I just married, after finding my brand spanking new husband 12 years ago at the youthful age of 35 with the help of the internet (my shelf life was set to expire – no more ‘mix and mingles’ or ‘hops or jives’ to pull a fella these days!) we finally did it.
Organising a wedding is not as simple as booking a church or registry and having a meal. It can very quickly spiral into a full-on extravaganza. I have a tendency to get carried away with grand ideas and not think about the stressful and costly delivery. But my husband does, and he winces when I grab the credit card.
We booked a venue and I prepared to invite everyone we know and to get completely carried away … then Covid hit the pause button! THANK YOU COVID.
That pause allowed me to stop internet searching bouncy castles and kids’ entertainment, live bands and fabulous floral masterpieces. It allowed us to reassess what we actually wanted from our wedding.
We wanted our family – our kids, our siblings, our parents and their siblings – plus a few close friends. We wanted it to be a beautiful and meaningful experience that celebrated family, and the enduring bonds that connect us; To exchange vows and celebrate with our loved ones by our side; To embrace the love, wisdom, and joy that each moment brings, and to cherish the connections that make life truly rich and meaningful; To be an opportunity to express gratitude for the lessons learned, the memories shared, and the love that has shaped us into the people we are today.
We also wanted it to be another amazing memory created in our own home with delicious food.
We downscaled the guest list to fewer than 50 (my mum is one of 11 children) and set about preparing our home. Poor David got busy making our home and garden perfect – his Christmas break was no break – an
I got carried away with the food.
As exciting as it was, the one thing I have learnt to appreciate is that asking our parents to write speeches or send them a detailed list of things to do when they are in their mid-late 70s is not kind. My dad very quickly gave me a reminder that ‘remembering the wedding was Saturday’ was the best I could hope for. The wedding was likely to be more stressful for them than us.
Ultimately, we had the best wedding, with the best food (thanks to our chefs at EAT). Although we will not be branching out into wedding catering, I cannot wait to write our next menu. I have new items to add. I have been reheating our wedding leftovers for days and they’re delicious. In the meantime, we have a delicious, extensive menu full of flavour and variety.
Call us on 0800 328 333 or visit us at www.eat.co.nz.
We look forward to feeding you soon.
