Gabriela and Brendan

On July 8, 2017 the beautiful wedding of Gabriela and Brendan melted all of our hearts. Guests will be talking about this occasion for years, and Giancarlo’s had the honor of being a part of this special day. It was absolutely perfection and out of a fairytale novel. Gabriela looked so beautiful, and her warm genuine smile was glowing across her face the entire night. Every detail of the day had Gabriela’s personal touch. A clear plan was created with the timing of the whole evening, which was necessary for each server to be aware of. Organization and communication were key between the entire kitchen staff and servers for the night’s execution. The kitchen was set up in the back house, where the kitchen staff utilized the full kitchen and spacious area for preparation. There was a lot of construction that went into a 300 person wedding, so we started setting up days prior to the big day in the backyard of Gabriela's mother.

Preparations for this huge day in Giancarlo’s history occurred days prior to the big event. Gabriela, Olivia, and the catering team each got familiar with our thought-out plan. The most important thing for us to wrap our heads around was the timing of the evening. On July 7th our crew went to the house to get familiar with the backyard, and to start any groundwork we could do. Elliott was there when the rental company dropped the tables off, and assigned the tables and chairs to the correct spots. So he was able to check and re-check each table and chairs. The rest of the catering team arrived to start tying the seat covers on each chair and rolling the silverware for each place setting with a peach colored bow and party favor. We couldn’t set each table fully because of the weather and the risk of it getting messed up, so we took cardboard boxes and put each tables’ setting in them to be well organized and ready to be set the morning of the wedding. The hard work on the 7th was essential, and brought us ahead of the game.

The morning of the 8th began with a text message from Anthony in our work group chat which stated: “In many ways tonight is a celebration of Giancarlo’s- because Gabriela is Giancarlo’s. The Giancarlo’s experience that we aspire to be is captured and defined by the concern, attention, joy, warmth, and toughness Gabriela naturally provides daily.” This started the morning off with every single employee having the same end goal- to make Gabriela’s wedding night the best night of her life. We all needed the same thought process and motivation to ask ourselves: How would Gabriela want this to be? As our morning crew walked into the tent, we could already feel the love that was being celebrated. The fairytale essence was there even as we were setting up all day. Every loose end was tied, bow was fluffed out, and flowers were put into the best placement. The care and love that Gabriela all taught us to put into each event we do, was clearly shown in this occasion. I clearly remember debating which centerpieces should go on each table. When the finished product came together we looked around with excitement and knew it was amazing.

The moment Gabriela walked out of the front door at her mom’s house was extraordinary. It literally felt like time stopped. All of the workers turned their heads, the bridesmaids were all lined up and all of a sudden a princess was among us. You couldn't help but stare at Gabriela, her beauty, her one-of-a-kind dress, the way she carried herself, her smile filled with pure happiness, everything was glowing. Every person on that front lawn had tears in their eyes, including some of the workers. We were all genuinely happy to be a part of this occasion, and watch the love story of Gabs and Brendan unfold. This was the exact moment where it clicked, it’s really happening...right now. As Gabriela drove off to the church with her father, we were hard at work finishing up last minute details. Each table setting was given a menu so the guests would know what was to come from the Giancarlo’s kitchen. It was then time to start setting the displays of appetizer food out with each food tag, and pouring the champagne and rosè for when guests entered. We were setting up for this wedding up until the minute everyone arrived back from the church. There was no down time or room for fooling around. The ceremony was absolutely breathtaking, and that beautiful smile which Gabriela is known for was seen even from the back of the church.

Gabriela, Brendan, and all of the guests walked from the church to the backyard. Gabriela wanted it to feel like a parade, and it certainly was! As soon as we heard the trumpets leading the parade, I remember thinking in my head “alright it’s go time.” The little touches, and hours spent preparing were all leading up to this exact point in time. As the guests were greeted into the tent, they were given a glass of champagne and rosè to start the celebrations.This wedding was special, due to the pure enjoyment of the guests and being in each other's company. As the cocktail hour began, the guests enjoyed our signature passed hors d’oeuvres along with a seafood station, arancini table, and of course a drink from our full service bar which was set up along the garage in the backyard. There was not one guest who did not have a smile on their face. The guests were truly celebrating this beautiful love. As the evening continued, the wedding had traditional introductions of the bridal party and speeches from the family. As the guests took their seats, our house carani salad and focaccia bread were each placed on the tables. Between the first and second course, guests got up to grab another drink and walk around. During this time, the Giancarlo’s crew were preparing for the delicious dinner. All of a sudden a beautiful bride and groom walked into our kitchen for a visit! Gabriela wanted to sit on the counter and take a picture with everyone, so we cleared all of the food out of the way so our bride could have a moment with her husband and the Giancarlo’s family. This was truly enchanting to be a part of.

As the guests took their seats again, it was time for Giancarlo's to shine. Each server was paired with a sous server and they were each responsible for three of the thirty-three tables under the tent. Focus and communication were both necessary for the production of this dining experience. Every server needed to be aware of where to walk, grab the food, place the food, and repeat. We practiced walkthroughs prior to the event so there no confusions. Our employees lined up from the back of the kitchen, grabbed the amount of plated dishes needed, and went! This formation was nothing that Giancarlo’s was unfamiliar with, however in honor of Gabriela we needed to all bring our A game. Each guest received a Giancarlo's dish including: an 8oz filet with our porcini mushroom sauce, 5oz crab cake and garlic aioli, and grilled asparagus. Family style side dishes were also paired with the entree including: our pasta saratoga, grilled artichokes, and loaded mashed potatoes. After the delicious food was placed, every table was filled with the Giancarlo’s Experience. Gabriela’s wedding cake was made by our own chef, which was a three tier cake alternating cassata cake with pistachio filling and chocolate cake with chocolate filling. This cake was absolutely extraordinary from the inside out. Guests also enjoyed homemade cannolis and macarons made from our kitchen, which were the perfect Giancarlo's touch to end their taste buds on.

The rest of the night was spent dancing the night away with Gabriela and Brendan; celebrating their love with friends and family. Seeing Gabriela shine with happiness for the whole evening is something we will all remember forever. A lot of time, love, and passion for Gabriela was put into the production and success of the evening. Giancarlo’s couldn't be happier to share the love with Gabriela and Brendan. It was truly unforgettable from top to bottom.