Amber and James'

Private Home Wedding with a French x Italian Bespoke Fusion Menu

We were delighted when the couple Amber and James approached us to cater their wedding celebrations at the end of July 2023.

The couple chose to host the weekend at a parent’s home in a charming, Cambridgeshire village, close to all of their family, friends and memories. Complete with an elegant sailcloth structure, the garden was the perfect location for hosting such an occasion.

The Brief

James and Amber provided a clear brief for their big day. They wished for a family-filled, experiential, and delicious day… but with a personal twist.

Having spent much time holidaying around Europe, the couple wanted to bring this European flavour home and make it a feature of their day. They provided us with a list of their favourite ingredients and European produce to incorporate into a handcrafted, bespoke menu allowing guests to travel with them through this experience.

The Menu

Canapès

Armed with the couple’s favourite flavours, our creative team of chefs began to piece together a complementary menu that would both capture the brief and taste utterly delicious. From canapès to desserts, each dish had a small nod to their travels.

  • Parmesan Arancini
  • Malaysian Chicken Skewers with Roasted Peanut Sauce
  • Glazed Goats Cheese, Fig on Croute
  • Carpaccio of Beef, Rocket, Parmesan, Truffle Oil, on Croute
  • Chorizo, Black Olive Tapenade, Crostini
  • Black Olive Tapenade, Crostini
  • Ham Croquettes
  • Serrano Ham, Pea Puree, Mint
  • Salmon and Dill Fish Cakes, Tartar Sauce

Being a larger wedding of almost 130 guests, we made sure to expand our canapè selection to 10 different varieties, including options for vegans, vegetarians and pescatarians. Our friendly front-of-house team served these canapes over a span of 2 hours, offering almost 800 individual canapes to guests and receiving high praise for the delicious flavours.

Main Course

With guest experience also being a top priority for the client, we suggested an immersive cooking station for their main course. Our team of chefs cooked live in front of the guests, recreating the ambience of a summer BBQ at a villa in the South of France.

Guests were seated at tables with generous bowls of fresh bread, sliced focaccia and salted butter before being presented with abundant sharing boards of the following elements:

  • Grilled Lobster Tails with Thermidor Butter
  • Grilled Palm Hearts with Thermidor Butter
  • Grilled Whole Bavette Steaks with Salsa Verde
  • Aubergine Steak with Courgette and Halloumi Skewers

    And platters of the following sides:

    • Fine Beans with Shallots and Garlic
    • Frizzé Salad with Vinegar and Oil Dressing
    • Salted French Fries
    • Steve’s Heritage Vine Tomato Salad with Burrata and Basil Pesto Dressing

    It was such a pleasure to use the Father of the Bride’s home-grown heritage tomatoes as part of the side dishes. Not only was this an excellent talking point among tables, but they were also perfectly suited to the dish!

    Desserts

    Choosing a dessert was a difficult task for James and Amber. With a deep love for cheese and cheese courses, they found it tricky to choose between offering this or a sweet dessert to their guests. So, what did we do? We merged the two! And came up with Miniature Apple Tarte Tatin with Sussex Country Cheddar, Caramelised Walnuts and Dark Grapes. Not only did guests adore this dessert, but the couple were immensely impressed that we had managed to combine two of their joys.

      Feedback

      From start to finish, we received great compliments from guests on both our attentive service and delicious dishes. Soon after the big day, we received a message from the couple with their thoughts: 

      “We just wanted to say a massive thank you for all your help, organisation and bloomin’ lovely grub on Saturday. We had an amazing day and we had so many compliments about the food, it really was so special. 

      Thanks again for everything you did for us for the wedding, it really was an amazing day for everyone there.”

      We are so pleased to have worked with James and Amber on such a special, personal and memorable day!

      TESTIMONIALS

      Having used Boxed Events as caterers at our wedding in June 2018, we couldn’t recommend James and his team enough. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Boxed Events to anyone looking for a unique culinary experience for their event.
      TAD CHAPMAN

      James and his team provided the catering for an outdoor wedding at a venue I own recently and I have to say they are by far the best catering team I've worked with. The setup was professional, the team were all friendly and hard working, service was exceptional and most importantly the food looked and tasted absolutely amazing.
      HANNAH WHITELEY

      Simply fabulous – James and his team made our party so relaxed and enjoyable for everyone. They listened to what we wanted, advised us on food choices, and then delivered culinary perfection with (what looked like) incredible ease. Great communication throughout the whole process, and always with the air of a relaxed professional who is on top of their game.
      MICHAEL WITHERS

      James thank you for catering for my hen night. Amazing service, gorgeous staff and food was sublime. The lamb main course was out of this world. The meal was utterly delicious and really made our Saturday night. Thanks again.
      MARTY MARASCHINO

      We used Boxed Events for our wedding, and they ran the whole day for us, including the bar, catering, event management, glass hire, etc. They listened to all of our requirements, and responded promptly and with the answers we wanted to hear! We could not have asked for more from them, and they made the day as special for us as we had hoped.
      STEVE MACALLISTER

      James and co. provided our food for our wedding at Barrington Hall. From our tasting through to the day itself everything was perfect. James is a great guy and really understood what we were wanting from our wedding breakfast and so many guests commented on how great the food was.
      SOPHIE WILSON

      Just wanted to thank you both for the amazing food and service you delivered at our wedding! So so many comments from our guests, lots of people said it was the best wedding food they had ever had - especially the sausages. It suited everyone. Thank you again, the staff were incredible and very professional. We will be in touch again for future parties and celebrations. Cannot recommend you guys enough.
      J & I

      Now that the dust has all settled, and the hangover has finally gone, I wanted to send thank you to you and a massive thank you to your team who helped run our wedding. Myself and Jake had the best day, and your team were a massive part of that. They were so accommodating, so lovely, the bar staff were amazing and they honestly couldn't do enough for us. The amount of compliments we have had on the food as well is incredible, no wedding will ever compare! Please pass my thanks on to your team, it wouldn't have been the day we had if it wasn't for all of them! Thank you again.
      S & J

      We just wanted to say a massive thank you to you and the boxed events staff. You were all so chilled and efficient putting us at ease and a massive help to us throughout the day. We have to particularly single out Imo who was absolutely fantastic the whole day. Thanks again for helping to make the day what it was.
      J & A

      I want to thank you most sincerely for all the care and attention you put into my 80th birthday lunch on Saturday. It was exactly what I wanted. A lovely meal which we didn't have to worry about - we were just able to sit and enjoy. The food was wonderful. I am very glad we found you and asked you to provide the lunch. With our thanks and good wishes.
      P

      We just wanted to give a huge thank you to you, James, and the whole serving team at Boxed Events. Saturday was the perfect day, in no small part thanks to you! We've received so many compliments from our guests about the food - everything was so delicious and there was plenty to go round. You're all such professionals, and we really appreciated your quick thinking to move dessert outside to get the marquee turned around in time for the dancing. Thank you so much too for answering all our many questions and helping us plan the perfect day. You've been a constant source of reassurance for us both, and it put our minds at ease knowing that the catering and running of the day was in excellent hands.
      J & J

      A black slate with four coloured ramekin dishes, each featuring a different dish for a corporate event. Dishes include korean fried chicken, tikka skewers, tuna steak and mac and cheese bites.
      An image of a selection of starter dishes displayed on a marble tabletop. The dish in focus in the foreground is hummus, feta cheese, spiced chick pea, prunes, molasses and warm flat bread.
      A wide-angle image of a private dining space in a modern home. ©Richard Ecclestone
      Two members of the front of house staff standing in front of a barn, behind a drinks station. They are both dressed in white shirts and black aprons with champagne flutes and ice buckets on the table in front of them.
      An image of a female in a striped jumper, cutting a ham hock terrine with a silver knife and fork. In the blurred foreground, there is another dish in the form of a croquette with samphire garnish.
      A close-up of chicken thighs on a bbq, being turned by a chef with silver tongs. ©Fraser Parry
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      A landscape shot of a selection of starter dishes. The foreground displays the chicken Caesar croquette dish with a lettuce leaf, parmesan garnish and herby oil on the base of the plate. The background features a selection of other blurred dishes.
      An image of a wooden board with rows of canapes.
      A shot of a laid table with fine, clear and gold-detailed glassware, white and gold crockery and bud vases with festive red florals. ©Richard Ecclestone
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      A seared Bavette steak, green beans, cherry tomatoes, shallots, sauté thyme and garlic potato, frizze lettuce with chimichurri. Served on a matte black plate.
      A flat lay of two black plates with starter dishes and a wooden canape board in the corner, all on a marble surface. Dishes include cured salmon, ham hock terrine and a selection of bespoke canapes
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