Realizing Your Vermont Summer Outdoor Wedding Dream

By Susanna Keefer

Planning an outdoor summer wedding can be a challenging and sometimes overwhelming endeavor!

Susanna, chef and owner of Susanna’s Catering, answers prospective brides’ questions and helps to elucidate some of the challenges as well as the joys of planning your dream Vermont wedding.

Am I suited for an outdoor Vermont wedding?

If you have a true love of the outdoors and wish to celebrate your marriage at a special locale which has a deep meaning to you both, an outdoor wedding and reception can be an excellent choice.

The larger space provided outdoors could also be a bonus if you are inviting many children and would like to include your favorite pets in the ceremony. You will need to be flexible, adaptable and spontaneous as weather can play a part in the day’s events. You will also need to be organized and have a strong support team including your caterer to insure that all details have been addressed and perfected.

What are my options for an outdoor wedding in Vermont?

Along with the many resorts and hotels sporting decks and gardens, there are a plethora of stunning locations available to host your outdoor event. Beautiful restored barns such as Boyden Farm Barn in Cambridge, The Webster Barn in Hyde Park, The Lang Farm Barn in Essex and Sleepy Hollow Barn in Huntington to name just a few have been especially renovated and equipped to accommodate both casual and lavish weddings. For those on a tighter budget, the Vermont State Park’s website offers 40 unique locations. These areas are easily accessible, many equipped with picnic pavilions and shelters and all boasting the most spectacular and romantic views in our state.

There are private estates and open air galleries and museums which have the advantage of good facilities and already installed decorative art to combine with your personal touches. And, let’s not forget your own gardens and back yards. These are a great choice if you have the space and are looking for a truly personalized and intimate setting.

I want to take full advantage of the afternoon sunshine, but do I have to serve my guests dinner?

You have so many choices regarding reception style. Consider having a midmorning ceremony followed by a delicious brunch or a noontime ceremony followed by a luncheon reception. These choices allow you to keep the menu light and budget friendly while still offering your guests a feast of grilled fare and summer salads––if many guests are traveling from afar this might not be a timely choice.

An afternoon ceremony followed by a summer garden party with plentiful hors d’oeuvres, iced drinks and desserts is a lovely idea and again a good choice if you want to invite young children and spend hours basking in the glorious Vermont sunshine. A later afternoon early evening ceremony followed by cocktails and then a wedding dinner would be the most elegant of choices with the stunning sunset supplying a romantic backdrop for your wedding photos. Remember that whatever decision you make regarding feeding your guests, be absolutely clear on the invitation what you will be offering so that they know what to expect and to dress accordingly.

What are appropriate themes for summer weddings?

Celebrate your special day by incorporating aspects of your life that have meaning that you enjoy together and are comfortable with. If you enjoy summer fairs and carnivals, why not give your guests miniature corn dogs, shrimp and chicken on a stick, grilled ears of native corn with a choice of dustings, caramel apples and large jugs of slushy pink lemonade. Upscale picnic receptions are perfect if you want to keep it rustic and casual or if you are holding your reception close to water. Checkered tablecloths, wild flowers and a delicious buffet of BBQ chicken, pulled pork and grilled freshwater trout complimented by fresh, crunchy and colorful sides and an ice cream bar are a sure hit.

For a more elegant feel, a French country wedding reception with dainty hors d’oeuvres served with rose wines and champagne followed by stations of Mediterranean tapas, delicate fish choices, herb-infused local meat dishes and Provencal-style vegetable sides. Finish with a crepe bar for dessert.

What are the differences in costs for buffet verses plated verses family style verses stations?

It really depends on quality and choices of the protein portion of the meal. A buffet dinner invariably has a higher food cost because you cannot control the portions but labor costs are lower for buffets.

A plated meal can have a lower food cost because you know in advance the exact portions but definitely has a higher labor cost. Family style is somewhere between the two for labor and food costs.

Stations can be the highest in food cost depending on the amount of protein that you serve.

It depends on what you are comfortable with as far as cost and formality. If you love the idea of family style because it symbolizes your family tradition, then that should be your choice. If you want your guests to mingle thoroughly then a buffet or stations would be the better decision. Bottom line, choose the style that suits your personal taste and find a caterer you is willing to work with your budget. What basic equipment will a caterer need for an outdoor wedding? If there is no equipped kitchen on the site, then the caterer is going to need a cook tent of at least 20 feet by 20 feet. This tent will need power and lighting. To prepare and cook your meal, the caterer will require a convection oven and a gas powered or charcoal grill. Running water and some form of refrigeration are a necessity. Preparation tables and smaller cooking equipment will be needed depending on the menu.

How do we prepare for rain showers or other inclement conditions?

As there is no way to accurately predict the weather, it is always necessary to have a backup plan.

You do need to shield guests from intense sun as well as rain showers. If there isn’t enough room in your wedding barn or reception tent for the cocktail hour, think about reserving a smaller tent which could be used for the ceremony as well as the cocktail hour to shade as well as to keep dry. Walkway canopies are another very useful rental item to have on hand as are many umbrellas if it looks like it could rain. Regarding the food, it is important to have displays of food covered and shielded from the sun. Colorful market umbrellas are a low budget yet efficient and fun way to shade an appetizer display.

If it is bug season, use citronella torches to create a circle around your reception area and have your caterer tie Bounce dryer sheets discreetly around the table legs to ward off biting insects––sounds silly but it works!

I want to support Vermont farms but cannot afford to serve local beef tenderloin. There are so many ways to include the wonderful produce of Vermont in your wedding menu. The key is to keep it seasonal and be creative. Ask your caterer what is native to the local area and what he or she has access to, whether it be local greens, summer vegetables, fruits and berries, cheeses, breads, meats, maple syrup or other interesting local Vermont products.

Make use of the more expensive ingredients in the appetizers to keep the costs down. Incorporate what you can where you can and be proud that you are serving the best and freshest of what is available.

How can I tone down the bold and vibrant summer colors on my food displays? The use of earth tones and rustic linen colors can calm and balance the brilliant and striking shades of summer. Natural wood chargers and copper, brass and bronze platters have a similar effect.

How can I make my wedding food memorable for my guests?

Keep it simple, fresh and fun. Treat your guests to cool appetizers, miniature foods with a lot of flavor, tangy gazpacho shots garnished with a shrimp kebab, grilled fruit skewers and miniature salads served in cucumber and tomato cups.

Stay away from anything heavy and over sauced. Grilled meats and poached fish dishes need only a light herb or fruited salsa to enhance their own delicate appeal.

Play to the comfort of your guests and your wedding party; serve homemade frozen popsicles in interesting and delicious flavors to quench their thirst as well as treating their taste buds.

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Susanna Keefer

Susanna Keefer online

Susanna’s Catering provides exceptional globally inspired cuisine and unparalleled service to events of any size throughout Vermont. Contact Susanna at 802-635-9094, info@susannascatering.com www.susannascatering.com Photo by Orah Moore Photography

Realizing Your Vermont Summer Outdoor Wedding Dream by Susanna Keefer. She is chef and owner of Susanna’s Catering, providing fabulous food and unparalleled  service to off-site events of any size throughout Vermont.

Susanna’s Catering
1566 Upper French Hill Road,
Johnson VT 05656,
802-635-9094
www.susannascatering.com

Portrait photo by Orah Moore

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