Guemes Island, Family Style Wedding on the Beach

Catering this event was the perfect way to end the 2013 wedding season. I was really looking forward to it. Guemes Island Resort is quaint, charming and located right on the beach. The groom, Alex, was so easy to work with. He knew what they wanted and left all the details to me. If anything came up, we just rolled right along with it. One over sight was ordering the dinner plates! After a quick pow pow and permission from the resort staff,  we pulled an assortment of vintage dishes from the cabins. My staff had a fun time selecting which plates to use on each table. The table decortaions had been kept to a minimum to accomadate the platters and bowls used with Family Style Service. The assorted plates added the perfect touch. Many brides would have spents months coordinating all the plates, so it was so fun to just have it organically happen. Honestly, Alex would have ok'ed paper plates if needed. 
He was just that easy to work with. 


The Menu
Layered Pesto Torte sprinkled with Pine Nuts, with Homemade Toasts, Crackers
Artisan Cheese featuring Northwest and Imported Cheeses and Fruit 
Bacon Wrapped Chorizo stuffed Dates

Oysters on the Half Shell Platter with Citrus Mignonette and cocktail sauce

Cedar Plank Salmon served with Orange Ginger Miso Sauce
Flank Steak with balsamic Dijon Glaze and Bourbon Peach Sauce         

Tossed Island Organic Green Salad with  Radishes, Carrots, Shaved Sweet Onions dressed in red wine citrus vinaigrette with feta and roasted sunflower seeds 

Campfire Mushroom Risotto. 
Creamy Arborio rice finished with butter and parmesan cheese, seared crimini and shitake mushrooms 

Green Beans tossed in Sesame Dressing with tamari  glazed almonds and cilantro
Roasted Red Beets and grilled Delicate Squash rings

Artisan Bread Basket and Butter baskets

 Trays of Yummy Assorted (Gluten Free) Cupcakes

Shigoku, Kumamoto and Extra Small Pacific Oysters



Tossed Island Organic Green Salad with  Radishes, Carrots, Shaved Sweet Onions dressed in red wine citrus vinaigrette with feta and roasted sunflower seeds 


Campfire Mushroom Risotto. 
Creamy Arborio rice finished with butter and parmesan cheese, seared crimini and shitake mushrooms 


Green Beans tossed in Sesame Dressing with tamari  glazed almonds and cilantro
Roasted Red Beets and grilled Delicate Squash rings


Cedar Plank Salmon served with Orange Ginger Miso Sauce
Flank Steak with balsamic Dijon Glaze and Bourbon Peach Sauce         


Monika and Tom's, San Juan Island Wedding in the Woods

I first met Monika and Fred at Isle be Wed , the only bridal show in the San Juan Islands. They had come to tour Lakedale Resort as the venue for thier destination wedding. They fell in love with the Lodge and Meadow, where they later decided to stage their wedding reception. One long "Farm Style" table was set down the middle arch way of trees. Carnival lights were drapped over head for when the sun went down. They paid just enough attention to detail to give it their personal touch with out taking away from the beautiful setting.

We had a chance to breifly talk about what they had in mind and the continued to email back and forth, until all the details had been worked out. Typical of couples that use my service,  they were commited to great food, great beverage selection and having a great time.

 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN to the bootom of this post to see their DANCE FLOOR. It is one of the best I have ever seen put together. They up-lit the trees behind with a rotating wheel of colored lights. To create a backdrop they draped a cord of long fabric streamers,  in various sizes between the poles holding up the lights. 





 Cocktail hour 
Tray passed Appetizers
Homemade ricotta with Nectarine Slices drizzled with local honey on Multigrain Toasts
Fresh Mozzarella, Cherry tomato slices, arugula/basil pesto
            on Giovanni slices
Diablo Shrimp Skewer with Lime Aioli 
Grilled Proscuito wrapped Scallops with Balsamic Glaze





Family Style Dinner
Cedar Plank Salmon served with Orange Ginger Miso Sauce

Grilled Flank Steak with balsamic Dijon Glaze

Fall Pear and Fig Salad, Tossed mixed organic Greens 
candied Pecans and crumbled Gorgonzola with fig balsamic vinaigrette

Roasted Organic Fingerling Potatoes, Olive Oil, Chopped Italian Parsley and Sea salt

Red And Golden Beet Salad with drizzle of white balsamic vinaigrette

Mixed Local Green and Yellow Beans tossed with Sesame Dressing, 
topped with Soy Glazed Almonds

Corn bread baskets with whipped butter