The Parsonage 1865 Wedding Inspiration: Vintage Love Affair

Yes, we love weddings but we also love attending weddings mainly for…the food! And the true love between the couple, of course. After we saw the beautiful spread of cuisine at our Vintage Love Affair styled shoot, we spoke with Chef Chantal Blake of Bouqet Garni Catering and she gave us the details on all the delicious food her and her team prepared. Read on to hear about her inspiration and what was served.

“Since the venue was the beautiful historic Parsonage 1865, I knew we had to have a Victorian flair. I did my best to incorporate complimentary colors to the scheme Gianna of Wild & Lovely Events selected: indigo hues where I could (such as in berries, potatoes and rainbow carrots) and complimentary to blue colors are orange tones, so citrus was perfect!”

The menu included…

Hors d’oeuvres:

Mushroom and Scallion Tarts with Gruyere
Oysters with Mignonett
Fruit and Herb Crostini with house-made Ricotta Cheese (cherry basil, raspberry rosemary, strawberry chamomile and blueberry thyme)

Entrees:

Roasted Cornish Game Hens
Salmon Medallions with Rosemary and Citrus
Wild Rice Pilaf
Roasted Rainbow Carrots and Asparagus with Lemon and Dill Crème Fraiche
Herbed New Potatoes
Field Greens Salad with English Peas, Cucumber, Radish Roses and Shaved Purple Onion
House-made Sourdough with Whipped Butter

“In the era of Parsonage 1865, cast iron was just beginning to hit the market, so we tried to select items that could be prepared in cast iron cookware. We also wanted a bit of juxtaposition in the offerings; both rustic and extravagant for the time. Cornish game hens fit the rustic nature, while offering citrus at the table would have been much more extravagant and suitable for a wedding. Seafood was often a course at meals, along with tarts or hand pies. Displays were often very elaborate and meals were an orchestrated production, not much different than catering today’s weddings!”