\n
When a pair of My Kitchen Rules<\/i> contestants decide to marry at your wedding venue, you know the menu is going to face plenty of scrutiny.<\/p>\n
Fortunately, Darren King<\/a> was well up to the challenge.<\/p>\n The West Australian born and bred head chef works at Perth\u2019s RiverBank Estate Winery<\/a>, which hosted the secret nuptials of Series 3 favourites Megan Woodman and Andy Appleby.<\/p>\n With the couple showcasing their love of seafood on the hit reality TV show, it was no surprise their passion filtered through to requests for the three-course sit-down menu.<\/p>\n Of course Darren and his team delivered, with the creation of such dishes as grilled pink snapper served on a bed of Japanese potato salad with garlic tiger prawns and lemon caper vinaigrette.<\/p>\n You can watch a video from their big day here<\/a>,\u00a0but the final word goes to Megan, who says: \u201cThe whole day was just exactly how I\u2019d imagined. It was perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n Restaurant manager Nicola Heyes \u2013 who works with wedding co-ordinators<\/a>\u00a0Anna Trovarelli and Bev Gobby – concurs.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause they were foodies, we had to be really conscious of the menu, and it\u2019s a challenge the chef really enjoyed,\u201d she said. \u201cHappily, they loved it, they really loved it, which is something we want for all of our couples.\u201d<\/p>\n Still thrilled by the exposure, Nicola believes it\u2019s also a pointer to something she holds dear, which is that the best weddings treat their venue as a wonderful canvas on which to build a unique and personal celebration.<\/p>\n She shared some ideas on how exactly to do this.<\/p>\n Nicola, who offers specialised wedding menus for up to 120 guests sit-down and 150 for substantial cocktail-style, says food \u201ccan either make or break\u201d a wedding.<\/p>\n The venue is important, but if the food isn\u2019t up to scratch, it can really have an impact on the atmosphere. And it\u2019s something that modern couples absolutely recognise.<\/p>\n \u201cWe find these days that people who inquire about weddings are really interested in the food,\u201d she says. \u201cThey want to know what they\u2019re getting and they want to know what they can create.\u201d<\/p>\n The ultimate idea is to shape a menu that captures your personality in a way that is enticing and adventurous and makes a statement. This could be a preference for poultry over game or seafood, a focus on a purely vegetarian offering, or a bent towards food with an edge.<\/p>\n By doing it thoughtfully, you can fashion a culinary journey that caters to a wide variety of tastes and leaves guests nodding their head in recognition.<\/p>\n Looking at canap\u00e9s, for example, a couple whose love of seafood is well known (such as Megan and Andy) could channel their inspiration into such dishes as salmon on croutons with cr\u00e8me fraiche, almond fried tiger prawns or fish croquettes.<\/p>\n For dinner, meanwhile, a couple who\u2019s never set foot inside a vegetarian restaurant could curate a meat-lovers\u2019 feast, from slow braised pork belly, crispy crackle pickled pork salad and apple cider puree to a braised shank of lamb with de puy lentils, mash potato and mint gravy.<\/p>\n The alcohol, similarly, can be also be a real talking point, especially if you\u2019re marrying at a destination such as RiverBank, which focuses exclusively on its own wines, with intriguing names \u2013 and stories \u2013 such as jailbird red and chenin blanc.<\/p>\n \u201cAlcohol is such an important part of a celebration, offering just the right accompaniment to the array of food and signposting important moments, such as the toasts. But choosing the right combination is not something that necessarily comes naturally,\u201d Nicola <\/a>says.<\/p>\n What you often find is that people are unsure about which way to go, as they know what they like \u2013 and probably have some idea of great French champagnes for toasting – but are conscious of the fact they\u2019re choosing for everybody, from people who really know their vintages to others who are happy with simple classifications such as red or white.<\/p>\n One helpful idea is to have a wine tasting, not least of all to pick the brains of an expert in food matching, who can also give an insight into complementary beverages such as beer or cider.<\/p>\n \u201cWe actually encourage people to come and do that here,\u201d Nicola says. It\u2019s just one more little piece of the puzzle that goes into putting on a perfect and thoughtful celebration. Done properly, the end result is a menu that\u2019s very new, very you and a conversation starter in itself. After all, who can resist looking at the plate beside them and then leaning over to ask: \u201cOh gosh, that looks amazing. Can you tell me what it is?\u201d<\/p>\n Modern weddings run the gauntlet from the effortlessly casual to the sophisticated and elegant. And capturing the mood begins with the smallest details, running right through to the largest moments. The first, and biggest choice, is the wedding venue, and for modern couples, the perfect option is not always inside the four walls of a church. Instead, their focus can shift to somewhere that is a destination and a talking point in its own right, as Nicola knows firsthand.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause of our setting within a winery, we actually had wedding inquiries before we started hosting them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople would come here and go \u2018Wow, we didn\u2019t realise the setting was so beautiful with such panoramic views.\u2019 They were really blown away.\u201d<\/p>\n Other popular locations for modern ceremonies include heritage homes, private gardens, on the beach or in a restaurant. Weather permitting, the great outdoors is an increasingly favoured choice, whether it\u2019s on a lawn or under a marquee. Both create ample opportunity for individuality, from obvious choices such as flowers and aisle runners to less subtle options such as chairs.<\/p>\n Here, current trends stretch across everything from mismatched seats sourced from op shops to the ever-popular Tiffany design. Other pieces of furniture that can enhance a mood range from antique tables for the signing of the wedding certificate to old-fashioned lamps that throw extra shade on a dusk ceremony.<\/p>\n The aisle also lends itself to beautiful treatments, from a Hollywood-style red carpet to a line of flower-filled vases. As Anna says: \u201cEverybody has their own ideas and themes for the wedding, which is important, as it means every wedding is totally unique. Even if you just bring in a single piece of furniture, or a single blast of colour, it can change the venue completely.\u201d<\/p>\n Then, it\u2019s just about creating the final focal point for the ceremony \u2013 besides the wedding party itself of course, For example, if you\u2019re marrying somewhere like a vineyard, a position overlooking valleys and vines will serve as adornment enough.<\/p>\n But if you\u2019re marrying somewhere lush but nondescript, such as a park, elements such as flowers in urns, which can then be transferred to the reception, make a wonderful signature statement.<\/p>\n The idea of a seating layout is something that should take precedence before you even think about who will sit with whom.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s a great way to help shape the atmosphere of the night. For a celebration that will bring together great groups of friends, rectangular, round or trestle tables that cater for six to eight people provide a great opportunity for conversations within a group, perhaps allowing for a few new faces.<\/p>\n However, another idea to consider, especially if you have a lot of singles, is one long table. This spares awkward divisions, saves the ignominy of a singles table and also gives people proximity to at least five other guests with whom to strike up a conversation.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s all about flexibility,\u201d says Bev, who notes RiverBank\u2019s<\/a> veranda area, for one, can sit 110-120 people comfortably. \u201cYou want to bring people together to build that enjoyment and build that camaraderie.\u201d And if you can get the seating arrangements right, you\u2019re most of the way there. Other ideas include sitting similar age groups together, or linking up people you\u2019ve always thought would get on like a house on fire.<\/p>\nCreate food, glorious food<\/h2>\n
Plan for ambience<\/h2>\n
Think about the seating<\/h2>\n
Devise a range of spaces<\/h2>\n