De·lec·ta·ble: How An Executive Chef Planned Her Own Tasteful Wedding

Photos ByErin Hession Photography

Written By

Date

May 9, 2017

the Planning

Even someone immersed in the wedding industry can be a bit overwhelmed when it comes to planning his or her own big day! Rachanee initially struggled to make those all-important decisions. Fortunately, Thomas Caterers’ owner, Kelly Early, took notice and helped to gently steer her in the decision-making process while taking her overall wishes and vision into account. “Food is always an inspiration to me so I wanted the wedding to be about the food and to have food aspects throughout,” Rachanee says. Using the brand new Black Iris Estate, a Thomas Caterers venue, as the space to host their special day and, of course, showcasing Thomas Caterers’ food were both easy decisions. “I have worked here for over ten years and my family and friends have never had a chance to experience what I do for a living,” she says. “So I wanted to wow them with all of our food and service.”

A Cake On Display

For her show-stopping cake, the bride turned to her best friend and groomsman, Todd Kennedy. Once a pastry chef for Thomas Caterers, Todd is now designing cakes in New York. ”He is the most talented cake maker and sugar flower artist I’ve ever met” Rachanee says. “I let him design the cake and surprise me because I knew his best work comes from his own artistic ideas.” His hard work paid off. After hand-making every single flower and leaf in New York, he packed the precious cargo into his carry-on. He made the cake in Indianapolis and, just two days before the wedding, he revamped his design, making the fondant look like wood grain. The bride and groom hosted a private viewing of the cake and, needless to say, there were waterworks!

the Food

Selecting food items wasn’t the difficult part for Rachanee. It was that she wanted too much and then needed to cross items off her list to ease the burden on the kitchen staff! “I basically chose some new items I came up with earlier in the year, picked some favorites and added some favorite items that I knew the groom would like,” she says. “I also wanted to showcase different innovative techniques that we do in station form.” The pre-reception highlights included fountains of infused water for the guests to drink from, cocktail popsicles passed to guests on their walk into the ballroom and mouth-watering hors d’oeuvres. For display, the bride chose a Thai-inspired beef salad tree which incorporated a little of her heritage. The reception also featured two food action stations. One showcased beef bone marrow on crostini with a variety of sea salts and the other featured shrimp and grits smoked in front of guests. Wedding guests had a choice between a watermelon salad or a grilled romaine salad and dinner options were a Deconstructed Beef Tenderloin, Miso Butter Sea Bass, Vincotto Bacon Jam Chicken or Vegan Corn Fritters with Indian red rice. For the younger guests, fun pizza puffs kids meals were served. The attention to detail continued with the grissini breads which were placed into little vases to act as centerpieces along with the flowers. The dinner breads were modified as well, smartly branded with a “T” using, you guessed it, a real branding iron! A local, cultured butter sprinkled with gray sea salt was both charming and a nod to the couple’s color palette.

Not a fan of cake? Rachanee had that covered too, with a fun, interactive dessert cart that included their favorites: mini fruit tarts, chocolate-covered strawberries, monogrammed mini apple pie lollipops and mini butterscotch éclairs. And if this didn’t tickle your palate, the celebration continued with two late night stages of food plus a whiskey and cigar bar! Let’s just say that “Liquid Nitrogen Vanilla Ice Cream with Nitro Orange Sherbet” (the groom’s favorite) was the second stage of late night food!

A Chef’s Advice to Brides

Being an executive chef, Rachanee knows the importance of food all too well, especially for a couple’s big day. She has some great insight we think any bride would appreciate. Read on for more valuable tips!

Now that you have planned your own wedding, what do you have in terms of advice to give to brides?

“It is definitely stressful. Having a wedding planner is crucial. You can’t take on too much, or you will be so overwhelmed. Do as much as you can far out, so there is not a lot of last minute stresses. Try to remember to enjoy the special moments. I see so many brides and families get so stressed out during this process. Sometimes people forget what this really is about. It’s about the celebration of the couple.”

Do you have any advice specific for brides in terms of catering and food for their weddings?

“Don’t skimp out on the food! Make sure your guests don’t leave hungry. Yes, décor and flowers are all-important but food is just as important, and there are so many fun ways to incorporate food into your wedding. Don’t get so caught up in traditions or what’s “normal.” Who says you can’t have two salads or two late nights? Do what makes you happy!”

What should a bride keep in mind when she is formulating her wedding menu?

“Don’t be so afraid of what you think others will think. This is your big night to showcase your favorite meal! So many times, I have clients that come into our tasting room, afraid that theirguests might not like fish or pork and what not…The food should be exciting, not boring. It should exemplify your favorite foods and maybe tell a story of your relationship or your journey together. It makes it more personal and more of an experience for everyone.”

Should a bride put trust into a caterer and remain more hands-off?

“I guess that depends on the caterer. With Thomas Caterers, I would definitely say so. Let us do what we know how to do well. I mean, you wouldn’t tell a doctor how to operate, right? That’s how I look at it.”