food stall

Posted by Pauline Parry Food ... and Love. Where's the fun, you ask? All around! The yellow theme and the easy-going bride and groom really allowed Good Gracious! Events to have some fun with our food. As you can see from the menu below, the event was a non-stop culinary adventure. We introduced the sandwich bar at this event and we provided a full after-party menu of tray-passed hors d'oeuvres for 175 guests at Saddle Rock Ranch in Malibu. As Guests Arrived ... They were greeted by a beverage station featuring lemonade, grape-flavored water and sparkling lychee water Waitstaff also offered trays of Sparkling LOVEcello (lemoncello) in martini glasses Tray-Passed served immediately following the ceremony in the cocktail area by the pool Beef Short Rib Popover c hive petite popover filled with creamy horseradish mashed potato topped with braised short rib in a Cabernet reduction Chicken Salsa Tortilla Spoon five spiced crushed chicken with oven-charred salsa topped with avoc...

By Pauline Parry At today's weddings, everyone is a star! This " wedding rockumentary " was produced by filmmaker John Vitale who works exclusively with Brilliant Studios LA. They are easily uploaded so you can share them easily on your iphone or through YouTube. And actually, I've called it a "trend" but with the ease of video these days, videos that capture the couple's personality and are able to be shared with friends and family are one of the great ideas that are here to stay!

By Pauline Parry Because a picture tells a thousand words, it's always been very important to us to work with top photographers and plan ahead so that we have great photos of the events we produce, design and cater; events that exist just for one night. We use these photos in our portfolio, on our web site, in magazines and the industry awards we enter. Today, I want to share the work of one of our favorite professional photographers, Will Henshall from Brilliant Studios in Los Angeles and five of the TOP TIPS he's passed along to us and the brides with which we've worked. And in the interest of full disclosure, this is the wedding of my son Ross Purnell and his bride, Lauren Bennett at Saddlerock Ranch in Malibu, California. After producing weddings for 25 years, it was so rewarding -- and fun -- to go over-the-top for family! 1. GOLDEN HOUR Time your ceremony two hours before sunset to make the most of this beautiful natural light. Saddlerock Ranch is owned by Malibu Fa...

By Patrick Sullivan, Director of Service and Management Who among us hasn't had an unpleasant dining experience due to bad service? It happens all the time in restaurants and an event is no different. Which is why, from the telephone to the table, customer service is so important at Good Gracious! Events . We define it by anticipating the demands of the guest or client, and in these times clients are demanding more, specifically in the way of service. The old adage, �You never get a second chance to make a first impression� still holds true today, especially in the hospitality industry. Which is why we never assume what the right service style is for our clients. We always run through a list of questions and points of discussion with each client. I am sharing some of the more important ones with you on this blog post so you too can determine what will be the correct service style for your event, and your guests. Addressing these details will add another dimension quality to yo...

From the pages of Pauline�s Travel Journal Late last year Joanne Purnell, my daughter and the Chef de Cuisine of Good Gracious and I were invited to Singapore as guests of Kriston Food & Beverage . There were interested in sharing catering trends, food ideas and business strategies with an American company and we were honored to be asked! The trip was in late October and it�s taken until now for me to blog about because as soon as we returned, Good Gracious was knee-deep in holiday events. So, I apologize for the lag time but I really want to share this experience with you. ARRIVAL After 20 hours of flying, Joanne and I were greeted with fabulous smiles and flower leis from Annette and Guin from Kriston Food. They took us to our hotel located in the heart of downtown Singapore , very near the trendy Orchard Street which is similar to Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills . Our suite was on the 21 st floor and as we looked out our window it reminded me of looking over Central Park...

by Stacy Failing, CSEP At Good Gracious! we are always looking for new ideas for our brides and we have been focusing on eco-friendly trends over the last few years. Last month we were a presenter at the Soi-Meme eco-bridal salon held at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center. This unique bridal salon showcased resources to brides that were creative, inspiring, beautiful and of course, eco-friendly. As a presenter, we provided the catering for the attendees with our tray passed hors d�oeuvres of pearl couscous salad, blonde gazpacho sips, heart shaped apple chevre tartlets, petite chicken pesto panini and Caprese salad skewers. Our food is focused on seasonal, local and sustainable ingredients where our chefs� recipes always have a flare for style and taste. We decided to set up a visiting lounge where we chatted with brides, talked about their ideas and how we could provide that green element to their day. Our quaint lounge featured re-purposed furnishings from our featur...

How beautiful is this? Rrivre Davies of Rrivre Works in Los Angeles took part in the International Caterers Association Regional Education Day that Good Gracious put together at Jay's Catering in Garden Grove. And, as you can see, Rrivre does nothing by half! He went all out to create this luscious tent decor for the evening cocktail hour. I love it because it is summer and beachy without all the cliches that go with that type of theme. The seashell chandeliers were fabulous and the furniture (which he custom made for this event) was covered in a heavy woven fabric in a cream tone. And the ceiling! Instead of swagging, he created a contemporary, clever approach to a tent ceiling that transformed the environment. This effect, along with the white billowy fabrics on the side and the fact that he boxed the tent poles with white enameled architectural elements finished the tent and lent it a graceful elegance. Sitting in this tent felt as refreshing as if we were by the ocean. Accompan...