The below blog was written by a Catering by Seasons Bride, Kim, who was married in November 2016. All photographs are by Kate Ann Photography.

Why we chose a farm-to-table wedding

My fiancé and I got engaged a little over a year ago, and as we began planning our wedding, we started to think more about the things that are truly important to us. We wanted to host our family and friends for a very special occasion that brought together all of the things we love most.

Since we met, we have loved trying new and interesting foods together. We have a strong commitment to eating locally. We have participated in CSAs, we love to visit the farmers’ markets, and we have even dabbled a bit in vegetable gardening at home. So, when it came to the meal we would serve our family and friends, we decided that a farm to table wedding menu was a must. Our families are spread out across the country and beyond, so it was really exciting to have them visit and try a little taste of home.

We decided to work with Catering by Seasons because of their commitment to sustainable practices and their partnerships with local farmers. Weddings can leave a particularly large carbon footprint on our earth – from printing invitations to all of the long-distance travelling to the amount of food needed to feed all of the guests. That being said, we wanted to make our wedding as green as possible.

What we loved

The process was so fun and, surprisingly, easy! Because Catering by Seasons already sources many local ingredients for its day to day meals, they already had strong partnerships with farmers in the area. We just sat down with them and talked about the produce that would be in season and created a menu from that. Since we were getting married in the fall, we were able to include root vegetables, squash, and leafy greens, along with humanly-raised, grass-fed, antibiotic-free pork and beef. And we tied it all together with a family recipe for hard apple cider and a wedding cake with a hint of apples and caramel.

Our wedding day was all that we had imagined and more! Our guests were very excited about the hors d’oeuvre and the local selections. We served a plated salad, and then served the main course family style. We wanted guests at each table to really get to know one another and share a meal together.

Our guests are still raving about the mouth-watering menu!

What we would do differently

Because we had a strict budget to stick to, we decided to make the dinner very simple – we had a black pepper crusted pork loin, Catering by Season’s signature carrot soufflé, and sautéed spinach. It was a fantastic dinner for us, and people raved about the carrot soufflé. However, a few guests inevitably have dietary restrictions – whether they are vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, or something else entirely. There are also those picky eaters who just avoid certain foods. The only thing I would change would be to add one more dish to our family style dinner so that guests could enjoy a little more variety of local foods.

Our final thoughts

At the end of the day, planning our wedding was all about strengthening our relationship and bringing our two families together. One of the things we find personally really important is to never cut corners. We knew exactly what was important to us, and we knew there was someone out there who could make that dream an absolute reality. Catering by Seasons helped us achieve that wow-factor we were looking for while maintaining a high standard of environmental responsibility. They helped us make our rustic lodge wedding into an unforgettable night with good food, good drinks, and good company.

 

Photographs by Kate Ann Photography

Catering by Seasons Event Manager: Glynis Keith

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