ACE Awards 2024: Catered Wedding of the Year

In the idyllic surroundings of McLean, Virginia, Occassions Caterers was tasked with transforming a couple's love story into a grand celebration for pandemic-delayed wedding reception following a more intimate ceremony during the pandemic.  

The evening’s decor resembled a sophisticated supper club-style lounge tent, reminiscent of Mayfair's exclusive club.  

The evening commenced with a charming cocktail hour within the couple's home and gardens. Yet, the real magic began when the curtains unveiled a sophisticated supper club-style lounge tent, reminiscent of Las Vegas’ Mayfair Super Club inside the Bellagio.  

The French-inspired menu featured decadent delights–caviar, foie gras, and jewel-like desserts–as well as chef attended stations–a taco cart and a sushi station. Additionally, sophisticated small plates comprised of lamb lollipops, seared sea bass, petit filet mignon, sea scallops, tuna poke, arepas, and beef tenderloin. Everything was presented in a lavish overflowing style reminiscent of a still life painting. 

The Taco Cart featured Miniature Chicken Tacos (crisp, mini yellow corn tacos filled with spicy chicken and topped with house-made pickled jalapeños, and a smooth cilantro cream sauce) accompanied by shots of tequila.  

Leaning into the moody Parisian aesthetic, the wedding transported guests into a romantic and enchanting world.  

All photos courtesy Elisabetta Marzetti 

Coquilles St. Jacques (sea scallops, leeks, and mushrooms baked in traditional white wine cream sauce, served in a large scallop shell and garnished with celery and bull's blood micro greens). 

The Bread Boulangerie + Cheese Shop Station featured thick slices of French baguettes served with a choice of toppings including butter bordier, foie liver mousse, wildflower and lavender butter, herbed chive butter, butter radishes, honeycomb, and fleur de sel. 

Guests could pick up their late-night sweets from jewelry cases, which added an element of sophistication and luxury to the food presentation. They not only served as functional serving pieces, but also became an integral part of the event's decor and elevated the overall visual appeal of the food.  

The Bread Boulangerie + Cheese Shop Station was accompanied by aged white cheddar, soft ripened brie and young gouda. Paired with fresh and dried fruits, Virginia salumeria's peppered smoked speck, and Norcino salami fig preserves.  

Crab in Fragrant Coconut Milk (chilled jumbo lump crab tossed in a lightly spicy coconut milk and pepper sambal sauce and topped with julienne of carrot and daikon). 

Miniature Ginger Crème Brûlée (ginger-spiced custard with a brittle caramelized crust and garnished with candied ginger and edible flower). 

The re-design and remodel of the couple’s private historic home into a luxury lounge was completed only days prior to the event. 

For the event, Strawberry Milk Events incorporated a moody Parisian aesthetic that completely transformed the space thus transporting guests into a romantic and enchanting world.  

For a late-night treat, the caterer brought out S’more Marshmallow Kisses (house-made graham cracker cookie with a center of dark chocolate ganache and topped with marshmallow. Finished with dark chocolate and graham cracker crumbs. 

Lamb and Mint Pesto Lollipops featuring roasted lamb loin rolled in Herbes de Provence and served warm with mint pesto. 

The Raspberry Almond Tartlets (pâte sablée tartlets filled with almond-scented pastry cream and topped with fresh raspberries and gold foil) were served in custom jewelry cases.  

Submissions Now Open

It's once again time to celebrate the best of the best! Submissions are now being accepted for the Catersource 2025 Achievement in Catered Events awards (ACE)!  We invite you to submit your best work from the past year. Join in the excitement and the spirit of our industry as we celebrate the hard work and exceptional accomplishments of our peers.

The categories for 2025 are: 

To submit an entry to this year's ACE awards, please visit our awards portal at https://ace-gala.awardsplatform.com/

Important Dates

If you are interested in entering in the Gala awards instead, you can enter the Special Event 2025 Gala awards in the same online portal as the ACE awards. Catersource + The Special Event will run February 24-27 in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Both the ACE and Gala awards will be presented during the conference at a to-be-determined location in Fort Lauderdale.