Big Delicious Planet Rehearsal Dinner
We are so excited to share a very special rehearsal dinner event today! Chelsey, the Director of Weddings and Events at Big Delicious Planet, recently had a gorgeous rehearsal dinner (prior to her 2022 wedding) and we are thrilled to share it! She did a great Q & A below, answering questions about her inspiration, menu choices and more about this meaningful event. Thank you Chelsey and Tyler!
What was your design inspiration for your rehearsal dinner?
For our rehearsal dinner, I wanted to highlight the farm-to-table experience at Big Delicious Planet. Our rehearsal was at the end of September, so I wanted to lean into the late summer/beginning of Autumn feeling with the linens and tones of the decor. In general, I lean towards warm-toned palettes and earth tones even with my clothing and home decor, which perfectly match the seasonal vibe I was going for. We weren’t sure how the weather in Chicago would be, but luckily it was warm enough for us to host cocktail hour outside before sunset. The BDP Urban Farm was still so lush with greenery and colorful flowers, so we didn’t need much decor out there at all! Since it was golden hour, it was the perfect time for our photographer, Anna Zajac, to capture photos of us in the farm.
Did you plan a specific menu?
Yes! Over my 6 years working as an Event Producer at BDP, I have tried nearly everything that has come out of the BDP kitchen! So, I thought long and hard about what I wanted for our rehearsal dinner menu, but in the end, it was an easy decision to make. I took the advice that I also give to the couples I work with: think about the menu for each of your wedding events and make sure they differ enough so guests will feel like they had a unique experience each night. My husband, Tyler, and I created a menu that we loved for our wedding reception at Walden, but I also wanted something equally (if not more exciting!) for our closest friends and family at our rehearsal dinner. Since I work at BDP, it was such a special experience to have all of our loved ones gathered to celebrate at a place I spend so much time and take such pride in. Needless to say, the menu was very important!
Over my years at BDP, I have definitely honed in on my favorite dishes that we offer. The garden is luckily in peak harvest during mid-to-late September, so I chose to include the menu items that featured what we were harvesting from the farm the week of the event, which included peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots. A couple of the passed hors d’oeuvres we chose were the BDP Pepper Ceviche, which is presented in a hollowed-out cucumber cup with marcona almonds and sherry vinaigrette, and the Gouda Stuffed Tomato Popper with hot BDP pepper jelly, which is becoming one of the most popular appetizers on our late summer menus! For the salad, we went with a classic mix of field greens and seasonal shaved and roasted vegetables from the farm, paired with locally sourced goat cheese and a crunchy nut. We always garnish our dishes with colorful and flavorful microgreens, herbs, and edible flowers—all grown on the farm.
We chose to serve the main course family-style, which is the most common service style for intimate events at BDP. We have found it provides the best experience for guests because it maximizes the menu items guests can taste, enhances the communal farm-to-table atmosphere, and allows for BDP to incorporate as much of the harvest as possible. For example, the seared branzino entreé included a relish made with Castelvetrano olives, capers, and the BDP shishito peppers that were growing abundantly at the time! We included crispy BDP kale chips with the balsamic braised short rib dish, which added a hearty crunch. For the sides, we went with a cheesy squash risotto and BDP Carrots Three Ways, which is a favorite dish from our popular Urban Farm Dinner Series! The carrots our farmer, Dylan, grows are unlike any carrot you’ll find anywhere else and our head chef, Bryan, lets them shine by presenting them as 1) puréed, 2) herb roasted, and 3) shaved raw and marinated. Finally, our talented pastry chef, Christina, made cheesecakes for dessert which featured locally sourced goat cheese and paired them with a housemade berry compote.
The overall vibe seems so cozy and happy - was that intentional?
Of course! We wanted our rehearsal dinner to be a very relaxed and fun celebration. Thankfully, many of our family and guests had met each other prior, so it was meant to be an intimate celebration to kick off our wedding weekend and an opportunity for us to host the people that helped us get to this special moment in our lives. The amazing setting, staff, food, and drinks at BDP enhanced and echoed the welcoming and cheery atmosphere throughout the evening.
Share anything else about the event that you would love for us to share!
I’m so thrilled that BDP was the venue for this celebration and so thankful for everything that BDP’s Owner, Heidi, and the rest of the BDP team did to make it such a special night for me and Tyler.
Wedding Pro’s:
Venue and Catering: Big Delicious Planet
Photography: Anna Zajac
Rentals: BBJ La Tavola