Real weddings: Jennifer and Joey
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Jennifer and Joey’s beautiful wedding at the National Arboretum, using Ginger Catering, included a traditional Korean tea ceremony against stunning views. The lovely bride takes us through the big day…
Getting ready
We got ready at our home on the day because of the several family members and friends who came from overseas and were staying at our house.
The dress
When I laid my eyes on my wedding dress I knew my dress shopping was done. The fabric and style were elegant and exactly what I didn’t even realise I’d been looking for. It was just perfect.
The venue
We drive past the National Arboretum every day to go to work and have seen it grow into the beautiful place it is today. After the 2003 bushfires that devastated the capital, the parched block of land has been transformed into a beautiful feature of how the nation’s capital integrates nature and urban living. After my husband proposed to me we decided to finally drive in, rather than drive past. While taking in the serene landscapes and breath-taking views we both knew that this is where we wanted to bring our loved ones for our special day.
The ceremony
The most important part of our day was our Korean Tea Ceremony, which involves the bride and groom greeting the guests in full costumes and then showing respect to our families by bowing to them. The families would then offer us good wishes and throw dates into a bridal cloth that the bride and groom would hold. There is a superstition that the number of dates or chestnuts caught in the cloth signifies the number of children we would have. I think we caught three of each, to which I can only say “no thank you!” In the end we wanted to show our friends and loved ones a little slice of our culture – we’re told that this ceremony is starting to die off a little these days, even in Korea, but we felt it was important to retain a little bit of our history.
The reception
For us, the service at the reception was very important. Even when visiting a restaurant my husband and I are the type of people who will pay a premium for exceptional service. Our co-ordinator at Ginger Catering was great and very accommodating of our requests.
As well as providing the catering, Ginger Catering organised the venue (ACT Government owned) and worked with us on all the other elements for the wedding ceremony and reception. This includes the band, cake, photo booth, bombonieres and other suppliers. It was clear that they’d been doing this for some time as they were very organised and helped us to work out what needed to be done and by whom.
Ginger Catering were an absolute pleasure to work with. It was important for us that the staff be professional, yet personable, and on this front Ginger Catering really delivered. In hindsight, I think staff from a good wedding co-ordination/catering company will be almost invisible on the wedding day, working hard in the background to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. We didn’t really speak to any staff on the night because we were so busy, but we know they worked closely with our MCs and close friends to make sure everything was just right. The icing on the cake was when one of the staff brought a wheelchair when they realised my husband’s best man was starting to get a bit “wobbly”. I don’t think many catering companies could offer this service!
The food
Our menu was a straight-forward affair: we had Rare Beef Salad and Salmon Cakes for Entrée, Tuscan Herbed Chicken and Beef Fillet with confit shallots in a red wine jus for main and to cap it all off we finished with Belgian profiteroles with fig and kahlua compote and caramel pannacotta for dessert. When we had our first menu testing prior to the wedding, we actually had some ideas for how we wanted to change the presentation of the dishes. Our co-ordinator was very happy to feed our requests back to the chef and the chef was also very happy to make the changes we requested. It really showed that they were willing to do whatever it took to make us happy on our special day.
The little details
Venue: National Arboretum Canberra
Caterer: Ginger Catering
Photographer: Blue Wedding
Dress: Judith Valente Bridal Couture
Jewellery: Bunda Fine Jewels
Shoes: From Korea
Bridesmaids’ dresses: From Korea
Groom and groomsmen’s suits: From Korea
Bride’s hair: Blue Wedding
Bridesmaids’ hair: Blue Wedding
Makeup: Blue wedding
Flowers: Flowers from the garden
Cars: Best of British Wedding Cars
Cake: The Cake Lady
Band: Tuchasoul
First dance song: Ed Sheeran – Thinking Out Loud
Five minutes with Ginger Catering’s head chef Janet Jeffs
How important is the menu for the wedding reception?
It’s a crucial element to a successful evening. Satisfied guests are happy guests. The menu has the power to change the mood for the entire night!
Photo: Erin Dando
Do you have any tips for brides and grooms when choosing their menu?
Step outside your comfort zone, you might be surprised. Variety and state of the art presentation will always come with a wow factor that will keep your guests talking.
What can Ginger Catering offer in this process?
We strive to be flexible and offer menu tastings to all couples. We’re always open to tailoring a menu to your specific needs and we’ll get you in to taste it before the big day!
Photo: Erin Dando
What is the main focus in Ginger Catering’s menu?
We pride ourselves on supporting local farmers and their produce. We bring to your table the finest ingredients Canberra has to offer. Our business strategy to promote Canberra’s unique food region nationally, we call it food less travelled.
Photo: Erin Dando
This is a sponsored post but all opinions are the author’s own. For more information about our sponsored post policy, click here.
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