Knowing the Right Once-in-a-Lifetime Ingredients

Making Every Couple’s Wedding Experience One-of-a-Kind

Bare with me, because this is going to sound a little braggy in the beginning, but I promise it won’t stay there. I just need to make a few things clear so that I can make a point. Here goes:

In addition to being a self-proclaimed foodie, I am an excellent cook. I am not just a good cook, or even a great cook… I am an excellent cook. How can I make such a bold claim? Simple… years of feedback, demand, research, practice and eating. Yes, I did say eating. Because at the end of the day (and sometimes the beginning), that is the main reason I have become an excellent cook. I started out and remain an excellent eater.

My mother and my grandmother were also excellent cooks. Both were raised in small town Louisiana where Cajun cuisine was born and it is the foundation that I pull from when I’m cooking. I owe them for teaching me what I know today. But in my adult years, I also learned the power of experimentation and how powerful it can be to creatively experiment with your gut.

Not very many people, outside of close family and friends, know that I cook like I do. There is a reason for that. I associate the creation of a meal with love. Quite honestly, I associate the creation of anything special and beautiful with love. So, for me, meal preparation and love for those who will be served work together. I treat it like a gift. When I put a menu together, I take into account who I am serving, when and where we are eating, and the occasion I am hoping to build around that meal. Since all of those variables create once-in-a-lifetime situations, the meal will always reflect that. Even if I do menu cards for a dinner, or a lunch, it is merely a prop to heighten the moment for those I am serving. It is not to catalog the menu that has already been served. Every meal should be as delicious and unique as those who are sharing it.

When I take on new couples and clients, I am personally involved in their event and ultimately their happiness from the start. I care about how they feel for one another and for their guests. It is extremely important to get to know them beyond just the list of what they want, who they want and the colors they want it in. My goal during the planning stage is to figure out the main ingredients for the event. Putting together a plan is very similar to creating a menu. The first step is to know who I am serving and what they really like. When planning a once-in-a-lifetime event, try never to settle for things that are just, “okay”. Second, I build one or two star elements in the meal. So, even on simple nights like, “Wing Night” in our house, I have flavors that everyone loves, like Spicy Buffalo and Garlic Parmesan and a few new ones for them to try like, Asian Apricot Glaze (which is now a favorite). I make every sauce from scratch and I pay attention to the quality of the sides, because they are just as important to the whole meal as the wings themselves. Just like on “Wing Night”, every detail of your party or wedding is important, should be well executed and work together to reflect those who will share it.

One thing that irks some of my family and friends is that I don’t write down recipes. They probably think it’s because I don’t want to share, but that isn’t the case at all. I cook by memory, feel and taste, so I rarely have a recipe in front of me. Most of the dishes that have become family favorites started as experiments with ingredients I knew I liked in different combinations. There are just certain flavors that work well together, but I am always open to changing things up according to what is in season, available or just tastes great. This same principle holds true when I design gifts, favors and/or event elements. Even with tried and true ideas, you can always add your own “flavor” to guarantee that it’s one-of-a-kind.

When planning your party, your wedding or your anniversary, think about what the most important ingredient of the day is for you. Build your plan around that and don’t be afraid to add your own flavor to the mix. If something doesn’t work, change it. Keep in mind that something that may have worked for countless others, may not for you. Also, give yourself enough time to execute any idea or project you have not done before. It should be done well, or not at all. You get one shot at once-in-a-lifetime moments. They deserve to be one-of-a-kind, because you are.