By JD Hollyfield and Chris Wichmann
Congratulations! You just got engaged over the holidays. Does the thought of planning a big extravaganza exhaust you? More and more, couples are embracing small, intimate affairs, also known as micro weddings.
By industry definition, a micro wedding is 50 or fewer guests. It rose in popularity due to COVID-19, but it also has become a wedding of choice for budget reasons or because people just want to enjoy themselves with their closest loved ones.
© Eight Hands
A micro wedding is also an opportunity to move from the surf and turf norm in a large ballroom and enjoy a personalized, fine dining experience with close friends and family. Hosts and food lovers are being enticed by private chef experiences to provide a memorable experience on their wedding day. (Can you remember what you ate at the last wedding you went to? Probably not.) Imagine a mouthwatering sous vide filet served at your dining room table or in your backyard. The alluring aroma of herbs de Provence spice filling your senses as you share in a conversation with friends and family, praising the choice of Spanish Garnacha wine that complements the beautifully seared steak. Are you hungry yet? (Pavlov should be documenting my current response.)
Local chef, Tom Moskos, is a world-renowned culinary mastermind. He has held executive chef positions in upscale hotels and has served his delectable dishes to distinguished guests, including politicians and President George Bush, Sr. Chef Tom can bring his expertise in the kitchen and love of cooking to your event. His successful culinary business, The Art of Good Eating, will make your wedding both marvelous and intimate. This is not just Tom coming to the kitchen. His business is full service: event coordinators, bartenders, bussers, butler-style service, family-style service, live food stations, along with rental services such as glasses, dinnerware, seating, and linens.
Main & Luxe had the pleasure of speaking with Chef Tom, not only about the mouthwatering selections on his menu but also about bringing people together over a lavish spread. “My goal is to provide a unique experience. I want my clients to enjoy delicious, gourmet, and fully customized cuisines that serve as a catalyst for conversation, sharing, and celebration,” he explains. Customized is the key word here, and his artful menus will complement you as the star attraction. Perhaps check out his self-published cookbook, The Art of Good Eating, for inspiration!
Okay, so for your intimate event with a distinguished chef, the venue and tables will be important décor aspects. Qiana Turner, owner and chief event planner at Madison Elyse Events, loves planning outdoor weddings at someone’s home. She tells us, “Micro weddings can be just as fabulous as big 300-guest weddings. You want to know the secret??? It’s in the decor baby!” Beautifully lined garden chairs, huge pots of flowers, lush green grass, decorative arches adorned with colorful, fragrant blooms and romantic draping are a few of her suggestions.
© Eight Hands
While planning your outdoor wedding, keep in mind the elements…what if it rains? “Do not fret! Adding a beautiful glass top tent or a peaked tip tent with gorgeous chandeliers for lighting can elevate your outdoor wedding to another level,” says Qiana.
If you don’t want the event at home, two suggestions where you can bring your private chef are Warehouse 109 in Plainfield and Solemn Oath Brewery in Naperville.
Warehouse 109 has indoor and outdoor event options, and it features an antique motorcycle gallery against one wall, a vintage red leather bar that looks like the “Rat Pack” would hang out at, white lights everywhere, and a vintage Airstream trailer converted into an outdoor lounge.
Solemn Oath is not in the wedding business, but they will offer the best locally made craft brews to complement the gourmet meal. It is an industrial-style space with seating indoors and out. It is a blank slate for you to create your own beautifully curated experience. The beer garden glows with Edison string lights, six wooden teepees along the sides for small groups, and then plenty of space for additional tables in the center. Think gourmet food, unique beers, candlelight, live music!
Executed by Madison Elyse Events
© Timothy Whaley and Associates
Food has a transformative power to make us happy, connect friends and strangers, and to thrill foodies. When you think about your celebration, we encourage you to put a delicious meal at the center of it.
Embrace the love of good food and create memories with your select number of guests. Enjoy these new upscale hospitality concepts that offer a more intimate eating and bonding experience with the important people in your life.
So, congratulations from all of us at Main & Luxe! With the changing times, more couples are choosing to go the simpler route and embracing the micro-wedding concept, which brings family and friends together in a smaller affair. Less work and more enjoyment? Sounds perfect to me!
