Bride Guide & Party Planner

Eat, drink, and be married: Caterers offer tips on the perfect Vineyard wedding

By Karla Araujo - March 22, 2007

Island caterer Jaime Hamlin, owner of V. Jaime Hamlin & Sons Catering, knows firsthand how fickle New England weather can be. She recalls what happened at a wedding scheduled to take place on a beautiful promontory in Chilmark at a house straight out of Gatsby: "It was a mini-hurricane. We drove up that morning and there were fallen tree limbs across the road. The tent and chandeliers inside were swaying in the wind. We decided to move the wedding inside the house in front of the fireplace."

Moral of story?

"You never know what to expect, but you have to be prepared to turn any problem around in an instant," says Ms. Hamlin.

That sums up the job description of an Island caterer - part magician, part chef extraordinaire. All say that planning ahead is the key for improving the chances that your wedding will go off without a hitch. Island caterers Jaime Hamlin, Perry Ambulos, and Dee Smith suggest that couples begin preparations at least one year ahead, noting that some couples start as far ahead as two years when planning a wedding during the Island's busy summer season.

"There can be 40 or 50 weddings on the Island in any given weekend," says Mr. Ambulos of Truly Scrumptious. "If you wait, you may not get the best band or the china pattern you want from the rental company."

Ms. Smith of Tea Lane Caterers agrees. "If someone wants a wedding two months ahead in the busy season, we can pull it off if it's in a private home. But if you're looking for a Preservation Trust venue, that's a different story."

Most caterers will do as much or as little as you ask them to do. From helping establish the menu and preparing and serving the food, to coordinating the flowers, rental equipment and photographer, caterers are experienced at handling details.

"We're often asked to do it all," says Ms. Smith. "While food is our forte, we can coordinate the entire event. After so many years in the business, we know everyone related to weddings on the Island so it's a natural request."

If you decide to employ your caterer as your wedding coordinator, make sure to provide the names and contact information of all the vendors involved. That way if something isn't going according to plan, your caterer will know whom to call to fix it.

Mr. Ambulos says that he prefers to work directly with the bride and key family members. "We employ our own coordinator who attends all the meetings and is there from start to finish. I encourage my clients to be clear about their vision, not someone else's. I am there to help them throw a great party. I want the wedding to be a wonderful memory."

Island caterers also recommend reading bridal magazines and doing some pre-planning before requesting their services.

"Are you a flip-flop girl or a high-heeled girl?" Ms. Smith sometimes prompts. "For the most part, couples are taking more risks and keeping weddings a little more casual," she says.

Some important questions that need to be resolved are budget considerations, the overall style and atmosphere of the wedding, first-hand information about the caterer, and any dietary requirements that have to be observed.

Since the Vineyard is a great source for wonderful native foods, more and more brides are taking advantage of the season's bounty. According to Mr. Ambulos, there has been an evolution in entertaining, from the more contrived "nouvelle cuisine" to a more recent emphasis on fresh foods and simpler preparations. "I think what we're doing now is a great fit for the Island setting," he says.

And Ms. Hamlin notes, "With 'grazing' menus and stations, no one has to be trapped next to Uncle Howard from Montana all night. You can have fun food in different places. It keeps things flexible."

Because so many Vineyard weddings are planned for ideal outdoor conditions and because the weather is anything but predictable, many events end up looking very different than anticipated. Ms. Smith rattled off a list of near-disasters: brides in sneakers because they forgot their shoes, tents blowing over, romaine mistakenly cooked.

"We have two vans and both are always equipped with what I call 'Road Food Emergency Kits,'" she explains. "Extra olive oil, salt, pepper, white wine, a whole supply of ingredients we should have on hand but may have forgotten. I never do a wedding without lots of back-up. If there's one thing you learn as a caterer, it's that you have to be cool under pressure and very resourceful."

Mr. Ambulos recalls one wedding that he catered nine years ago. "The families were sailors. A hurricane hit that day and we had 200 people who were supposed to be in a tent. At the last minute, I was able to book the Old Ag Hall in West Tisbury and we moved everyone there. There was no power but it didn't matter to this crew. They were in their element."

Despite the whims of weather, these caterers agree, thoughtful planning goes a long way toward ensuring that your wedding can be the once-in-a-lifetime event you've always wanted.

Karla Araujo is a freelance writer living on Martha's Vineyard.