Lucy & Ben's Collaborative Wedding at Pioneer Works (2014)

We were so happy to be introduced to Lucy and Ben in 2014. At the time, they lived and worked in Red Hook, Brooklyn which happened to be around the corner from their venue. Pioneer Works, is a large indoor gallery with a backyard garden. I was also studying under Monica Byrne and Leisah Swenson nearby at home/made. It was my first big wedding without training wheels and support from a larger organization. With Lucy and Ben, we brainstormed a casual BBQ menu to feed two hundred guests at their dreamy wedding on October 4, 2014. 

It was a true team effort! Lucy's sister Emma made six different cakes for dessert, one of which was an apple olive oil cake with maple frosting. Their mom also coordinated salads and jars of pickled goods: peach salsa, beets, cucumbers, piccalilli, and dilly beans to supplement our BBQ menu. Fort Defiance, a local restaurant (unfortunately now closed), handled the bar and cocktails.

Vendors

Venue: Pioneer Works

Bar: Fort Defiance

Photographer: Heather Phelps-Lipton

Caterer: Family Party Catering

Team: Jenn de la Vega, Jeff Stockton, Dylan Garret

The Wedding Menu

Imagine large wooden boards piled with prosciutto di Parma, bresaola, speck, Toscano salami, chorizo picante, and dandelion greens. Sizzles and smoke swirl into the night sky in a dewy garden alongside a bluesy brass band. It was quite a night!

We served our award-winning adobo pulled pork on SCRATCH Bread focaccia with sides of hot pepper vinegar and herby raita. Adobo is a Filipino stewed dish where protein is simmered with punchy vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, soy sauce, and lots of whole black peppercorns. Our version is whole stewed pork shoulder, smoked, pulled, and caramelized in brown sugar.

The star of our BBQ buffet was whole-grilled Cornish game hens with herby garlic butter. We blended thyme, garlic, sage, and rosemary with melted butter to douse on the meat before serving.

A Party Tip

We believe cheese belongs at every party. When you're serving cheese, bring it out of the fridge 30 minutes before guests arrive so it is soft enough to cut. However, soft cheese with lots of butterfat, like the Brunet pictured above or any triple creme cheese, will melt faster outdoors on a hot summer day. Keep it chill until you're ready to eat.

Interested in collaborating on your next event? Head to our Inquiries page to tell us more.