VENDOR HIGHLIGHT | Culinary Excellence
The most powerful memories of your wedding day come from more than just the visual and emotional aspects. All your senses including taste, touch, and smell, contribute to creating memories that will last the rest of your lives. With this in mind, you can see why tying in the proper catering selections has such a big impact on the overall experience of you and your guests. With over 30 years’ experience in custom catering, wedding coordination, and event planning we met up with the owner of the green certified business Culinary Excellence, Christian Hardy, and Senior Event Coordinator, Jessica Murphy to learn their takeaway after three decades in the wedding industry.
What first inspired you to start your company?
Before I began at Culinary Excellence, I was the head of Pediatric Cardiology at Children’s Hospital Oakland for 14 years, but I always had a passion for food. After suffering a near-death episode, I realized life was too short and decided to pursue my passion. After receiving 2 degrees at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, I decided the only way to truly learn to be an expert in my field was to move to Paris. Upon returning to the states I was eager to share the finer points of pastry I learned attending Ecole le Notre, which led to me buying Culinary Excellence from a sweet German couple that was ready to retire. Since purchasing the company, it has done nothing but grow and expand from a small 4,000 square foot operation to a 14,000 square foot operation which truly can be called a one-stop-shop.
What is your favorite part of the event planning/wedding industry?
Getting to share the happiest moment of so many couples’ lives.
If you were to make one recommendation to couples you work with, what would it be?
Take brief moments throughout the day to take it all in! Don't forget to soak it up because it will be over in the blink of an eye.
What is your favorite wedding memory to date?
There are so many amazing ones that it is so hard to choose! I would say that it was being able to complete a couple’s wedding one year after their chosen wedding date. The groom had gotten into a car accident a week before the wedding, and went into a coma. Luckily, he recovered, and one year later we were able to help make their wedding dreams a reality.
Perfect in Every Way
Without adequate help from your team, planning your wedding can go from an enjoyable experience to one that is stressful and overwhelming. The people who work in the wedding industry do so because they want to help bring your vision to life, and contribute to making your day special. With services ranging to floral design, desserts, decor, wedding coordination and of course, world-class catering, Culinary Excellence can help you tie together all the aspects of your wedding to create a truly perfect day.
Learn More About Culinary Excellence
Social Media Handles
Instagram: @culinaryexcellence
Facebook: @culinaryexcellence
Business Contact Information:
Email: jessica@culinaryexcellence.com
Website: https://www.culinaryexcellence.com/
Let’s Talk About Love!
For more information on how we can tell your love story, contact us today and allow us to walk you through our amazing packages. We look forward to providing you with each and every detail on our Wedding Videography and Wedding Photography and the opportunity to introduce you to our team!