Cassie and Aron were married at Quail Haven Farm on a Saturday in May, with the ceremony and reception both held on the property. We catered the full evening, and the photos below by Heidi-O-Photo show how the day ran.
Farm and estate venues are some of the most rewarding places we work, and some of the most demanding. This post walks through the whole timeline and then covers what outdoor venue catering actually takes behind the scenes.
The Ceremony
The ceremony was held outdoors on the property, using the surrounding landscape as the backdrop. Open air venues like this need very little added to them, which keeps the visual budget on the reception where guests spend most of the night.
Cocktail Hour
Guests moved to the reception area after the ceremony, where our staff passed trays of appetizers while Cassie and Aron slipped away for portraits. Passed service works well at farm venues because it keeps guests spread across the grounds instead of queued at a single table.
Dinner Service and Menu
Guests were seated for the grand entrance and the couple’s first dance, then dinner was served buffet style. The menu that night included:
- Grilled tri tip
- Crusted chicken
- Garlic whipped potatoes
- Seasonal accompaniments
Buffet service suits a farm venue because it moves a full guest count through dinner quickly without a large plated service team crossing uneven ground. Every menu we build is written for the event, so you can start from our full service menus and change whatever you want.
Cake Cutting and Dessert
The couple cut a cheesecake, and our team served desserts to guests afterward. Dessert service at an outdoor venue usually runs later than couples expect, so we build the timeline with the photographer and the entertainment rather than working off the printed schedule alone.
Dancing and the Rest of the Night
Entertainment carried the rest of the evening, and guests filled the dance floor through the end of the night. A late bar and a light snack pass keep energy up on a long outdoor reception, and we can build both into the plan through our bar services.
What Catering a Farm Venue Actually Takes
Quail Haven Farm gives you a working property with open ground, mature landscaping, and few of the fixed amenities a built venue provides. That trade shapes the catering plan in four ways.
Kitchen staging. Farm venues rarely have a commercial kitchen on site. We bring in our own staging, which means the menu has to be built around what holds and finishes well away from a fixed line.
Power and water. Access points are usually further from the service area than at a built venue. We walk the property in advance and map where equipment goes so cables and lines stay clear of guest paths.
Ground and footing. Servers carrying plated courses across grass and gravel move slower and carry less per trip. That is a real factor in choosing between plated and buffet or station service.
Weather and light. Outdoor timelines run on daylight. We build service around sunset rather than the clock, and we plan the fallback before the day rather than during it.
The same considerations apply when we cater at a private residence, which we cover under private at home catering. Our full approach to weddings is on our wedding catering page.
More Photos From the Day
Vendor Team
- Venue: Quail Haven Farm
- Photography: Heidi-O-Photo
- Entertainment: Memories and Music Entertainment
- Catering and dessert service: Personal Touch Dining
Planning a Wedding at Quail Haven Farm
Send us your date, guest count, and how you want the evening to run, and we will build a menu and service plan around the property. Request a custom quote or call (858) 638-0672.