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Weddings in the Okanagan
Things to keep in mind for your Wedding reception:
Chef Martin has done a few weddings in his 25 years as a chef and these are a few things he has put together to help you make that day a special one. Catering a wedding is always a bit more pressure and more stressful than your average birthday or retirement party, as we like to think it is a one shot event. Therefore, doing it right is important.
Because this is such a special event, people need to remember that excellence is best achieved when the chef can do his (or her) best job… when the surroundings and work space make sense. Take your time and think about your reception and figure out every little detail so that everything looks good from beginning to end. Many of the things mentioned below were found by trial and error - avoid having to deal with the hard reality of Plan B as much as possible by considering all these points.
IMPORTANT NOTE
These are other options to think about where a chef could be useful:
A rehearsal dinner is a great way to thank your loved ones of all the hard work they did to help you realize the wedding of your dream and also an awesome place to do some more private speeches.
Wedding gifts opening party allows you to have one more day out of this wedding weekend and also see people's face the next when you start unwrapping the forth toaster in row.
Bridal shower is the best place to thank your maid of honor by allowing her to throw a weird party for you in one of your friend's living room.
Bachelorette and Bachelor party is a great way to get rid of all your accumulated frustrations from your work and/or your family spending time with only your close friends so that you can start with a clean slate with your soon to be spouse.
Your guests:
Are there any guests in a wheelchair? Do they have an escort or will they need one?
Are there any guests and/or grandparents requiring assistance and/or special seating arrangement to avoid standing in a buffet line?
Are there young children? Remember if you expect a "kid's menu" that this is an extra expense. (Buffets are great for kids.)
Give an accurate count of how many guests will attend. This makes sure you don't run out of anything and the servers can prepare enough plate settings.
Make sure to sit the rude people in your family away from the kitchen/chef if you want a smooth wedding reception:
Your location or venue:
Is there a kitchen for the caterer to use at your venue?
Is there a parking spot near the entrance for deliveries and/or caterer?
Who will sign and receive the equipment from the wedding rental company?
Keep the bar area away from the food area if at all possible to avoid traffic jams near the cooking/serving area.
Think of a space to hide ugly things like dish racks, dirty dishes, empty boxes, etc… so that it does not become the background of every picture in your photo album or video.
Outdoor weddings can be a lot of fun, but make sure all tents and/or possible flying objects are secured down to the ground.
Especially if you are a foodie, remember to ask your photographer to take pictures of the buffet or plates of food.
It does rain once in while in the Okanagan, so be prepared. Salad floats, but salmon doesn't.
Remember, smokers outside can be as annoying as inside.
Your budget:
While making your budget keep in mind that the more elaborate menu and/or unique ideas you want the more staff it will require.
A casual wedding can be as much fun as a fancy one.
Remember that prawns cost more than chicken, so be logical when setting your price per person. If you expect the restaurant food to come to you, it is normal that it will cost a touch more, just like if you would go out to the restaurant versus ordering in.
Be prepared to take expert advice - if the caterer tells you there are enough choices in your menu, don't ask for more. Consider portion size for your crowd as well - generally, women eat less than men, and older people eat less than younger ones.
Make sure you get enough plates from the wedding rental company to cover for dessert too (unless you are sending your wedding party into the kitchen to help wash the plates :).
Buffet style will cost much less to serve instead of a plated menu.
If you wish for servers to pour wine during the meal versus letting people serve themselves it will cost more. If you want to leave wine on the tables, think of having coolers for white wine, especially in an Okanagan summer.
Catering companies may want to charge you for cutting your wedding cake, it's pretty standard.
Additional 10 to 15% gratuities is also standard practice.
Taxes only apply because we have no choice; talk to your political leaders if you have any complaints with that one:
Your menu:
Do you like salmon, chicken, beef, lamb, spicy food, ethnic food etc?
We are very lucky to have many local products in the Okanagan, so ask to make sure that your caterer uses as much of those treasures as possible, especially in the summer.
You should pick your flavours and menu items thinking about the taste buds of you and your spouse, but keeping in mind that many of your guests may not share those same tastes, especially when it comes to other generations. I always suggest buffet because you can offer a variety of flavours and please the majority of people except maybe your aunt Esmeralda who is constantly bitching about everything, we all have one of those… You will never please everyone, so make a decision and live with it, they'll get over it.
Do any of your guests have major deadly allergies?
Do you have vegetarian guests?
Your responsibilities:
People should not take the wheel of anything with an engine if they drink.
Create a safe place for people to have fun and for your caterer to work.
Have someone who can help to keep uncle Herbie's hands away from the cute servers and ensure children don't stick their fingers in the wedding cake icing.
Someone should be in charge of the reception area while you are away at the church and otherwise busy.
Chef Martin creates custom menus for each of his clients, based on all their details. His niche is the more casual wedding, where fun and good food are a priority. His skills with barbecue make for a fantastic outdoor wedding.
Once you have a date in mind, contact him to discuss how you would like your special day's meal to unfold.
Chef Martin offer his services for wedddings in the Okanagan Valley since 2004
Kelowna
 Westbank
Vernon
Penticton
BC
Canada
(250)712-4440
Chef's E-MAIL
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Chef Martin
(250)712-4440
E-MAIL
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