the dining tables after nightfall

the bride's Gucci gown

one half of the seafood duo: seared tuna with wasabi crème fraiche

Timbits and cookies served with milk

The couple’s favourite sweets were presented late in the evening: the groom’s beloved campfire treat, s’mores, were given a gourmet spin with dark chocolate and artisanal marshmallows before being circulated to guests on rustic wooden platters. Timbits and freshly-baked cookies were served at a station along with warm milk in a silver samovar, and cold milk served from miniature vintage milk bottles, topped with yellow straws. On top of all this, guests also enjoyed custom coffees at an espresso bar, which also offered classic affogato (gelato topped with a shot of espresso).

It was an unforgettable evening, one the bride calls “beyond perfect.”

For many, many more photos, become a fan of Couture Cuisine on Facebook and scroll through the album.

We have a few suggestions to end your fête fabulously, adding a flourish to your final goodbye, and clarifying the end of the party for guests.

If time is limited (and a daytime venue booking can be a bit shorter than an evening one), skip a plated dessert in favour of circulated sweets or an over-the-top sweet table.  This will encourage guests to spend more time exploring your venue, mingling, and posing for photos while they nibble on something sweet. 

an over-the-top sweet table

Orchestrate a truly grand exit: rent an historic car or sporty convertible and invite guests to wave goodbye as you zip away on your honeymoon.  For a truly vintage touch, change outfits before departing…Mad Men-inspired suits and pillbox hats perhaps?  Once the guests of honour have said their goodbyes, the guests will too.

There are plenty of ways to encourage guests to take part in your exit; playful bubbles, rose petals, or colourful paper flags can be handed out and used to send the couple off in style. 

Welcome guests with a rustic cheese plate, breads, and a zippy cocktail such as the Ginger-basil Bash, which combines muddled lemon, ginger, & basil with chilled vodka & ginger beer.

Our ideal 100-mile menu for such an event would begin with a traditional Hungarian soup, prepared over an open fire in a cast-iron pot.  Slowly braised beef from the shank would be prepared with potatoes & root vegetables; serving this rustic soup in a clean-lined white bowl would be a beautiful contrast.  For the entrée, breaded provimi veal from a farm in Cambridge would be served with a local arugula, tomato and onion salad with caramelized sweet potatoes.  A sweet ending to the meal would be a trio of lemon panna cotta, warm chocolate cake, and vanilla crème with freshly picked berries.

antique-style amber tumblers

Set the table with coloured, antique-like glassware; we love these amber tumblers from Anthropologie for water or wine.  With the above menu, we would serve local bottles such as Norman Hardie’s 2007 Pinot Noir and Cave Spring’s Off-Dry Riesling.

A dinner under the stars sounds perfectly romantic … until you trip over a tree stump.  Light the way with these vintage-style string lights from Restoration Hardware…and then enjoy them after the wedding in your own garden.

vintage-style string lights

Early summer evenings can be a bit chilly; keep your guests warm & happy with hand-made quilts.  We love trolling through the listings on Etsy to find bright & playful designs. 

a cozy & comfy quilt

Need more ideas?  Please call us at 416.449.5432 to create your own shabby-chic affair.

Savour the season with a fresh, local menu.  We’ve been daydreaming of farm-fresh asparagus, peas, and herbs since the first cherry blossom appeared.   We imagine serving this menu along with local wines at a table adorned with white tulips, curly fiddleheads and delicate lilly of the valley…

to begin

roasted local asparagus, fennel, tomatoes, onion and olive salad in a cider vinaigrette

to follow

spring pea risotto with mint and crispy pancetta

main course

slow roasted spice crust salmon with creamed corn and tabbouleh & herb salad

dessert

mini goat cheese tart & rosemary chocolate truffle with frozen olive oil

a fresh spring table setting

We plan to set the table with reusable hemp linens, natural beeswax candles, and spring tulips in curvy recycled glass vases.   As guests arrive, we’ll pour an Ontario sparkling rosé,  and nibble on antipasto presented on a reclaimed wood platter.

to begin…

house-cured duck proscuitto with balsamic reduction, organic fig slices & homemade blini

entrée…

roasted rack of Ontario lamb, mango honey mustard crust; potato pancake, baked organic eggplant, cucumber yogurt salad with artisanal feta

sweet endings…

vanilla-lemon panna cotta, preserved fruit compote

panna cotta, preserved fruit & organic micro herbs

After dinner, we’ll enjoy a glass of Niagara ice wine with an incredible local cheese plate from one of our favourite producers: the LEED-certified Fifth Town Cheese. 

Plan your own green party by emailing us at yummy@couturecuisine.com.

a wedding shower at Graydon Hall

For a baby shower, we love to play upon the theme by offering “baby-sized” portions.  When our own Managing Director selected a menu for her baby shower, she chose to welcome guests with smoked salmon on mini croissants and tiny, buttery danishes.  We also love bite-sized brioche with whipped mascarpone, orange marmalade & orange zest, or perhaps mini blueberry pancakes garnished with chantilly crème.  For dessert, tiny rainbow-hued mini mousse cakes are adorable; for a bigger impact, we think a customized cake featuring teeny baby details like this one from Papillion Cakes is completely perfect:

a baby shower cake from Papillion Cakes

Wedding shower fare is typically light and feminine, featuring plenty of fruit, tea sandwiches, and prettily garnished cocktails.  However, many modern showers include both women and men.  Without straying too far from convention, we think it’s fun to include something for the boys.  For example, skewered beef tenderloin with roasted tomatoes & pickled pearl onion could be passed as guests arrive, and a dessert buffet could include such manly options as beer-infused cupcakes and maple-soaked cake with crispy bacon crumble.  The perfect final touch would be an old-school cocktail, sure to be enjoyed by ladies and gents alike.

a wintry bouquet by Stemz

Flowers in wintertime are such a special treat.  We loved seeing traditional cream & white blooms like the ones pictured above, as well as a bit of colour here and there – say, soft pink roses with a collar of blue-grey Dusty Miller.  Grey is our current favourite colour – sophisticated, soft, and pretty, it makes a beautiful accent to a table setting, floral arrangement, or even bridal attire:

photo courtesy of Ikonica

While we can’t wait for local asparagus, radishes, leeks, and fiddleheads, we fondly remember the warming, comforting winter fare we enjoyed over the past few months.  One of our favourite winter wedding menus began with cauliflower soup dotted with provimi veal meat balls and potato gnocchi, topped with herb cream.  The entrée was a succulent, generously-portioned braised lamb shank with creamy risotto milanese and three-colour heirloom carrots with oranges.  To finish, guests were presented with a filo pastry wrapped-pear with warm crème anglaise and a diminutive scoop of blackcurrant sorbet. 

For more photos of winter weddings, please visit our Facebook fan page.

The design team at Couture Cuisine recently discussed a few of our favourite things – not as designers, but as guests.  It’s important to look at a party from the perspective of those attending it to really ensure that every last detail is perfect, and every guest feels special.  In no particular order, our favourite things are:

1. Valet parking.  Arriving at an event wind-blown, cold, and covered in slush because you had to park blocks away is no way to begin the evening.  For formal events when ladies will be in heels, and when parking is not easily accessible, valet parking is a wonderful way to help your guests make a glamorous entrance. 

2. We came up with a whole slew of napkin-related favourites: crisply pressed linen hemstitch napkins, folded just so at each place setting; customized menus tucked into a pocket fold; having your napkin folded and hung on the back of your chair when you leave the table…

a customized menu is placed atop a folded napkin

3.  We unanimously agreed that specialty coffees are a yummy treat, and a great way for guests to perk up after dinner and get ready for dancing.  It’s especially fun to have a live-action espresso station with a variety of coffees, teas, biscotti and chocolate-covered coffee beans, attended by a professional barista. 

4.  Luxurious washrooms.  Nothing mars an otherwise elegant event than finding yourself in a dingy, dirty space when it’s time to freshen up.  We love to see well-appointed washrooms with full-length mirrors, cloth hand towels, and high-end hand soaps and lotions. 

5.  Flattering lighting.  Every woman knows the power of good lighting; it makes the venue and the guests look their best!

 6.  When we have been fortunate enough to be invited to a destination wedding, there is nothing sweeter than opening the hotel room door to find a beautifully packaged welcome basket filled with helpful amenities such as a spare toothbrush, a few snacks, and a list of local attractions.  Such details make a world of difference to weary travellers.

7. Late night snacks.  As good guests, we consider it our personal duty to spend as much time as possible mingling, dancing, and otherwise working up an appetite.  Even after a multi-course meal, we sometimes find ourselves in need of refuelling as midnight approaches.  A playful treat such as mini burgers or gourmet frites will keep us energized all night long!

gourmet frites & aioli re-energize guests

We love the simple elegance of candle-light, particularly in an historic setting such as our home venue, Graydon Hall Manor. 

surrounded by candlelight, the bride & groom enjoy their first dance

For a more youthful affair, bold lighting transforms the same room from traditional to hip.  For a recent bar mitzvah at Graydon Hall, the dining room took on a cool supper club vibe with the help of intense purple lighting.

While some spaces like the one pictured above do not necessarily need high-tech lighting, some venues truly do.  For example, a raw loft space can be cold and sterile-looking without the help of some rosy (and flattering!) lighting.  A tent is just a tent until it is illuminated; depending on the style of your event and your own personality, you might consider traditional crystal chandeliers on dimmers, or a more modern, coloured look. 

dramatic indigo lighting adds glamour to a tent

As guests arrive, offer a glass of local sparkling wine and a variety of hors d’oeuvres – we like grilled BC salmon on corn cakes with minted basil crème, or frenched ontario lamb chops with rosemary, cumin and date glaze.   Hudson’s Bay-striped cocktail napkins would be a fabulous touch.

to begin:

east coast lobster bisque, topped with an herbed crème fraîche

entrée:

pan roasted rack of venison with juniper crust, sweet potato mousseline

dessert:

maple crème brûlée with crunchy caramel crust

As a late night treat, or perhaps a prettily packaged take-home gift, nanaimo bars or butter tarts would be the perfect Canadian finish.

frenched ontario lamb chops with rosemary, cumin and date glaze