Wedding Supplier Spotlight: Garner & Graze

Behind the scenes here at Chosen Wedding HQ, having previously run a successful photography business there was one area that was always a personal passion - and that was food photography! The colours and textures evoke such strong reactions that you can't help but feel happy when you see a good spread. Do you know who offers a good, actually no scrap that, GREAT spread? Garner & Graze - that's who!

Choosing what food you are going to have for your wedding day rates as one of the most important decisions you are going to make. Over the past couple of years there has been a huge shift in thought moving away from the traditional sit down 3 - course meal towards more fun experiences and sharing platter/spreads are growing in their popularity due mainly to the social nature of the food.

Today we chat with Florence all about this form of food and talk more about the shift towards sustainable foods for your big day.

Hello, lovely to chat to you today. Firstly why don't you tell our readers a little bit more about you and what you do within the wedding industry.

My name is Florence. I'm a born and bred Londoner and the founder of garner & graze. I started the garner & graze about 18 months ago after creating some grazing platters for a friend's party. Everyone went crazy for them and I had the most fun doing them! I thought wouldn't this is amazing if I did this for a job, so I just decided to go for it! And I've never looked back.

I create bespoke grazing tables, platters + boxes for every occasion. I've always loved food so being able to make beautiful tables for people's big day is so special to me. It's also amazing to be able to create something different and bespoke every time - dependant on what my client is after. I love being able to be innovative to bring something that's really special and tastes that may not have been tried before. Seeing people's faces when they see the spread means everything to me.

I'm really passionate about food (of course) and cooking. I love baking my own sourdough and cooking up different cuisines. I'm really picky about quality and taste, it really is the most important thing with food, when the produce is amazing it really shines through so I'm always trying new things to make sure we have the best and most delicious produce on our tables!

I think grazing tables are so cool because they look so incredible, the visual impact on your guests is always fantastic - you can't help but say wow when you walk in and see the display. It's super decorative but also edible, so it's like the best of both worlds. I always think how the senses are excited when you first come across the spreads as the smell of the food on offer gives you that added detail and I don't really think there's many other things like that, the spreads always make you want to dive in and discover a taste sensation.

What are the big upcoming trends you are noticing within your specialism and what are your takes on these?

It seems that bigger is better when it comes to the display potentials of these spreads. Including a lot more florals, huge floral displays alongside the tables, rather than just the food bring in more height and texture to create an abundance of colour and ultimately more temptation.

There's a real shift toward sustainability happening at the moment, which is incredible. Sustainability has always been really important to me so we always try to be sustainable as we can, using minimal plastic, making use of as many recycled/recyclable options as we can and shopping seasonally and locally where possible. I am loving seeing so many people home growing produce and getting stuck into baking once again.

What is the interaction process between you and you clients like?

Most of our interaction happens online, unless of course we meet at fairs such as Chosen. We have a few different options that we offer, with the options of different, specific add-ons. Generally most people want us recreate one of the tables that we've already made, but sometimes people want some different and more specific. So we'll create a Pinterest board together to get a feel for exactly what they want. We're really lucky that our clients are very trusting and generally just let us "get on with it" because they know that we'll bring something amazing to the table (literally).

What do you love about your role and what are the rewards?

Honestly? I just love my job! From the initial planning and brainstorming, to the early mornings collecting produce, to setting everything out and building the graze. The best reward is just making people happy and seeing their faces when they see what we've created.

Wedding planning can be hard work so what do you see as being some of the key worries in your profession. What piece of advice would you give to couples planning their big day?

Personally I tend to agree with how you guys think about weddings, I don't think there are really any do's and don'ts as everyone is different, but I think it's helpful to remember the bigger picture! It's so easy to get caught up with everything but ultimately the day is about celebrating the love you share with your partner and whatever happens the day will be amazing and special because of that.

We haven't yet touched on the dreaded "C" word so how has Corona Virus effected your business? Also are they any services you would love to tell people about to help support you independent local business.

Our business has had to change a lot and it's been a really difficult time. Most of what we do is grazing tables for big events, which of course aren't going ahead right now! We've always offered grazing boxes for delivery but we're obviously just focusing on that right now. It's lovely to be able to still do what I love in these weird times even if it is on a slightly smaller scale.

Now lockdown has eased slightly we are now able to deliver grazing boxes all over London at the moment. They're £40 and serve 1-2 people. They look gorgeous and they're filled with lots of delicious, seasonal foods. Perfect if you want a little taster of what our grazing tables are all about and great for these sunny summer days for a socially distant picnic!

So for all you London based readers out there:

If you are looking for that visual impact for your wedding day spread why not contact Florence today or if you fancy a little treat for yourself or a loved one with a scrummy platter delivered direct to your door head over the Garner & Graze website HERE

Keep up to date with Garner & Graze on Instagram @garnerandgrazeco and on Facebook www.facebook.com/garnerandgrazeco/

Happy feasting everyone!

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