the "lunch" at our luncheon

Hi there and Happy October to all.  Our last post featured an overview of September's fabulous event and was a feast for your eyes (if we do say so ourselves)!  Was it not lovely in the fullest sense of the word?  We adored every detail from every generous sponsor.

And today, we have a post which is bound to be a mouth-watering one, so prepare your taste buds as we are showcase the "lunch" at our luncheon, from the perspective of Melissa Nickle (Women In Weddings Co-Founder and owner of Blossom Sweet).  Below she gives her two cents:

"As a local floral designer, I have had many clients who have chosen Culinary Crafts as their caterer, so I am no stranger to seeing their behind-the-scenes work before events begin.  To say it in food terms, let's just say they do nothing half-baked!  Although I have had many opportunities to see their work in a professional regard, before our fall luncheon I had unfortunately not yet been a guest at a Culinary Crafts event.  Can you believe it?  Needless to say I was eagerly awaiting my first experience, and it did not disappoint.  Today I'll tell you a little bit about it.

First, I was floored at the venue-appropriate tablescape design which was put together by the Culinary Crafts team.  Beautiful linens, glasses, flatware, chargers, etc. and etc.  As a florist I am obviously drawn to all things aesthetically pleasing, and I can say my eyes found it immaculate.

Next, as we plan our events we are always mindful of creating ways to let our guests mingle and network freely.  Drinks and hors d'oeuvres as guests arrive at our events seem to provide that opportunity quite well.  Take a gander at the next few images below to see what guests were greeted with.  So good.

Once guests made their way to the tables, the lunch itself was served "Family Style," which I thought was a lovely touch to the ranch feel.  It encouraged a mingling atmosphere even while guests were seated, and made a large event seem more intimate and cozy.  After the event, a guest and talented event planner stated,

"I have always discouraged brides from choosing family-style as I have never seen it executed well with any sort of sophistication or beauty. This luncheon completely changed my mind. It was fabulous and I'm going to start showcasing this trendy style to lots of my brides!"

Wise woman, I say.

 

Now, you can clearly see that the presentation was superb, but when all is said and done presentation doesn't mean much if the food doesn't taste good.  Well, I can assure you that everything tasted as good as it looked -- it was all delicious.  While I loved it all, my personal favorites were the Jalepeno Corn Muffins and the Grilled Italian Chicken Breast (complete with grilled sweet onions, oven-dried tomatoes, and baby eggplant... yum!).  Here's a visual taste of the feast:

I dare say no one left hungry.  But wait... there's more.  Guests had a gorgeous dessert served in mason jars (so perfect at the ranch) which was a Banana Bread Pudding with Hot Fudge and Toasted Walnuts.  

Finally, as guests departed they had several treat options served on Hawker Trays which included gourmet popcorns as well as candies, fudge, and etc.!  Mary recommended that I try the Bacon Bourbon Popcorn, and I'm glad I followed her advice.  Sounds a bit odd, tastes a lot good.

I'll end by stating the obvious: my first experience as a Culinary Crafts guest had better not be my last."

Thank you for your amazing work and generous support, Culinary Crafts!

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Complete Event Sponsor List:

Photography: David Newkirk
Venue: Red Cliff Ranch, Heber UT
Floral: Branches Floral Design
Printed matter: Polka Dots & Daisies
Catering & Presentation: Culinary Crafts
Event Emcee: Rob Ferre, Life of the Party Entertainment
Key Note Speaker: Tessa Woolf, Salt Lake/Park City Bride & Groom
Rentals: Diamond Rental