All in the Family

Inspiration board via Dandelion & Grey

I've had my heart set on a family style meal since we started planning our wedding.  While the menu may have changed from a New England seaside feast to a more locally-focused meal (Hudson Valley), I still really want a family style meal. 

Can you just picture it?

Image via ChefsMarket

Beautiful platters of food, passed from guest to guest...a charming spread of delicious selections, and the best part is you can take what you want without waiting in line!

And look at the picture above, the platters actually add to the decor!

Image via Professional Socialites Blog

In my family, dinner is a time to catch up with one another.  I would love to have that same sense of actually sharing a meal at our wedding, instead of "chicken, fish, or beef?"  

A family style dinner feels a little less fussy to me, and a little more intimate. But I don't know how much this will cost.  The chef at our venue has been extremely gracious in coming up with a family style menu that works within our budget, but I feel like we may end up missing out on something wonderful. The standard menu sounds delicious to begin with, so why mess with success?

Image via FamilyStyleCatering.com

We still have plenty of time to decide.  I think I need to head up to Highlands to have a meal at their restaurant, and then start tackling the menu.  

Did you get to choose your menu?  Was there anything you "had to have?"

Tasty Possibilities

Image via Snap Photography / Event by Raina Dawn Events

When we started planning our wedding, there was very little debate about what kind of food we wanted to serve our guests, at least in our little dream world; we wanted a meal that was delicious as it was fresh--quintessential Summer food.  We wanted a lobster bake.  

The prospect of finding a caterer was pretty nerve-wracking. Would they laugh at our budget? Criticize our tastes?  Get back to us in quickly?  The first caterer I spoke to was amazing.  She did not tell me that our idea was crazy, or too casual, or not right for a wedding.  Major bonus points for her right there!  Instead, she and I went through the typical lobster bake and made changes where I saw fit.  She let me interrupt her repeatedly, which was good, because I did that over and over again.  She helped me convey what I thought was a fragmented list of demands into an amazing menu.

Let's take a look at our original menu, shall we?

Instead of a buffet, I wanted a family style meal with big platters of food being passed around the table.  To me, it's a great way to avoid the formality of a traditionally served meal, without having our guests having to mill about a buffet table.  

We scrapped the New England clam chowder.  Sacriledge, I know.  But clam chowder has never really appealed to me in the heat of the Summer.  Instead of clam chowder, we went with a fresh gazpacho? 

Image via MyRecipes.com

 

Traditional steamers?  They were a must!  And of course, some lobstah.  We added some chicken for those that didn't eat shellfish, AND red bliss potatoes because I can't have a meal without potatoes.  It just doesn't happen.
 

Image via SteamerShellfishtoGo

Image via FoodNetwork.Com 

Then there were the sides.  Like traditional corn on the cob--no!  A girl's gotta draw the line somewhere.  I just couldn't stand the sight of 100 of our nearest and dearest, digging at their teeth with toothpicks.  Blegh.  So, we decided on a grilled corn salad with black beans and BACON.  Because our wedding feast could not have been complete without my favorite pork product.

Image via FoodNetwork.Com / 

Of course, none of this was meant to be.  Our nontraditional wedding feast wasn't in the cards for us.  At least not for our wedding, but I've tucked this away for the future!  Anniversary party maybe? 

Meet The Family: My Turn!

That's what the first meeting was like.

Ok, no it wasn't. Not even close. But when I thought of the prospect of our families having dinner together for the first time, this was the first thing that popped into my mind. Honestly, I wouldn't have been upset if my mom decided to set up a spit in the front yard. It would have been fun! Just as long as there wasn't a goat roasting on said spit, blegh. Side note: Boo offered to bring a bundt cake to humor us, but sadly he changed his mine.

My immediate family consists of eleven people. ELEVEN people. My big fat Greek-Ecuadorian family. And I didn't hesitate to invite them all to our cozy little home, to meet the Boo's family. I was a little worried that my large family would be a bit overwhelming but I brushed it aside. My family is an extension of me, so leaving anyone out was simply not an option.

So we (all) met. And we ate. We ate lots and lots of food. We introduced his family to our family's casual style of feasting. Yes, feasting! Our spread normally consists of ceviche, spanakopita (spinach pie), two kinds of meat, sarmades (stuffed grape leaves), a potato dish, a vegetable side dish, and two kinds of salad. But since this was a special occasion there were at least 5 more dishes on the table. YUM. And we drank some delicious wine, which was generously provided by my other cuz.

Despite my nerves, the night was great! I had a lot of fun with everyone there. No one got into an argument, no one had a rotten time (at least not to my knowledge, gulp). It was a bit surreal knowing that everyone was meeting because of us. The thought of that alone was so, so humbling....Overall, we dined, we met, we had fun.

And I can't wait to do it again.


Side note: Boo's family is nothing like the family in the movie clip. At all. I love "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," and now that we're affianced, I will be referring to it repeatedly. I can relate to 'Toula Portokalos,' and honestly, I just love that movie!