Planning a wedding and not sure how to go about catering?
Check out some words of advice from our team of event designers, originally published in Gold Calendar!
What advice would you give to a couple who is trying to create a unique, one-of-a-kind wedding menu?
If a caterer does not ask you and your partner what your favorite restaurants are, your favorite style of food, or what you’d like to serve at your wedding, then you should move on. Selecting a wedding menu is all about being creative and showing your personal style through the cuisine. The right caterer will get to know you, ask questions, and work alongside you to create a customized, cohesive approach to your food and service.
Our favorite reviews are when clients tell us we gave them exactly what they asked for, yet we still exceeded their expectations. That makes it all worth it for us.
How do you customize your dishes to create unique menus for each couple?
We listen. It really is as simple as that, but our couples tell us over and over again that other caterers did not listen to their wants and needs. Our goal is always to make our couples’ wedding menu truly reflect their unique vision and taste – so we start by asking if they have favorite dishes or restaurants, we suggest menu selections, and then we work directly with the clients to customize from there.
Do you just plan the menu with your clients?
Absolutely not. We want the entire wedding to be a great experience for our couples and their guests, through and through. We always love to give recommendations on entertainment, lighting, linens, florals, and are always involved with making floor plans, ordering rentals, coordinating with planners, etc..
Do you have a favorite dish that you recommend most to couples?
Our team and clients rave about our local selections, all inspired by the natural cuisine of the Rocky Mountain region. Some examples are our Palisade Peach Gazpacho, Smoked Trout Rangoon, and our Signature Rub Sirloin Carvery.
If we had to choose one, though, we’d probably say the Signature Rub Sirloin Carvery. This makes for a great chef-tended station at weddings, and is always a crowd-pleaser!
What sets Occasions Catering apart from other catering companies in Denver?
We are the longest-serving catering company in Denver, having been around since 1970, and know that a huge reason for our success is our commitment to the community and our ability to develop close relationships with our clients. We sit on boards and committees, actively volunteer, and regularly make in-kind contributions that reduce the cost of the events we cater for our nonprofit partners. Our owner, Jeremy Bronson, also serves as president of the board of We Don’t Waste – a local, innovative provider of food for the hungry. These involvements have subsequently lead to great partnerships and growth for us, as well as our network of nonprofits in Denver.
Occasions also has a long history and expertise in kosher catering and we are one of the only companies in the area that owns kosher cooking equipment and china service. We’ve maintained longstanding relationships with local kosher kitchens throughout the past 47 years.