For Executive Chef Mark Mathurin, success was dependent on planning and preparation.
Some weddings go beyond being a simple celebration of love, to become show-stopping events that call for huge and extravagant parties. The betrothed spare no expense as they “wow” guests with custom menus, elaborate décor and even fireworks displays.
Last summer, Eastward Ho! Country Club in Chatham, Mass., hosted a wedding of this ilk for 350 guests. The couple selected the club for its beauty, reputation and for the caliber of its cuisine. A wedding planner from New York City was hired to tend to all the details, big and small, and to work with the club’s staff to make sure the bride and groom’s dreams came true.
To bring their vision to life, the wedding organizers rented a series of tents that were erected all across Eastward Ho!’s property. The structure that served as the main dining tent was so large, it has only been used one other time since the tent company purchased it five years ago.
Eastward Ho!’s Executive Chef, Mark Mathurin, worked diligently with the wedding team on the menu. It featured a mix of upscale hors d’oeuvres, including an elaborate sushi display, a raw bar with oysters and clams, mini lobster rolls, tomato and mozzarella skewers, a riff on pigs in a blanket, and truffle fries.
For dinner, guests were served a golden beet carpaccio with baby arugula, crumbled goat cheese, lemon oil and almonds. Next, a series of family-style sides were served that included roasted root vegetables, green beans with bacon and shallots, and potatoes. The entrée proteins were a lemon honey-glazed salmon (see photo, pg. 3) and a grilled filet.
For Mathurin, the event was unique compared to typical weddings at the club. But it was not outside the scope of his experience or expertise. “It all comes down to planning and preparation,” he says. “We timed this event down to the minute. My team knew where they needed to be and when. And we didn’t miss a beat.”