Anna & Euans Wedding

On a crisp, clear and most importantly dry Saturday 15th November 2014, we were lucky enough to be asked to be part of Anna and Euans’ most special of days – their wedding!

It was the most beautiful of ‘home-made’ weddings in the idyllic Cheshire countryside amongst the tree lined paths, freezing waterways and rolling meadows. Complete with an outdoor tipi bar with log burner, vintage Mini, wellington boots, tartan kilts (the Groom is Scottish!), concer-on-a-string games, jam jar lighting and earthenware flower pots; it had rustic charm with contemporary design.

Everything about the day was just perfect. From the gorgeous ‘naked’ wedding cake displayed on a rustic tree stump stand to the awesomely impressive Ceilidh to keep the party going long into the night with upbeat Gaelic folk music and dancing. So, now all we had to do was cook, season and serve up lip-smackingly good, delicious and stylish wedding catering.

Anna and Euan approached us nearly a year before the big day, wanting a bespoke and personalised wedding breakfast, canapés, evening food , drinks and bar service – and we were only too happy to assist! They both had a good idea of the style of food and service they fore sore for their wedding, so with a few tweaks here and there, we designed a wedding breakfast and catering that would reflect the overall wedding style and theme, season of the year and, of course, the Scottish element.

Their arrival to the venue from the church was greeted with a chilled, crisp and effervescent glass of Champagne. Those driving, pregnant or not drinking could choose from fresh juices, filtered water and drinks from the bar. With the reception and mingling under way, we started the continuous flow of deliciously tempting canapés. Anna and Euan had chosen six canapés (three cold and three hot) for their guests to choose from, and from the empty canapé platters coming back to the kitchen they were liking them a lot!

Served from slates, olive board, glass and porcelain, the canapés went down a storm. The Scottish Oak Cake with Goats Cheese and Caramelised Red Onion went down particularly well, as did the  Chicken Liver Parfait on Toasted Brioche and Cranberry Chutney.

After about an hour and half once photos had been taken, introductions made and Champagne flutes had been topped up numerous times, it was time to call-to-dine and seat guests for the wedding breakfast that awaited them cooking in the kitchen. As the waiters poured wine and water to the tables and guests helped themselves to freshly baked farmhouse breads with salted butter and balsamic and olive oil, the chefs where busily preparing in the kitchen.

Suddenly, all at once tables were served with steaming pots of Confit Lamb Hotpots, Roasted Vegetable Casseroles, Proper Creamed Potatoes and Buttered Seasonal Greens. Everyone tucked in and we were now well and truly under way. Once finished, tables were cleared and a trio of desserts was served; a Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce, Lemon Curd Tart with Meringue Shards and a Scottish Cranachan with Fresh Raspberries and Honeycomb. As “compliments to the chef” came back to the kitchen, we knew we had pulled it off again.

Speeches ensued with a toast, tea and coffee and a tasty little selection of petit fours. The room was transformed for the evening event as people retired to the Tipi to pay a visit to the bar we had laid on. Local ales and cider, selected red and white wines, and of course Scotch whisky. Although guests had now turned to liquid refreshment, our catering was not yet complete.

As the band played, drinks flowed and dancing was in full swing, we served out our Grand Display of British Cheeses. Complete with Scottish Marmalade Baked Ham, Mini Pork Pies and Homemade Pate, the guests who now were not so full as they once thought they were (not but a few hours ago!) helped themselves with eyes bigger than their bellies.

The day went just as planned. The weather held out, everyone left having had a wonderful time and the wedding catering had been a roaring success. But, don’t just take our word for it. This is what the bride had to say about us.

We spoke to several different caterers when planning our wedding but it wasn’t until we met Sam of Samuel James Events that we found exactly what we were looking for. Sam was professional and listened to exactly what we wanted before making helpful suggestions and planning an amazing menu. He even used his experience to help us plan our order of the day and timings which was greatly appreciated! We had so many comments from our guests praising the delicious meal and beautiful presentation. Another comment from our guests was how helpful and friendly Sam and his staff were, nothing was too big an ask. Leading up to and throughout the day Sam and his team went above and beyond expectations and ensured that the day ran smoothly (even the parts we had overlooked!).We can’t thank Sam enough for all his guidance and, more importantly, the delicious food he provided us with. The canapés, meal and evening buffet were all stunning and served by smiley staff! We couldn’t have asked for more. We will be recommending Samuel James Events to all our friends as it was the best decision we made when planning our wedding.

 

Suppliers:

Wedding Breakfast, Catering and Bar – Samuel James Events (Us!)

Wedding Cake – Polka Dot Bakery Chester

Flowers and Table Centres – The Purple Dahlia Floral Design

Photography – On Love and Photography

 

Getting married? Found your dream wedding venue? Need the perfect wedding catering?

We can take care of the whole shebang, from wedding breakfast to reception canapés, evening food and drinks!

Get in touch and we’ll happily talk through all your wedding plans, ideas and wants…

01925 242 983 / enquires@samueljamesevents.co.uk / www.samueljamesevents.co.uk