A Day To Remember
When it’s your wedding day, it just has to be perfect.
By Beth Vollmer
Leiters’ Fine Catering wants to help plan the most important day of your life and ensure that your wedding will come together beautifully. The hands-on, caring and energetic team of Teri Leiter, owner and event coordinator; Christine Bartles, event coordinator; and wedding coordinators Autumn Brown and Melissa Gibbons will carefully listen to what each couple has to say regarding the vision for their special day. A proposal for consideration is then created to see if it matches their wishes ensuring the couple’s requirements are met. Leiters’ Fine Catering combines years of experience and advice, while listening to the couple’s desires and wishes. Teri says, “We love what we do, and therefore we communicate confidence that Leiters’ will do an outstanding job. We have filled the roll of adviser, confidant, referee, and friend, while being the wedding planner and coordinator.”
Most weddings consist of a ceremony, reception, food, and dancing, but every wedding is diverse and specific, which keeps the planning process different and exciting.
When planning a wedding, the allotted budget is considered first, and whether the parents, the couple, or both are funding the event. Typically, it is a combination of both sets of parents and the couple, so early communication is important. It is encouraged that the couple speak to the vendors for final package negotiations. Secondly, determinations for what is a “must” should be decided, such as the location, the number of guests, the date and time of year, and the meal of choice. Leiters’ Fine Catering ensures that every couple gets the wedding of their dreams and that everyone enjoys the celebration.
To begin with, a venue needs to be secured, followed by the caterer, and Leiters’ recommends reserving the caterer early on. The details of the catering can be an involved process and take place over a few months. The popular wedding months fill up fast, so the earlier the call comes in, the greater the potential of securing a preferred date.
When working with a couple, Leiters’ starts with a complimentary consultation to discuss the services available and helps the couple detail their event. Next, the reception information is collected, including the menu, table service, rental information, time schedule, the theme, and the coordination of vendors. The couple receives a proposal and cost estimate, along with a tasting if requested, a site visit if needed, a continued revision of the proposal, confirmation of all the details, and lastly, booking the event with a deposit required to confirm the date.
When starting to plan her son David’s wedding, Sue Helterbran found Leiters’ online, which was the first and only one caterer she looked into. After initially speaking with Autumn, Sue felt extremely confident knowing the wedding would look wonderful and go smoothly. Their website was so descriptive and helpful, she could relax knowing her son’s wedding was in great hands.
Sue adds, “The entire staff was professional, polite, friendly, pleasant, and personable. They were attentive and paid attention to every detail. Our guests had nothing but rave reviews about the food and how wonderful the catering staff was during the entire wedding. They left us with absolutely nothing to worry about. The presentation put on for both the rehearsal and wedding was fabulous and perfect.”
Throughout the years, some weddings are hard to forget. A favorite memory was a call from a “corporate woman,” living in the city and choosing to have her wedding and reception outdoors in Washington County. This bride-to-be put all her faith in Leiters’, asking them to choose her colors/theme, the wedding cake, the flowers, and the meal without direction or preference. The wedding was perfect and the bride was happy. Receiving hugs and thanks from the family was a wonderful memory.
Another happy memory was bride and groom who raised animals. Picture the bride, who raised horses, walking a horse down the aisle, and the groom, a farmer, leading a cow down the aisle, side by side. Fortunately, they made it to the altar without any droppings or unfortunate incidents.
Imagine the perfect reception under a tent, when a storm suddenly arrives. Teri saved the tiered wedding cake by running up the steps, and into the house, carrying the cake as storm force winds lifted the tent canopy.
Another couple followed the almanac, convinced it would not rain on their chosen wedding day. Mother Nature’s unexpected gift to the happy couple was a lovely rain shower! You might think that such a gift would not only be unwelcome but would prove disastrous as well. Not so! The truly majestic rain photos tell the story of a successful and beautiful event.
Traditional ceremonies are wonderful and never go out of style, but there’s a lot to be said for going down a different path to make your nuptials uniquely your own. Leiters’ staff recall a favorite overall memory with the Batman “Night in Gotham” themed wedding, one that turned out to be quite magnificent. Against the norm, Leiters’ were asked to plan a wedding in only three weeks. The Leiters’ event planning staff switched into high gear, and with hugs and much support, the wedding and reception went off with a bang.
Memories and friendships are made after the wedding is over because of the relationships built during the process, continuing into the couple starting a family and beyond. Hearing couples make comments like, “She made our day really special” are an important part of what make Leiters’ Fine Catering do what they do for so many years.
When wedding clients return to ask that they help plan a 10-year wedding anniversary celebration, Leiters’ Fine Catering knows they’re doing something right. It’s a wonderful reward to have created a lasting relationship with someone that will continue well into the future. That’s an attitude befitting a company whose business it is to set the tone for what is unquestionably the most important and longest relationship between two people in love.
