Wednesday, January 29, 2014

A taste of our love story....

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A while back, I posted some wedding pictures of me eating (or feeding Warren) "KFC" on our wedding day - and since I have been asked by some indieBerries readers what that was all about - I've decided to share it today! Grab yourself a cuppa - because this post is juicy! (And you will actually need to read it, for it to make sense. lol).


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Before I begin this post on our wedding food - I have to give a HUGE massive THANK YOU to Margie - our most awesome caterer from Aubergine. Not only did she completely jump on board with all my crazy ideas (which began with a "build-your-own-pizza-at-your-table!" idea - {which nearly gave my mother a heart attack}), but she was so enthusiastic and awesome to work with. I can definitely recommend her services if you are looking for someone fab to cook you up a FEAST!

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(Warr and I sneaking into the kitchen - to thank the kitchen staff on the wedding night!)

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Since the food is one of the main "ingredients" (lol) of a wedding, I wanted it to be part of the day rather than the thing you have to sit through in order to get to the drinking and partying. So we decided to come up with a way that guests could enjoy the food throughout the day and be guided through it... so I came up with the idea of:

"A taste of our love story"

Warren and I have had a very different/unique/interesting/up-and-down/long path that finally led us to our marriage and we wanted to share that story with our guests and what better way to do it, than through our food.

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As part of our canapés, Margie served a very "South African" array of goodies - cones of biltong, "braai-broodjies" and spicy crumbed chicken (which she put in KFC containers - that my dad managed to source from the KFC head office).

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Warren and I met in South Africa, at a Rhodes formal dinner - with a "trailer trash" theme. The night we met - we were served KFC from big family-sized buckets - trailer park style. At this point, our guests had no idea why they were being served (delicious) spiced chicken from mini KFC buckets - but it was the first hint of the "taste of our love story" that they were about to enjoy.

After canapés on the lawn, guests were ushered in and requested to find their seats. Typically expecting a starter to arrive - our guests were surprised (with many ooohs!! and aaaahs! going around) - when the very first trays of food to be served (following the amazing array of canapés outside) were tinned mugs of ice-cream and lemon juice!

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If you go back and read the story of how we met - you will realise that Warren seduced tricked me into sampling his "ice-cream and lemon juice" concoction - which is what led to our first kiss. So we decided to serve that first to our guests as a little something different - with a note explaining it's significance (above).  The note also helped guests to make sense of the "KFC" that was served outside. From then, our MC explained that the food of the evening would be part of the love story that developed between Warren and I - and each course would be accompanied by a little note for guests to piece together our story. Serving ice-cream and lemon juice first - definitely made guests sit up and take notice of their food and they were all so excited for the next course to arrive!

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Our food was served in between speeches which gave guests time to re-fill their drinks and enjoy the meal (and love story), course by course. The next course of food to arrive were Greek Mezze Platters for the tables - 

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With each course, I created a menu that included a "food-story" timeline - so that our guests would know where exactly in "our journey" they were. Each slot on the timeline was revealed only when the course was brought out with the explanation. So that by the time the last course arrived - our guests would have the entire love story and could read it along as it happened chronologically from March 2005 (when we met) right up until our wedding day.

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Following the Greek Mezze Platters, guests were each served a deconstructed salmon and cucumber sandwich (the note of which is above). Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of it - but it was delicious!). This course represented the trip I made to London in August 2011 - where we had pimms and cucumber sandwiches overlooking the Thames - swans included. I printed the menus on brown cardstock (which co-ordinated with the Moroccan tones of the decor) and I brushed each menu with copper, bronze and gold paint along the edges - which matched so well with the coppery pots and jugs that formed part of our decor.

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Next on the tables was a deliciously lip-smackin' Thai Green Curry. In October 2008, (when I had just moved to South Korea - and Warren was still living in London), we decided to meet up on holiday in Thailand

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We served the Thai green curry with chopsticks (always fun for guests!) that were tied with personalised wedding ribbon. Attached to the chopsticks was a little note that linked the chopsticks to South Korea - where Warren came to visit me for the weekend (shortly after my trip to London - the one where we decided "it was on!")

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The last course to be served was a scrumptious plate of Easter Eggs, brownies and strawberries. Warren proposed to me on the Good Friday of Easter (6 April 2012) and we were married exactly one year later, on the 6th of April 2013. It seemed only fitting that our final course included Strawberries and Easter Eggs - which we also incorporated into our wedding cake.

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On the 6th of April 2012, 2583 days after meeting, Warren flew to South Africa to surprise Ché for the Easter Weekend. Ché was completely caught off guard & nearly fell off the balcony when she saw him. That night, exactly one year ago today, Mr Warren Dyer got down on his knee and proposed.
And of course,

She said yes.


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Ahhh.... *sigh*

Such good memories!

Once again to the awesome Margie from Aubergine - for putting up with my thousands and billions of papers, strange menu requests and creating such INCREDIBLE gourmet food - our guests absolutely loved it and we cannot thank you enough!

* * * * *
The story behind the sunglasses - coming soon.

PS. Thank you to all the friends and family whose pictures I have used in this post - our photos are a big jumble so I'm not very clearly able to credit you all - but thank you so much for sending them to us! 

40 comments :

Lee-Ann Lipman said...

Che, you truly are the coolest bride.

Rhianne said...

I love this so much

Che Kershaw said...

<3 Our waitresses and waiters loved it too - had a few mail me to tell me it was one of the funnest weddings they'd been to! :)

Che Kershaw said...

haha - I shall have to get married again! (to warren)

waitingformeg said...

This is just tooo good. Oh, what an adventure it will be when you start having kids!

GeeGee said...

just fabulous, go you! The staff always love personal things - we made our (bright green) lemon wedding cake and the crochet bumblebees on top were made by my awesome bridesmaid (hi Rhianne!) and they were awesome taking care and special attention knowing it wasn't just 'lovely food'. Love how the courses were served around speeches, that was a great idea!

Christine said...

Amazing... totally amazing! Love it!

Dee said...

This is the most creative wedding meal I have ever encountered! Love it!

Keri Bainborough said...

I'm totally rocking ip the background! LOVE Margie and loved your clever wedding food! x

Johlet said...

Ahhh this is amazing! Please come plan my wedding one day! hehe

Kim C said...

Just incredible, you are one super gifted lady! You have both created the most incredible memories which, pictures or no pictures will always be in your heart.

femmegypsy said...

Wow wow wow! I had tears in my eyes reading this - you two are so so special and I know this just from reading your blog :) This is such a lovely creative menu, I love it

Gaelyn Cokayne said...

Oh how awesome!!!! Such a great idea, and it looked so delicious!!

Dannielle @ Chic-a-DeeDee said...

This is the coolest idea I've ever seen! And you guys pulled it off so nicely.

Princessnoo said...

Amazing!! It sounds like the most magical night. xxx

esthernovich said...

Hi
Ché! This is my first comment in your blog but I´ve been following you for
quite some time (quite religiously too because you have such a fun way to
narrate things!). I actually stumbled on
your blog last year searching google for boyfriend cartoon ideas for my own
blog (haha!)

You have such an amazing love story and I think your way of explaining it brings
out a lot of inspiration to some of us-not-so-detailed-thoughtful-people (aka
me), so thanks for sharing your stories!

Your wedding sounds amazing and I can´t wait to hear more about it and all the
little details you and Warren prepared J

Lu said...

Oh wow!.... *speechless-but-i-gotta-say-something* Ché your story has always been absolute bliss to read. I remember the first post I read of yours that jut changed my life completely! You got me focused to get my blog going this year...keep it up lovely! You deserve all forms of awesomely-weird-and-wonderful bliss. I bet Warr knows you are his sunshine! #inspired

Che Kershaw said...

Ah thanks! It was such a fun menu to prepare! xx

Che Kershaw said...

It was SUPER yummy! (and not the usual wedding food "one-meat-two-veg") - guest loved it!

Che Kershaw said...

Hi Esther!

So nice to "meet" you! and thank you for your first comment!
I hope that you will always find plenty of inspiration for little (and big) things here!

We had such an amazing wedding - and I can't wait to share more of the awesome little details on the blog - so stay tuned!

Thank you for your kind words! x

Che Kershaw said...

Ah thank you Kim! We did have the most incredible day, with the most amazing memories to last a lifetime - and no-one will take that away from us! x

silvia_byrne said...

What an amazing wedding (and love story) - beautiful and personal and creative. (I went to Rhodes too, many moons ago - just recently found your blog and will definitely keep reading) x

Che Kershaw said...

Ah yay Silvia-fellow Rhodent! Thanks for reading :) We had the most incredible wedding (and of course) - all the rhodents got way out of hand hahaha :)

Che Kershaw said...

Ah thank you lovely lady! It was such a special day and it was such a fun menu to create - reliving all our old stories! x

Che Kershaw said...

Thanks Jo! Had such fun planning! (Hence epic withdrawal symptoms!)

Che Kershaw said...

Thanks Cals x

Che Kershaw said...

Yes! Completely concur! Your wedding shouldn't be just a wedding how everyone else sees a wedding, it should be exactly how YOU as a couple want to celebrate your love with all your closest friends and family! I believe everyone will have a WAY better time if you do it like that! x

Che Kershaw said...

Thanks Dee! It was so much fun for warr and I to go over all our old stories to make the menu cards! x

Che Kershaw said...

Thanks Christine! Was such fun! xx

Che Kershaw said...

hahaha - I think I'm going to start a book when I have kids. (LIKE I WILL EVER HAVE THE TIME)

Che Kershaw said...

Thanks Noo - it really was SO amaze! xxx

Candy said...

I am loving your stories, i was having such a bad week with our wedding plans not going according plan. And when i started reading your stories they reminded me that its not about all the 'stuff' its about us. Thank you for helping me realise that again and making me laugh!! Oh, and we are also getting married at Netherwood - 17th May! Yay!

Rosie said...

This is SUCH an amazing idea for a wedding meal! I love it! You are so creative girl. And also, you and Warren are such a beautiful couple! So glad you have some photos from your wedding day, after the photographer catastrophe. Hope all is well with you lovely! x

Che Kershaw said...

Ah Thanks so much Rosie - it was such a fun menu to plan! And I have severe wedding planning withdrawal! Very grateful to have *some* pics though! Must make a plan to meet up again soon! x

Che Kershaw said...

Candy!! Yay!! So glad you've been re-inspired with the wedding planning! I also had those days when all the planning was just too much, but you will miss it so much when it's all over (and you will never have this planning time again ever!!) so just enjoy it! (and don't let all the stresses stress you out!) YAY for Netherwood! It is such a gorgeous venue and you will have the absolute day of your life!!! xxx

OnestilettoAtATime said...

This is such an awesome idea it needs to be pinned under Wedding ideas on Pinterest (not that I have a wedding board *cough cough*).

xoxo Abby

Megan said...

Just been chatting to Lulu about you so started reading your blog. LOVE it! And love how creative you are. Such a fun Idea!

Che Kershaw said...

Oh yay! thank you for reading!! Yes I love that little Lulu!! :) x

Che Kershaw said...

hahaha... THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "TOO MUCH WEDDING PREPARATION" hahaha :) x

Chereen Strydom said...

Omiword. I LOVE this. You are a genius. What a magical wedding it must have been :)