Dinner

Today Event Architect, Adel Domingo, is going to share tips on how to personalize your Wedding Day culinary and beverage selections. She has some great, and practical tips, on how to take a traditional wedding dinner, and put your mark on it.

It is sometimes difficult to gauge a couple’s style these days. However, the majority of couples still like to stay traditional in their gown, tuxedo, and even music choices. They want to keep things “simple and elegant,” but with their own unique touch.

The wedding reception gives the couple the opportunity to stray from the traditional, especially in their food and beverage selections. If on a limited budget it is a little more difficult to stray away from the usual chicken dinner. The stigma of the good old chicken dinner may seem tacky, but if some thought is put into it, the wedding meal does not have to be boring. If you’re not on a budget, you have to be careful not to overdo it.


Champagne, or a version of a sparkling wine, like the Italian Prosecco or the Spanish Cava, is starting to be trendy again. Your favorite red or white wine is still popular to serve during dinner but the sparkling wine is very popular during cocktail hour. The cocktail of the hour can be a Kir Royale or the couple’s favorite beer or ale. The beer is always popular, but why not have more than 6 choices?

The hors d’oeuvres or appetizers can be as informal as mini quesadillas or as simple as mini French brie with a sliver of pear on brioche. You can also use ethnic choices to reflect your heritage. For instance, you can serve sushi, hummus dip, or tapas. Why not have fondue stations, or have fondue on each table instead of soup or salad? It’s a good way for your guests to get to know each other and its fun.

The reception food can be tailored to the couple’s style or liking. Organic ingredients are a little more costly than most, but asking the chef to use the local produce is not only meaningful to the local business, but may boast of the local flavors. If you use Farmer John’s potatoes for your soup, it can be mentioned on the menu card. You can also use your mom’s soup or cake recipe, or your father’s barbecue sauce for the ribs. Who says you can’t have fried chicken or meatballs? You can serve anything you want, as long as it’s served in an organized and beautiful way, and most importantly, taste like you want to have seconds!


Let’s talk about the couple’s sweet taste. You can have a typical dinner but have fun with your dessert. At your sweet table, why not have pies? You can serve Aunt Millie’s lemon bars with a side of sorbet or whip cream if you don’t want a wedding cake. You can go seasonal and serve a pumpkin pie if you’re getting married around Thanksgiving. Finally, if you still want to stay traditional, do your cake cutting on a two-tiered cake and serve a miniature version of your cake, down to the cake topper, to every guest. If you can fit it in your budget, have a crepe station. There is nothing like the smell of hazelnut chocolate melting on a crepe pan.


After all that dancing, you can treat the guests that survived the night to a special delivery box of White Castle burgers, a mini nacho bar or a tub of cold water bottles and ice cream sandwiches.

Just one more thing worth repeating, even though you want to add your own unique culinary style to your important event, make sure it tastes simply delicious.

Thanks Adel!

BBFN (Bridal Bliss for Now),
Olivia