Allison & Colin's Congee Bar Wedding (2019)

Allison and Colin came to us through our friend Celeste, who works in the publishing industry. Upon first meeting, Allison had a folder of ideas and the venue layout ready for us to look at—we love a prepared bride! We took inspiration from their first date, The Great British Baking Show, their favorite restaurants, and upbringings in Cuba and Philadelphia.

On a crisp fall day, one block from the Williamsburg waterfront, we welcomed 100 of their friends and family to a large charcuterie graze cocktail hour with freshly pressed mini Cubano sandwiches. Instead of table numbers, each table was one of their favorite movies (pictured above, which was also quoted in their vows). Once everyone was seated, we served a cross-cultural congee buffet with Hainanese chicken, lechon, maduros, wild mushrooms, "Tiger" salad, and an array of toppings; from chili crisp to scallions. Allison's brother, DJ Chico Chi, played the hits as karaoke kicked off in the basement. For dessert, we ordered their favorite Petee's Pies and served Colin's favorite Bake-Off Chelsea buns. When the party was over, we sent guests off into the night with Philly soft pretzels and mustard to go.

Vendors

Venue: Industria Williamsburg

Photographer: Landyn Pan

DJ: DJ Chico Chi

Catering: Family Party Catering

Team: Jenn de la Vega, Emily Hanhan, Tris Miller, & Queenie Elam

The Wedding Menu

We kicked off cocktail hour with a large charcuterie grazing table we nicknamed "the meat river." It was inspired by the antipasti they had on their first date at Carlos' in Boston. We used fresh baguette, speck (a smoked prosciutto), spicy coppa, finocchiona, and chorizo. To balance the fatty meats, we styled everything on a bed of chrysanthemum greens (a nod to Allison's heritage) with new farmer's market pickles and pepperoncini.

Our grazes are never complete without cheese! The couple preferred sharp Vermont cheddar, gouda, and Comte. We rounded out the selection with softer cheeses like Vermont Creamery Coupole and fresh goat cheese. For accompaniments, we served Grapery Moondrop grapes, pears, apples, dried fruits, and crostini. To emulate large family-style dinners at Chinese restaurants, we plated the cheese on a lazy Susan so guests could spin it to the cheese they wanted.

The main event was the congee bar where guests could mash up a Chinese classic with Cuban food. It was a reflection of Allison's Chinese heritage with her Cuban upbringing. The main proteins were gingery Haianese chicken, lechon with oregano, and sauteed wild mushrooms. On the side, we offered "Tiger" salad inspired by Xi'an Famous Foods.

A Party Tip

Do you need a bunch of sliders in a hurry? Grab a pack of 12 unsliced Hawaiian rolls. Carefully slice the whole cluster crosswise to make two large slabs. Spread any sandwich sauce across the bottom half, add single layers of meat and/or cheese, and place the top half on. Brush the whole thing in butter and press in a panini grill for 30 seconds to a minute until you have grill marks and the cheese has melted. Remove the pressed sandwich from the heat and slice along the lines to make sliders.

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